It was 50 years ago today....

It amazing to see Paul McCartney still performing at big gigs too.

I can never believe how young they where when they split, after having created such a catalog of music.

Fantastic songwriters, but how would you describe their musicianship? Btw, I am not hinting at anything in that question, I am just curious as to how competent at their instruments they were at such a young age.

thanks Vic. it really is a long time now.
two years after they opened I began on electric guitar.

I am just curious as to how competent at their instruments they were at such a young age.

Well, they'd been playing for a while - don't forget they'd already done the Hamburg Nightclubs, and were regulars at the Cavern. So they'd had a few years to hone their musical skills....

Musically, you can hear them stretching theirselves with every single....from the simplistic three-chord shuffle that was Love Me Do, you can hear their sound develop through every single and album. Yes, a lot of that was down to Sir George Martin and his production techniques and input, but John and Paul were improving all the time as songwriters AND as musicians. Listen to George's early solos; quite simple. A couple of years later he'd improved beyond all recognition!

:D :D :D

Vic

I am just curious as to how competent at their instruments they were at such a young age.

Well, they'd been playing for a while - don't forget they'd already done the Hamburg Nightclubs, and were regulars at the Cavern. So they'd had a few years to hone their musical skills....

Musically, you can hear them stretching theirselves with every single....from the simplistic three-chord shuffle that was Love Me Do, you can hear their sound develop through every single and album. Yes, a lot of that was down to Sir George Martin and his production techniques and input, but John and Paul were improving all the time as songwriters AND as musicians. Listen to George's early solos; quite simple. A couple of years later he'd improved beyond all recognition!

:D :D :D

Vic
Ditto what he said. As far as the showmanship, and skills of working together as a tight band, they were there at the first record! Years of playing the clubs polished that! Skills playing... every record was a huge step upword in playing/writing skills!!! They learn fast, and sucked in all diferent forms, and styles of music that was around them at the time, and before, and polished, it, learned from it, and moved on from it!! Like them or not, no one can say they did not have a HUGE effect in music from that day on!!!

I couldn't actually identify every chord in every song but they were so melodic it just pulled you in.

Reminds me a lot of what is played for church music at my church. Not your basic chords nor standard 1,4,5 stuff and things. :D

I saw a Beatles tribute band last weekend at a near by resort village. They had their "Rockin the Bay Weekend". They were excellent musicians. They had the same gear and started with the early music and changed costume and guitars as they progressed. Bass player was a lefty. They are from Liverpool too! ......... Liverpool New York. :lol: I was never a big Beatles fan but I am more of a one now after seeing these guys do such an amazing job. I can't get the songs out of my head.

I am a big Beatles fan, there's just so many catchy tunes in their catalog..

But... As a guitarist, how where they viewed at the time? I'm 33 so just a bit too young to have been around when they were. so who was the main competition in terms of other guitar bands, and as a guitar band, were they rated on their guitar playing, or purely on their very good songwriting skills?

Was it like today, where writing a good song was just not good enough for some people and was there always a small section of people that criticized the lack of big guitar solos, or was music very different then?

Wish I had have been around when they were in their hayday :oops:

They came out of the sciffel (sp?) scene big among kids at that time, a kind of folkish rock of the time but they were heavily influenced by Elvis and Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, even Bob Dylan. They covered lots of R&B stuff early (and through out their solo careers too) But they weren't considered guitar music I don't think.
Their contemporaries, in the US, when they broke were mostly doo-wop and surf groups as far as what kids were listening to. Although Ringo, George and Paul were all exceptional instrumentalist I think there song writing and composition is what put them on the map.

Well, I'm 51 so I was around but a young un. From what I have seen on documentaries though, prior to The Beatles artists wrote songs or performed songs or recorded songs. The Beatles were ground breaking doing all three. They did all three extremely well and got better at all three as they developed. How many artists today take a song that someone else wrote and pay studio musicians to play the instruments? I'm sure some but not the norm. Bands write songs, record them and then tour them. Thanks to The Beatles from what I understand.

The Beatles were a large factor in one of my projects as a teen.

They helped me win the argument with my parents to let me have long hair. :twisted: