A Hard Day's Night opening chord discovered

[blueschica]

I'd never realized that the famous opening chord to A Hard Day's Night was kind of a mystery. Randy Bachman and a Canadian professor think they have it all figured out. I didn't quite understand the math part but thought this was interesting!

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-11-05/a-hard-days-night-how-mathematics-revealed-beatles-secret/9093348

[Maverick]

And yet they still don't spell it out exactly in the article, do they?

[blueschica]

And yet they still don't spell it out exactly in the article, do they?

 

:ebert: You're right, I guess it's their secret now? :o I only play piano, where things are fairly obvious, so I didn't realize how challenging guitar chords could be until I read Keith Richards' autobiography. He talks about trying to figure out old blues chords and trying to look up the guys who did them so he can see the fingering and get the right sound.

[EagleMoon]

I thought it always sounded like a bunch of overdubs.

[Ancient Ways]

Anyone saying they have it figured out should approach it like this:

 

It’s the combo of all the instruments that makes the sound. Can’t be duplicated on just one.

[edhunter]

I've tried to do the same thing with the intro to Between the Wheels. They're not straight chords either.

[Maverick]

And yet they still don't spell it out exactly in the article, do they?

 

:ebert: You're right, I guess it's their secret now? :o I only play piano, where things are fairly obvious, so I didn't realize how challenging guitar chords could be until I read Keith Richards' autobiography. He talks about trying to figure out old blues chords and trying to look up the guys who did them so he can see the fingering and get the right sound.

And how did he ever do that without the internet?

[Maverick]

From what I read, it sounds like a Dsus4 on one guitar, and F with an A (or a G) in the bass on another guitar (with a G it would be something like a G11add9, forgive my lack of chord theory knowledge,) some kind of F on the piano, and a D on the bass.

[HemiBeers]

sounds like these guys have it figured out....or pretty close

 

 

basic pop song stuff, so a f chord with the G on top is close enough.

 

don't get what the big deal is about this 'discovery'. it's not like it's geraldo with al capone's fault.

[blueschica]

sounds like these guys have it figured out....or pretty close

 

 

basic pop song stuff, so a f chord with the G on top is close enough.

 

don't get what the big deal is about this 'discovery'. it's not like it's geraldo with al capone's fault.

 

[Maverick]

sounds like these guys have it figured out....or pretty close

 

 

basic pop song stuff, so a f chord with the G on top is close enough.

 

don't get what the big deal is about this 'discovery'. it's not like it's geraldo with al capone's fault.

 

That was a big Nothing Burger. The Hard Day's Night chord is much bigger!

[Maverick]

Looking at the notes, it's kind of like an F chord with added D and G notes at the bottom and on top.

[EagleMoon]

Anyone saying they have it figured out should approach it like this:

 

It’s the combo of all the instruments that makes the sound. Can’t be duplicated on just one.

 

That definitely sounds the closest.

[HemiBeers]

This tab has it as a Gsus2

 

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the_beatles/a_hard_days_night_tabs_60698

 

I played it...sure, it sounds like it could work.

 

But geez folks it's just one chord. non-musicians wouldn't recognize it or have the ear to notice it anyway.

[ytserush]

I always thought the Kinks kind of figured it out with "Do It Again."

[librarian]

Watching Eight Days a Week Documentary on PBS right now. The hysteria - craziness. They created such joy, I the Beatles

[The Cat 3]

I always thought the Kinks kind of figured it out with "Do It Again."

Absolutely!

[The Cat 3]

Watching Eight Days a Week Documentary on PBS right now. The hysteria - craziness. They created such joy, I the Beatles

Same here.

[ReRushed]

Watching Eight Days a Week Documentary on PBS right now. The hysteria - craziness. They created such joy, I the Beatles

Same here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FckDsyVAPz0

[librarian]

^^^^That girl was talking about Georges eyelashes! ^^^^^

[librarian]

Cool!!!! St. Pepper special on next!!!!

[goose]

Watching Eight Days a Week Documentary on PBS right now. The hysteria - craziness. They created such joy, I the Beatles

Same here.

That documentary is killer.

[blueschica]

Watching Eight Days a Week Documentary on PBS right now. The hysteria - craziness. They created such joy, I the Beatles

 

Shoot! I planned all week to watch it and then forgot, with our busy Thanksgiving. Glad to hear it's good- our station is rerunning it Monday night! Maybe I can remember then!

[goose]

Watching Eight Days a Week Documentary on PBS right now. The hysteria - craziness. They created such joy, I the Beatles

 

Shoot! I planned all week to watch it and then forgot, with our busy Thanksgiving. Glad to hear it's good- our station is rerunning it Monday night! Maybe I can remember then!

It's on HULU, if you have it. Netflix, maybe...

[Verena]

Watching Eight Days a Week Documentary on PBS right now. The hysteria - craziness. They created such joy, I the Beatles

Same here.

That documentary is killer.

 

:cheers: