When you start learning how to use a capo, it can be good to find bands that used capos a lot. The Beatles are one such band. They had different phases in the their musical styles, but experimented with capos for a large portion of their career. The Beatles were talented multi-instrumentalists, which means many songs are not really suitable for guitar, especially the many piano songs. They did, however, write many songs on and for the guitar, with the rythym acoustic guitar structuring the song. That is, we will mostly be following along with John in this article!
Another plus of playing along with the Beatles is that they used a fantastic range of chords. The legend is that when Paul and John were young they had a personal rule: every time they learned a new chord they would write a song with that new chord in it. We have arranged the following songs into level of difficulty, roughly starting with the easiest (Girl) and ending with the hardest (Michelle).
Rubber Soul, their six studio album, was released on Dec 3, 1965. This album marks the beginning of experimental with new sounds, both on the guitar and off it. They include new instruments like the Sitar. George tries out new lead guitar sounds that develop further in later albums like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Revolver. Another experimentation is that on Rubber Soul there are five songs with a capo. This albums marks a moment in the Beatles development where they were keenly interesting in writing guitar music. These are five great songs to learn.
1. Girl
Capo: 8
"Girl" is a song about lost love. John's lyrics and both pain-ridden and fun and his voice carries an honest note throughout. The lyrics for the solo are simply the word "Girl" and then a large breath in ("Oh the pain!"). The folksy acoustic guitar is the main instrument throughout, providing the mood and the skeleton for the song. There is a capo way-way-up on the eighth fret, making the guitar sound high and tiny, almost like a ukulele. The chord progression is based on the Em chord and plays a lot with the B7 shape. This is a great song to strum along with. We have this song listed first as there are no barre chords. The song also has a lead line, introduced halfway, on an acoustic guitar. This line flourishes into a solo near the end.
2. Nowhere Man
Capo: 2
Nowhere Man may the Beatles first song that does not address the topic of love and romance. This song addresses what could be called an existential crisis. It tells the story of a man who is in the world but does not belong. He has no purpose or sense of family. Into this situation that is near despair, John cries a note of hope, "Nowhere man please listen - the world is at your command." These lyrics foreshadow John Lennon's turn away from populist writing towards wrestling with bigger questions in songs like Imagine and Revolution.
The song opens with a classic Beatles three part harmony. The acoustic guitar kicks in the third bar and drives throughout the song. The chord progression is fairly simple with a capo on the second fret. The guitar creates a dreamy sound. There are a few barre chords, including the interesting Gm. The song is a also a great demonstration of the interplay of vocals, rhythm guitar and lead guitar. George's lead guitar add colour and mood throughout.
3. I'm Looking Through You
Capo: 1
Another song about the pain of lost love. It is a straight forwards statement of pain, with a smack of superiority. The acoustic guitar opens the song with a cool lick. There is a little break down that features a crunch lead guitar/keyboard sound that is the most notable part of the song. The song has a simple chord progression which is fun to play through.
4. Michelle
Capo: 5
It is possible to forget that the Beatles were Europeans. Coming from Liverpool, England they were exposed to the culture and languages of the continent. They in fact released German versions of their first two sings "I Want to Hold Your Hand" ("Komm gib mir seine Hand") and "She Loves You" (Sie libel dich).
Michele is a love song written to a Frenchwoman. Almost certainly, the guitar was written by Paul, it is a love song by him written on the guitar. Though the track also has a wicked bass line, so Paul is the boss. There is also a very bassy lead guitar, which is very moody. The chord progression demonstrates Paul's musical versatility, which some out there chords (C into Cm into Cdim) and a sweet lick on the acoustic guitar that is integrated into the chords. This is a lovely song to learn with a sweet tone.
5. Norwegian Wood
Capo: 2
This is another cheeky love song by John. Talking about a girl who lives in a house made of lovely "Norwegian Wood," when John wakes up in the morning he's been left, thus the subtitle, "This Bird has Flown." The song is notable for the George's Sitar debut. George experimented wth Eastern religion and music, incorporating both into The Beatles.
The rhythm guitar for Norwegian Wood is based on the D chord, which a capo at the second fret. This is a little more tricky than just strumming chords as John played the melody overtop of the D chord. We might even call this athletic. The music is lively and fun, making it a great song to perform.
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