How to play guitar like John Lennon VIDEO. (George too)*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Jymn, Oct 10, 2009.

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  1. Jymn

    Jymn Formerly skysaxon Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver
    With Paul McCartney becoming the most populat Beatle, because he's alive and all, it is nice to see such a backhanded compliment as this video about John Lennon's unheralded guitar playing, which is what really attracted me to the group in the first place.

    "Keep playing as sloppy as you can while keeping the integrity of the chord"

    I love that.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFRsUydn2w4
     
  2. TheGregWitul

    TheGregWitul Member

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    I watched the entire video and I don't think it's a backhanded compliment. The guy doing the video seems to be impressed with John's unorthodox playing style.

    j.
     
  3. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

  4. John was always an underrated rhythm guitarist and while his lead playing could be sloppy it had character making it very, very distinctive. I'll take distinctive over generic perfection any day of the week.
     
  5. jfp11801

    jfp11801 Forum Resident

    I loved how he captured the angry part of John's playing that really countered well with George's more precise approach.
     
  6. johnny33

    johnny33 New Member

    Location:
    usa
    So much personality in their playing and differing styles. When broken down its amazing how unusual their structuring and combinations of chords and little riffs were. Much of it makes me scratch my head and think how did that ever all fit together. Talk about the sum of parts! Nobody plays like that any more.

    I wonder how much woodshedding George did and how much just popped into his mind from sheer unique signature talent? I mean these guys didnt exactly have a whole lot of time on their hands to practice. Those early Hamburg days must have just been an evolution of Georges abilities.

    John, if i remember rightly, learned the banjo first which may attribute his choppy kind of Ralph Stanley rough style?

    Some stuff on Ringo there also. The Word is a cool video.
     
  7. His Masters Vice

    His Masters Vice W.C. Fields Forever

    Yes ... check out how clever Ringo's drumming is on that song.

    The only thing this guy doesn't show you how to play is Paul's bass lines, although he does demonstrate how to play "Blackbird" and he also shows how to play the "Penny Lane" piano part, so he's not a completely "Paul-free" zone!
     
  8. Onder

    Onder Senior Member

    No need to roll off the treble when you have an organ. Just like on the original :)

    Sorry, could resist :wave:
     
  9. John DeAngelis

    John DeAngelis Senior Member

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Later in the video he talks about how John could play very precisely when necessary--as on "All My Loving".

    The guy covers a lot of ground in a very short amount of time. One important thing he doesn't mention regarding John's guitar sound: the Rickenbacker had heavy flatwound strings on it--as opposed to the lightwight roundwound strings guitarists use nowadays.
     
  10. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
  11. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut
    That kid is awesome. He's figured out a lot of stuff. Did you see him do "If I Fell"?
     
  12. moople72

    moople72 Forum Resident

    Location:
    KC
    Well done! Thanks for the link.
     
  13. George Blair

    George Blair Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    That was great. Thanks!
     
  14. dbz

    dbz Bolinhead.

    Location:
    Live At Leeds (UK)
  15. hoggydoggy

    hoggydoggy Forum Resident

    Organ?

    It's certainly a unique rhythm sound, but I've never heard it suggested that there's organ on IWTHYH (no mention in Lewisohn's book BTW, and he usually picks up on "unusual" instruments on sessions) - have you got any more info on this, or has 1st April come early??? ;)
     
  16. John DeAngelis

    John DeAngelis Senior Member

    Location:
    New York, NY
    It's been suggested here and elsewhere that the rhythm instrument is an organ. But it's just John with the treble rolled off on his guitar.
     
  17. Onder

    Onder Senior Member

    That was a joke. Didn´t mean it seriously.
    Of course it´s a guitar with treble rolled off. NO ORGAN. There was another discussion about this topic with people claiming it´s an organ or guitar with an organ. And our dear host Steve Hoffman couldn´t convince them that it´s just a guitar. If my memory serves well Steve even heard the 4track tape.
     
  18. vonwegen

    vonwegen Forum Resident

    Too funny!

    Even funnier when you realize that Lennon's organ style almost always has a fist or elbow slide up or down the keys, like he did on "I'm Down". Can you imagine what that would've sounded like in the middle of "I Want To Hold Your Hand"? :laugh:
     
  19. vonwegen

    vonwegen Forum Resident

    bTW, thanks for the links and the thread.

    Spent a fun morning watching them all.
     
  20. Thrillington

    Thrillington McCartney Scholar

    Location:
    Cardiff, Wales, UK
    I have seen most of his videos, and the reason he, as you put it is 'Paul Free', is because he does not play or own a bass guitar.
     
  21. hoggydoggy

    hoggydoggy Forum Resident

    Cool - I thought as much and afforded it a chuckle, but then you start to wonder whether there's some tiny bit of Beatles minutiae that's somehow passed me by...!!!

    I like the guy on the clip - he's not particularly good at explaining himself (and he seems to make more mistakes on the lessons than he does when he just plays them), but he captures a lot of those parts very well. He's got a new subscriber! :thumbsup:
     
  22. Just gotta correct the record here...I'm actually a bassist first and foremost. I've had a Rickenbacker 4003 and a little Hofner knock-off, but I had to sell for pocket change in college. One day I'll get some Paul basses and knock out some bass vids.

    Yeah I screw up with the best of them. Fat fingers. ; )

    Proof that I play bass:

    Seven Mile Bridge

    Smells Like Teen Spirit (Jazz)

    Ain't No Stopping Us Now

    ^ These were all done with a Rickenbacker 4003. Luv me some funky bass.
     
  23. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Hey. Welcome to the forum. Forget the nit-picks, I think your videos are great. They got me inspired to pick up my guitar, so in that respect, they're AWESOME!!! :D
     
  24. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    "You want to play like you're really pissed off all the time". HA! These are great.
     
  25. Now - if only you could tell us definitively who played the freakin' lead solo on "Hey Bulldog"??? :)
     
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