Beatles song Many dischordant notes?

Wally Giffin · Post by **Wally Giffin** » 13 Dec 2010 1:45 am

Many years ago, I heard a song on a jukebox that almost took my breath away. The waitress said it was by the Beatles, but like a fool, I did not write the name down.
A slower type of song, it had many chords in it and blew your mind because it many cases the chords just did not go where normal folks tend to put them. Let's please not get into what normal means. Sometimes it was a fairly straight chord change, but others it was a string of notes bouncing around like a beginning basketball dribbler--like someone taking off into Z flat and you just knew they would never get back to the one chord….although they fell right back into and it was one of the prettiest riffs you ever heard.
The notes, the chords and the structure was totally off the wall and weird, but at the same time was satisfying, after you thought about it for a minute and even beautiful.
Can anyone enlighten me as to what this song might be.
It seems that years ago there was a piano instrumental in this same vein.
Thanks,

Paul Norman · Post by **Paul Norman** » 13 Dec 2010 4:20 am

go to Youtube and listen to the beatles songs and you may find it. I tried this, but there is a lot to choose from and I am not sure of your song, but you have my curiousity aroused.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 13 Dec 2010 5:56 am

It might have been "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "Old Brown Shoe" or "Only A Northern Song".

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 13 Dec 2010 7:42 am

I tab out quite a variety of different songs and I find that my biggest challenge are the ones by the Beatles.
Oft times, the melody notes don't agree with the indicated chords.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 13 Dec 2010 10:10 am

"If I fell"?

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 13 Dec 2010 12:36 pm

Probably, And I Love Her

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 13 Dec 2010 12:46 pm

Maybe "Revolution #9":)

Wally Giffin · Post by **Wally Giffin** » 13 Dec 2010 3:34 pm

It already appears that I'm not the only one to get surprised looks on my face from a Beatles song.
Maybe I better listen to more than just the two or three most popular songs of the Beatles. Thanks everyone. I will listen to all these suggestions.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 13 Dec 2010 4:53 pm

Your research may take some time Wally. The Beatles had so many songs that took interesting, unexpected twists and turns.

For young guys like me and my friends at the time, their music sent us to serious study of music theory because many of us were used to casually playing simpler stuff at the sock hops and parties.

Songs like "Here, There and Everywhere", "Something", and "I'll be Back" are just a few that come immediately to mind with similar content to the one you describe in your post.

My friends still do a lot of Beatles' music and I find some of it challenging to play correctly even yet.

Bryan Daste · Post by **Bryan Daste** » 13 Dec 2010 9:03 pm

I'm with Stu..."If I Fell" was the song that came to mind immediately.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO-ClfuboNU

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 13 Dec 2010 9:35 pm

Bryan,That song is a trail of breadcrumbs to make it back to the one...What an adventure.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 13 Dec 2010 10:45 pm

I recently picked up this great book that has the chords and lyrics to all of the Beatles' songs:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0634022296

Jeff Agnew · Post by **Jeff Agnew** » 14 Dec 2010 4:22 am

If you're interested in understanding structure and analysis of all the Beatles songs from a musicologist's point of view, you really should check out Alan Pollack's Notes on The Beatles.

In 1989 the American musicologist Alan W. Pollack started to analyze the songs of the Beatles. He published his first results on internet. In 1991 — after he had finished the work on 28 songs — he bravely decided to do the whole lot of them. About ten years later, in 2000 he completed the analysis of the official Beatles' canon, consisting of 187 songs and 25 covers. Here we have ordered this massive work in five categories. And, for your convenience, we've added an alphabetical, a canonical and a chronological index as well as a short introduction.

Originally published on Usenet, it's been converted to HTML and is available free on the Soundscapes web site here: Notes On The Beatles

Certainly not light reading, and it can be tedious at times. But what an awesome accomplishment -- over ten years of work, and for absolutely no money.

Here's his analysis of one of the songs mentioned above: Notes on If I Fell

Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 15 Dec 2010 5:43 am

Try michelle

Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 15 Dec 2010 5:34 pm

Very few Beatles songs could be described as "dischordant" certainly not "If I Fell". Now compared to Folsom Prison Blues they might seem a bit more "exotic" but most Beatles tunes are interesting but certainly not "dischordant". In the case of "If I Fell" there is a key change in the intro which confuses some ears.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 15 Dec 2010 5:59 pm

Well a Harrison song like "Within you and without you" could be described as discordant to someone not familiar with eastern music. How do we know we are talking Lennon/McCarthy here? Could be Harrison, or, god forbid, Ringo "Don't pass me by"

Clete Ritta · Post by **Clete Ritta** » 16 Dec 2010 2:21 am

Till There Was You is another great song covered by the Beatles with diminished and augmented chords.
I love George's solo on this version.

Clete

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 16 Dec 2010 2:52 am

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

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 16 Dec 2010 1:02 pm

Bill McCloskey wrote:Well a Harrison song like "Within you and without you" could be described as discordant to someone not familiar with eastern music. How do we know we are talking Lennon/McCarthy here? Could be Harrison, or, god forbid, Ringo "Don't pass me by"

The Lennon/McCarthy Era ?
Interesting combination, no doubt....

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 16 Dec 2010 1:52 pm

Ha! I just got that. Thanks for the laugh Olli (you crazy cedar chopper.)

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 16 Dec 2010 1:57 pm

I'd edit it, but too good for a laugh.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 16 Dec 2010 2:06 pm

"I Am The Walrus" had an unlikely chord progression.

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Beatles song Many dischordant notes?

Beatles song Many dischordant notes?

Thanks for your suggestions