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Beatles Complete Scores


BluesKing777

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I just ordered this, and while it is not a new product and has a few negative reviews on the size of the print and the odd errors, I thought quite a few of the Forum readers that made a recent Beatles thread go to 9000 pages would appreciate hearing about this book:

 

 

http://www.guitarcen...236-i1156563.gc

 

 

Look like a handy little Beatles music book, even has Bass/Drums.....I am waiting by the mailbox for it.

 

 

 

Anyone else already have it?

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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I have a copy as well. It is a wonderful resource; especially when you're trying to figure out that section where the instrument or voice is masked, like a baseline section or a harmony part. You'll need a good pair of reading glasses or a good magnifying glass though.

 

It comes in a nice box sleeve and is a perfect monitor mount.

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Thanks.

 

General consensus on the reviews at Amazon say the printing is very small - is it clear so I could blow up any sticky bits on a scanner? Some people suggest it is written in Ancient Egyptian....

 

Oh, and as a example what do they have for the (in)famous intro chord for "Help"?

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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I believe that Bachman got it! Man, a 'complete' Beatles music catalog must be as wide as it is deep..... a WHOLE LOT of music made by those guys. [thumbup]

 

After all we've been through on this mystery over the years, Bachman is the man, yeees !

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Thanks - I have seen that Bachman clip before and that is why I asked what everyone thought the chord was!

 

Very Intriguing!

Did the Beatles/George Martin do this on purpose or did John play the wrong chord with the band and then thought "Hmmm"....

 

 

I played the chord a few times on the Blues King and gave up! There was another thread somewhere where they played an F on 1st position while hooking the thumb over to the Bass F while also adding a G on the first string.....

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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The Complete Scores have an incorrect transcription of "the chord" from AHDN.

 

Harrison played an F with a G on top (Fadd9) on his Rick 12 (quote from Harrison)

Lennon plays the same chord on his J160e

Paul plays a D on the Hofner Bass

and George Martin plays the following chord on the piano D G D F C

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The Complete Scores have an incorrect transcription of "the chord" from AHDN.

 

 

 

Thanks Drathbun - that chord transcription is what I was going to check the accuracy of the book by!

 

 

Wrong like all the other books, eh?

 

 

No wonder we guitarists get confused! What is the point of using up paper for the wrong information?

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks Drathbun - that chord transcription is what I was going to check the accuracy of the book by!

 

Wrong like all the other books, eh?

 

No wonder we guitarists get confused! What is the point of using up paper for the wrong information?

 

BluesKing777.

 

BK,

 

Like everyone, they are just making educated guesses as to the arrangements by ear. There were no transcriptions at the time of recording other than notes about which instruments on which tracks etc. by the engineers like Norman Smith.

 

Most transcriptions and other fake books transcribe the music to piano when the majority was written on guitar. I always check the veracity of a fake book or chord book on The Beatles by flipping to the song "Yesterday" to see how they have it written for guitar. If it starts with an F chord, the whole book is bogus as far as I'm concerned. If they didn't take the time to find out that "Yesterday" was written on a guitar tuned one step low (the result being the first chord shape is G not F) then the rest of the songs will be no better.

 

So you get "I Saw Her Standing There" transcribed with the rhythm guitar playing the opening riff as an E7 in first position when it is really...

 

E7 like this: 076750 (with John striking the low open E three times then closing his thumb on the E string at the fifth fret 576750 for the last three beats in the bar)

then goes to A7 barred at fifth, B7 sliding up to the eighth and then sticking in a sneaky (or lazy) C (X7555X) at the fifth fret instead of shifting down to third (335553) or first position (X32010).It is all centered about their individual playing style. They rarely played classic chord shapes or voicings.

 

BTW... even though the instrument arrangement of 12 string Rick, 6 string J160e, Hofner bass and grand piano is the correct way to play "the chord" it is rather difficult to reproduce when you're solo. I've found the best chord to give the "impression" of "the chord" is to play...

 

3535333

 

If you have a 12 string... even better.

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Thanks Drathbun.

 

 

That's very interesting.

 

You are right - piano chords on guitar are useless normally - have a shelf full of that stuff designed to see if we guitarists really want to do it. Standard practice at the music publishers in the early days, until people like Stefan Grossman brought out TABs and the Guitar Player Mag started Tabbing lead guitar trax.

 

So do you have any really nice guitar books that are accurate and you recommend? I don't really care who or what as much as having an accurate music/tab that I can do my hybrid chord/vocal/fingerpicking with a few added authentic riffs - things to keep the plunkers going...

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Thanks Drathbun.

 

 

That's very interesting.

 

You are right - piano chords on guitar are useless normally - have a shelf full of that stuff designed to see if we guitarists really want to do it. Standard practice at the music publishers in the early days, until people like Stefan Grossman brought out TABs and the Guitar Player Mag started Tabbing lead guitar trax.

 

So do you have any really nice guitar books that are accurate and you recommend? I don't really care who or what as much as having an accurate music/tab that I can do my hybrid chord/vocal/fingerpicking with a few added authentic riffs - things to keep the plunkers going...

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

Hehe... I thought you'd never ask BK!

 

Yes I do have a book that I recommend. It isn't completely accurate but it gets things correct at least for playing Beatles solo.

 

It is called The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook. Surprisingly it is by Hal Leonard Publishing.

 

41Oa0qB7wrL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

 

It is certainly written with the solo guitarist in mind and I've been using it for years.

 

If you are really interested in the precise way many Beatles songs were played, you HAVE to get this series of instructional DVDs from Rob Taylor. Rob is a great guy and frequents my Beatles hangout beatgearcavern.com.

 

His DVD's can be found here:

 

Rob Taylor's Beatles To A Tee

 

I've got all four DVD's and they are both informative and entertaining.

 

dvdset_medium.png

 

Rob has clearly explained some of the most difficult to decipher sequences in Beatles songs. I'm still working on the double lead to "And Your Bird Can Sing".

 

Here are two YouTube vids with demos of Volumes 3 and 4:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=533yLP45COQ

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZl4BQhsbms

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I have one and I have to agree about the fonts used.

 

The print is very hard to read, even with reading glasses. also, the way it's transcribed with every instrument on the score, you're CONSTANTLY turning pages to read through a song. So, I find it a very hard book to actually use on the fly.

 

That said,, it has ended virtually every single argument of what the correct chord, sequence of chords, solos, or harmony I've ever had when the discussion turns ugly about what's supposed to be played.

 

There has to be some errors that got printed along the way, but I've yet to find any that I can hear or is just totally "wow, that's not right", I found it much easier to make my own charts, using the white book as the reference, at least I know it will probably be as correct as it needs to be.

 

You wont be sorry you have it, awesome resource to have when you need it.

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Hehe... I thought you'd never ask BK!

 

Yes I do have a book that I recommend. It isn't completely accurate but it gets things correct at least for playing Beatles solo.

 

It is called The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook. Surprisingly it is by Hal Leonard Publishing.

 

41Oa0qB7wrL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Again Drathbun!

 

 

I have what could only be a knock-off of the book above from Wise Publications - same idea but the pic on the front has the boys going cross-eyed! Not bad, nothing out of the ordinary...I'll try the one above.

 

BUT the BTAT dvd's look wicked!!!!!!!! Now we are talking.

And dangerous - song specific guitar for each track?? Dangerous, dangerous business for a guitar nut!

I shall ask for Santa to bring all of the above and see what settles under the X....

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

 

EDIT: Do the dvd's above come with some nice TAB books, or do we need the Complete Scores?

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Thanks Again Drathbun!

 

 

I have what could only be a knock-off of the book above from Wise Publications - same idea but the pic on the front has the boys going cross-eyed! Not bad, nothing out of the ordinary...I'll try the one above.

 

BUT the BTAT dvd's look wicked!!!!!!!! Now we are talking.

And dangerous - song specific guitar for each track?? Dangerous, dangerous business for a guitar nut!

I shall ask for Santa to bring all of the above and see what settles under the X....

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

EDIT: Do the dvd's above come with some nice TAB books, or do we need the Complete Scores?

 

No the DVDs don't come with tab books but they aren't needed as Rob has on screen chord and lead fingerings. He also does an introduction to each song, then plays all the various parts very slowly individually with the proper instrument and then plays the whole sequence in split screen with the various guitars playing one above the other. The lead sequence to "The End" is especially enjoyable!

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Beatles Book Just Arrived!

 

 

It has surely been travelling across the universe?? (HeeeeHee) I think they lost the first order and after a number of complaints have sent it again....

 

And I see what everyone means about needing a magnifying glass to read it really really really small - I need to buy a new magnifying glass because the one I have is all scratched..... it will do for the riff bits I want.

 

 

Koo Koo Kachoo!

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