Music Teacher May 20151

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David Ashworth is a freelance education consultant, specialising in music technology. He is project leader for www.teachingmusic.org.uk and he has been involved at a national level in most of the major music initiatives in recent years.

The Beatles: a legacy for music education

by David Ashworth

InTroducTIon

It never ceases to surprise me how little use we make of one of our richest musical legacies – the music of the

Beatles. They are widely acknowledged as being one of the greatest and most significant musical landmarks

of the 20th century, so you would think we would constantly dip into this treasure trove for music making. Yet

there are virtually no classroom resources that really get under the bonnet and explore ways of working with the

Beatles’ musical ideas. We have the occasional singalong to ‘Yellow Submarine’ or ‘Let it Be’, but it does not go

much further than that. Yet we all have filing cabinets full of worksheets on reggae, blues, Britpop and so on.

There is one reason why so few resources have been made available, and that is to do with copyright

restrictions. The use of this music is so tightly controlled by the publishers that it seems virtually impossible to

gain permission to use extracts from the songs when compiling a Beatles-related resource.

This is a problem I have had to grapple with for this resource, but I have come up with a way of working with

this music that revolves around listening, and working with the concepts we hear. In this resource, we identify

several key musical ideas that can be taken and used in students’ original work.

It is tempting to take songs from here, there and everywhere (no pun intended) from the Beatles’ output,

but instead I have chosen to restrict our area of focus to just one album – Rubber Soul. There are several

reasons for this. First, it means that the teacher need only buy one CD to access all the songs covered here.

Secondly, the unusual stereo mix on this particular album, with instruments and voices panned hard left or

right, means it can be easier to pick out different layers of sound. But the main reason for choosing this album

is predominantly musical: it contains so many musical ideas that can help students with writing and arranging

music of their own. Finally, the fact that the album was originally released 50 years ago gives us an opportunity

to celebrate this anniversary of a major musical milestone.

It is important to make the point that none of these composing or arranging techniques were original, or in

any way unique to the music of the Beatles. What makes them worthy of study is that the band used them so

creatively, providing us with excellent exemplars to use in the classroom. Students across Key Stages 3 and

4 will find much to work with. Guitarists in particular, who can often be overlooked in the classroom, will find

material to help them broaden their musical horizons.

ProjecT 1: addIng layerS of Sound

Doubling a vocal melody

This is an arranging device, since we are not really composing new material. We are simply doubling up an

existing melodic part on a different instrument to give timbral variation or a thicker texture. Adding another

layer of texture to a vocal line strengthens that line, and can be used where a singer feels the need for

some reinforcement. The process can work with any melody instrument such as a flute or violin, and it is

fairly straightforward. The doubling does not have to be an exact copy. The part may be simplified, or more

confident instrumentalists may want to add variations. In other words, use of heterophony can be a good way

of addressing any differentiation issues.

In ‘Norwegian Wood’, for example, the Beatles use a sitar to give the track a more exotic sound than could

be achieved using the standard ‘beat combo’ instrumentation. It’s unlikely that there will be a competent sitar

player in your class, but interesting solo sounds may be found using one of the synth sounds on an electronic

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keyboard. In this Beatles song, the sitar doubles the vocal line and repeats the melody as a fill between vocal

lines.

Playing the scales within the chords

Another approach, which I sometimes refer to as the ‘singer-songwriter’ approach, is to look at ways in which

the singer, accompanying themselves on guitar or piano, can incorporate fragments of melody in their chord-

based accompaniments.

Two Beatles songs that demonstrate this well are ‘Norwegian Wood’ and ‘If I Needed Someone’. In both songs,

the guitar part uses additional scale notes with the standard guitar chord shape of D. (Note: a capo will be

required to match the original keys.)

In this diagram, the standard fingering for a D chord is shown by the blue dots, which provide the notes A, D

and F sharp. Other scale notes (shown in red) can be played as follows:

lifting fingers off to give access to the open-string notes B and e.

adding the little finger to play a top g.

c (or c sharp) is more tricky, and likely to require refingering the chord.

Students can work on other common chords. This next example shows the standard fingering for a C major

chord (blue dots). Can your guitarists modify their fingering to add the ‘missing’ scale notes A, B, D, F and G?

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ProjecT 2: PercuSSIon

Many students writing in a rock/pop style will settle for standard drumbeat patterns, the usual bass/snare and

hi-hat sequences. However, there are alternatives.

Hand percussion can be used to add colour and variation, or as a substitute in gentler songs, or when

contrast is required. In many Beatles songs, simple hand percussion parts are often used. And of course in a

classroom, where use of a full drum kit is usually problematic, this can be a much more practical option. It is

often this use of extra percussion that gives a song its distinctive edge, lifting it above run-of-the-mill guitar/

bass/drums songs.

Consider for example the effective use of claves and bongos on ‘And I Love Her’. This would have sounded

far less atmospheric if a drum kit had been used instead. ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’ uses a standard drum kit,

but the addition of a catchy handclap pattern makes this song sound far more distinctive than similar songs

produced by others at that time.

The secret to making these parts retain their musical interest when repeated over the course of a song is to

make sure that they are rhythmically interesting. Students could listen to the clave and handclap patterns in

the above examples and try copying them. Some students might be able to notate them.

Turning to our chosen album, Rubber Soul, we look at three songs that make interesting use of percussion.

First some listening: this can be done as listening tests, where the teacher asks the class to listen out for and

comment on certain features. The class can then try to clap these featured rhythmic fragments or play them

on instruments.

Activity

Write a melody for a solo instrument plus guitar or piano accompaniment. Either:

Double up the vocal line with another instrument playing a version of the melody. Remember this need not be exact. Simplified or decorated versions are permissible.

Try and play a version that sketches out the melody by modifying the chords. The example below shows a short melodic idea harmonised with a D chord. Non-chord notes are highlighted in red.

The next diagram shows how the part might look when played, with the guitarist holding and modifying the D chord shape. Notice how the extra chord notes are added on the stronger beats. This can be done with a plectrum, and if the guitarist strikes strings other than the ones shown, it is not going to matter too much since they will still be playing notes belonging to the chord.

Of course, a keyboard player could do something similar as a right-hand part.

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‘Drive My Car’

A cowbell plays a steady pulse throughout. This also happens to be a feature of West African drumming music,

where the drummers lock into the beat of the bell, which can be clearly heard above the sound of the drums.

In a music classroom context, this can be a great way for groups to keep together. Because of its penetrating

tone, the cowbell will be clearly heard. Some damping may be required if it is too loud.

Listen also to the tambourine. It plays a simple pattern during the verses and then is busier during the chorus,

playing an important part in creating textural and dynamic contrast.

A really important percussion part in this song is the lightly syncopated fill at the end of each verse, which

modifies the rhythm of the vocal line. Again, can students clap and even notate this?

‘Wait’

On the opening vocal lines (‘It’s been a long time, now I’m coming back home’, etc) the cymbal, guitar and

bass play in rhythmic unison with the stressed vocal syllables, indicated in bold. The tambourine plays in the

spaces in between, as shown.

‘I’m Looking Through You’

In place of the usual drum kit, percussion sounds in this song are limited to the drummer beating out a steady

rhythm on his knees and the use of a tambourine. The tambourine part is carefully planned out in a strict

pattern. It is shaken on the off-beats of the trailing ends of the verses, and during the bridges and outro. It is

not played in the verses. It also provides a contrast in tonal colour, which is of course a common feature of the

use of percussion in orchestral music.

Activities

Now to make use of ideas, based on the ones outlined above, in some original work. Here are some suggestions. Some students may want to work with just one idea, whereas others may want to use more.

1. A distinctive percussion line: use an instrument that is not necessarily loud, but can be clearly heard, such as claves, a cowbell or handclaps. Devise a syncopated rhythmic pattern that fits well with your song, or some sections of the song.

2. Use a tambourine: devise two contrasting parts, a simple one and a busier one. Decide how to use these in different sections in a song.

3. Rhythmic fills: at the end of a verse or section, include a distinctive percussion feature. This can be something as simple as a tambourine playing along, or something more complex like a syncopated version of the final vocal line.

4. Beginnings of verses: instead of having the full percussion part coming straight in, devise a gentle but interesting part for two hand percussion instruments. This should reinforce the strong beats of the main melody line.

5. something unusual: using junk or ‘found sounds’ (eg tapping on knees) write a percussion line that uses the unconventional timbres these might bring to the song.

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ProjecT 3: BreaKIng The major/mInor Scale STranglehold

Many students will elect to write their music using major or minor keys, ignoring the use of modes. Melody lines

might sometimes employ the use of pentatonic or blues scales, but the underpinning harmony tends to remain

firmly diatonic major or minor.

It is well known that the groundbreaking jazz pioneer Miles Davis consciously explored the use of modes as a

way of breaking into new tonal territory, and many music teachers will use tracks from albums such as A Kind

of Blue as a way of broadening horizons.

The Beatles (and other pop musicians) probably stumbled into modal areas through less theoretical routes.

Having less of a background in formal musical theory, they would often experiment and come up with unusual

chord progressions, unexpected harmonies and changes of time signature that sounded right for what they

wanted. Doodling away with chords on the guitar and finding patterns that were easy to move to had more of a

physical than musical logic – but they could often sound quite good, too. For example, playing a major chord

and then moving back and forth to another major chord a tone below can sound musically satisfying. But these

two chords, taken as tonic and a major chord on the flattened 7th, do not both sit within the implied major key.

Take for example the chords of D major and C major: the latter chord does not belong to the home key of D

major, but both chords can sit well within a modal setting. In this case, the Mixolydian mode is a possibility.

‘Norwegian Wood’ is a typical Mixolydian song. It is effective because it uses the mode’s characteristic feature

of the flattened 7th in both the tune and the harmony, giving the song a gentle, floating feel. The verse involves

the D to C chord changes, and the bridge section imitates this a tone higher with an E minor to D progression.

The Mixolydian mode is a popular choice for rock and pop musicians, because it can be thought of as a major

scale with a bluesy flattened 7th. Guitarists playing bar chords find these chord changes easy, simply sliding

up and down two frets.

Another well-known Beatles song, ‘Eleanor Rigby’, has sections that are in the Dorian mode. This is noticeable

in the opening melody section where the raised 6th of the minor scale is used effectively, giving the track its

distinctive haunting quality.

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ProjecT 4: fIndIng The TuneS In The chordS

The song ‘You Won’t See Me’ uses this chord sequence in its verse:

a B d a

a B d a

a7 d dm a

a B d a

An examination of the notes in the triads of these chords, possibly with help from producer George Martin, enabled

the Beatles to come up with an effective backing vocal part, based on long notes that descend chromatically. The

chart below shows the notes in the first four chords. Choosing the ones highlighted shows how this is achieved:

For lines 1, 2 and 4:

e f# a e

c# d# f# c#

a B d a

Similarly, the third line (beginning on A7) contains a chromatic sequence:

g

e a a e

c# f# f c#

a d d a

Activities

1. Mixolydian scale: students choose a Mixolydian scale. They should be comfortable with playing the notes of the scale and some of the chords. They may need help in working these out. For the piece to sound distinctively modal, it should use notes that are a feature of the mode in both melodies and chords. So for example, in E Mixolydian the note under the spotlight is D natural. Producing charts like this will help steer students in the right direction.

This chart has the note D highlighted in red, indicating this is an important note to use in order to capture the flavour of the mode. Three chords use the modal note of D, but the G sharp dim might be best avoided. It goes without saying that frequent use of the tonic E and the chord of E major will be important in helping establish the tonality.

2. each mode has its own mood or quality: the Mixolydian has a bluesy quality. Another effective one, relatively easy for young musicians to handle, is the Dorian mode. We referred to ‘Eleanor Rigby’ above. Students can use a chart similar to the one below, possibly to write more ‘haunting’ songs in the same style. Again, notes (and chords) that give the mode its identity are indicated in red.

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On the recording, the piano also plays chord voicings that exploit this descending pattern.

ProjecT 5: worKIng wITh Two-ParT harmony

Rubber Soul is packed with interesting uses of harmony, both vocal and instrumental. Examples of all types

of motion in harmony are to be found on many tracks, and these can be used as listening exercises or as

composition exemplars.

Close harmony: parallel and similar motion in ‘Nowhere Man’

Students may well be familiar with the idea of harmonising melodies in 3rds and 6ths. This is easy to achieve

on keyboards (where the student simply adds a higher part at the same interval). It is also easy to see and

Activities

Students are asked to write out the chords for any piece they are working on and fill in a chart. This should look similar to the one below, where the notes of the chords are mapped out.

A chord sequence of C-G7-C-F-Am-F-C-G7 would yield the following chart:

C G7 C F AM F C G7

c g c f a f c g

e B e a c a e B

g d g c e c g d

f f

Next, instruct them to explore different melodic pathways through these progressions. Here are some possibilities that can be used to create really strong, effective backing parts

1. Ascending phrases:

C G7 C F AM F C G7

c g c f a f c g

e B e a c a e B

g d g c e c g d

f f

2. Alternating notes:

C G7 C F AM F C G7

c g c f a f c g

e B e a c a e B

g d g c e c g d

f f

3. Trace some paths that use steps of a tone or semitone.

4. For vocal backings, use sustaining long notes. Or for basslines, a rhythm pattern may be added. For example, in the ascending phrase example given above, a bassline might look like this:

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understand when used in a notation context. And, of course, a sweet-sounding harmony is the outcome.

However, a problem usually arises when the harmonised melody is sung or played against the underlying

harmony. So, for example, the two phrases shown below sound fine when sung together, but when they are

played against the chords, problems arise. Note: these notes indicate the notes in the first two phrases of

‘Nowhere Man’. The rhythm has not been indicated and the barlines are used here to denote ends of phrases.

The notes indicated in red obviously clash with the chord of E major, so the Beatles change these vocal parts

to fit as follows:

This can also serve as a good illustration for teachers who want to provide a context for use of similar motion

(where the two voices move in the same direction but by different intervals).

Activity

Ask students to compose a four-line chorus for a song. They should have a melody line and some accompanying chords. Some students will be able to notate their work, others may write note names added to the lyrics. A typical chorus might start this way:

Now ask students to mechanically add a harmony line a 3rd higher. When they sing or play these harmonised lines against the chords, they will notice that it sounds acceptable, apart from two possible instances:

The first note in bar 2 will be harmonised with the note C, which is not part of the Dm chord. They could move the harmony note a step up to D (or they may choose to stay with the C, which gives the harmony a more ‘sophisticated’ Dm7 sound).

In bar 3, the first note will be harmonised with an E. Students will need to move this up a step to the note F to make it fit harmonically.

Students can use two approaches to detect possible problem notes. The first is to listen slowly and carefully, and pick out those points where they think the harmony is not working. The second is to adopt a more theoretical approach and look for those harmonies that contains non-chord notes. You may want to construct some chord ‘spelling charts’ that students can use for reference. One for C major might look like this:

c dm em f g[7] am Bdim

c d e f g a B

e f g a B c d

g a B c d e f

[f]

The final thing worth stressing is that this necessity to modify harmonies principally applies to notes on the strong beats or sustained notes.

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Oblique motion in ‘Drive My Car’

Notice how the top voice holds a note on G while the other moves in keeping with the harmony. This causes

a harmonic clash, strictly speaking, but serves to give the song an appropriate degree of dissonance in this

soul-style melody. (Again, the rhythms of vocal parts are not indicated.)

Contrary motion in ‘You Won’t See Me’

In the final bar of the verse, notice how two of the parts move in opposite directions. The singers, harmonising

in 3rds, go up while the bass guitar descends.

Students can attempt something similar. Ask them to identify a rising or falling part in a piece they are working

on, and then to try to construct a contrary motion possibility. This can add considerable strength to a musical

section.

A final word on harmony projects

One of the things that made the Beatles stand out was their use of harmony in vocal and instrumental writing.

They made far more use of harmony than many of their peers, and it was always interesting. They combined

standard harmonic techniques with more experimental approaches. They were fortunate in having George

Martin as producer, who was there to guide and suggest possible solutions, while the band members retained

the freedom to try things out and work out what sounded good using a more intuitive approach.

This is a working method that teachers and their students can emulate in classrooms. Ensure that students

have enough guidance and structure to write basic harmonies, but encourage them to look out for unusual and

effective ways of working with harmony that fall outside the rules.

ProjecT 6: devISIng KIller rIffS

The Beatles were masters at writing catchy, memorable riffs for their songs. ‘Day Tripper’ and ‘I Feel Fine’ are

two early examples of songs where repeated riffs play an important part in establishing the songs’ identities

and providing an effective part in accompaniment.

On Rubber Soul, the standout killer-riff track is ‘Drive My Car’, which opens the album. Writing catchy riffs is by

no means easy, but here is one approach that can be employed effectively: using target notes.

The chords for the verse of ‘Drive My Car’ alternate between D major and G major. Students can use these

notes at the beginning of each bar, and fill in the spaces with other notes from the scale.

Activity

Students should take a section in any of their compositions and see if there is a single note that can be held across chord changes. If the note is common to both chords, it is always going to work and will usually sound highly effective. For example holding the note C in an A minor to F major chord change. The note may be foreign to one of the chords, but may still sound okay in context. Encourage students to let their ears be the judge – something the Beatles did all the time.

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So, for example, a guitarist might begin by playing the target notes of D and G:

They then doodle away with some other notes from the scale, until they find something catchy and satisfying.

For example:

The fact that some of the other notes in the riff do not belong to the chord for that bar hardly matters. The

important target notes are the sustained ones on the first beat of the bar – these are the ones the listener

latches onto. The other notes are there merely to connect. Of course, some note choices will sound better than

others, but it is probably more important to ensure that the riff has a catchy rhythm.

Doubling the riff on a bass guitar (as Paul McCartney did on ‘Drive My Car’) or keyboard can help give the riff

some extra punch. It does not have to replicate exactly. A simplified or heterophonic version may serve just

as well.

ProjecT 7: BeauTIful BaSSlIneS

Interesting bass parts can be found everywhere on Rubber Soul. For example, we have already mentioned

how the bass guitar can effectively double the guitar riff. Here are a few more approaches that students may

find useful in their writing and arranging.

Tonic – dominant

Many bass players will alternate between the root and the 5th on a given chord – a simple idea that can be

made much more interesting by adding some rhythmic vitality to the part. For example, during the verse of ‘The

Word’, the pattern is played like this:

Arpeggios

This again, is a common approach for bass players to take, mapping out the notes of the chord in an ascending

or descending sequence. In ‘You Won’t See Me’ an ascending arpeggio is often used. The arpeggio figure is

syncopated and the root emphasised (shown in red).

The remainder of the bar may be filled in a variety ways, which prevents the bass part becoming too formulaic

or predictable. In the example above, the bar is completed by descending a few notes of the scale. Listen to

what Paul McCartney does on the recording for further ideas.

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Descending basslines

Descending bass lines, where a bass part descends a scale against one or more chords, were ubiquitous in

pop/rock music of this era. Bob Dylan’s ‘Ballad of a Thin Man’, Percy Sledge’s ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’,

and Frigid Pink’s version of ‘House of the Rising Sun’ are notable examples. The Beatles used this device

in many of their songs, including ‘Something’ and ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’. On Rubber Soul, it is a

distinctive feature of ‘Michelle’:

In this case, this part is played on an acoustic guitar rather than the bass.

concluSIon: culTural relevance?

We have already made the point that the album Rubber Soul was recorded 50 years ago. Is there a danger that

this music will no longer be seen as relevant by today’s students, and that perhaps we should be making use

of more up-to-date material? It is certainly the case that not everything the Beatles produced was of the highest

quality, and some songs can now sound a bit stale because we have heard them so often. How many more

times can we listen to Sir Paul rounding off another major public event with yet another rendition of ‘Hey Jude’?

Despite these reservations, there is still much here worth exploring. These ideas are timeless and will work in

a wide range of music-making contexts. The Beatles continue to be a major musical influence, which is freely

and readily acknowledged by many contemporary popular musicians. It is also the sheer concentration of

good ideas packed into these recordings that makes them particularly worthy of study. I have taken just a few

of them from one particular album. There are many more ideas that teachers and students will be able to dig

out from across the canon, which will help them to create and perform great music of their own.