If you have ever tried some sort of search online query of “the Beatles sheet music” or “Beatles Guitar Chord Books”, you may be wondering as to which one of the dozens products to choose. There are larger books that contain song collections; particular songs reproduced on just a relatively few number of pages, chord songbooks, six string guitar tablature, in addition to a wide variety of other choices. Before you get overloaded, take just a second and realize that the particular type of Beatles songbooks you’re looking for is offered. The Beatles are probably the best-selling groups of all time, and their records have almost certainly been notated and distributed in exactly the method that you might want. You just need to locate it.
Types of sheet music
The primary factor to consider prior to purchasing Beatles notation is exactly what types of notation products are out there.
Sheet music-Music notation that’s produced on sheets of paper; sometimes known as lead sheets. As an example, a several page lead sheet for the Beatles song “Taxman”.
Multi-song collections-A group of songs notated and packaged in book form, normally grouped by artist/performer and/or album. For instance, a book of tablature (for guitar) for every Beatles track on the Beatles Revolver album.
Headshot picture of the Beatles
Guitar tablature–A method of scoring guitar parts to indicate the way a particular Beatles tune is intended to be played using letters, symbols, or other visual cues rather than standard music notation. For example, guitar tablature usually includes a diagram of the six guitar strings with finger positions indicated by numbers corresponding to the proper frets. Guitarists usually prefer this style of notation, because it is less complicated to learn to read than other forms of notation.
Guitar chord books-A method of scoring electric or acoustic guitar parts for musicians who simply want to strum along with the chords of the track. Frequently Beatles chord books are less precise than guitar tab, but far more accessible to a beginning guitar player.
Intended use
In addition, you will need to carefully consider exactly how you will be using the songbooks. Will you be committing the song to memory? If that’s the case, you should probably consider purchasing a bigger (more accurate) book of Beatles songs that will stay in your own rehearsal area as you practice each nuance of the Beatles guitar parts. The book I recommend for this is The Complete Beatles Scores. It is actually a hefty three-inch thick hard cover book that contains every single Beatles song, with each instrument fully notated–including guitar tab. It is great for figuring out every single note of a Beatles song the way it was performed, because it includes exact notation and tablature of each instrument. However, it is way too bulky to consider taking to a performance, so if you aren’t thinking of memorizing the piece, you may want to choose a different alternative.
Will you be playing and singing the song with the song books in front of you? If so, a single song of song books is ideal. Don’t purchase a song book because it may tend to close up on you while you’re performing. In this case, get the notation for just a particular Beatles track.
Do you plan to be playing the Beatles song solo, or as a group? If you are playing with a group, you will probably want to purchase the type of notation that is really exact…e.g. the aforementioned The Complete Beatles Scores. If you plan to be playing without a group, you might want to locate a reduction for piano…or even an arrangement for guitar instead.
Finally, if you call yourself a beginner or a songwriter and you want to get a better understanding of the songs or an idea of how the Beatles constructed their chord progressions, definitely check out a Beatles chord book. While they are a bit too simple and not exact enough for a musician in a cover band, they let you to get some quick insights on just how the Beatles created their masterpieces…and they let even the beginning guitarist strum right along.
Don’t wait!
Whatever the case, make sure you jump in! Playing the Beatles songs on guitar, piano, cello, or whatever instrument is really rewarding, educational, and just plain fun! Just ask these guys:
If this post doesn’t answer all your questions about the Beatles guitar chord books, don’t worry….just check out www.thebeatlessheetmusic.com to find the most appropriate sheet music for your musical needs. Brian Hartzog is an indie artist and songwriter whose original funk and roll is a mixture of the sounds of the Beatles and Prince.
The Beatles Sheet Music 