Beatles’ Guitar: Capoes and Different Tunings

For all you guitar fans out there, I believe that there were only five occasions where a Beatle guitar was tuned in a way other than standard: 1)“Yesterday” – Paul’s acoustic was tuned a full step lower so that he could play in “G” while sounding in “F”, 2) “Fixing a Hole”, George’s guitar is tuned to “Drop ‘D’” that is the low string is D instead of E – hear it in the solo. 3) “I Want You” also “Drop ‘D’” John and George”? near the end – the long fade, 4) “Dear Prudence” – John’s guitar plays “Travis in Drop D” all the way, and 5) John’s part in “For You Blue” ‘an open 7th’ of some sort.

When it comes to a capo, I don’t believe that the Beatles used one until “Rubber Soul” then they went wild, must have been a sale at ‘Marks and Spencer’s’. “Norwegian Wood” - both guitars on the 2nd fret. ”Nowhere Man – John on the 2nd fret. “Michelle” – one of the guitars is capoed at the 5th (not sure about this). “Girl” has John capoed at the 8th (highest capo position ever for the Beatles). “If I Needed Someone” sees George’s lead on the 7th. “Think for Yourself” has George on 3rd. “I’m Looking Through You” uses the first fret.

They settle down a bit and the capo does not show up again until “The White Album”: “Julia” double-tracked 2nd fret, “Long, Long, Long” 3rd fret, “Piggies” George on 6th followed by “Abbey Road” and “Let it Be” where you see “Here Come’s the Sun” -7th and George’s acoustic on “For You Blue” 5th.

What are we missing?

 

Maybe this thread should incorporate the guitar tracks recorded in one key and then changed by speeding up or slowing down the tape deck - and the guitar tracks recorded with the tape deck slowed down or sped up and then returned to normal.

 

Interesting idea Deke but I would hope to keep this seperate.

Heh. Now you've come up with this idea, why don't you start a new thread?

John

 

Well, I think putting them all together in this thread would be a nice catch all for those who would like to play along and are frustrated by not getting the proper voicing of chords - whether it be different tunings, capos or varispeed.

 

Is "Norwegian Wood" in an open E tuning, or is that just how I learned to play it?

 

I play it in standard tuning around a D formation. It's really easy to play.

 

Very interesting observation. I play guitar, but don't know the Beatles music intimately enough to make generalizations.

There are some interesting guitar instructional DVDs that break down 36 of the Beatles songs at http://www.to-a-tee.tv/index.html.

I plan to buy these, but at this point I've just viewed the clips. I've got a lot of this stuff, and there are two thing I really like about his approach:

1) he use the the same guitar brand (Gibson, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, Fender, etc.), if not the identical model, in his demonstrations. I've got DVDs where the instructor is playing a different model guitar (Tele instead of Strat on RHCP; PRS instead of Gibson SG on AC/DC, etc.). I think it adds some "authenticity" to play the same brand and model of instrument that the original artist used.

2) He shows, or purports to show, ALL the guitar parts.

 

She said, she said (in the key of E flat) is played with a capo (on the first fret I believe).

 

I'm generally not fond of capoes. Its just lazy. Stretch out those fingers! But seriously, in a live setting the comfort of playing with a capo might be worth it.

 

I don't think it's lazy, it gives you a different sound that cannot be achieved by stretching the fingers!

 

Oh I definitely agree with that. I just meant you can move a chord shape up the neck without using a capo. Usually you have to come up with a different fingering, but it can be done.

 

While you can do this, you simply cannot get the ringing of open chord forms or fluid legato hammer-ons the way you can by using a capo. There's nothing whatsoever lazy about it and it has nothing at all to do with "stretching your fingers." Try playing Tull's "Life Is A Long Song" without a capo and have it sound anywhere near close to the recorded version. It's impossible.

 

Lazy? That's just silly. Why is allowing yourself a whole new dynamic and sound silly? Is a trumpet mute lazy?

 

Cheap.

It's how you learned it. I originally learned it in standard tuning without realising there was a capo. I played it in the E chord position and it was never quite right till someone told me about the capo. I did get to stretch those fingers though.

 

Go for it.

"Ticket to Ride" is a little off pitch for no discernable reason. Standard tuning in A major, no varispeed, no capoes. There's no keyboard on it so perhaps the guitars and bass were tuned relative to each other and George Martin didn't worry about A440.

 

The entire "Help!" album is a bit under pitch, actually.

 

Isn't George's lead on "Act Naturally" played with a detuned low E? I always assumed it was a "Drop 'D'" but I never actually tried to play it......

 

I guess it just depends what you play that needs to be moved up the neck. One that immediately comes to mind is RHCP's "Under the Bridge", played at the 2nd fret. Ever since I saw John Frusciante doing it flawlessly live without the capo, I adopted his theory. Every tab, book, guitar player I watched play it used a capo. I also find that getting rid of the capo frees up all those other frets below it. If you were playing "Under the Bridge" start to finish properly, you simply couldn't do it with the capo. I'm sure there are times when you just must have a capo, but in general I think they are overused.

 

I believe so, and it sounds like a low D gets played in the solo.

 

What he said.

 

Standard tuning, capo on 2nd fret. The version on Anthology is in D, standard tuning, no capo.

 

Try playing "Here Comes The Sun" without a capo. Or Fleetwood Mac's "Never Going Back Again" without a capo.

 

The coda of "Rain" sounds to my ears like it has a guitar that's been tuned way down. Assuming that the song was recorded in A and lowered to G by slowing down the tape, I figure the tuning of the guitar during the coda is (low to high) A E A E A C# (each string tuned down to its pitch). It sounds like something Michael Hedges might have come up with.

J. D.

 

Apart from the pitch thing, there has been much discussion about the guitars on "Rain," and though it's been a while, my memory is that a non-standard tuning was the only way to get the second chord of the chorus to sound right. You can play the chorus in standard tuning using 320033 and x32033 and come close, but it still isn't quite there.

 

>>>What are we missing?>>>

Sounds to me like "It's Only Love" is capoed at the 5th fret (G to Em on the intro).

At least that's how I play it on my 12- string acoustic.

Lou