The Beatles "I Will" guitar tuning

I am trying to play on guitar The Beatles song "I Will" from the White album. I know the song is in the key of F mayor, but i want to know how Paul McCartney make the recording of the guitar on the album. He plays the song in the standart tuning in the F mayor position? or he drop down the guitar a whole step and play it in the G mayor position? Any Beatles freak who knows the answer at this question? I try to find the information on the forum but i didn't find anything.

 

I've seen it transcribed in standard tuning in Guitar World. It's kinda difficult to transistion between all the different chords but sounds accurate.

Search youtube for "privettricker I Will". I think he plays it tuned down in the G position. No clue how mccartney played it on the record though.

 

Never paid any attention to the guitar on this before, but a quick listen suggests to me that it's standard tuning. Also, the F-based chords are basic ones, and easy to play in standard tuning, so why bother to tune down a step and play it in G?

 

Sounds like standard tuning played in F.

 

Some people assure that the guitar is a whole step down and playing in the G mayor position because it sounds more natural and open. I did the exercise and it's true, sounds more open and free. But what Paul did it is what i want to know. I know when he play it in live concerts he did it in the standart tuning but that doesn't mean anything.

 

Capo 1st fret, play as if in E. This way you get a clean, root-position C chord shape near the end.

 

There's a video of mccartney playing it live and it looks like he is playing a regular G chord with open strings. Can't tell if he is tuned down or is in standard.

 

The Cars used it on "My Best Friend's Girl" as well.

 

Please share that video!

 

Used what?

 

The chord progression.

 

Huh?

 

Edit: my bad, doesn't look he is playing a G chord. Looks like he is playing E - C#m- F#m - B7(?). Apparently he plays the song in the key of E live nowadays, probably for his voice. But the studio version is definitely in F. You could also play it the way he does live but move every chord up one fret and put a capo on the first fret. That could be the way he did it on the White album. The second guitar part that plays the fills sounds to me like the capo is at the first fret with how the first fret on the b and e string seem to ring out.

 

this sounds right when i play it to album give it a try Standard tuning
verse
F Dm Gm7 C7
F Dm Am
F7 Bb C7 F
Bb C7 F Dm Gm7 C7

chorus
Bb Am Dm
Gm7 C7 F F7
Bb Am Dm
Gm7 G7 C7

 

Yep, spot on I reckon.

 

Hard to say for certain, but I also think this is actually in E with the capo at the first fret, just like Paul plays it in the video without the capo. Like someone else says, the acoustic lead parts definitely sound like capo'd at the first fret with pulloffs to open strings.. would be more difficult to execute those licks when playing from an F barre shape. It's certainly possible to play the chords in standard tuning starting with the F chord though.

 

But the OP is talking about the strumming part, which doesn't involve pull-offs. Having said that, the strumming part could be played in E w/capo, as well. Probably is, now that you mention it, given the way he does it live. (Also, note that in the YT vids he's singing it at a half step lower than the album.)

 

After some research i get to the conclusion that Paul record I Will with the capo on the first fret playing in the E mayor position.

 

Maybe he played it in E and then they decided to speed the tape up to F... another possibility.

 

I think it's tuned down a step, as "Yesterday" was, not that it's particularly difficult in standard or with the capo.

EDIT: and now that I'm watching the video above, I'm not so sure.

 

it's in F with no capo on the white album

you can tell by listening for which chords have open strings in them.

 

Forgive the pedantry, it's MAJOR not mayor.

 

And how's your Chilean Spanish coming along?

 

I have always played it in standard tuning. Weird chords, but that is the magic of Paul's style. Very unorthodox. He said himself he was not schooled in playing at all. Remember, these songs were never meant to be played by anyone other than Paul.