Search Results for Beatles

Album Reviews

Irene Gómez’s ‘Songs of My Life/Canciones de mi Vida’ is an Intriguing Nylon-String Mix of Beatles, Brel, and Schubert

Irene Gómez holding acoustic guitar on bridge

The nimble and expressive Colombian classical guitarist Irene Gómez has always played a diverse repertoire, as befits a musician whose varied guitar education included programs in her native country, in France, and at Juilliard in New York, where she studied with Sharon Isbin.

Blair Jackson
April 18, 2023

Instrumentalists

Al Di Meola Takes Classic Beatles Tunes to New Places

After nearly 50 years exploring the most remote destinations on the musical map, Al Di Meola’s homecoming to formative influences The Beatles was always going to involve new languages and fresh perspectives. The travelogue that preceded it, after all, carried…

James Rotondi
October 15, 2020

Rock

How Paul McCartney’s Fingerpick-and-Strum Guitar Technique Gave The Beatles’ “Blackbird” Its Distinctive Sound

McCartney’s unusual fingerpick-and-strum technique gives “Blackbird” its distinctive sound.

Andrew DuBrock
July 24, 2020

Album Reviews

Album Review: Laurence Juber’s ‘The Fab 4th’ Is Full of Beatles Magic

LJ’s takes on The Beatles never get old

Blair Jackson
June 23, 2020

Instrumentals

“I Will”—Laurence Juber’s Solo Guitar Version of The Beatles Gem

While the Beatles song kicks off right on the vocal melody, Juber takes structural liberties and begins his arrangement with an adaptation of the guitar figure that appears between verses on the original recording.

Adam Perlmutter
May 29, 2020

Instrumentals, Rock

Solo Guitar Arrangement: the Beatles’ ‘If I Needed Someone’

George Harrison's electric riffs work just as nicely on the acoustic and though this may be a challenging arrangement, it's worth practicing to achieve a properly rocking groove.

Adam Perlmutter
March 15, 2019

Alternate Tunings, Instrumentals

Laurence Juber’s Solo Acoustic Arrangement of The Beatles’ “Day Tripper”

Though Juber plays the original guitar riff with a bit more finesse than the Beatles did, he maintains the proper spirit and unrelenting groove.

Adam Perlmutter
August 16, 2018

Rock

How to Fingerpick the Beatles’ “Julia”

John Lennon added an interesting twist in the Beatles’ “Julia” by playing the same bass strings in the same order for each chord, regardless of which string held the root.

Andrew DuBrock
April 16, 2017

Rock

Learn the Acoustic Guitar Basics from the Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon”

This pattern lifted from bluegrass boom-chuck rhythm alternates bass notes with strums, as shown in Ex. 2a. You can mix bass notes and strum patterns in many ways.

Andrew DuBrock
January 1, 2017

Album Reviews

Review: Mark Leggett Creates a Timeless World of His Own on ‘Folktown’

Mark Leggett seated playing an acoustic guitar

Leggett has become a master of tones and textures, of perfectly matching instruments and moods, of using tunings to create distinct, sonically rich backgrounds.

Kenny Berkowitz
November 6, 2023