Learning their Craft
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John growing up with banjo chords, Paul immersed with family sing alongs and learning basic piano chords, etc…
However…
How did these guys learn to play songs at an early age? Listening to the record over and over and guessing the chords? I can listen to Twenty Flight Rock or Raunchy and still can’t play it from ear.
These guys were 15 and playing these songs. It wasn’t like they went to the YouTube channel.Prior to really learning their craft with input from George Martin, they were writing songs with modulations? How?
It truly is impressive and one of the lingering questions I’ve had. How did they learn their craft at such an early age?
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@veritas Yeah and learn so many instruments too. Woulda took me a lifetime just to learn the guitar.
I had to throw away my golf shoes. Why? Because I had a hole in one.
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@wandy Paul is the genius when it comes to number of instruments he can play:
https://www.reddit.com/r/beatles/comments/7l5ad4/a_complete_list_of_the_54_instruments_paul/ -
@njr Strangley he plays drums right handed. And Ringo is naturally left handed and also plays drums right handed.
I had to throw away my golf shoes. Why? Because I had a hole in one.
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@njr Back when the Beatles were very young there was very little to keep young ppl occupied. Not much tv for young ppl. Not much tv anyway. No social media. So they had PLENTY of spare time to kill. Couple this with the love of this new fangled thing called "rock n roll", and its easier to understand how they got time to learn how to play guitar drums, etc etc. Musta been sooooo exciting for them.
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Prophet of the musical arts? Soothsayers can use books as crystal balls, hallucinating pertinent and relevant things in them. I wonder if they have the reverse talent of writing meaningless blather and the person on the other end hallucinates something pertinent and relevant to them? Or if a musical equivalent exists. I am a wizard on the keyboard, and yet I never studied it?
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@wandy They play “left-handed” on a right-handed kit. (the kit is set up for a right-handed person)
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@njr Have to disagree there I'm afraid. I'm a drummer too. I learned to play drums first by watching and listening to Tony Meehan ( drummer for British 60s group The Shadows) Then along came The Beatles, and I left The Shadows behind and listened to and watched Ringo. Ringo definitely plays right-handed on a right handed drum kit. Paul does the same. I even saw Paul play the drums, in person, the last time I went to a Paul McCartney concert. He played drums right handed. He also played drums RH in the "Coming Up" video where he played all the instrumentalists, except for Linda, of course. My second favourite McCartney video.
I had to throw away my golf shoes. Why? Because I had a hole in one.
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I looked this up & there are a number of articles on it. But here's a quote from Ringo.
Q: How would you describe your drumming style? —
A: I was blessed with great timing. The other blessing that makes my drumming individual is that I was born left-handed. But my grandmother
turned me into a right-handed person. So, I'm actually ambidextrous. If I throw anything, play cricket or golf, it's done left-handed, but I
write and cut with my right hand. I'm a weird, handy guy. That makes my style really personal. -
@oobu24 The only drummer I ever saw play left handed on a right handed kit was Wings drummer, Joe English. His drumming style did look odd. I saw Joe play for Wings in 1976.
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@wandy said in Learning their Craft:
@njr Have to disagree there I'm afraid. I'm a drummer too. I learned to play drums first by watching and listening to Tony Meehan ( drummer for British 60s group The Shadows) Then along came The Beatles, and I left The Shadows behind and listened to and watched Ringo. Ringo definitely plays right-handed on a right handed drum kit. Paul does the same. I even saw Paul play the drums, in person, the last time I went to a Paul McCartney concert. He played drums right handed. He also played drums RH in the "Coming Up" video where he played all the instrumentalists, except for Linda, of course. My second favourite McCartney video.
This is what I meant. Read #10.
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-ringo-starr/
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@bowefloyd said in Learning their Craft:
Prophet of the musical arts? Soothsayers can use books as crystal balls, hallucinating pertinent and relevant things in them. I wonder if they have the reverse talent of writing meaningless blather and the person on the other end hallucinates something pertinent and relevant to them? Or if a musical equivalent exists. I am a wizard on the keyboard, and yet I never studied it?
Yes, Bongo said he's naturally left handed, but plays drums right handed on a right handed drumkit.
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@wandy said in Learning their Craft:
@bowefloyd said in Learning their Craft:
Prophet of the musical arts? Soothsayers can use books as crystal balls, hallucinating pertinent and relevant things in them. I wonder if they have the reverse talent of writing meaningless blather and the person on the other end hallucinates something pertinent and relevant to them? Or if a musical equivalent exists. I am a wizard on the keyboard, and yet I never studied it?
Yes, Bongo said he's naturally left handed, but plays drums right handed on a right handed drumkit.
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Mueller, King of the also-rans? They compare me now to the diabolical Antonio Salieri. But ... they were on your side and tipping you off? I was a professional guitarist by age 18, but I was never very good. Rule #1: You must sing along, even if your voice is painful. Rule #2: Stop smoking in high school. It makes you sound good, when you aren't that good.
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I just can't go into the office/studio today. Being a creative artist with deadlines is the hardest job on earth. I'm totally uninspired today. All written out. Writing a hit pop song is the equivalent of hitting a baseball in the sports world. The hardest thing. I've considered suicide many times, like many another artist.
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Brian Wilson hears the melody Little Surfer Girl in his head? That is astonishing to me. A supernatural power. The only melody I ever heard in my head was God Save the Queen, repetitively, year-after-year. And that melody wasn't even my creation. I am melodically retarded. No muse in my head. My songbook is empty again this month. I can do harmony and arranging, but that is a straight-forward given. Formulaic and scientific. I should buy a book about classical melodic phrases and study it maybe.
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Brian Wilson hearing the melody of "Surfer Girl" in his head is not that astonishing. That will happen at some time to most songwriters, the cool part is that the melody of "Surfer Girl" was so good!!
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@yankeefan2 said in Learning their Craft:
Brian Wilson hearing the melody of "Surfer Girl" in his head is not that astonishing. That will happen at some time to most songwriters, the cool part is that the melody of "Surfer Girl" was so good!!
Would be astonishing if I had thought of it. In fact an effing MIRACLE!!
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@bowefloyd And Paul McCartney literally “woke up, fell out of bed” with the melody of Yesterday in his head. A true musical genius!
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@njr said in Learning their Craft:
@bowefloyd And Paul McCartney literally “woke up, fell out of bed” with the melody of Yesterday in his head. A true musical genius!
Then he went downstairs and drank a cup. Looking up he saw scrambled eggs, oh my baby how I love your legs. She Said. She Said, WAIT!! Wait a minute Mr Postman. Wayyyyaaate Mr Postman!! You can't do that!! Can't buy me love, love. Everybody tells me so. (But)baby you can drive my car. No! No! No! Tell me that you want no diamond ring, and I'll be satisfied.......
