WHO

WHAT

WHERE

WHY

WHEN

John Lennon

• Rhythm guitar

• Singer

• Wrote many of the songs along with Paul McCartney

• Married to Yoko Ono

• Was assassinated in 1980

Paul McCartney

• Bass guitar (left handed)

• Singer

• Wrote many of the songs along with John Lennon

• Originally a trumpet player but sold it for a guitar because the trumpet made it hard to sing and play.

George Harrison

• Lead guitar

• Known as ‘The Quiet Beatle’

• Spent time in India and drew on this influence in many songs

• Died of lung cancer in 2001

Ringo Starr

• Drums

• Original name is Richard Starkey

• Voices Thomas the Tank Engine

Other People

• George Martin: Producer

• Brian Epstein: Manager

• Stuart Sutcliffe: Former bass player (left group to become an artist, died a year later)

• Pete Best: Former drummer (sacked)

• Yoko Ono: Married John Lennon

THE BEATLES:

ICONIC IMAGE

The Beatles

They developed their own style including influences from many different genres including Indian music, Vaudeville, Music Hall, Ragtime and Avante Garde

But they had many different styles…

The Beatles: 1963 -1970

1. I Want To Hold Your Hand

2. Can't Buy Me Love

3. Hey Jude

4. Help!

5. All You Need is Love

6. Here Comes the Sun

7. Come Together

8. Strawberry Fields Forever

9. Don’t Let Me Down

10. I am the Walrus

They recorded/released 237 songs

The Beatles

1‘She Loves You’

19632

‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’

19643‘Beatlemania’

4

‘I Feel Fine’ 1965

5‘Rock and Roll

Music’ 19666

‘Bigger than Jesus’ 1966

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club band 1967

Why did The Beatles stop touring?

• They were tired of travelling and live shows

• The could hardly him themselves perform because of all the screaming and the low quality equipment

• There had been security issues and death threats because of their fame and popularity

• They were sick of the same instrument format and wanted to experiment with different styles and genres

The Beatles: Study Pieces

• With a Little Help From My Friends

• Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds

• Within You, Without You

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band2. With a Little Help from My Friends3. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds4. Getting Better5. Fixing a Hole6. She's Leaving Home7. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!8. Within You Without You9. When I'm Sixty-Four10. Lovely Rita11. Good Morning Good Morning12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)13. A Day In the Life

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

• Concept album created after they finished touring

• Whole album was a live performance so should be played in one go (i.e. there are sounds of instruments tuning)

• The songs on the album use a wide variety of instruments including a 40-piece orchestra, French horn quartet & classical Indian instruments

• The genre of the album is Psychedelic Rock (intended to replicate feeling of taking mind-altering drugs such as LSD)

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

With A Little Help From My Friends

Possible questions…

• How does this piece demonstrate that Ringo Starr wasn’t a confident singer?

• How does this piece demonstrate balance and development?

• Explain the contrasting rhythms used in this piece.

With a Little Help From My Friends

Written by Lennon & McCartney for Ringo Starr to sing lead vocals & play

drums

Other Beatles sing backing vocals and play electric

guitar, bass, cowbell and piano (George Martin plays

Hammond organ)

Second track on the album and has been cross faded

from Sgt. PLHCB

Pre-recorded applause which reinforces that the

album was live

Starr sings the lead vocals in his alter ego character

Billy Shears from a fictional band

‘Billy Shears’ is introduced at the start following a

long intro

Intro: backing vocals ‘Billy Shears’

Verse 1: Ringo solo

Chorus: Ringo solo with backing vocals joining in on the third repeat

Verse 2: Ringo alternating questions with the backing vocals

Chorus 2: in vocal harmony throughout, 6 bars instead of 8

Bridge 1: backing vocals asking questions with Ringo answering

Verse 3: backing vocals asking questions with Ringo answering

Chorus 3: in vocal harmony throughout, six bars instead of 8

Bridge 2: backing vocals asking questions with Ringo answering

Chorus 4: in vocal harmony throughout, this time 8 bars leading to…

Outro: same 3 ascending chords as the intro

Structure

Intro

• Starts with crowd noises to give the impression of a live performance

• Backing vocals introduce Ringo Starr’s alter ego – Billy Shears

• Piano plays three ascending major chords (C, D, E) played in a triplet rhythm. These chords take us from the key of the previous song (G major) in to they key of With A Little Help from My Friends (E major)

Verse 1Harmony

Verse only uses chords I (E), V (B), ii (F#m) played in crotchets. The harmonic rhythm creates a sense of balance

Verse 1Rhythm

Tied notes in the melody creates syncopation which contrasts with the shuffle rhythm

Verse 1Melody

Sequential melody creates balance

Lowest note = EHighest note = B

Stepwise melody with a limited note range makes it

easy to sing

Verse 1

• Ringo sings a solo. Notice the stepwise melody with a limited range

• Piano and guitar have crotchet chords

• Drums play a shuffle rhythm (uneven hi hat: long, short, long, short)

• Melody is syncopated placing emphasise on the words: think, sang, tune, stand, walk and me

• There is a sequence between the words ‘What would you think’ and ‘sang out of tune’

• Paul McCartney is playing a melodic bassline filling in the root notes with passing notes

• The sequence is repeated for ‘Lend me your ears’ and ‘sing you a song’ creating a sense of balance

Chorus 1Leap in the melody of a 5th

Flattened seventh chord (non diatonic harmony)

• 2 bar phrase is repeated 3 times in total

• Backing vocals add harmony on the third time

• Followed by a syncopated drum fill

Verse 2

Verse 2 is different to verse 1 as it uses antiphonal call and response between the solo singer and the backing vocals

Ringo: What do I do when my love is away?

B.V: Does it worry you to be alone?

Ringo: How do I feel at the end of the day?

B.V: Are you sad because you’re on your own?

Chorus 2

Chorus 2 is different to chorus 1 in the following ways

1. The vocal harmonies are present throughout

2. The second part of the sixth bar is used as a transition to the bridge

3. The final two bar instrumental passage is omitted

Bridge 1

The bridge provides a contrast to the restricted vocal writing of the verse and chorus as the backing vocals ask the opening questions in an expanded vocal range.

Ringo answers in his normal baritone pitchHarmony sounds as if it going to modulate to B major but then goes back to E major

Verse 3

The backing vocals are now leading the questions in harmony with Ringo replying:

B.V: Would you believe in love at first sight?

Ringo: Yes I’m certain that it happens all the time

B.V: What do you see when you turn out the light?

Ringo: I can’t tell you but I know it’s mine

Chorus 3

Same as chorus 2

Bridge 2

Same as bridge 1

Chorus 4

This chorus is extended to eight bars (instead of six)

Outro

A two bar outro based on the same three ascending major chords used in the intro (C, D, E) completing the sense of balance.

With A Little Help From My Friends

Rhythm & Metre4/4 time signature, andante tempo, syncopated rhythms throughout, shuffle rhythm on drums, triplets in piano chords, tied notes in verse melody

Harmony & Tonality E major, harmonised vocals (in 3rds and 5ths)

Melody & TextureMelody and accompaniment, antiphonal (bridge), riff (bass guitar), conjunct vocal melodies limited range

Timbre & DynamicsElectric guitar, bass guitar, vocals, drum kit (drum fill before verse 2), cowbell, tambourine, mp/mf dynamics

Structure & Form Pop song structure (i.e. Intro, verses, choruses)

Other Sung by Ringo StarrVocals in harmony – Lennon & McCartneyCross Fade

With A Little Help From My Friends

How does this piece demonstrate that Ringo Starr wasn’t a confident singer?

• Simplistic melody with a limited range

• Melody is syllabic

• Melody contains sequences

• Syncopated melody follows the natural pattern of speech

• Extended melodic range is reserved for the backing singers

With A Little Help From My Friends

How does this piece demonstrate balance and development?

Balance Development

The piece starts and ends with the same ascending chord patter (C, D, E)

Paul McCartney develops the bassline using passing notes and inverted chords

Harmonic rhythm in the verse creates balanceVerse 2 uses antiphonal call and response with the backing

vocals

Sequential stepwise melody used in the verseChorus 2 uses harmonies throughout and a shortened

phrases

The bridge uses an extended vocal range for the backing singers

With A Little Help From My Friends

Explain the contrasting rhythms used in this piece.

• Triplets in the piano during the introduction

• Melody uses syncopation

• Chords played in crotchets

• Drums play a shuffle rhythm

• Syncopated drum fill at the end of the chorus

Further Listening…

With a Little Help From my Friends

• Joe Cocker

• Wet Wet Wet

• Mumford and Sons

LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Third track on the albumMainly written by Lennon (who

sang lead vocals) with input from McCartney

Standard rock band instruments alongside acoustic guitar,

tambura and Lowrey organ

Said to be inspired by a painting done by Lennon’s 4year old son

Through The Looking Glass byLewis Carroll – psychedelic

imagery “marmalade skies” and “kaleidoscope eyes”

There is speculation that the song has reference to LSD from

the song title, but the Beatles have denied that

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds

Possible questions

• How does this song create a dream like quality?

• What technology effects does it use?

Technology Effects

Reduction mixing

Double tracking

Automatic double tracking (ADT)

Varispeeding

Overdubbing

Close micing

Mixing multiple parts on to one track to free up the other tracks

A microphone is placed very close to the sound source

A ‘transformer’ so that electric instruments could be recorded directly without the need of a mic.

Using a 4 track recorder to record each track separately rather than recording the band playing live

Creating a double tracking effect automatically

Setting a tape to record at a slow/fast speed and then playing it back at the original tempo. It changes the timbre of the instrument

Direct injection (DI)Recording the same instrumental or vocal part twice to achieve a chorus effect

Technology Effects

Reduction mixing

Double tracking

Automatic double tracking (ADT)

Varispeeding

Overdubbing

Close micing

Mixing multiple parts on to one track to free up the other tracks

A microphone is placed very close to the sound source

A ‘transformer’ so that electric instruments could be recorded directly without the need of a mic.

Using a 4 track recorder to record each track separately rather than recording the band playing live

Creating a double tracking effect automatically

Setting a tape to record at a slow/fast speed and then playing it back at the original tempo. It changes the timbre of the instrument

Direct injection (DI)Recording the same instrumental or vocal part twice to achieve a chorus effect

Technology Effects

Reduction mixing

Double tracking

Automatic double tracking (ADT)

Varispeeding

Overdubbing

Close micing

Mixing multiple parts on to one track to free up the other tracks

A microphone is placed very close to the sound source

A ‘transformer’ so that electric instruments could be recorded directly without the need of a mic.

Using a 4 track recorder to record each track separately rather than recording the band playing live

Creating a double tracking effect automatically

Setting a tape to record at a slow/fast speed and then playing it back at the original tempo. It changes the timbre of the instrument

Direct injection (DI)Recording the same instrumental or vocal part twice to achieve a chorus effect

Technology Effects

Reduction mixing

Double tracking

Automatic double tracking (ADT)

Varispeeding

Overdubbing

Close micing

Mixing multiple parts on to one track to free up the other tracks

A microphone is placed very close to the sound source

A ‘transformer’ so that electric instruments could be recorded directly without the need of a mic.

Using a 4 track recorder to record each track separately rather than recording the band playing live

Creating a double tracking effect automatically

Setting a tape to record at a slow/fast speed and then playing it back at the original tempo. It changes the timbre of the instrument

Direct injection (DI)

Recording the same instrumental or vocal part twice to achieve a chorus effect

Technology Effects

Reduction mixing

Double tracking

Automatic double tracking (ADT)

Varispeeding

Overdubbing

Close micing

Mixing multiple parts on to one track to free up the other tracks

A microphone is placed very close to the sound source

A ‘transformer’ so that electric instruments could be recorded directly without the need of a mic.

Using a 4 track recorder to record each track separately rather than recording the band playing live

Creating a double tracking effect automatically

Setting a tape to record at a slow/fast speed and then playing it back at the original tempo. It changes the timbre of the instrument

Direct injection (DI)

Recording the same instrumental or vocal part twice to achieve a chorus effect

Technology Effects

Reduction mixing

Double tracking

Automatic double tracking (ADT)

Varispeeding

Overdubbing

Close micing

Mixing multiple parts on to one track to free up the other tracks

A microphone is placed very close to the sound source

A ‘transformer’ so that electric instruments could be recorded directly without the need of a mic.

Using a 4 track recorder to record each track separately rather than recording the band playing live

Creating a double tracking effect automatically

Setting a tape to record at a slow/fast speed and then playing it back at the original tempo. It changes the timbre of the instrument

Direct injection (DI)

Recording the same instrumental or vocal part twice to achieve a chorus effect

Technology Effects

Reduction mixing

Double tracking

Automatic double tracking (ADT)

Varispeeding

Overdubbing

Close micing

Mixing multiple parts on to one track to free up the other tracks

A microphone is placed very close to the sound source

A ‘transformer’ so that electric instruments could be recorded directly without the need of a mic.

Using a 4 track recorder to record each track separately rather than recording the band playing live

Creating a double tracking effect automatically

Setting a tape to record at a slow/fast speed and then playing it back at the original tempo. It changes the timbre of the instrument

Direct injection (DI)

Recording the same instrumental or vocal part twice to achieve a chorus effect

Structure

Intro

Verse 1: 3/4 time in A major

Bridge 1: 3/4 time in Bb major

Chorus 1: 4/4 time in G major, bass line in running quavers

Verse 2: back to 3/4 time

Bridge 2: 3/4 time, bass line uses arpeggios

Chorus 2: 4/4 metre, bass line in running quavers

Verse 3: Slightly modified bass line

Chorus: repeated three times with modified bass and fade out ending.

Intro

• Uses a Lowrey DSO Heritage Deluxe electronic organ played by Paul.

• The harpsichord, vibraharp, guitar and music box stops are pulled out.

Opening riff uses chromatic shape in the lowest sustained notes of the

melody

Verse 1: 3/4 A major

• The opening melodic phrase starts with a single hypnotic note

• The melody starts by using just three notes, adding to the dreamlike effect

• John Lennon was insecure about his singing voice and so increasingly asked the studio engineers to invent ways to boost the timbre of his voice. The engineers came up with double tracking and later ADT. This effect was gradually added to the singing heard clearest on the words ‘…a girl with kaleidoscope eyes..’

• Uneven phrases lengths (9 bar phrase followed by 10 bar phrase)

Bridge 1: 3/4 B flat 125 BPM

• Vocal effects continue with ADT

• Melody has repeated notes over a changing chord progression which creates extended harmony.

• Uneven phrases 8 bar phrase followed by…

a 5 bar phrase

• Last bar is in 4/4 and helps to provide a modulation to the key of G major

Chorus 1: 4/4 G major 98 BPM• Uses chords I, IV and V

• Lowrey Organ plays off beat chords

• 2 bar phrase played three times followed by an extra bar.

• Appears to be faster but…

• Is actually slower (the running quavers in the bassline make it seem faster).

Chorus 1: 4/4 G major 98 BPM

Unusual instrumental effects:

• George Harrison plays his lead guitar through a Hammond Organ Leslie Rotating speaker.

• McCartney plays simple off beat chords on the Lowrey Organ.

• At the end of the chorus George Harrison plays a tambura which produces a drone.

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds

How does this song create a dream like quality?

• Changes in time signature and tempo between the verse/bridge and the chorus

• Modulates to unrelated key signatures in the different sections.

• Uses unusual/unrecognisable sounds e.g. the harpsichord, vibraharp, guitar and music box stops on the Lowrey organ.

• Hypnotic and simplistic melody creates extended chords (e.g. CEG chord with a D in the melody)

• Irregular phrase lengths.

• Technology effects e.g. ADT on the words ‘…girl with kaleidescope eyes...’ acts as word painting.

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds

What technology effects does it use?

• Overdubbing allowed multi track recording which meant that more instruments/vocals could be included.

• Reduction mixing allowed a greater number of tracks could be used.

• DI improved the quality of the recording of electric instruments

• Close micing allowed acoustic instruments to be recorded

• ADT on the words ‘…girl with kaleidescope eyes...’ acts as word painting.

• Unusual instrument sounds: Guitar played through rotary speaker, stop selection of the Lowrey organ, Indian instruments

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Rhythm & Metre3/4 time signature in verse – melody and bassline follows strict 3/4,4/4 time signature in chorus – the melody follows strict 4/4 with ties and syncopationAndante/Moderato tempo

Tonality & Harmony A major verses >Bb major bridge>G major chorus (modulations to unrelated key)

Timbre & DynamicsVocals, drumkit, tambura, bass guitar, electric guitar, Lowrey organcrescendo f into chorus, largely mf throughout

Texture & MelodyMelody and accompaniment, the texture thickens in the chorus,melody is simplistic, scalic, conjunct and sung syllabically

Structure & Form Intro, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Chorus – Pop song form

Other Possible link to LSD – Beatles have denied thisPsychedelic imagery “marmalade sky” “kaleidescope eyes”Repetitive chorus line “Lucy in the sky with diamonds”

Technology Effects

OverdubbingUsing a 4 track recorder to record each track separately rather than recording the band playing live

Reduction Mixing Mixing multiple parts on to one track to free up the other tracks

Double tracking Recording the same instrumental or vocal part twice to achieve a chorus effect

Automatic double tracking Creating a double tracking effect automatically

VarispeedingSetting a tape to record at a slow/fast speed and then playing it back at the original tempo. It changes the timbre of the instrument

Close Micing A microphone is placed very close to the sound source

Direct Injection(DI)

A ‘transformer’ so that electric instruments could be recorded directly without the need of a mic.

Further Listening…

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

• Elton John

• The Flaming Lips

• Katie Melua

WITHIN YOU, WITHOUT YOU

Within You, Without You

Written by George Harrison

Harrison’s second composition in the Indian

Classical style – inspired by his 6 week stay in India with his mentor and Ravi Shankar

Recorded in London without the other Beatles

The song features Indian features such as Sitar,

Dilruba and Tabla

Performed by Harrison and the Asian Music Circle

Within You, Without You

Possible Questions

• Identify influences of Indian music

• Identify influences of Western music

INSTRUMENTS: SITAR

A large, long-necked Indian lute. It has sympathetic

strings that produce a drone.

INSTRUMENTS: DILRUBA(ESRAJ)

A bowed Indian instrument

INSTRUMENTS: SWARMANDAL

An Indian harp

INSTRUMENTS: TABLA

An Indian drum where the pitch can be altered by

pressing on the skin

INSTRUMENTS: TAMBURAA lute like string

instrument which produces a drone

INSTRUMENTS: STRINGS

Found in Western Classical music

INSTRUMENTS: ACOUSTIC

GUITARFound in Western folk/pop

music

Indian Music

• Uses a scale known as a rag. There are many scales in Indian music. Each scale…

has a particular ascending and descending pattern

is associated with a different time of the day, season, mood or special occasion

• Instruments are split in to following roles:

Melody: Often improvised

Drone

Percussion: The percussion section plays a tala. A talais a repeated rhythmic idea used as an accompaniment for the performers to improves and weave around freely. It regularly changes metre

Indian Music

The structure of Indian music is as follows:

• Alap: A slow introductory section which helps to set the mood. It has a free rhythm with no regular pulse. It is unaccompanied apart from the drone. It usually moves from the lower notes to the higher notes gradually getting faster.

• Jor: Where the music begins to have a sense of pulse

• Jhalla: Where this beat begins to appear in groups.

• Gat: Which is often where the tabla comes in. A gat is a fixed composition which is often varied by adding improvised decoration.

Click here to learn more about Indian

music

MIXOLYDIAN MODEA mode is a scale used in folk music. Its is neither major or minor

We were talking, about the space between us allAnd the people, who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion

Never glimpse the truth, then it's far too late when they pass away

We were talking, about the love we all could shareWhen we find it, to try our best to hold it there, with our love

With our love we could save the world, if they only knew

Try to realize it's all within yourself, no-one else can make you changeAnd to see you're really only very small

And life flows on within you and without you

We were talking, about the love that's gone so coldAnd the people who gain the world and lose their soulThey don't know, they can't see, are you one of them?

When you've seen beyond yourselfThen you may find peace of mind is waiting there

And the time will come when you see we're all oneAnd life flows on within you and without you

Structure

• Introduction

• Verse 1

• Verse 2

• Chorus 1

• Instrumental section

• Verse 3

• Chorus 2

Introduction

• Starts with a long sustained pulsating drone on the Tambura

• The dilruba enters playing an extended and decorated melody

• The is no real sense of pulse (free time), adding to the dreamy quality of the music.

• The tonality is modal and linked to the mixolydian mode

• Rising glissando recorded with heavy echo on the swarmandel

• Two bar rhythm on the tabla

Verse 1

• The melody is based around the dilruba melody in the introduction

• The dilruba doubles the vocal line with some added decorations

• Irregular phrases lengths: 6 bar phrase

6 bar phrase

9 bar phrase

• Word painting on the word ‘…away’. The descending melody follows the wavering word before it dies away.

• The western strings enter at the end of the first verse

Verse 2

• Similar melody to the first verse

• Western strings play a counter melody creating a contrapuntal texture

• The cellos join the dilruba and George Harrison singing.

• There is a slight extension to the verse at the end leading to the chorus

Chorus 1

• The chorus has a greater sense of urgency created by the crotchet movement in the vocal melody.

• 6 bar phrase

• Violins provide an antiphonal response to Harrison’s singing. Cellos reinforce the drone

• Same phrase repeated but the repeat picks up on the last beat of the bar rather than the third, putting a completely different emphasis on the shape and phrasing.

• This plus the changing rhythms in the tablas means that it is difficult to sense the 4/4 metre.

Instrumental Section• This section contrasts to the verse and chorus:

The drone and Mixolydian tonality are maintained

The tempo gets faster and the metre changes to 5/8 – unheard of in rock/pop music at the time

• The dilruba carries the melody

• With antiphonal sitar responses

• Strings add a pizzicato ostinato

• This section is repeated with: The western strings playing the melody in octaves

The dilruba providing the antiphonal answers

The sitar playing the pizzicato ostinato

• At the end the swarmandal glissando is heard taking us back to the verse

Within You, Without You

Tempo & Time Signature

4/4 time signature (loosely)16 beat Tintal > 10 beat Jhaptal - ostinati 5/8 section between Dilruba and SitarTempo sped up in recording studio

Tonality & HaromyMixolydian mode Db, drone moving from Db-Ab, mode moves from Db to D in instrumental section

Timbre & Dynamics Dilruba, tabla, tambura, sitar, swarmandal, vocals, western strings, acoustic guitar

Melody & Texture

Antiphony between dilruba & sitar (instrumental middle section)Melody and accompaniment with polyphony on the second verseMelody – improvised Sitar, scalic and conjunct and vocals, note bends & portamento in instruments and vocals

Structure & Form 3 sections – 2 verses & chorus, extended instrumental section, final verse & chorus

Other

Written by George HarrisonUse of Indian instruments – Dilruba, Sitar, Tambura & TablaOverdubbing of Indian instruments – bends, slides of Dilruba & features of Indian musicCrowd laughter added – track recorded and then sped up after recording

Identify influences of Indian music

• Instruments: Sitar, Dilruba, Swarmandal, Tambura, Tabla (melody, drone and percussion)

• Improvisation using decorated melodies and pitch bend

• Uses scale based on the Mixolydian mode (link to rag)

• Irregular phrases

• Tabla provides rhythmic accompaniment using frequently changing metre (5/8)

• Sections of free time (link to alap)

Identify influences of Western music

• Sung in English

• Structure contains verses and choruses

• Instruments: Western strings and acoustic guitar

• Melody is sung in 4/4

• Antiphonal response from strings

• Cellos play pedal note (drone)