How much music theory did The Beatles know?

[@SecretAgentPaul]

I don't know what adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, interjections, or past participles are, but I can still talk pretty goodly.

[@mrs.featherbottom5901]

ツDempseyDaPro what’s the worst thing about music theory?

[@morgancasey3223]

@Hugh Jones yup.

[@scottb828]

Exactly. The terminology of grammar is, like music theory, just a way of talking about the language, the art of it.

[@chuckt4558]

You, like myself are gifted wordily.

[@SecretAgentPaul]

Watching the Rick Beato dissection of In My Life and how going from D to Dm in the key of A was some amazing Mixodoryan accomplishment that surely George Martin must have informed them about. It's just going from D to Dm. You don't need a music degree to make that chord change.

[@LON009]

*George plays Fadd9* Paul: What's the name of that chord? George: Arthur.

[@TroyBlackford]

You win the Fair Day Goose.

[@theo9952]

Ηence, ''Arthur'' by the Kinks.

[@antcif]

theo9952 weird that you mention this, I’ve had that album on repeat the last week. Terrific song and album for sure.

[@theo9952]

@@antcif Arthur, Village Green, Preservation 1 & 2, I love those 4. Great songs, music and lyrics.

[@Charlie-hp2oh]

no, Arthur is the name of their arty haircut. Art hu(ai)r

[@jeddyhi]

Driving across town to learn B7. Life before the internet.

[@georgianwindow]

no going by bus

[@georgianwindow]

life before chord books

[@georgianwindow]

early like 1960 .. if their first hit song came out 1962 yes you are right it was before the internet

[@georgianwindow]

or the 1950s

[@frankystrings]

separates the real from the pretenders.

[@LukeFaulkner]

Reminds me of an early interview in which they were charged with having "unresolved leading tones and a false modal frame ending up as a plain diatonic" to which John immediately replied "we're going to see a doctor about that" 😅

[@gothxm]

which interview was that?

[@antlerbraum2881]

They were always so sharp in interviews, especially John.

[@Kooky_Duzzfutz]

What a wit!

[@Mefor2044]

Ok but they’re still alive half of hem

[@JC20XX]

​@@PeaceWatcher-ek7zl“'You can tell right away it's the Beatles and not anyone else,' is the opinion of a 15‐year‐old specialist on the subject who saw the Beatles on the 'Ed Sullivan Show' last night. The age of 15 (or 16 or 14 or 13) is essential in a Beatles expert. Taking the above axiom as gospel, this listener made an attempt to find out just what is musically unique about the British visitors. The Beatles are directly in the mainstream of Western tradition; that much may be immediately ascertained. Their harmony is unmistakeably diatonic. A learned British colleague, writing on his home ground, has described it as pandiationic, but I disagree. The Beatles have a tendency to build phrases around unresolved leading tones. This precipitates the ear into a false modal frame that temporarily turns the fifth of the scale into the tonic, momentarily suggesting the Mixylydian mode. But everything always ends as plain diatonic all the same. Mean while, the result is the addition of a very, very slight touch of British countryside nostalgia, with a trace of Vaughan Williams, to the familiar elements of the rock 'n’ roll prototype.' It's just that English rock ‘n’ roll is more sophisticated,' explained the 15‐year‐old authority. As to instrumentation, three of the four Beatles (George Harrison, Paul. McCartney and John Lennon) play different sizes of electronically amplified pluckedstringed instruments. Ringo Starr (' He's just like a little puppy, he's So cute,' said our specialist) plays the drums. The Beatles's vocal quality can be. described as hoarsely incoherent, with the minimal enunciation necessary to communicate the schematic texts. Two theories were offered in at least one household to explain the Beatles's popularity. The specialist said: 'We haven't had an idol in a few years. The Beatles are different, and we have to get rid of our excess energy somehow.' The other theory is that the longer parents object with such high dudgeon, the longer children will squeal so hysterically."

[@outkast505]

The Beatles are a great example of how mere developed intuition can lead to the conceptual understanding of music theory even without the formal training to articulate using proper terminology.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Agreed!

[@afpwebworks]

It's not a million miles from the way a toddler can learn to speak a language using proper grammar without having a clue what a verb or a noun is.

[@HeadbangoO]

@@afpwebworks And that's why most guitar players play like a toddler speaks 😂

[@outkast505]

@@afpwebworks yuppp, great anology. It's the exact same notion :)

[@NotDingse]

Although i agree wholeheartedly, i couldn’t help myself from thinking “those words are certainly fancy!”

[@taraswartzbaugh9780]

I am a college music theory teacher, and I always remind mu students that "The Sound Came First" and the theory rules were added later. There's something innate in humans to make us think in beats and chords, even when we don't know the names.

[@DavidGiragosian]

This has always been my belief.

[@kpmac1]

That's an excellent way to think about it. I agree. And you can understand music theory inside and out and not be able to write music anyone wants to listen to. The sound is the important thing, not the description of the sound.

[@dennissweeney6774]

@@kpmac1 nicely said

[@x0rn312]

This the important thing so many people miss.

[@LordStompyHarpLoonyTunes]

I'm self taught, I can't read sheet music and I understand music theory better than my classically trained jamming buddy. To me it's all just patterns on the fret board that correspond to certain sounds. I literally hear a song and in 10 seconds I'm able to say: "A harmonic minor scale modulating to C major" or whatever

[@jarodofficer]

Tons of comments here, but not enough folks giving you any credit for your time, research, and insight in making this video. Nicely done, and I definitely learned something new about the Beatles today. Cheers!

[@franciscaampuero3378]

This☝️

[@leonardodalongisland]

Here, here!

[@gordon1545]

God yeah. All his videos are very good, but this one absolutely belongs on BBC4 for analysis, research, composition, editing, sound mixing and presentation.

[@trevorbrown4915]

Because it's pointless and just conjecture...It came about by experimentation

[@cifutebol1]

Jarod, great comment! You are absolutely right! People miss the point. They diverge into the unimportant just not to give it credit where it is due. David did beautiful work here, and been generous to share with everyone. Cheers!

[@jfredknobloch]

My guitar teacher in 1966 when I was 13 years old taught me music theory. He said these are the rules but rules don’t make the music, music makes the rules. “Do it first and we will figure it out later.” Enough said…

[@michaellohr7683]

You had an extremely wise teacher.

[@ALLKI]

I apply the same logic.

[@MrUniverse]

That's right :)

[@flyingvguy6833]

About 15 years ago it came to me that externalized concepts gave voice to what was in the past and no longer relevant. I had to look away every time the video showed a staff line- as Krisnamutri pointed out when you come in contact with a rattlesnake you react immediately. When George asked Billy Preston what certain chords where on the piano(Get Back) I cringed because it was totally besides the point(but Billy sure new what to play when he heard/felt the open space to do it).

[@user-in1yw9ty5t]

@@flyingvguy6833 I'd ask the same if i didnt know music. idk music at all and say how you do it? I think there is a prerequisite to making music and that it doesn't come inherently to me.

[@timmccarthy872]

Dang! Not too many youtubers do their own research to present an original argument.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thank you!!

[@repker]

You're telling me you don't like videos where the creator just reads off the Wikipedia page the topic is about? Heresy, I say.

[@Staffleberry]

@Steven Turner Totally agree with you and Tim McCarthy. David Bennett, you do extremely valuable work. This topic is well worth in depth analysis, and you've done an excellent job presenting this research in a short video and making it accessible.

[@lankyrighthander]

@TheDowner Did you ever do research on a term paper in school? Come on be kind.

[@ziksy6460]

Not to discount the quality of this video, but you clearly have not watched enough video essay channels. There are so many quality channels out there on par with this channel.

[@Music-el7if]

Internet: The Beatles didn't know music theory, they just did what sounded good. Music Theory: I just describe what sounds good.

[@av.h8048]

Music the only comment that makes sense in the entire comment section

[@Leatheryed1]

That's more like it !!!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

It doesn't though. It notates it and quite often says "Oh no. You can't do that" What "sounds good" about Beatles records, or Shostakovich symphonies or birdsong is more than theory can describe

[@jakehr3]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac If you come across a music theorist that says "oh no you can't do that" then you may in fact be not dealing with a music theorist. Music Theory is a descriptive discipline. It does not prescribe oughts and shoulds, only what is. Theory does not attempt to prescribe what sounds good, but instead can be used as justification for arguments as to why a thing sounds good to you or someone else. For an example of this take a look at Adam Neely's video "The Worst Jazz Solo of All Time". With limited theory knowledge, the reasons for why the solo is bad can be equally applied to other solos that are identified as being good. Only with in-depth analysis can we find a reason why so many people find that solo bad that doesn't apply to other superficially similar solos.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

@@jakehr3 I think we are at crossed purposes. I could not disagree with you more. The classical world is full of theorists prepared to say "that's wrong" and "you can't use that note in that context". Music theory at it purest is proscriptive not descriptive and your comment almost reads as if you are putting both sides of the argument at once. I understand Neely's talk of context but this is exactly playing the "theory" card which says it's ok to do it here but not there. Listen to the song I Want To Tell You. At the time The Beatles came up with it no professor from the Royal College of Music nor the Royal Academy of Music would have done so because the theory says "wrong" while the practice says "Wow! That sounds great".

[@carolmurphy4627]

One of my favourite quotes from Paul is 'I play the notes that like each other'. As a classically trained musician trying to shake off the shackles of having to play from dots, now in my 60s, I'm going back to the beginning and my natural ability to play by ear. Paul McCartney and his ability to just play without needing to know any of the 'rules' has really helped me with this. Your videos are helping too. Thank you so much.

[@k_a_y_l_e_e]

i feel like music theory is one of those things that you can know without even realizing it but also is something you can have studied for years and still not know what to do with.

[@solodolotrevino]

If you have the gift of emotional resonance and an ear for what sounds good it goes a long way

[@stoferb876]

That is exactly what it is. I basically got the hang of functional harmony intuitively when I was 7-8 years old. But first in music college (or high school or whatever it translates to in english) did I have any formal training in it, and there I discovered people who knew it theoretically but had no clue what it actually meant in practice. Music theory is exactly like you stated, you can have a very good intuitive understanding on it if you play an instrument, but there is often great disconnect between theory and practice even if you do know it.

[@marcelolira7234]

Yes. It's a language.

[@Andy-lm2zp]

A thousand professors cold NOT write anything as good as Yesterday

[@downtownbillyandthenewjivefive]

@@stoferb876 "Music theory is what the uninspired use to describe the work of genius" - Lord Snarebottom

[@fhs4137]

KZbin is like having one of those really good sleepovers when you're younger. You're like: "aight, well, I'm going to sleep" and then a second later, in the darkness, your friend goes: "dude, I wonder how much music theory the Beatles knew" and you stay up all night discussing random shit

[@johnlong1499]

Holy crap your analogy just put the entirety of the internet into perspective for me... your comment might be the funniest and truest thing I've read since Day 1 of the COVID lockdown. I salute you👨‍✈️✌

[@robertacolarette1594]

That is so good. How did you ever come up with that perfect analogy?

[@nerdmythicalfighter_2130]

Thank you for putting this trueness into words. I think that's why we can feel connection to each other regardless of the physical separateness of our experiences.

[@ctom0641]

Haha so true 😂

[@wilfriedwachter2458]

sic!

[@borenyaboruah]

I think musicians eventually learn music theory on their own throughout their musical journey by experimenting

[@sup9542]

Yes, The Beatles learned from the music they liked, when they figured out by ear how to play those songs, and then learned more from watching other musicians play, watching their fingers, thinking "what chord is that?" They learned the language enough to communicate to each other (and I'm sure also invented their own language.) They didn't have to learn sheet music because they had George Martin, they just had to learn how to communicate to him. But if they didn't have him, they would have learned it.

[@xSpArTiChRiSx]

Thank you. You are the only one that's right in these comments.

[@kenneththorberg6914]

Here´s a living proof. You got it right.

[@Big_Tuna276]

absolutely

[@devilsforkdigital1490]

Intuitively, perhaps. They are likely never going to have quite the same grasp as someone who has formal training though. Sometimes you can stumble across a great chord change in the writing process, but if you don't know WHY it's a great chord change, you may not be able to replicate that.

[@RobertNixAlternativeArtist]

The Beatles knew the basic necessary theory in order to function as a band but their songwriting clearly came from 'across the universe'.

[@connorduke4619]

Yes, more specifically from their intuition which connected them to their Higher Selves and thereby to their Creator.

[@blackdogHH]

No, not from the universe. From George Martin. He did it all.

[@johnross2924]

@@blackdogHH if it was all about George Martin how come he didn't have dozens of other bands that were as big as the Beatles?

[@blackdogHH]

@@johnross2924 Hi John. I don't know. Maybe he was just a one man management and concentrated on that band. He had to do the work and creativity of 4 young men. That was enough. Please do our own research. Warm greetings.

[@jeffcapes-hy3tr]

​@blackdogHH seems nobody agrees with you, and I can see why.

[@brianmusson1827]

They were extremely fortunate to have George Martin around to help them . He definitely was the 5th Beatle! What a great meeting of minds!

[@dimasmayda8021]

So we all where fortunate for that!

[@mattrogers1946]

Agreed

[@cazgerald9471]

I'm not disagreeing, but you could also say that George was extremely fortunate to have them. And like Dimas said, we're all very fortunate.

[@urwholefamilydied]

@@cazgerald9471 And not to downplay his role, Martin is EXTREMELY instrumental in their development, and progression, and LEARNING how to properly make an album. But I will add that I think his role is a little overrated at times. McCartney advanced so quickly it's mindblowing. As did the rest of them. He certainly wasn't "needed", and was not even really there the last few albums. Didn't he quit during the white album and Get Back sessions? And although he was politely asked back for Abbey Road, I'm not so sure if he did much more than keep them cordial and serious about making their last album. And not so sure if sonically and music-wise Martin contributed much to Abbey Road. But ya... I find him both hugely influential, and also becoming a bit of a myth of the 5th beatle where they would have been lost their whole career on every album without him... not believing that... which often is the narrative.

[@hawaiirealmedia5610]

@@urwholefamilydied The Beatles would have still been The Beatles without him. Sorry, George Martin :-)

[@thecaliforniawar5635]

Paul's father was a devoted musician, and he probably learned a lot from him. Not every self-taught pianist uses a phrase like "arpeggio."

[@mitchellstocker8637]

Agreed. And from listening to his father's records, which helps explain Paul's broad intuitive awareness of music on a level he couldn't necessarily articulate. But listening to those old songs also influenced his writing in a way that the other Beatles sometimes made fun of for being too sentimental and fluffy or trite.

[@joshy34]

Jim McCartney actually did not want to teach Paul because he believed he was not a "true" musician. He only believed that the famous and great musicians were the "real" musicians, that is why he wanted Paul to get a real music education with a piano teacher instead of himself teaching him. However Paul didn't really like the piano tutors because most of them were women and he said that this is not what I'm hearing in my head, so he quit and just learned intuitively. I got this from the Paul McCartney Biography.

[@spearmintlatios9047]

Oh come on. I’m pretty sure anyone who can play piano knows what an arpeggio is.

[@Blinki18284]

@@joshy34 Yeah and he listened to a lot of jazz and music hall music with his Dad. He learned a lot from that intuively. Listen to Honey Pie, holy shit, Paul copied the music hall style so good without any proper musical knowledge, it's unbelievable.

[@ianbartle456]

@@spearmintlatios9047 I can tell you every budding classical guitarist does.

[@kingrobert1st]

Q: How much music theory did the Beatles know? A: Enough.

[@hanoc101]

Yeah. Their lack of knowledge about the terms didn't seem to hurt them.

[@martinhablaespagnol]

as simple and clear as that - and a wonderful musical talent.....

[@porsche911sbs]

@@hanoc101 Yeah because they had great collaborators like George Martin.

[@rexrexrex67]

The Beatles learned to play musical instruments by ear and that was truly remarkable,Self taught not everyone can do that. They say that Paul could learn how to play in different styles,whether it was spanish playing or Jazz , in just 20 mins having seen someone else playing that certain style.I believe that was the reason why Paul took control of the Group later on from John being the leader in the beginning,Paul knew more than Lennon musically wise.

[@GeorgeStraughn]

john chun I agree with you totally!

[@sugarfree1894]

I'd been playing, improvising and composing for decades before I learned chord theory. I was genuinely afraid when I started that knowing the theory would destroy the magic, but I was completely wrong. Being able to know that a piece of, say, Mozart, was built on such a limited set of chords, and hearing how he was able to take those basic materials and fashion such divine beauty out of them opened up a whole new world and brought my own compositions to life. We all speak music, theory is the meta-language.

[@leoray1234]

So true. I couldn’t believe it when I realized Beethoven’s 9th was mostly 2 chords (i-iv)

[@dektrimusic]

I'm starting this journey, learning theory and crossing fingers not to loose the magic. I completely relate to your comment...

[@lexzbuddy]

I played for 20 years before I learned theory. It's handy to know. Rest assured it won't have any negative effect on your playing. In fact, you have a talent and ability that a lot of "trained" players will never fully develop. Being able to play by ear and improvise isn't really something easy to teach. If you can already do that, once to get to the more advanced stages of theory, you'll fly ahead. All that theory will just be handy stuff to have and you'll still be you but with an extra set of tools you didn't have a name for before you started. I still play by ear most of the time and occasionally think, hmm, what chords would work here or how can I tweek this or that. It just gives you another way of thinking about things and some versatile tools. Enjoy it of you can. I found it hard at the start. My teacher said he knew when I had lost my place and was winging it. He said it was because I always played better when it happened. He stopped playing things before I had a go. If I heard it before I read it, I could just play it, so his not playing made me actually learn to read. I think it was odd for him as it was for me. Initially he didn't believe I couldn't read music but eventually he understood and accepted it was real. That was the bit that was work. Once I got past that, I just flew threw it. It took like a year to go from nothing to grade 6 in a year. You already have all the skills, theory is just a new way to access them. Once you get past the fundamentals, you'll blast through it. But rest assured, you'll still be you 😊

[@slowlynow9]

so wheres your music mate. we want to hear your compositions!!

[@tristanavakian]

“A musicologist said I was using Aeolian, I don’t even know what that is. It sounds like some kind of exotic bird.” John Lennon

[@yummyyum36719]

The song was "Not A Second Time" which depended heavily upon I and and vi as the main chord progression. Not one of John's great songs but the critic heard Mahler....must have been an English critic.

[@ggnoise]

Aeolian sounds like a really tasty mayonnaise to me :)

[@tonybates7870]

I find it weird that John Lennon, till the day he died, didn't bother to find out what Aeolian meant. If I'd written a song and a music critic used a technical term to describe it I'd be dying to know what it was, if only out of sheer curiosity. George Martin could have told him in 30 seconds.

[@Soapandwater6]

@@tonybates7870 I know! Guess he couldn't be bothered with anything that sounded like formal music education.

[@bragtime1052]

@@tonybates7870 he didn't care why and how it worked- he just cared *that* it worked. I agree though that it's unfortunate that none of them really had much of an interest in music theory. I wonder what sort of music they could've written if they were all music theory experts (but keep in mind that their writing process at a lot of times seems very literal and concrete, so I don't know how that would clash with advanced music theory knowledge).

[@brandongriffith2010]

That's how you Googled the B7 chord in the early sixties.

[@notsansastark2541]

*late 50s

[@ballhawk387]

And they probably came across less spam along the entire routes, including the bus changes.

[@OGGalleryCrew92]

Yer Google Was A Big Red Bus lol

[@zynel413]

Kids these days don't know what it's like to use buses to learn music theories.

[@zelwynecabatingan9856]

and that's far more exciting than just typing on a pc

[@123overthehill]

Imagine being the “bloke” who taught the Beatles B7.

[@KenTeel]

He probably thought.... yeah.... these green horns ! Then later said: Look they're using the B7 that I showed them !!

[@marcuscook3852]

@I P Marshall amps go to 11. That's 1 louder than most amps.

[@DrakeSteve]

@I P I think the narrator in this video is correct.

[@nealixd.3011]

@I P it is a plausible story IMHO, because they learned and employed a lower toned box chord version of the B7, vice a first or secondary barre chord, in the first two frets of the guitar, with five fingers, with the thumb on the low F# which is actually not well understood. It was prominent in "I should have known better". Back in 2011 I joined a band of accomplished buddies and bandmates, and we were prepping for an upcoming paid All Beatles concert. The band leader who was an exceptional rhythm guitarist was using a secondary barre chord for the B7. I showed him the actual box chord and fingering that the Beatles used for that low tone on the record, and it took him a bit to get it and he said, wow, I had never seen that one before. He had been playing well and a lot of Beatles stuff since the late 1960s. I knew the chord way back when, but somehow he had completely missed it. So, the story seems plausible for me, knowing they were curious to learn everything they could as young aspiring guitarists.

[@Mozart1220]

@@marcuscook3852 No, just Nigel's does.

[@elfredo70]

They all had one thing in common. Natural feeling for audiance/ear/pitch like most ppl with a musical ear... Notes is something you learn with time... They were natural talents.

[@Senopatix]

Summary: 1. The Beatles consisted of 4 extremely talented artists, who didn’t really understand formal music theory + 1 genius producer who supported them with great musical ideas. 2. Musically speaking, George Martin was truly “the 5th member of The Beatles”.

[@jelau4851]

I completely agree with your saying, and I will add, it was an extraordinary happening , that four lads, living in the same town, got to be friend, and liked music, and were gifted with so much talent, we,ll see see this happen again in a thousand year, we were all blessed to live in the same time period they did, Halleluia, for us all.

[@rmbjr60]

@@jelau4851 There were several events leading up to the formation and evolution of The Beatles. Had any one of those events not occurred, although they still would have been a great band, perhaps they'd merely be on par with other great bands of the day, rather than the hugely influential and infinitely creative colossus they eventually became. Brian Epstein was absolutely key in the band's growth. But had the band paid their previous manager (Allan Wilson) his 10% commission for one of their trips to Germany, then Wilson probably would have remained their manager rather than dump them. Had he not dumped them, then Epstein probably would not have become their obsessive manager/promoter. Without Epstein it is anybody's guess what would have become of the band ... I think the trajectory would have been vastly different! George Martin somewhat reluctantly agreed to produce them, mostly due to Epstein's enthusiasm about the band. But even after hearing the band Martin was underwhelmed. The story goes that George Harrison made a joke about Martin's tie, spurring the rest of the band to start teasing Martin. It was this banter that sold Martin on the band. Not their music. Had George not made that flippant joke about Martin's tie ... the Martin/The Beatles partnership might not have ever occurred. It was a long sequence of events, each of which had to fall into place perfectly, for The Beatles to become what they eventually became. Amazing. And, indeed, Halleluia! for us all!

[@palmyrah]

Fiddlesticks. And I defer to no-one in my respect for Sir George Martin.

[@RobertoStenger]

Genius producer! I could not define it better Perfect explanation And Lucky band

[@jesterprivilege]

Billie is the best beetle, way better than Paul.

[@benjamincox4211]

Imagine being the guy that taught the Beatles how to play a B7

[@PaulBenjaminJenkins]

They should at least kick him a few quid...

[@jovan.samuel]

I hope he has already become success too somewhere in life, imagining that he wants to share something even The Beatles craved for it.

[@shaunw9270]

Boss 💪

[@monkeymonk2081]

The guy who designed Facebook's simple logo was promised only 1% of the company's share and is now a millionaire..😆😅

[@armarq8091]

You stole this from cjg who wrote this a week ago...

[@emilolguin3087]

This story solidifies the fact that George Martin was the 5th Beatle.

[@nelsonnicholson6175]

@@oinkooink Who pissed in your cereal

[@andyp257]

@Colin Phibes I was in the beatles and so was my wife.

[@jcee6886]

@Colin Phibes🙋‍♂️ I've got dibs on 8th.

[@gregoryeatroff8608]

@@andyp257 I'm Brian Epstein!

[@Gardosunron]

How?

[@gainsbourg66]

They initially heard musical ideas in their heads - and then transposed this to their instruments and voices. They also experimented with trial and error trying out various chords - typically looking for the unusual because they knew that what sounds odd at first, quite often sounds "good" once you get used to it. They loved breaking boundaries, exploring, going off on tangents, breaking new ground, breaking with convention. It seemed to work which gave them confidence to keep on doing that with every new albumn. They weren't afraid. They knew they could rely on inspiration and imagination. They were quick decision makers and exellent judges of what was good and what was not - unhampered by prejudice or adulation for any existing artists or style. They didn't always get on but ironically, one of their greatest strengths was their ability to collaborate. This is unusual with great musicians. It was probably because they were such a tight knit unit. They were so close and had mutual love and respect.

[@robranney-blake8731]

John, in the 2019 Abbey Road Deluxe book, about writing Because: “As for the harmonies,... I just asked George Martin, ‘what’s the alternative to thirds and fifths?’ As they’re the only ones I know, and he would play them on the piano, and we’d say, ‘Oh, we’ll have that one.’”

[@NotDingse]

Ahh yes, a sort of harmonics pick ‘n’ mix

[@saxfreak01]

John still wrote a song that had diminished and half diminished chords in it, though. And it's notoriously difficult to make melodies work using those chords. You can't just throw them into a song willy-nilly. And Because isn't really The Moonlight Sonata played backwards, as many including Lennon himself claimed. There's only a slight similarity. Lennon had actually written a song with almost the same chords and melody as Because a few months earlier. It was considered for one of John & Yoko's early experimental albums, but was eventually left off. It is available online though.

[@richardab]

@@saxfreak01 Interesting. What's the name of the song?

[@downtownbillyandthenewjivefive]

@@saxfreak01 I use half-diminished chords all the time. No one taught them to me, I just invented them for myself. "Music theory is what the uninspired use to describe the work of genius" - Lord Snarebottom

[@saxfreak01]

@@downtownbillyandthenewjivefive I'm sure you do. I specifically referred to writing songs using diminished chords, not "using" diminished chords. Making melodies work with diminished chords.

[@SharewareWizard]

I want to watch a dramatisation of the young beatles going on a quest for b7

[@markthistlewood]

a great title for an art film!

[@bonniejunk]

smh, can't believe this isn't the plot of any of the beatles movies

[@songfulmusicofsongs]

Perhaps a video game?

[@leonardodalongisland]

I want to produce and direct it

[@michaelterrazas1325]

I was reminded of the Moody Blues album: In Search of the Lost Chord

[@drzontar]

One of my college teachers always said "Theory only explains want your ears already tell you." The Beatles had good ears. If something sounded good, they did it.

[@TippiGordon]

All four of the Beatles' preternatural, instinctive understanding of music theory (if not its semantics) is what made them so brilliant. They truly were the most musical band of all time.

[@IsaacAsimov1992]

Your accurate, perceptive comment is much appreciated.

[@matthewheath7839]

I had to google "preternatural", and I learned something, cheers 😊

[@PianoVampire]

I've been a full time musician for 20 years - can't read or write sheet music - but to understand chords (all chords), time signatures and inversions is ESSENTIAL to all musicians - not knowing the correct names of certain scales or being unable to transcribe your own music is not the same as not understanding music theory.

[@xisotopex]

yep, being able to read sheet music competently doesnt necessarily mean any knowledge of theory.... its all about the ears....

[@MattMangels]

I recently watched an interview with Dave Davies of The Kinks and he was talking about The Beatles having "weird" chords that he still to this day doesn't know--such as minor 7ths! I can understand not knowing diminished or augmented chords or whatever, but geez minor 7ths are not that complicated!

[@PianoVampire]

@@MattMangels and yet the Kinks still managed to create some of the most timeless classics of all time...

[@lonedrone]

pianoandkeys Yes, it's quite ridiculous to assume they didn't know bars and beats and harmony. Not knowing what an "Aeolian cadence" is didn't stop them from using it!

[@lonedrone]

@@PianoVampire Yes, written by Ray - not Dave - Davies.

[@subg8858]

Guitar George, he knows all the chords

[@fromagefromage5157]

subg88 wait..... really.?.?

[@alrivers2297]

@@fromagefromage5157 it's a line from the Dire Straights classic song Sultans of Swing

[@ChanningWalton]

and they pleased the lord …

[@PatioRS]

this lyric is a reference to George Borowski

[@jonnihard1090]

@@alrivers2297 thanks for this! I knew I'd heard that line before but was too afraid to ask where 0_0

[@apothecurio]

I hate when people say “I don’t need to know music theory, the beatles didn’t need it” except they are totally wrong. The Beatles knew music theory, they just didn’t really learn the terms. (P.S, I know lots of music theory, I write my best stuff when I don’t use it, but it’s still incredibly helpful for after I’ve written a progression or melody and I need to add a progression or melody to it respectively)

[@leonardodalongisland]

And, They don't know their ass from their (musical) elbow

[@jack002tuber]

I knew many people like that about reading music. I'm just gonna hammer on this thing, don't need to read music. Some big rock star didn't *sigh*

[@LesAventuresDeTigRRe]

It's exactly like people wanting to buy expensive gear/instruments thinking it will make them better musicians. Someone once told me he wanted to buy a very expensive DSLR and become a photographer. I explained he better buy a cheap one and learn the basics first. I tried to explain aperture, speed, ISO... but he didnt want to listen because he was afraid it would "corrupt his creativity". I wished him good luck. It was 12 years ago, he never took any good pictures

[@leonardodalongisland]

@@LesAventuresDeTigRRe GREAT analogy. As an Artist who spent many years behind SLRs-then DSLRs, i can relate and have had similar experiences with others. The "machine" does not an Artist make.

[@DannyJ_2003]

Everyone understands basic music theory. I have never taken a lesson for guitar or anything, but have been teaching myself guitar for a year, and I understand basic things like cadences, roots, and harmonies. It’s not hard. No the Beatles didn’t know music theory, but they subconsciously used it because that’s how music works

[@francis7a]

Some of the Beatles knowledge of theory was touched upon in the recent "Get Back" documentry, as it shows the creative process of their song writing. Much insight was revealed of how naturally intuitive every one of the Beatles were musically. This look into their Musical vocabulary only fortifies the depth of the Musical genius the Beatles had as they discovered and created BY EAR some complex musical concepts. I would not be suprised if they all had perfect pitch.

[@filmretrospective5334]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYXSkoCAaseggNE

[@melvoid]

Probably good relative pitch... not necessarily "perfect" pitch.

[@dino0228]

Yes, they knew syncopation and others by name by then.

[@colindayo]

@@melvoid yep, perfect pitch is a rare gift indeed

[@q4991]

The 2 Leaders (tho, looking back NOW...George WAS 'different' but Equal) were 'comfortable' playing piano! What's That say? *No theory? 'Chopsticks toon'?* Watch the 'New' Doc on Disney ...the pure instant 'Creation' while learning a 'New song' from one of the 3 Writers, is akin to watching 'Magic'...Live, amazing pic quality, must be on Film?

[@jamessutton9169]

As a non-musician, I'm finding that becoming aware of music theory makes me a better listener, making listening to music more impactful and fun.

[@Carehuea]

Exactly right. It's like anything, really. If you know the rules to say, American Football and have a bit of an idea of what it is like to play it, chances are, you'll enjoy watching it even more...

[@jamessutton9169]

@Chet Senior For me, understanding more, I hear more and the impact is stronger. Sometimes I listen to analyze & listen again and again to feel.

[@Carehuea]

@Chet Senior Not necessarily…

[@technicaldeathmetalhead]

​@chetsenior7253I don't know about all that. If it sounds good to you, it sounds good to you.

[@alphalax7747]

Eh i just find it cool

[@LastManFilmsUS]

Lol the question of the video is, “Did they Beatles have a clue what they were playing? Or were they just Vibin’”

[@georgianwindow]

Who are you ?

[@NormalLunk]

@@georgianwindow last Man films

[@carl_anderson9315]

Neither of those. They were extremely talented intuitive musicians. They knew EXACTLY what they were doing. They didn’t have too much theoretical background but that was exactly the reason they were so good. They explored sounds and styles. When Lennon wrote “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” he told George Martin he wanted it to sound like a circus. Paul composed and arranged the classical part of “She’s leaving home” and he decided to make a doubling effect of the harp part that otherwise had being impossible to play for the harpist.

[@Goffix2009]

@@carl_anderson9315 Buddy Holly was a big inspiration. Simple chords that they learned from him helped to bring on the birth of The Beatles!

[@RockyStradlin]

@@carl_anderson9315 So truth. Actually music theory as a language could help them understand but probably they would lack that freedom and creativity.

[@pronumeral1446]

Just ask Paul McCartney. He's still alive, you know.

[@osamabinladen824]

Just like me.

[@hewhoyeet4953]

@@osamabinladen824 wait a minute...

[@osamabinladen824]

@@hewhoyeet4953 Why

[@DD-eight]

No he’s not! He died before the band got good!

[@farewellnico7080]

Okay get an interview with Paul then

[@imateapot51]

When I was a little kid and had taken formal piano lessons for a year, my parents took me to a classical concert. One of the pieces the symphony played was Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov). When I returned home I started playing it by ear, the main theme. I remember feeling it was weird that I could do that. I also started to improvise and my improvising was technically more advanced than the pieces I played. But I could not control the improvisations. I would modulate in and out of keys and not know how and why. When I later learned theory I knew to hit a secondary dominant to go into another key, etc. 50 years later I still improvise and play by ear. I used this skill to get into a college I did not get into with my Sats and grades. But I did not pursue music - cause I can not sing a lick despite having perfect pitch. A waste to have perfect pitch and be a piano player.

[@Antoinetheman]

Honestly, a very impressive video. You put in the effort to do the research, and it shows. Not only that, but you presented it in an efficient and compelling way. Bravo!

[@dbuck01]

I remember a clip of McCartney talking about how excited they were when they learned to change the IV chord to minor. I've said for years that if you only learned about music by studying Beatles tunes you would have a pretty solid education. It's all there.

[@manuelbarros4898]

“If you want to get an idea of what makes your favourite Beatles song sound the way it does, and why your music doesn’t sound like that...” Why, thank you, David, that has to be the kindest description I’ve ever heard of my so-called music.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

😂😂

[@TXMURF]

Probably one of the most well thought out and presented video's I've ever seen!

[@Ioganstone]

Probably works on it like a piece of music.. although I knew where the vid was going halfway through.

[@josephgriggs621]

After being a musician for over 60 years, studied music theory in college, getting a degree, the first step I have come to know is an inspiration, the next element in composing music is your inner ear, then your own ear to listen, then creation begins. The math comes later. That is what it is.

[@romber58]

Like learning your native tounge as a child.......

[@LouisSerieusement]

Rick Beato answer this question by "Maybe they didn't knew, but I do ; and I'll show it to you !" Anyway thank you that was surprisingly interesting !

[@driesvanoosten4417]

Just wanted to write that remark!

[@nursebridgie]

TheOrangepeak Rick Beato is a blowhard lol luckily he has a lot of good info ;)

[@dwc1964]

@@driesvanoosten4417 this was what I came to the comments for as well - I figured someone else probably had already done. "People keep commenting 'so-and-so didn't know what he was doing when he played that!' Maybe he _didn't_ know what he was doing, but _I_ know what he was doing, and now I'm telling _you_ what he was doing!" Perhaps a better way to say it would be, "He clearly knew _what_ he was doing, he just didn't know how to _describe_ it - and that's where I come in, to describe what he was doing to you."

[@downtownbillyandthenewjivefive]

@@dwc1964 We do know what we're doing. The people who need to know what we're doing are the ones who study theory. "Music theory is what the uninspired use to describe the work of genius." - Lord Snarebottom

[@TrevorDennis100]

Rick is way cooler, but this was kind of interesting.

[@zanderchin]

I have a George Harrison book, ‘I, Me, Mine: Extended Edition’ that has scans of the original papers he wrote lyrics and chords on.. there’s also a few songs where he wrote sheet music arrangements, so I think it’s fair to say George knew some music theory

[@Official_KC]

I think it's a pretty weird thesis in this video. Because if you know The Beatles, and have seen The Anthology (which is exactly where all this footage is from), it's clear that Paul was definitely the most adept at music theory, though by no means someone truly versed in it. Like everything, Harrison started getting really good at it later on.

[@Pholhis]

@@Official_KC He says Paul was the most versed in theory in the video though, so I am not sure what you're arguing here.

[@georgianwindow]

I have a friend the same age as George who later worked for Apple and EMI as engineer and session guitarist who learned to play guitar by ear, but later on learned how to read music George it seems went on and learned lots of helpful theory. The time that the Beatles spent playing together apparently helped them to play well ...practice and having the music gene. But writing songs you have either got it or haven't Billy Joel said the 4 Beatles just had the magical ingredients ..

[@jefflampert6336]

@@Pholhis Paul may have been the most versed but the Beatles knew very little theory when compared to, say, a person that goes to a music school or a jazz musician. However, they had tremendous ears and musical intelligence.

[@Doohickie]

@@jefflampert6336 intelligence? Or intuition?

[@hughpeters2712]

Interesting thanks David. The Beatles were the reason I learned to play. I had been hopeless in music lessons in school until aged around 12, I decided to learn to play like the Beatles. I taught myself to read music and quickly gained confidence and knowledge about both playing the guitar and music theory. They kind of came together, not least from buying sheet music of Beatles songs and other bands of the 60s and 70s. Long ago I read an analysis of Beatles tunes by one Wilfred Mellers. All aspects of music theory were initially tantalising puzzles for me. I got a lot of things wrong before getting my head round them. Since then I've had a lot of experience and met some kind and wonderful musicians who all gave me a lot of help. One thing many said and I found myself also is that you often had some of your best ideas before you knew too much, the quirky chord shifts or memorable little phrases that you probably wouldn't write if you were following the conventions too closely. I can write formulaic stuff easily but the best ideas come when you're not trying to do that. Whether or not the Beatles knew what they were about, in my view they were uniquely talented musicians, each in their own way, even self-effacing Ringo. /// For me the Beatles seem like instinctive music theorists who buzzed from each other's creative vibes. Even if they didn't have the vocabulary they absorbed music around them and created their own. For example lots of their earlier hits contain things like 2 5 1s and standard cadences which if they didn't know the theory, they must have just naturally grasped from hearing and synthesising other kinds of music. Later they became much more idiosyncratic and I always love the odd length bars and odd chord progressions they began to use on say Revolver and Sgt Pepper. Obviously they had the input of people like George Martin and no doubt other special people they met when they became famous, people from whom they would have learned a lot. //// But I also think it's significant that first they grew up in Liverpool, a port city with a special mixture of both UK and world heritages in its population. There were sailors bringing records from across the world into Liverpool. before I got into music, I went on a school trip to the port of Liverpool. It impressed me immensely as a 10 year old boy seeing the docks in their heyday, the huge cranes and big ships from far away places. I remember seeing whole tree trunks being unloaded and smelling things like raw sugar on the dockside. I was too just young to ever see the Beatles live, but they inspired me to learn guitar. I've since been privileged to see great players like Segovia, John Williams and Pat Metheny. But it all started with singing along to Hard Days Night! Thanks Beatles!

[@leegriffin1584]

"There is no right way" is probably the best advice for life anyone can give.

[@DempseyDaPro]

Seriously. I hate when people go to "music theory" when criticizing stuff. Makes me lose brain cells.

[@mr.mackey6012]

Google big picture project and click the first result. On the site, read "The Present". This book explains the truth about life and death in 4 pgs. It is a must-read

[@natebrook]

Unlearn everything society teach you since birth. Especially if you are taught in school system.

[@isaacthecorncob]

So true. Also, I was the 69th like.

[@davidenriquericardofernand2577]

Dmn so true bro xD

[@John_Fugazzi]

Impeccable research, logical presentation. This must have taken quite a bit of work but it's nice to find someone willing to make the effort and not just give some off the cuff opinion. Thank You.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thank you! Every discussion of this I’d seen to date had been unsubstantiated opinion. I’m glad you appreciated my research because it took months! 🙂

[@unixkobold]

David Bennett Piano Hi David, thanks for your effort! In 11'40" the song I'll geht you, isn't that rather a modulation to A-dorian than mixo, from D to Am?

[@rexrexrex67]

If you want to know everything about the Beatles read their bio by their personal and only person to be given total access to everything the Beatles did in the 60's to their breakup.It was called "THE LOVE YOU MAKE" by Peter Brown,Did you know that Eric Clapton started courting George Harrison's wife Patty Boyd when George wasn't home and she was alone,she told George and George was so mad he broke up with her after 3 years,She didn't want to break up with George since she really loved George Harrison ,so when she went to Eric and told him he had his dream shot, They made love that day and she moved in with Clapton and eventually married him but they divorced a short while later,Clapton was a bad guy too and someone Boyd didn't love the way she loved Harrison.George was so mad about Clapton being attracted to his wife he went to Ringo's wife and they started having an affair behind Ringo's back.If you read this book on the life of the Beatles you will read it day and night without putting it down.

[@rexrexrex67]

John Lennon was a cruel man in real life,he use to beat up YOKO ONO ,drag her around the house by her long black hair.

[@goplad1]

@@rexrexrex67 What does any of that have to do with this topic? That's all tabloid fodder. The best book to read on the Beatles as artists is Geoff Emerick's "Here, There, and Everywhere". It tells the unvarnished truth about the Beatles in the recording studio from the man behind the controls. It's a real eye opener.

[@buddha4tw]

I never appreciated how much George Martin added to The Beatles, how his music knowledge enriched The Beatles songs.

[@mitchellstocker8637]

So true in general, but other times I hear some of his piano or strings contributions on records and want to go back in time and yell at him for ruining sections of songs.

[@brawdygordii]

and yet he was known as the fifth Beatle? George Martin's input was essential in taming the raw energy of the Fab Four, youthful exuberance meets wise experience...what a heady concoction for exactly the right time and place!

[@ianbartle456]

@@brawdygordii Great football teams need great managers and great coaches - anyone seeing a pattern?

[@mainsblanches8793]

How about "A day in a Life"?...or Eleonor Rigby?...

[@oscarallen8484]

@@mitchellstocker8637 just curious-which songs?

[@AnthonyRecenello]

This was a beautifully put together video. Thank you David!! And btw, knowing music theory does not mean someone is a good songwriter. Music theory is just a way to communicate music more easily to someone else.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thanks 😃

[@petercolquhoun2086]

IOW, Just because you know the language doesn't mean you have something to say.

[@EmyrDerfel]

Dogs can analyze trajectories to intercept flying objects, but they're crap at explaining physics.

[@chrimbo90]

Emyr Derfel I’m going to use this 😂

[@geohaber]

Emyr Derfel That’s brilliant!

[@paulfrombrooklyn5409]

Actually, they are great at explaining physics. We, humans, just don't understand dog language.

[@JezQuayle]

I wish they'd learn to pick up their own poo though!

[@The22on]

@Kali Southpaw My dog once said that the cosmological constant was his greatest blunder. I know that's what he said, but it came out as rrr-rrr-ruf snot poosh weef. As Popeye said, "I may not know physics, but I know what matters!"

[@LordNicoDiAngelo]

“And I love her” ends in a Picardy third, unbeknownst to Paul, who just wanted it to end in Major

[@Gabriel-mw5ro]

To start in minor and end in a major chord is to end in a picardy third, doesn't matter what you call it.

[@rhandhom1]

@Mika Mäyräkorva What is a gay note? Does it come in major and minor?

[@pinball1970]

@@rhandhom1 Gay as in happy, minor is sad

[@whyyeseyec]

@Gauldoth3107 - Not that there's anything wrong with it.....

[@drbassface]

That Captain Picard was quite influential! Lol

[@10HW]

5:23 "I remember once hearing about a bloke who knew B7..." Imagine getting all the way up to that guy's house just to learn one damn chord and you don't even know if it's right or not. He presses a few strings and calls it B7. You just hope it sounds good.

[@iangallager4091]

I feel they should have dug deep into his trunk of knowledge and come away with more than B7 considering the number of bus rides it took to get there. I mean get your money's worth !!!!

[@fewwiggle]

@Steve Or, just a music/piano teacher -- yeah, the story sounds a bit contrived

[@rayewen3347]

I am a very amateur home organ player and a B7 is a rather common chord. How to use it when composing is another story.

[@thomaswigfield7623]

Steve That is a very good point. I got my first guitar in 1959, when I was 12. I bought a book “Play in a Day” by Bert Weedon, who was a pretty famous player back then. It taught me the rudiments of chords. Later I bought “500 chord shapes for guitar” and “500 advanced chord shapes for guitar”. They were both published in 1960, and believe it or not, I’ve still got them!

[@thomaswigfield7623]

fewwiggle Paul McCartney once told that he was sent to a piano teacher as a child, but he gave it up. Paul’s dad played in bands, I’m not certain, but I think he may have played banjo.

[@Jgreen2794]

As someone who has just began to seriously learn music theory at an advanced age, I can't begin to properly express how much it has helped me. There are those who just "Know" about music, without really understanding why. Then, there are the rest of us.

[@msmith53]

As a trained musician, I recognized their lack of formal training, but by not being limited by rules, they stumbled, but relied on creative lyrics, solid tonal memories and a trusted mentor and clever producers to achieve fame and money to continue their musical education. There are many paths to creativity and one you point out is their curiosity to learn and develop! Nice production and excellent summation...Thanks for your work!

[@Titantr0n]

"How much music theory did The Beatles know?" _waltz time_

[@KenTeel]

Yes, they certainly could read chord charts, and those have timing bars on them.

[@goovialisticprofunks]

They knew enough to write an enormous Anthology of great songs.

[@mikew9999]

This is fascinating. They may not have known the language of music theory, but they had a gut understanding of some pretty innovative music theory applications, because their music was doing vastly more complex things in an era when everyone else in rock and roll was basically doing I-IV-V chord doo-wop.

[@andysarno1]

Watching this after viewing the Get Back doc, and really appreciating your in depth look into knowledge and feel of theory

[@artman102]

The Beatles could have been; John, Paul, George, Ringo and George. George Martin was the true fifth Beatle.

[@DahmerKavorkian]

What about Nilsson?

[@parasympatholytic]

@@DahmerKavorkian Agreed! And you just have to listen to Nilsson's music and then you can hear it all over the Beatles' music.

[@mileshurley7551]

I thought the unofficial fifth Beatle was Billy Preston

[@georgegividen]

Ummm. K.

[@scottb828]

@@parasympatholytic Once asked about who they listened to, John said his favorite "band" at the time was Nilsson.

[@wrk2115]

Chet Atkins was asked if he could read music. He said, 'Not enough to damage my playing'

[@rakutzimbel4539]

Stan Getz couldn't read music either, yet he was one of the greatest saxophone players ever.

[@opethfan333]

I hear this sentiment a lot from people in regards to music theory, and I really don't understand it. I think a lot of people are intimidated by it, or want to justify their procrastination by making claims that it will somehow get in the way of creativity. But learning how language works doesn't make someone a worse writer. Knowing aerodynamics doesn't make someone a worse pilot.

[@Raikaska]

@@opethfan333 exactly man

[@goplad1]

@@opethfan333 On the other hand it can encumber a creative musicians natural sensibilities. Understanding music theory is fine but it isn't necessary for creativity. This has been proven countless times. Some of the greatest songwriters had no musical training whatsoever. One of the greatest guitar players who ever lived, Chet Atkins, was once asked if he had musical training. His response was, "not enough to hurt my playing". That speaks volumes.

[@FlaxeMusic]

Even more powerfully I would say, is that nobody who knows how to read wishes they couldn't read, nobody who knows anything substantial about theory would turn back the clock. If you think it's stifled your creativity then your approach to the thing is stifling, not the concept. A builder blaming his hammer and nails. I'm not a great reader, but I do have a degree and a litany of theory understanding and I'd never want to give it up, it's literally learning your craft. I will not concede that if you actually taught theory to Hendrix for example, that he wouldn't eat it up, love it and make great use of it. You think Jimi or anyone from that time would take the internet for granted if they had it? Cast it away and go back to physically grabbing needles over records to transcribe licks because they prefer it? Absolutely not, they'd slap you upside the head for not taking full advantage of this treasure trove we have access to. Things they had to dig far and wide for are at our fingertips, seconds away at all points in time and they would have been bedroom recluses in 2020 spending the entirety of their time siphoning it up like vacuums. That's why these guy's are the best, it's not what they knew at any given point in time, it's that whatever they could get their hands on they made use of it.

[@MobiusBandwidth]

I had a course at Berklee on the music of John Lennon, every time they learned a new chord, they'd write a song incorporating it.

[@arturhours]

that’s an interesting way of learning! repetition legitimises and music is all about repetition so it probably really helped to cement the knowledge. thanks for sharing!

[@amycrunch3812]

That's what someone at Berklee told you? What was the source?

[@whocares8735]

I love how retards assume everything a “teacher” tells them is “true” 😂

[@aunch3]

I can see that being true, because his chords were what made their songs great. The others either learned his style or got help from George Martin. John’s acoustic demos, recorded on tape recorders at his house throughout his career, were his best songs. I wish he’d done more acoustic work

[@q4991]

Yep, there's a preview of a New 'Doc' coming.....August? Says " Lennon First learned Banjo chords'' , his Aunty? And ya just Know that such a guy WILL be 'sticking some part of 'banjo chords' (new Creative chords) ...IN there!

[@pawytunes2925]

Many comments say they were just naturally talented... These boys surely practiced A LOT, otherwise explain the B7 quest. Amazing video!

[@musoid]

The thing is, all music theory comes from composers, going back centuries when the first academics started analyzing and documenting what was in compositions, creating the first "music theory". But then it would have to be updated every time a new composer innovated something. During the 20th century it had to be updated regularly. So since all theory comes from an intuitive process it's only natural that people can still know and process it intuitively.

[@geiryvindeskeland7208]

musoid, sorry for my inadequate English. Already in the 1300 people made rules for what sounds good and not. Some of the rules are not important any more, but there is still one rule I like: "Don't play the double lead tone." I agree, double lead tone still sounds bad regardless of the music style(pop, rock, jazz etc.)

[@andrewlemonshark3614]

David, I'm in awe of your knowledge, the amount of research you must do, and the way you explain it - you are an exceptional musical communicator.

[@javiceres]

They knew it all; they just didn’t know they knew.

[@SeanLaMontagne]

Big Facts Then they say "I don't know Theory". Which inadvertantly gives us things like this comment thread that use their incorrect statement as proof that Theory somehow makes you a worse musician.

[@bthushilp]

Agreed100%Music is in their vains and all they had to do is to play their instruments

[@guitartommo2794]

I wonder if Paul didn't know he knew but John knew, wouldn't admit it and knew Paul knew but didn't tell him.

[@mariokarter13]

It's common with autodidacts. When you're self-taught, you don't typically know the terminology or the theory, but you understand by teaching yourself how everything fits together. It's the musical equivalent of taking apart an old radio to figure out how it works. Thing connects to thing to cause thing to happen.

[@Curtislow2]

They where musicians in previous lives!

[@CesarCordova]

In the Get Back movie I was surprised George was asking Billy Preston chord names.

[@acshah6076]

Aw I missed that part. Which episode was that in?

[@steveathans9975]

Gotta love it!! 😁 I'm ok with music theory, but the Beatles were very talented without the background. They played by ear and rhythmic feel. I read about their lack of understanding back in the mid-60s; But they grew musically over their time. They did know chords from guitar books back in the late 50s like Mel MBay guitar chord books. It's a tribute to them to create such wonderful music by sheer rhythm. I love what Ringo said... He didn't know Beat/Bar/ or measure. He just knew how to fill the spot with whatever drum fill would fo the job. 😁

[@CesarCordova]

@@acshah6076 I think the third one, when he is writing Old Brown Shoe.

[@robertsutton7949]

I’d say it was because he was playing them on piano rather than guitar.

[@timmpittman]

That ending is priceless. Not only is it looney, hilarious, and a bit cultured, it then cuts away to that awesome harmony from “Think for Yourself” (Rubber Soul), which, I believe, is a great example of their innovation.

[@scottclute7443]

Yes,very innovative,intuitive.

[@lucass430]

Thank you for doing this well researched and meticulous analysis. I've heard so many times that the beatles didn't know any music theory that I actually come to believe it, even though people rarely elaborate on it

[@paulembleton1733]

Lucas Oliveira The only elaboration I’ve heard is what the Beatles said when taking the piss out of accents and terms. BUT I say, what about the songs!? If this is a heated discussion it can tend towards saying the Beatles were nothing much musically, they knew little music theory and couldn’t play very well. BUT I say, what about the songs!?

[@Glicksman1]

Believe it.

[@tylerthompson1842]

The Beatles knew “street theory” which is gathered over time from learning a ton of songs. They only started writing their own songs when they realized that rival bands had similar set lists. Anything you spend time with you’re going to get good at, it’s in our nature.

[@michaelangelo2739]

I have a nephew who is quite talented, but won't learn covers. I musi have known 100's of covers before I wrote what I would say was a pretty good original. I would try to tell him it is the best teaching method a songwriter has. He still may know only 5 covers after 20 years of playing guitar & 3 of them are my songs. Peace, M.A.

[@tylerthompson1842]

@@michaelangelo2739 I agree.. if you have a backlog of really well written cover songs rolling around in you head, you naturally approach your own material with a good sense of song structure and melody. When I was 15 and starting to learn music I was obsessed with learning the songs that I loved, I needed to understand why they were giving me goosebumps. It was the closest I could get to my musical idols.

[@michaelangelo2739]

@@tylerthompson1842 Amen. And to be honest I dig playing my own songs, but I dig playing covers too. So why not do both? Peace bro, M.A.

[@SuperDirtyHarry0798]

I thought the same when watching the video... they knew that the A Chord fit better than the Am Chord in that context. The context being playing in the key of D. They knew from others and their own songs that D,G,A chords is one tried and true way to write a song. I started really enjoying music when I figured out that every key has 3 'main chords' and their 'little brothers', haha. No more sheet music for me, the veil has been lifted and I loved writing songs. Good times. By the way, the 3 'little brothers' in D for me are Bm, Em, and F#m. Can you tell that I've no formal training? I've had a blast over the years.

[@allanplant8756]

I'm glad you did this one. I've always wondered about this, and even more so since I've been following your other music theory video's. I think you've summed it up very accurately, and the whole concept of how they did it somehow pleases me. It seems mind boggling to me that the Beatles lacked so much music theory 'as such'' yet had so much musical genius. I am a fairly old man now, and from the same Beatle era and area in Northern England, and I can personally relate to that bit about travelling for miles on the bus to find a B7th chord (or whatever). Now we can access people like you on the internet and learn anything. It's quite unbelievable. Thanks so much David. I really appreciate your lessons even though I no longer play (okay, well I diddle on my fiddle but,,).

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Great 😊😊

[@joermnyc]

I was wondering if you’d mention that George Martin was a composer, and did a lot with them behind the scenes.

[@glynnp42]

I agree. I'm firmly convinced that Martin is what made the Beatles.

[@PianoVampire]

Paul Glynn I’ve always thought that was a ridiculous conclusion to make, both Lennon and McCartney and also George showed they were perfectly capable of making great music after the Beatles, it’s like looking to credit the classically trained guy because these musically uneducated scousers couldn’t possibly have been responsible for their own success

[@starcloud4959]

Absolutley , we'll probably find as time goes on, that Goerge Martin was more than just the 5th Beatle. It seems obvious now that the Beatles would never have made it without George.

[@freddykabulaschnitza2475]

Listen, I'm sure the band would have made it eventually, getting a recording contract and being in a studio, would definitely make them give 100% in a do or die moment. George took what they gave him and tweeked the tunes to be as presentable as he knew how. He was the oil in the machine and lubricatiled their musical assention to the astounding levels that were achieved. Then Lennon and McCartney would have started feeding off their success trying to make a new song better than the previous one. Lots of excitement and energy and having the ears to channel it in a positive direction. We see too many artists who attain moderate success and then they suddenly become philosophers and arrogant, just like the Hollywood lot. Quite sickening to be frank.

[@Hernal03]

The statement that 'the Beatles would never have made it without George" may be true, but you can make that statement about any musical act and all of the unheralded persons in the music business who greatly influenced them behind the scenes both artistically and technically. No one ever makes it alone, and that includes any band you can think of (including whatever your favorite band is). The difference is, like it or not, the Beatles will always be seen as the point of greatest creative shift in pop/rock because they had great imaginations, creativity and charisma --- yes, they were in the right place at the right time to become that focal point --- they were a group in transition from their very first record to their last --- they were always adding, experimenting and never standing still --- just look at the progression from "PLEASE PLEASE ME" to "ABBEY ROAD" and everything in between. Absolutely no one ever makes it alone in the music business, and George Martin was a very important part of their success, but as great as he was, the question you really need to be asking yourself is "would we be discussing George Martin" here, now in the 21st century had it not been for the 4 lads from Liverpool?". Peace and everyone stay safe.

[@KehnoK]

In simple words: they knew music theory from the heart, not from a book.

[@aleksitjvladica.]

From a brain.

[@bethdeguzman8839]

@@aleksitjvladica. From heart and mind

[@dionmcgee5610]

Then music theory isn't theory. It' s an absolute which everybody comes to who plays music.

[@ilyanagalen9320]

Even simpler: they learned.

[@codacreator6162]

How much academic instruction did most of the greatest artists have? Hendrix? Hemingway? Picasso? You have to have some instruction, for sure. But I think once the fundamentals are learned, the rest is a process of exploration and feel. Because the consumer public doesn’t know much more than what they like and their tastes are generally restricted by that determination. Which is why so much of the music and art produced in America feels so generic and rote. Commercial production companies distilled everything down to a handful of key characteristics they just repeat ad nauseum.

[@TheLegend-jk3hs]

As an Austrian from Vienna, the word "German Waltz" made me fall from the chair and weep for hours.

[@stokesa3122]

"I'm trying to watch David Bennett Piano, but this one comment keeps kicking my ass."

[@ManelRuivo]

Lol

[@anthonyodonnell8724]

I can't say that I wept for hours, but I had a serious cringe when I heard that.

[@EddieReischl]

As someone of Bavarian/Swiss descent living in Wisconsin, I was almost ready to cry with you, but I didn't want to risk watering down my beer. Funny thing is, they probably picked up some of their ideas while playing in Hamburg, so one can understand why they would mistakenly credit Germans for waltzes.

[@Crisstti]

But Austrians are esentially Germans :)

[@Geotubest]

Such a brilliant video. Perfectly paced, fantastic editing.

[@iamtheralwus]

"Musical theory" is the explanation of sound. Lennon, McCartney and Harrison understood sound, but weren't so good at explaining it and left it with others to do that.

[@mikebrewster7914]

Exactly. What we're calling "theory" is the words and concepts that describe the music. To "know theory" is just being able to talk the talk, and is only partially correlated with whether you can write good music, or know it when you hear it.

[@datsko6339]

Very well put

[@jelau4851]

Like Birds, they fly naturally, we call this Instinct

[@ianbartle456]

@@jelau4851 I think Noel Gallagher might agree with you.

[@ianbartle456]

@@mikebrewster7914 And 'talking the talk' is a long way away from being able to 'walk the walk'. The Beatles could certainly do that - they were all about application of theory, not knowing fancy terminology for stuff that sounds great. Not being able to read music is apparently also true of Eric Clapton. Anyone seeing a pattern?

[@wizardito7741]

"If it sounds good, it is good"

[@martifingers]

The problem was, sometimes it didn't! Well not at first. I lived through each album and can remember that feeling (after Revolver) of thinking "Well, that was a bit odd. But good. I think.." I am so sad now to realize I will never have the spine tingling thrill when, after maybe five or six listens, I got it! David didn't mention another of their tropes BTW , that of dissonance. All in all they did really teach us a new way of listening.

[@michaelandrewnewell]

Amen.

[@angrytedtalks]

If it quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Or maybe; if it tasted like a duck, it was a duck and a tasty one at that.

[@lautarosolisgb8543]

basically rock

[@emmbeesea]

I will always be a proponent for learning music theory to be able to better understand and communicate music with other people who understand theory, but I will always also say that knowing theory is _not required_ to be _good_ at music. You can write, perform, and communicate music without knowing theory, even though knowing theory is very helpful. Regardless of how much theory the members of The Beatles knew, no one can deny that analyzing their catalog with theory has shaped the patterns and trends in popular music for decades.

[@althealligator1467]

Obviously

[@georgemckenna7570]

I agree. However, I would propose that knowledge of music theory is the key to excellent music "criticism". I believe that far too many music critics are stuck in a "qualitative rut", i.e. their criticism is often highly fanciful without really discussing the tangible aspects of the music about which they're writing/speaking. Music theory allows them to "quantitatively" refer to the musical features at play, which adds a whole new layer of substance to their criticism.

[@paulembleton1733]

Good points. Your last one I think is key to understanding theory in music. It is like invention, and spawns copies and variations and new inventions. We have names and labels and terms to make communication easier. But words aren’t perfect descriptors or there would be no music. And by that measure, the words and theory we have is just scratching surface.

[@pushumonster]

I would like to add that music theory isn't the same everywhere in the world. Western "classical" theory became the leader worldwide but is not necessary more valid than other "classical" music theories. Not only the way to communicate knowledge can be different, but also the idea of what is supposed to be allowed or not, and what characteritics make a song advanced or "only for children", ... (I don't have an example though, because I don't have enough knowledges on these cultures, but I think it's good to keep in mind that there isn't only one knowledgable tradition in music)

[@countessratzass5408]

Steve Burt Bacharach

[@FutureBoy.]

Imagine how dull The Beatles would have been if they'd all been music school snobs.

[@goplad1]

George Martin once encouraged Paul McCartney to learn music theory and arranging. McCartney gave it a go but quit soon after. The next time McCartney and George Martin saw one another Martin asked McCartney how his studies were coming along. McCartney told Martin he quit. Martin asked why. McCartney simply stated "because we have you for that". Neither Lennon or McCartney were formally trained musically but it made no difference. They both possessed what no formal training can teach: They had superb musical instincts. Music theory is nice to know if you are a classical music composer or an arranger but in the world of rock and roll it certainly isn't essential. Most of the great rock and roll artists never had any formal musical training.

[@skyblazeeterno]

This lack of interest in music theory in rock could be one reason why rock is basically dead

[@richardbloemenkamp8532]

@@skyblazeeterno I really don't think so. But I do think that the over-exaggerated focus of some classical musicians on music theory has resulted in classical music from the 20th and 21th century being dead. Music schools create sometimes stiff music critics but not musicians. The dead of rock has to do with other elements such as the risk-averse money focus of the music industry, and the switch of the focus of younger generations to computers and internet hobbies such as video games, KZbin etc. Also young generations seem to much prefer electronic music and they associate rock music with their parents. For the people interested in more complex music there is always the jazz music. But the jazz popularity has always been a small percentage of the population I think.

[@canuckteach4315]

Bix Beiderbecke, jazz cornetist of the 20's, went to the 1st Trumpeter of Chicago Symphony for 'lessons' in reading music... The guy told him to go home, 'Dont try to change--compared to you I am a bird in a cage'... Such guys come along a few times in a century. The Beatles arrived in the early 60's.

[@yobrojoost9497]

@@richardbloemenkamp8532 Nailed it, Richard!

[@rap3208]

@@skyblazeeterno Nah, everything just have it's moment in time.There was jazz, now it's practically gone. There was disco, now it's gone. There was pop metal or hair metal, now it's gone. Heavy metal went mainstream for a short while, then it quickly went back underground. There was grunge, now it's gone. Now there is rap and hiphip, I wish it is gone., etc.

[@TheLinuxYes]

Lennon once said (referring to music) that he had a built in sh*t detector.

[@herrbonk3635]

Not obvious to me (tried to listen to his solos records in the 1970s...)

[@alexerr_wolf]

He probably turned it off somewhere around the sweet ending of that Toronto '69 show.

[@willwilson4494]

Unfortunately, or fortunately...?... to judge by recordings alone, it seems that Lennon and McCartney were each the other’s best shit detector...

[@marivg8948]

Yet, he helped write or produce Yoko’s “music.” 😬😬

[@skyblazeeterno]

But he didn't apply that to himself

[@tonymaika8168]

There's an old social sciences joke that asks, "Do outfielders (cricket fielders for the Brits) really solve differential equations? No. They just act like they do."

[@tomroadrunner87]

They don't do differential equations, but their brains do. They have nothing to do with it, their brain just takes over and says, "I got this, bro".

[@kushitokujikata3427]

@@tomroadrunner87 i wish my brain could do that

[@davesunhammer4218]

@@kushitokujikata3427 you ever catch a ball? swim across a moving river? Jump onto a moving object? Thrown a rock and hit what you indended? Your brain did do "that".

[@swagmundfreud666]

I jam with my dad and his friend. I play bass, mostly, and my dad plays guitar and his friend Tom plays mandolin (or sometimes guitar). Tom's five year old son likes to play with us as well. Usually he just plays percussion, but today he played piano. I asked if Rowan was taking piano lessons, because I was genuinely impressed by what he was playing (remember: he's five). His dad said he didn't, he just plays whatever sounds right. We were playing the song Runaway by Del Shannon, and during the solo part, with the solo played on mandolin, what Rowan was playing worked really well. He was playing repeated melodic lines, and even had a vague mapping out of what the vocal melody in the previous verse was, and played little embellishments off of it. When the mandolin was doing something fancy, Rowan didn't play something fancy, he instead played a more complex counter melody during gaps of mandolin. He could feel the structure, feel that this was the peak of the song, and he had figured out already what keys on the piano sounded good. All just by messing around while his dad jammed with us. Best way to learn in intuition. I can't wait for Rowan to grow up and see how great of a piano player he'll become.

[@almitchell8187]

Mcartney grew up in a very musical household. He played piano for family parties, all of the old standards. His education was done at home in a loving environment, he gathered a lot of information from playing this music, which later helped him as a composer. Great video, it’s great to have theses discussions. George studied Indian music and was a great guitarist who learnt from sheer practice. They were working class, so they couldn’t afford music teachers, but that didn’t stop them. They had a genuine love of their instruments and a desire to play regardless. Regardless of musical theory knowledge, their output as composers was incredible. Just look at the video the songs the Beatles gave away, an incredible well of creative talent pouring out.

[@rockrollresale2668]

That major to minor trick on "In My Life" was an eye opener with what can be done with a lack of theory and a good ear.

[@yootoober2009]

No theory probably required that "trick" for that song where it was used...any other song used it as an ending?

[@markfoynes1672]

I 'spect they got it from "Love Me Tender." I play both "In My Life and "Tender" in G. In the Elvis tune it goes CM to Cm when he sings 'say you always will.' Likewise for me, a game changer

[@rayclark6596]

You have said it exactly right. When you know a few chords and your brain knows what sounds good (you have a good ear). You can write interesting songs and never know the theory. They were driven to write "new" material. Chords that would make you say, "I've never heard that anything like that before."

[@conchejoraff]

They did not know much music theory, they knew a lot about music “practice”. They understood what sounded well and what didn’t, and they were able to innovate a lot within that understanding. That’s what’s important. Including an innovative chord in your track is worthy regardless of knowing its name or not.

[@jootpepet]

You just rephrased the whole point of the host lol

[@abaneyone]

I play guitar. Someone asks me what cord is that. I say the right cord. I don't care what the names of the cords are.

[@yootoober2009]

Yes, they probably hear a chord or progression and go, hmmm George (martin) what chord was that?

[@Raikaska]

Well that's the same but naming things

[@Daveyhavok832]

“What sounded well.” ???

[@DavidGiragosian]

Learning why and how a song or passage makes you feel a certain way is an important widget in a musical toolkit.

[@alfredstone1849]

really interesting and careful analysis, I had always assumed that they could at least notate their music once they figured it out. If anything it makes me more amazed by their genius. And I absolutely appreciate the cutting and pasting from interviews to support your interpretations, that must have taken a lot of work, fascinating. Bravo!

[@pastelskies8466]

What would they be like, had they fully understood musical theory? I'd venture they would be far less creative and accomplished as they were in their own right.

[@newagain9964]

Beatles weren’t genius musicians. They were genius pop/jingle writers.

[@ThorfinnMacbeth]

@@newagain9964 did you watch the video? ... I mean yes, because they wrote pop songs what they wrote was... pop... but they clearly showed and interest and a capacity to explore and innovate. Indeed they seem to have been very driven to explore and grow... Im not a huge fan of parsing out whether someone is "genius" or not.... but they were clearly 'musicians' and they were clearly good at in and innovators... Your statement seems to point to a difference between 'pop' and music and 'jingles' and 'real creativity' and I just think its pretty clear that doesn't hold up in this case.

[@cakemartyr5794]

Very well researched indeed. The crux of the matter is that they learned the theory as they were going along, without knowledge of the terminology. Excellent video. Thank you.

[@SubscribersWithoutAnySubscribe]

The theory _is_ the terminology. If I learn to write in full sentences intuitively, that doesn't mean I'm picking up on the concepts of verbs and nouns as I go along, it just means I'm getting along fine without those concepts.

[@dr.corneliusq.cadbury6984]

“I remember once hearing about a bloke who knew B7” 😂

[@joblo2671]

I played guitar by ear almost every day for about 15 yrs, knew most of my chords, had been in a few bands, before I ever took Theory I or II. I already knew most of it (at least beginner theory) ...but I didn't KNOW that I knew it...I didn't know the correct NAMES for stuff...and how they were categorized/ arranged .....that was the biggest key. Looking back I'm glad I took these classes on the GI Bill (we had literally NO music classes except for band in my (large HS) small AL town. It helped me understand a lot and was key to unlocking some deeper understanding and enjoyment from playing and listening. The Beatles were, and are, well...The Beatles. Everyone's been influenced by them, yet there's no one quite like them. As a rock/blues guy mostly when I was younger, and getting more into mellower/different/jazzier/more experimental music I've waxed and waned with my love affair with the 4 lads from Liverpool.

[@heymikeyh9577]

Reminds me of when Chet Atkins was asked if he could read music, he replied, “Not enough to hurt my playing.” …or of mathematical prodigy Srinvasa Ramanujan, who had little formal education and learned higher math from the obsolete/obscure books available in his local library. Out of the blue he was submitting papers to the British academic world, who had to meet him to decide whether he was crazy or brilliant. Genius is not limited by the constraints of our rules…

[@mvp019]

And music theory is not "rules" - it explains what exists.

[@BigHenFor]

@@mvp019 Absolutely. The beatles had no formal training in Music Theory but they still went through the same process, expanding their musical palette as they went. Learning Music Theory doesn't limit you - it gives you more choice. That in itself can become a problem if you forget music is a language and needs to be used consciously to get your message across. And the best musicians remove any elements that get in the way of what they're trying to say.

[@jack002tuber]

When I learned to read music I was so glad and never looked back. I can't see how being proud of ignorance makes sense no matter how you mix it around.

[@heymikeyh9577]

@Michael H. backatcha😉

[@nettles89]

That was an excellent description of music theory at the end. It's not prescriptive, it's descriptive, and being able to describe something effectively, makes it easier to map in our brains and use it when we want to. Good stuff, thanks.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thank you!

[@frankboyd.]

One of the most interesting Beatles videos I've seen. Great job, well researched. They knew much theory but were short on the lingo.

[@youtubber51]

David, your "documentaries" are unbelievably perceptive. You have a tremendous ability to articulate these interesting "stories" that teach musical lessons.

[@devo6413]

The Beatles may not know the exact Music Theory, but they certainly know how to make music sound good. And that's the important part!

[@eoghan.5003]

I imagine they became more consciously aware of some of these concepts throughout their career

[@keymaster430]

In other words, they knew music theory, they just didn't realize they did.

[@OGGalleryCrew92]

Or They Did Not Care !

[@KehnoK]

They just heard or felt what would be fitting.

[@augustosarmentodeoliveira3023]

"Music theory is a way of describing what is there to be used" great line

[@bernhardkrickl3567]

I never knew or heard that they didn't know about music theory and it blows my mind. They did use so many advanced concepts! But you can also definitely hear the learning curve if you follow their discography. It starts relatively simple and gets more and more complex.

[@Carlos-ln8fd]

There's so many weird chords in the Sgt Pepper's album alone

[@jasonremy1627]

The part about Paul learning about new possibilities for the bass guitar from listening to Pet Sounds is very evident in the band's evolution. The bass parts in the early albums are mostly "playing the rhythm on the root" sort of stuff, and by the time you get to Abbey Road, the bass is so intricate and interesting.

[@Carlos-ln8fd]

@Steve i don't think there's any pop songwriter out there who doesn't know their basic major and minor chords.

[@jasonremy1627]

@Steve Steely Dan?

[@allenf.5907]

How could anyone who played what they did not have their own understanding of theory? The B7 story alone! How does one play and perform Till There Was You so very well when they were all so very young? Mix in the Motown and the country influences - they had to have known what they were doing. They could certainly sound out what they wanted and needed to happen, yet they were NOT boxed in. So it was perfect - their theoretical knowledge helped them and their lack of allowed them to experiment and move without limits. They knew their theory!