5 comments about The Beatles for Classical Guitar.

1. I am not a Beatles' fan, but a classical guitar one, who enjoys to play it. I found the idea of an arragement of the principal Beatles' hits for classical guitar very good. This field was almost empty. The score is harmonically well made and the design well presented. Highly recommended.



2. This book features some great arrangements of classic Beatles songs. All the songs are written for the advanced player, though a beginner can at least pick out the melodies. Some arrangments have as many as three parts with lots of long position changes, but the good news is that you probably already know the tunes, so this makes picking through the songs much easier. I would have given the product five stars if it had come with a CD featuring the songs as arranged, so that for the songs I don't know as well or for the more complex arrangements I could hear what it was supposed to sound like, but otherwise, this book will give you hours of enjoyable study and some hand-clapping, smiling audience members once you master these great songs.



3. Received this book yesterday. After seeing the review about no TAB, was a bit concerned that I was actually going to have to read music again, which while a bit painful at times, would have been OK.
   Yes, there is TAB in the book I received and it's a very nice book. I am perhaps an intermediate guitar player (can do quite a few things, but not exceedingly well) and I think given a bit of time well be playing most of these without much trouble. Some are surpisingly simple, yet very nice sounding. Don't be scared off, it's not a Chet Atkins type book.
   Glad I got it. Will be a lot of fun. Should be a good one for even more experienced beginners. If you can do basic chord shapes and alternate fingers and thumb on your right hand (if right handed) you'll enjoy.
   Terry



4. When I ordered this book, I thought that it was tablature. When it got here, I found out that I was wrong. I can't read sheet music. This book sucks because I am stupid and ignorant.



5. I am a big fan of The Beatles and acoustic fingerstyle guitar. This book should be one of my dream books. It has h 30 songs, musical note staff and guitar tab. However, in my own opinion all music book should have CD companion and tempo number. This book doesn't have ones. For skill level wise this is for intermediate.

5 comments about Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties.

1. This is an indispensable book about Beatles music appreciation. MacDonald was one of the most idiosyncratic critics of music that ever lived. This book must be owned by anyone, especially musicians and songwriters, who wants to truly get to the heart of the music of the Beatles.
   
   The only disappointment for me (and for anyone who's been faithfully buying and reading the updates of this book since its release in the mid-1990s) is that the 3rd edition is NOT REVISED. If you own the second edition, you do not need to buy this book. There is not one difference in the text.
   
   Oddly enough, this edition has slightly better quality paper, for some reason, whereas the previous edition uses sort of newspaper/telephone book quality sheets that tear easily. Two other subtle changes are: a different pic on the front cover, and the omission of one of the members of Oasis' profanely worded endorsement of the book.
   
   Happy reading if you've never been inside the book before, but if you have the 2nd revised edition, you can sit this one out.



2. The late Ian MacDonald really nailed it with this book. I try to read any comprehensive analysis of the Beatles recorded catalog that I can - and none even come close to this. Simply put, this book changed the way I listened to the Beatles music. It made me a more attentive, discerning listener. It broadened the scope of my knowledge of '60s music by pointing the way towards other music of the era that I hadn't yet heard. I find it hard to overstate the influence this book has had on me personally - I have read it cover to cover numerous times and still find myself going back to it.
   
   This isn't a history of the Beatles - it is a song-by-song analysis, in the order the songs were recorded, of everything officially released by the group. And make no mistake, it is not an objective collection of facts - there ARE mostly reliable recording dates, release dates, and song credits for every entry, so it can be used as a quick reference. But this is a highly opinionated piece of writing - Mr. MacDonald was not afraid to ruffle feathers by offering critical evaluations of some of the Beatles most popular songs (he is quite harsh, for instance, towards classics like "Across the Universe" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps").
   
   Mr. MacDonald does a great job of placing this body of work within the context of the time it was released - but he also manages to assess each song purely on its own terms, as well. While quite obviously a true-blue Beatles fan, MacDonald maintained a certain level of objectivity throughout - never getting caught up in fanboy idolization. He's tough on this music - when he feels a song isn't up to the band's established standards, he makes it very clear what he doesn't like. In a way, I think MacDonald managed to have a significant impact on certain aspects of popular opinion towards the Beatles music. That may sound like a bit much, but keep in mind that this book was originally published in 1994 and has become (arguably) the standard for critical analysis of the Beatles music.
   
   Throughout the book, MacDonald challenges many of the long-held notions that had gone more or less unchallenged in many, many Beatles-related wiritings. Some of the stereotypes - i.e. John was the intellectual and innovator, Paul was the lightweight romantic - had practically become accepted as facts by music fans. There isn't so much revisionism for it's own sake in this book, but rather a serious re-examination of those popular opinions/theories that often yields a fresh perspective. That's where the value really can be found in this book - you may not agree with every idea MacDonald puts forth, but it is guaranteed you will be forced to take a fresh look at the Beatles music.



3. I appreciated this more scholarly approach to the influence of The Beatles on 60s culture, and vice versa. However, there was a lot of focus on the craftsmanship of the songs, which I wasn't really that interested in. I would have preferred more social-biographical content. Some of the more interesting tidbits were relegated to footnotes. But overall a good read, and it's nice to have some information about each and every song in their catalog, even if I disagreed with some of the criticisms and some of the praise.



4. It stands to reason that people want to evaluate and lend critical analysis of the music of The Beatles. And, like many others, I'm reading it and becoming engrossed in all of it.
   However, if you are a "listener", be forewarned that this treatise on musicianship can be a downer to delicate sensibilities. It is possible that all you love about Beatles' music will be disturbingly described as not what you thought it to be.
   As an admirer of George Harrison, both for his skill as an instrumentalist and his lyrical voicings, the book is traumatic...only a slight exaggeration. Ringo is nearly non-existent because of his role in the music making process, but George suffers a great deal of scathing commentary that very nearly excludes him from contributing anything to the sound that propelled The Beatles into musical history. On this, I find the author's viewpoint greatly lacking.
   So, the book is a resource, but briskly opinionated on many subjects.
   It seems we all have our "fave fab"...no exceptions here.



5. While there have been countless books about the Beatles & their music, and there'll be countless more to come, Ian MacDonald has written one of the few truly indispensible ones. It's a precise, clear-eyed, song-by-song analysis of the canon, placing each song in cultural & musical context, with plenty of informative & often witty footnotes. Even if you've heard these songs a thousand times before, MacDonald will have you playing them again, listening as if for the first time. You won't agree with every judgment he makes, some of which are surprisingly harsh -- I certainly didn't! -- but he'll definitely make you rediscover the act you've known for all these years. I can't recommend this one highly enough -- any fan of the Fabs simply *must* own it!

5 comments about All You Need Is Ears: The inside personal story of the genius who created The Beatles.

1. George Martin was the 5th Beatle. He gave them their first break after they had been turned down by all the labels. Without the break he gave them, Martin muses that the Beatles may have just given it up and gone their separate ways. Apparently George Martin was the only one around that was willing to take a chance on these scruffs from Liverpool that would change the world.
   
   It seems that Paul was the one Beatle that could have made it on his own, but if not as one of The Beatles, then as what? Could he have been a backup for Tony Sheridan, or a bass player for Little Richard? Thankfully, we will never know. Would the other Beatles have likely gotten working class jobs, and/or just self-destructed? As always, the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.
   
   It is hard to imagine a world without the Beatles, but that just underscores the importance of George Martin in giving them their lucky break. George Martin played all positions with the Beatles, except for vocalist. He produced, directed, arranged, and even played piano and harpsichord on many records. He brought that classical influence of strings and horns into the Beatles music, starting with Yesterday. Any die-hard fan will want to read this book, however, beware: it is diluted a bit with stories about other recording artists that have little relation to the reason why I bought the book in the first place, i.e., The Beatles. Nevertheless, it does have a few anecdotes that have not been seen elsewhere, so yes, it is worth buying and reading. You can always skip the parts that you don't care about.
   
   George Martin is very informative on the evolution of multitrack recording technology, so that should be of interest to anybody that wonders how they got all those "layer cakes" out of the primitive equipment of the day.
   
   I enjoyed the book immensely, but I think George Martin could have done better given his intimate knowledge of one of the greatest cultural phenomena of all time. Sometimes he seems a little aloof in the book, as if he hardly cares, but it is probably just old-school English understatement at its best, or maybe a futile attempt to downplay that he is probably their biggest fan, if not one of their oldest.
   
   On a side note, it is too bad that George Martin was never rewarded financially (at least up to 1979 when this book was published) on a level that would have been commensurate with the important role he played in not only discovering, but also developing the greatest band of all time. As always, the Beatles come off as cheap, uncharitable and self-indulgent on this score. As the book explains, Martin was offered some royalties under the table, (as a kickback from an unscrupulous publisher) but he never compromised his ethics. Eventually I'm sure he made a nice living through his long association with the Fab 4, but not what one might expect, according to the book, at least up to 1979. A lot has happened in the financial world of The Beatles since this book was written, including the huge Vegas production of Love, in which Martin played an integral role along with his son, Giles. It's nice to see a music producer that is more driven by quality and innovation than the lowest common demoniators. I wish we had more like him.
   
   My rating says 3 stars, but that was a mistake. I really gave it a 4.



2. Just to point out --
   
   The biography posted is for George Martin, the sci-fi writer,
   who isn't the same person (as far as I know!) as the Beatles'
   producer. FYI.



3. The book is full of insights and is very fun to read.
   It also has a lot of good pictures too.
   I strongly recommend it.



4. To be fair, I read this book years ago and my memory has faded considerably. Sir George Martin seemed to have written this book with one sole purpose in mind: to encourage people to take care of their ears, so to enjoy music to the fullest. Along the way he offers unique insights into the Beatles' recording career. A Must read for musicians as it explains many unthought of perspectives relating to sound waves and the like. For example, put your speakers on carpet, the sound will no doubt be muffled when compared with putting them on a mirror. Read and enjoy.



5. This book by George Martin is excellent. He walks through the history of recording music and includes with it the story of the Beatles. As a music lover, I found this book to be fascinating. I would imagine that younger people, who are merely familiar with CD recordings and itunes, would enjoy the technical challenges that were dealt with in earlier days of the recording industry. I found it extremely interesting to listen to the Beatles songs after I heard the methods used to create the sounds. Enjoy!

5 comments about The Beatles Fake Book: C Edition (Fake Books).

1. What a great time I've been having out on my lanai turning the pages to find another Beatles tune to play for the first time! Like prior reviews, not turning those pages while playing the song is such a benefit. I'm a solo act in SW Florida and I've already added a few obscure, compared to Let it Be or Hey Jude, songs to my songlist. Fool on the Hill, She's a Woman, Tell Me Why, and more. If you want to rekindle playing music and are know Beatles tunes, this is the book to get! Highly recommended.
   Tom D



2. I'll preface by saying it's really 4-stars since it accomplishes it's purpose: it's a "Fake" book. Fake books, as I understand it, should enable you to jump right into a song and fake it. This book excels in that respect.
   
   However, as a guitar player, if you seek perfection and want to play the songs exactly the way the Beatles played them, it's a bit off on some tunes.(Obviously, guitar solos are for the most part non-existant...not a problem)
   
   Rent/buy the DVD of Beatles Anthology and prove it to yourself. Capo songs like, "Norwegian Wood", "Here comes the Sun", "Across the Universe", "Julia" are not indicated in this book. Furthermore, some of the the chord fingerings are not the most efficient and I'm also certain were not used by the Beatles themselves. At times, in order to fake it I found that using my personal knowledge of chords and just reading the chord name (as appposed to the finger diagram) was much simpler and sounded better.
   
   Overall: I'm thoroughly enjoying this book and it was a great purchase.
   
   Lyrics and chords at your fingertips in a nice ring binder format.



3. I first purchased this book about 20 years ago but it gradually wore out and I had to replace it as it is indespensable for both the professional and the novice. I highly recommend this fake book and will continue to use mine for years to come. I even bought one for my nephew who is also into the Beatles. I believe it is good for instruction as the Beatles played in many different keys. It is great for learning chords. You simply cannot go wrong with this book!
   
   
   
   
   
   The Beatles Fake Book: C Edition (Fake Books)The Beatles Fake Book: C Edition (Fake Books)



4. No guitar-playing Beatles fan should be without this book. It is hands down a great fake book and well worth the money. I had to rebuy this after my other copy got soaked in a rainstorm. What I really like is that it has all the songs, most of them fit onto one page, and it sits easily on a stand. Perfect for sharing with a band or photocopying for others. My one criticism is that the chords are not always correct, though they maybe close enough in some cases. The melodies, as far as I can tell, are spot on. This is a great complement to The Beatles Complete Scores, for when you need to find out what that chord really is.



5. I already own Complete Scores and a 1987 "Beatles Complete", but I bought this so I would have something to use in performance, to cue me on lyrics and music without any page turns. Surprise: the arrangements are in such tiny print that it's virtually impossible to use this in performance as a fake book. You just can't read the words unless your face is only a few inches from the book, with perfect lighting. I would gladly have paid more if they'd laid out each song on 2 facing pages, but instead they usually cram 3 songs on those 2 facing pages. Compare this to the Real Book, which is thicker because it is typeset so you can actually use it in performance as a fake book.
   
   The Beatles music? 5 stars, of course. The arrangements here? Good enough, the ones I've bothered to hunch over and read; 4 stars. The layout and usefulness of this book for its advertised purpose? 1 star.

5 comments about Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America.

1. Keen insight abounds in this brilliant Beatles book. The descriptions and analysis of the music and lyrics really does make the reader rehear The Beatles anew. A seeming impossibility all these years on.
   Bravo on this stellar achievement Mr. Gould.
   You have become a deserving part of The Beatles legacy and lore.



2. Although I am not a huge Beatles fan, I found this book rather interesting in the detail that events are described. With notes on every Beatles album recorded, this book takes an enormous amount of data readable.
   
   I found this book very enjoyable to read, although somewhat depressing when reading about how the Beatles eventually broke up.
   
   BTW, without the addition of Yoko into Lennon's life, the Beatles would have been a much better band with a longer time together. Just my two cents...



3. This book was not what I really expected for a Beatle biography. Mr. Gould integrates very well how the Beatles fit into the history of the 1960s but, as well, how history also molded itself around the Beatles. For those of us that lived during this time, we are re-immersed in all that went on and not only what The Beatles were doing at this time. For those who are Beatle fans but came to them after they disbanded, it helps to see everything in its context. The Beatles were not in a bubble but were a product of the '50s and '60s. Beatlemania had just as much to do with the time in which we grew up as it did with the Beatles themselves. "Can't Buy Me Love" does an excellent job in showing us that, no matter what other music was being created at the time, however raw or tame one would consider their music, The Beatles were a success because of their timing in history, how they borrowed from others and yet had their own unique and inimitable view of what music should be, where it should be headed. They were defined by their times but also defined their times. Other bands came from Liverpool and were relative flashes in the pan. Other bands disparaged their music, their showmanship, etc., and yet quickly became dated, footnotes in pop/rock history, by following a different muse.
   "Can't Buy Me Love" is one of the most fascinating and engrossing books on The Beatles that I have read in quite a while and is a necessity for any serious Beatle Fan.



4. Unlike some of the reviewers here I felt that this book's major strong points are when the author goes into a sociological and/or cultural analysis of The Beatles phenomena. For chapters like this, the book deserves five stars!
   It's when he becomes a music reviewer that he delves into troubled waters. A few of his insights are interesting, but so many others are way, way over the top analysis-wise, and when he turns negative, whoa!
   Music is something so personal for a lot of people. It's expected that one appreciate other's opinions. Still, no matter how open-minded one tries to be, it can be a bit psychologically unnerving to read such an obviously intelligent and learned individual put down one's favorite songs as either "a muddled-leaden mess" or "awkward-sounding rewrite... with... dreadful lyrics" or "an outright gaffe". It's as if someone is putting down the clothes you're wearing or the type of friends you keep.



5. So much more than a 'fan' book, Jonathan Gould's Can't Buy Me Love (2007) is an astute blending of personal, historical, cultural and musical interpretation. It follows the "Fab Four" from their very earliest days, without undue emphasis on extraneous details of their childhood, up through their coming together as The Bealtes, and then follows their career up to the end of their life together as Beatles . What really strikes me about this book is the amount of insightful commentary on the making of the music, the meaning of lyrics and the context in which each of the albums was put together. Gould is not afraid to criticize certain of thre Beatles compositions or projects; neither is he trying to 'demyth' the Bealtes. This is perhaps the most balanced, engaging account of the Bealtes, their impact, their foibles and their successes I have ever read.
   
   I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about the Beatles; I have listened to them since I was five years old--yet I learned a great deal about them in this excellent book!

5 comments about Fingerpicking Beatles and Expanded Edition: 30 Songs Arranged for Solo Guitar in Standard Notation and Tab.

1. Brilliant! Leonard has done it again, as "FINGERPICKING BEATLES" is another great compilation. The notation and tablature in the book are both of excellent quality, they are easy to read and are marked well. The difficulty level of the music is very consistent, any intermediate player will be able to play through the songs after a few tries if they are not able to site read them right off the bat. The sacrifice of difficulty in the music playing does not effect the sound however. Both bass lines and melody are included in every single song, which is a major plus. It should be mentioned that "Blackbird" is not a transcription of the lead melody, rather it is of the original guitar part.
   For those who may be wondering, while the guitar "sings" for the player in every single song, there is certainly enough of a "Bass" sound to the songs to allow the player to sing along if they wish to. This is a must have for Beatles fans, I highly recommend it for every guitar player.
   
   In short:
   ~ Clear Notation
   ~ Very consistent
   ~ Great Quality
   ~ Very pleasing to the ear
   ~ Sounds beyond its actual difficulty level
   ~ A must buy!



2. This book by Hal Leonard is OK...
   but if you want some real kick-axe Fingerstyle Beatle Tabs along with the accompanying audio recordings then check out Steven King's Beatle-ing CDs.
   He has recorded seven CDs of Beatle songs (aprox. 100 songs) for solo six-string guitar in standard tuning (except for one or two alt-tunings, eg. a dropped-tuning on "Within You Without You") and has a website where you can attain the Tabs in PDF by enrolling as a student. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced Fingerstyle player you can learn something straight from a solo fingerstyle Master.
   I personally have all seven Beatle-ing CDs and in my opinion there is no one who has captured the Beatles in their essence for solo guitar as well as Mr. Steven King.
   Do yourself a favor and check it out: http://www.guitarbystevenking.net/index.html



3. Haven't tried all the songs in this book yet, but most seem to quite playable and sound true to the recorded versions. Lots of fun!



4. I've been playing songs out of this book for a couple months now and find the arrangements aren't too hard, but enough of a challenge to be fun to learn and satisfying to play. Experience wise, I've been playing bass and guitar for a few years now so I'd say I'm between a begninner to an intermediate player - still a lot to learn. It takes me about a week to learn to play one of these songs consistently, another 3 or 4 weeks to commit it to memory and (mostly) stop making mistakes. This has become my favorite source for new songs. One of the guys I play with is extremely talented, he's toyed around with several of these and was impressed with their arrangement as well. Favorites - Blackbird, Hey Jude, Yesterday. Hope this helps.



5. I'm learning how to play fingerstyle guitar and I've been looking for pieces beyond the basic to play. This book is for the intermedite and above - it's a little above my skill level, but I feel I'll grow into it. The nice feature in this book is they give you the simplified melody above the more complicated fingerstyle solo parts. There is a one page lesson at the beginning of the book on how to play fingerstyle guitar. The book is arranged in both tabulature and standard notation. I can read standard notation but it's nice to have the tabulature to be sure you got the notes right especially with the more complicated fingerstyle guitar playing. Finally, the book contains many of the popular Beatles songs like Let It Be, which is the song I'm currently working on.

5 comments about A Hard Day's Write, 3e: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song.

1. This book is very valuable for people who haven't read many Beatle books and don't know much about them or their music. If you fall into that category you will find this book indispensible. It gives an accurate outline of the stories behind every Beatle song, and what interesting stories they are. The people who inadvertantly influenced their writing, the events that inspired them to write a particular song, (sometimes a TV commercial or innocuous statement made by someone in the room or in their recent past.) A wonderful insight into their creative process and into their minds as well. Unfortunately for me, I've read so many Beatle books, that I have heard all of these stories before, so by the time I came across this book, it was kind of anticlimactic. Even so, there were still some things I didn't know like, Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkee is actually referring to Yoko Ono,(she's John's monkee) and is not about having a heroin habit, like I had assumed. I won't give anymore away though because if you are reading this, I recommend that you read A Hard Day's Write and find out for yourself.
   
   The only thing I found mildly annoying, is the author's slight over analysis of Lennon's songs. Maybe he is right about most of them, he certainly doesn't seem off the mark when he talks about Lennon's abandonment issues. However his editorialising about John's, And Your Bird Can Sing really got under my skin. He seems to have the idea that John is singing about Paul in this song, and trying to say that Paul isn't as cool as he is, when he sings, "Tell me that you've heard every sound there is" etc. According to Turner, when he sings, "You say you've seen seven wonders," he's referring to Paul's "seven levels" remark when they first got high together. (huh?) What does one have to do with the other? John uses the 'seven wonders' reference as a metephor for someone who's 'seen it all'. I picked up on that when I was eleven for heaven sake. It's so obvious. And it's anyone's guess who he's singing about. Maybe he's singing about himself! Or the press, or maybe the fans, or the establishment...whatever. It was beyond stupid for Turner to stick this song with his clumsy oppinions. No one knows what the song is about. It makes me think that maybe Turner is the one who thinks this about Paul and he was looking for something in John's lyrics to validate HIS feeling. He even talks about the Anthology 2 version of the song, where John and Paul break into uncontrolled giggling at the mic, saying that Paul seemed unaware that the song is about him, judging from his giggling. Yeah Mr. Turner, only you and your idol John Lennon are in on what the song really means. I guess he whispered it in your ear and told you not to tell Paul. And what a fool Paul is! Here he is thinking that John Lennon is his friend, when he really isn't! Thankfully there is you, Steve Turner to set things straight. Hopefully Paul read your drops of wisdom and realized once and for all that he just wasn't cool enough to be friends with that wonderful Lennon.
   
   Every once in a while, Turner's feelings seem to peak through like this, and it diminishes what is otherwise, a great read. There are a couple caption mistakes, especially a big one which features more editorialising. On one page there is a large picture of a Beatle reclining in his seat on a PanAm jet. It looks like the flight to New York on Feb. 7, 1964. He has a clothe over his face, so you really can't tell who it is, except...if you look at the watch worn on the right wrist instead of the left,the checked shirt, and the cuff links,you'll know that it is definitly Paul. ( he was dressed this way on that flight, while John had a white shirt and was sitting with his wife.) But Turner writes in the caption that JOHN always needed time to be alone and get away from it all and the picture shows this. No it shows that PAUL needed time to be alone and get away from it all. Or maybe he was just TIRED and needed a nap! This editorialising is dumb. Like he's trying to show that John was the only one who needed to be alone. Because he was cooler?,more brilliant?,the 'artistic Beatle'?,the 'smart Beatle?' Paul was maybe too busy being 'cute'.
   
   In his quest to analyze John's songs (to death) he under analyzes Paul's, even Yesterday, which most Beatle scholars think is subconsciously about his mother. But Turner seems to think that if Paul is not writing about Jane Asher, he is writing about.... nothing. Only John has deep feelings that are revealed in his songs. Only John was hurt by the loss of his mother. Not that 'cute Beatle.' He has no feelings and was hurt by nothing.
   
   Except for these flaws, A Hard Day's Write is an interesting book, and highly recommended. I just hate when Beatle writers try to perpetuate the myth that John was the only smart one. The only artistic one. etc. It reduces their credibility. The best Beatle books never stoop to subjective editorialising.



2. This is so interesting on what was the inspiration behind the "BEATLES'" songwriting.



3. This is a lovely book, exactly as advertised. Wonderful anecdotes from my growing-up years in the 60's. It's a gift for a musician friend who shares our love of the Beatles. I'm going to order a copy for my husband this Christmas as well...he'll have to fight me for it.



4. This book provides many great details in the stories behind the songs. My husband and I both love it. It's a must-have for any true Beatles fan!



5. this book is great for an older beatle fan. i grew up with them from ed sullivan on. while we all had our own ideas what every song was about it was good to finally learn the true meaning of so many of my favorite songs.

5 comments about The Beatles - Complete Scores.

1. I should have considered the comments of other reviewers who said the print was too small - IT IS. OK, the book is great but not as user friendly as others.



2. Awesome in it's scope and presentation. I don't know how publishers of songbooks or sheet music get away with publishing so very many wrong versions of songs. We all pay good money so we can learn how to play our favorite songs - and so much more often than not, these publications are wrong.
   
   Not this one. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G is here, and it actually correct! You may think its a little expensive, but it SO worth the investment. I cannot tell you how very much I am thankful to my friend Corey for telling me this existed!



3. Yeah, there are errors; but with so much of it right on, me thinks it's as much a printer's error rather than the transcriber's error. And sure the font could be bigger, but then you'd have to have 2 or 3 volumes, and 2 or 3 times the cost. Overall, an outstanding attempt to capture the Fab Four's sound on paper. Now, where's the revision??



4. This is a great book! Anybody interested in playing Beatle songs should have this book. The parts are written out note for note and so far seem pretty accurate. When I pick it up it's hard to put down.



5. It is completley insane to criticize this great collection for the size of the print. If you are a SERIOUS performing musician, get a cheap software music publishing program and produce your own lead sheets for performance.
   
   Use this to learn and something else to perform. Or - here's a crazy idea - actually memorize what you learn so you don't all look like geeks!
   
   I will now excuse myself from this discussion and head over to a Bible review page to criticize every existing edition for small print...

5 comments about The Beatles Best: Easy Piano.

1. For those home pianists who want to play an easy and very enjoyable review of Beatles music. Those who have basic practice of reading scores it is almost first view playing. The collection makes an overview of all nice periods of the group.



2. Although I didn't live during their prime, I grew to love and admire the Beatles for their song writing and musical skills. So being able to play along with them gave me greater joy. This book is really easy for those who took piano lessons but disliked the classical things they were taught. This books gives you the rock and roll aspect of piano playing.



3. I'm not much of a piano player; I play keys in a cover band, and mess around with a keyboard and synth when I'm bored. This book makes the songs really easy to play. Anyone who is good at chords can take this book and play even more complicated music using it. Or if you barely know how to play, the songs are written so anyone with even a very basic understanding of piano sheet music can play it.



4. Bought this for my 12 year old son who loves the Beatles and has been playing piano for about 6 years. This was supposed to be a replacement for a song book we got from the library, but it disappointed us. It was a little too easy, and the music was not as good as what he found in "The Beatles Anthology: Volume 3". I'd give it a good rating for lots of great songs though, and maybe for a piano player needing simpler music. I returned it and tracked down the other book we had from the library.



5. I bought this book for my daughter who is a 12 year old intermediate pianist. We are using it over the summer to practice her sight reading skills. Not only did her teacher like the book, my daughter loves it too.

5 comments about The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook.

1. I just have to start out by saying that the one for "blackbird" in this book is astonish. It's amazing, the exact chords on the recording and i reckon you can even use it to fingerpick! :-)!
   
   Ok now to the main point, this book might be a bit big and you can't put it standing up perfectly on your music stand, i know i know. With that in mind, I would suggest you be careful with it... because i kinda made a little tear on a few pages already. But this shouldn't downplay the book's intellectual and "inside of the cover" qualities, after it's a book...
   
   So on to the next pro. I know you can go on the net and get lots of tabs, but i guarantee you mate, this is the best! It's really in the exact keys as on the recordings!
   
   Be aware that if you want to play the songs on PLEASE PLEASE ME, you won't find "Baby it's you" "Chains" and a few others on there. That's for the reason that those songs were covers. The Beatles didn't write them. Hence if they didn't write them, they really can't have it on your sheet music catalouge...
   
   OVERALL, this book is great mate, get it if you're a beatles fanatic like me and many others out there. GOODLUCK WITH THE FAB FOUR!



2. This is a very easy to follow book of Beatles songs. I bought it for the lyrics so I could sing along and know every verse but realized that it is so easy to follow, I dragged the old guitar out and started strumming the chords a little. My brother does play guitar frequently and he took off with the songs!! So much fun if you love the Beatles!!



3. There is never enough time to go through this book... The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook is probably the best addition to anyone's piano bench (though it will likely not be put away there) or guitar book shelf. Obviously, since it is a chord book, not a tablature book, you won't find how to play the intricates like "Blackbird" or "Here Comes the Sun," (I think it warns you of this in the foreword), nor will you find any notes on a staff. I actually prefer the guitar chord boxes even though I've been playing it on piano because it just saves paper and is easier to look at. It is so much fun to go through and play any song that I want to, and play it right. This book is perfect for sing-alongs, parties, &c. I love you Beatles!



4. The title of this book says it all...Complete Chord Songbook. If you love the Beatles and aspire to play their music on the guitar, I would highly recommend this book to you. If you know basic chords, you will be able to play many of the songs as soon as you pick it up. If not, each song has chord diagrams so you can easily figure them out. I can't speak for the professional musician, but if you want to play the Beatles, this is the only book you need to purchase.



5. I have several Beatles guitar books, most of which fall into two categories: 1) They are way beyond my level (I consider myself to be an intermediate level guitarist) or 2) They books don't use the right chords, so the songs sound just a little off. This book works well for strumming along with your favorite Beatle tunes. It contains every Beatle tune that I am familiar with plus many others. My only criticism is that the book is small and it is impossible to keep the book open to any particular page.