How To Actually Pick Blackbird by The Beatles

Here's how it really goes. Thanks to KZbin for the "slow mo" feature and for Paul McCartney for playing this live so I could learn from the real deal. :)
Check out all my video lessons at: www.the-art-of-guitar.com
Patreon: / theartofguitar
Thanks everyone! -Mike

[@mr.sean.kennedy]

I saw an interview with McCartney where he basically said he never learned how to fingerpick properly so he had to 'cheat' on Blackbird and it wrecks his nails when touring. So his wife (or daughter) came up with the idea of him have acrylic nails fitted for tours. He also insinuated that no one else plays Blackbird correctly because of his 'cheat' technique. It seems you have discovered this.

[@ShurekHam]

And that's why a read the comments, thank you for this info.

[@TimothyHalkowski]

James Taylor also does the acrylic nails trick, and has a video on how he preps that.

[@thensel00]

teaching us blackbird AND how to find the g spot! :D

[@Wumbology10]

😂

[@masonevans6059]

Best comment 🤣

[@forwonder419]

Son, you’re turning into a man now it’s time I taught you everything you need to know about sex. Watch this video.

[@ronniescerri4111]

@@forwonder419hahaha

[@dooleyfan]

I’ve been playing it wrong for over 30 years. I was hitting the open D throughout. Great lesson. Glad the Beatles cops haven’t pulled it.

[@tambalas7104]

hahaha

[@ZeroCool2013]

That's real nice ! Black Bird one of my all time favorites from Paul McCartney during the Beatles era too , actually one of my top ten songs of all time.

[@GhostOfJohnLennon]

I saw Paul in concert and he made a joke about how it’s one of his most covered songs and “everyone plays it wrong”. He then said he was kidding...something tells me he wasn’t kidding.

[@Assasain31]

You're awesome, thanks for giving me some motivation to get back into playing guitar. Been a rough year mentally and watching your videos with you teaching seems to remedy those bad thoughts.

[@schifoso]

Always amazing to see what a good songwriter comes up with.

[@manelthegreek]

Same here! I learnt the song by ear and I played a similar picking pattern as yours until I cross a live video and I noticed that index finger. Now I guess it sound better!

[@jacoblawson5362]

Thank you for the video! This is the best video on You Tube that explains how Paul actually plays Blackbird!

[@louelladiezmo1998]

I am 56 yrs old and learning blackbird. Thank you so much for this video. It is very helpful.

[@Robwhat]

This is great, thank you! Now it finally makes sense how he plays that rhythmic “clicking” sound while fingerpicking. The downstroke with your fingernail makes that constant string click throughout the pattern. I have been trying to figure that out for ages!

[@danegonzales5651]

I think I learned it "correctly" like that from an old KZbin video.

[@miriamkrusemark]

Thank you for this video. I am just learning how to play Blackbird and thank to you I'll learn it right, right from the start!

[@alecdawson1668]

This is something that's puzzled me for ages! Thanks for figuring it out.

[@EddieOtool]

So, you're telling me having your index finger doing a lot of work over the G string to do a big job on the G spot is actually a guitar technique? All that while having your pinky keeping an anchor on the body?? Who would've known...

[@Wumbology10]

😂😂😂😂

[@billsanter]

First video I've come across that explains it slow enough for me to understand.

[@jerememes270]

Hell yeah, I came to learn Blackbird fingerpick technique and I learned how to find the g spot. Thanks!

[@fraaaaaaaaay]

If you want more info on that fundamental picking style Mike mentioned (with the alternating thumb), check out the "travis picking" videos from Matt Smith on KZbin. Mike, I would love to see more fingerpicking videos from you. Much respect for the research you did here, and I appreciate you sharing the index finger technique. Didn't see that coming! P.S. I have the exact same dreadnought and I love that guitar so much.

[@davidhunter5280]

Amazing insight into the picking pattern - brilliant.

[@jayogden773]

This is such a GREAT lesson! I've tried about 4 different variations for the strum pattern and couldn't get it to match up with the album. By always having a downward motion on the open G string......I finally got it! Thanks so much!

[@mattyc.9332]

I use my pointy finger to strum 8th notes on parts such as the 10th fret bit. He uses a similar technique on Mother Nature's Son. This makes me want to listen to the original from the White Album to see if I've been playing it wrong. Also, in the 70's he would tune his guitar down a whole step and play it in F and then transition into Yesterday using the same tuning... Great video.....✌️

[@alaskan6384]

Your teaching skills are amazing

[@craigbernhardt379]

i have been trying to figure out this song for a while now i finally figured it out yesterday i feel like this was the perfect time for me to come across this video.

[@mjt7231]

Just learned this recently after playing it for 20 years how we all assumed it was played with the middle finger involved. It gives it more bounce and makes it more flowing how it originally plays. It makes the song more dynamic because the back of the finger nail creates a different tone and then it becomes more of a strumming melody instead of picking.

[@psivil.disobedience]

Years ago I watched another KZbin channel’s video on ‘Blackbird’ & they used 3 fingers & a thumb on the picking hand, like I always had, but when I read the comments someone mentioned that another channel had the “real way to play it.” I checked it out & they were using their thumb & index finger & I thought “well that’s ridiculous.” Then I remembered hearing a story of how Paul took acid & went of by himself when learning finger picking & that he didn’t learn any proper techniques... so I tried this unorthodox style out & its 1000% the way Paul played it. It’s awesome that it’s been verified to me now by this video. I never thought to slow down footage of Paul... I have so much to do now

[@gmoore6166]

There’s lots of players in history who only used their index and thumb to pick, I’ve learned one thing in my 50 years of playing that there is no right or wrong way as it’s the sound you get that’s important:)

[@leaveitorsinkit242]

John Mayer also anchors his pinky when he plays acoustic. Perhaps Blackbird’s where he got it from?

[@esotericsoundlab]

Awesome i just got a new acoustic and was revisiting Blackbird.

[@salciaburri5133]

This is the best lesson I've seen on this song.

[@effinjeffin1811]

I slow down the audio a lot and agree it is a wonderful tool for learning songs! Thanks for the 411!

[@TheOompahRoundabout]

I’ve so been doing this wrong! Thanks my man! I’m now going to work on this as a challenge!

[@beatlecristian]

I learned the McCartney picking but I had no idea about the pinky anchoring technique. It’s certainly fun to play like that and I’ve got it down to a T now.

[@shewh0rn]

Danke for the attention to detail. I was watching one of those videos with tons of watches and immediately I could tell they had the picking pattern wrong. I went to Anytune Pro+ to slow down the original recording, and sure enough the youtube video lesson pattern was wrong but there was still something that didn't sound right with what I was doing. I thought I heard him doing a James Taylor-esque style of lightly grazing the upper strings with the fleshy part of his finger (and for a second I actually wondered if James may have played this part as Paul and George sat in on some of his very first sessions AND... Taylor was recording his first album on The Beatles' label while they were tracking The White Album (perhaps there was some cross-pollination of technique?)) but the sound is too crisp (I've not seen Taylor downstroke a single string, only a group). I watched a few videos of Paul at 0.25 speed but couldn't find one that had a clean shot of his right hand for long enough. Glad KZbin served up this video as I was searching, saved me a bit of time!

[@Jeff_H_the_Guitarist]

I just watched this video of Paul McCartney playing Blackbird. I think you're spot on with your picking. I only see him using his thumb and pointer finger. No other fingers.

[@Storriesmith]

Not only does Paul anchor his pinky, he also rests his palm on the bridge and pick/strums behind the sound hole adding to the uniqueness of his signature sound on Blackbird!

[@ragingstauner6109]

Suscribed! Years, man, years of frustration banished.

[@dasspapir69]

thanks so much for this! actually really fun to play:))

[@AnAmericanComposer]

Robbie Basho used that kind of technique often in his pieces. Listen to the beginning of Green River Suite. Often the high group strings are "strummed" with the flicking of the index nail.

[@billjoyce5525]

Great job as usual

[@OmnipotentO]

Love that guitar. I seen John Frusciante play one like that

[@stephenshoihet2590]

Good timing, I just started working on learning this last night. Carl from guitar lessons 365 and Justin from Justin guitar teach it properly.

[@vanibron]

Justin was teaching it properly long time ago, yes. I'm learning this song right now and confusing how major KZbinrs figured this out years alter after Justin's video came out.

[@ianspittal2389]

Brilliant ! At last I can play it properly now.Just needed a bit of neurological re routing.after 50 years of doing it "my way". Cheers.

[@jhandle4196]

Back when there were no tutorial videos, we picked out songs by ear on records by taking a 33 1/3 LP, and putting it on 16 RPM that played at about half speed, and almost exactly an octave lower. It would have taken much longer to pick out, for instance, the horn interlude on Chicago's "I just wanna be free" without that tactic.

[@anikethrajaram1366]

i dont know what we would do without you

[@molometer]

And who said guitarists can't multitask? Blackbird reworked with innuendo in one video. Excellent work PMSL. 🎼😂🎸👍 Famous meme worthy quote. "I'm not stopping I'm just gonna carry on" 😂😂👍

[@CLH126]

Wow! Fantastic...great hair, great shirt and, oh yeah, great lesson. Thx really enjoyed it.

[@JJRAIA-es9cj]

During the walking up and down the neck, you can also pluck the G and B strings with both your index and middle fingers instead of flicking the index finger; less chance of missing one of the two strings, and it’s almost like a rocking motion between the thumb and two fingers.

[@quintonkrull5086]

I love your channel man it’s amazing to see a great guitarist like you to really fix their habits it’s very inspiring

[@Rusli1659LPSoldier]

the index finger was the hardest one with open G and B. But I'm having trouble to memorize that intro part on left hand fretboard. Do you have the tabs for the intro part?

[@jhandle4196]

Well done; First video I've seen not by Paul that shows this correctly. I call that index finger technique; what's called in the video a "flick" a "waggle." That makes the featured phrase,

[@tazionuvolari3593]

That's exactly right - McCartney uses that semi-pick/ semi-strum on a number of tunes. Blackbird was written specifically to keep the open G more or less continuously through the song.

[@gregbox]

Brilliant tutorial, Mark Knopfler uses a very similar flicking technique but also adds in the middle finger

[@MultiCugel]

So irritated not being able to get the correct sound for this part. All youtube getting it wrong. This is what I've been looking for so thanks!

[@CountCarbsNotCals]

Fantastic, thx.

[@hansvandermeulen5515]

Paul McCartney can't do everything he wants. In 1968 in India John was learning fingerpicking incl alternating bass from Donovan, he practiced for days until he got the basic pattern in Dear Prudence, Julia and every other fingerpicked John tune. Paul found fingerpicking interesting but couldn't be bothered to practice for any length of time. So he came with the pattern he uses in Blackbird and every other fingerpicked Paul tune.

[@catherinewilson3880]

It doesn't appear to have held him back any though, does it? He's still way better on an acoustic guitar than John ever was. Listen to Her Majesty for instance, or His demo of Step inside Love. He's always done his own thing.

[@LeChaunce]

Yeah, he’s always had that “Don’t tell me I have to do that or can’t do that, I’ll show you” attitude - like the story of how they literally had to drag him out of bed because he was a half hour late to the meeting to sign the contracts to make Brian Epstein their manager because he didn’t want to get up that early.

[@connorandrus1904]

@@LeChaunce absolutely. Helter skelter truly shows the "I'll show you" attitude. Only made it to be as loud and crazy as possible.

[@drdre4397]

Also even if you only take music within John's lifetime, Paul's post Beatles catalogue is far superior to John's, and I think get back demonstrated that Paul had the work ethic. He also didn't beat his wife so really in my view there isn't much John did better than Paul...

[@wanmeireles7182]

@@drdre4397 John's lyrics were better for my taste.

[@gtrdoc911]

Very close. You're absolutely right about him only using his thumb and index. About 99% of you tube videos on this song get that wrong. However, I'm pretty damn sure he is strumming the G and B strings together with up and down strokes rather than doing individual notes. Listen carefully to the original recording and I'm sure you'll agree with me. Beatle fans are a very anal lot.

[@fungiladdz6594]

Watching this and I'm like of course thats the picking pattern is so McCartney how did I not notice Thank you

[@gelloyangsteryang6481]

teach us the whole songggg thank u for ur vids

[@raulbmoreira]

I actually learned that in the CifraClub lesson of this song (though I play it with 3 fingers). For practicing this technique, a great song is La Belle de Jour (Alceu Valença, Brazilian musician) 'cause it also alternates bass in variations of a single really cool fingerpicking pattern over basic chords kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3SZfaiLjKlpn6c Just listen to the song in the beginning of the video and then skip to 6:00 for tabs

[@trumpingtonfanhurst694]

Me too :)I have a live vid of him playing that too and he strums 2 strings like you do, just with his middle finger. I'll probably never get it right

[@ariannaferraudo6697]

Woah, thank you for this open-minded lesson😉

[@Schecterplayer9292]

Well damn, now I know that I have been too. Thanks man

[@salatieljyrustumanan4929]

John Mayer also fingerpicks exclusively with that technique

[@joshwmusic6838]

More Beatles!!

[@jujijime]

Everyone... he found the G-Spot! Rejoice! It's real!

[@sambac2053]

Minus the pinkie anchor (which is not necessary) that thumb index with up and dpwn strokes is quite a lot like a basic flamenco technique

[@SuullaUola]

Thank you

[@i-deni-i5138]

Just something that will be easier: after hitting the low G again, instead of doing an upstroke on the second string, make a downstroke first on the third string and then an upstroke on the second like in the first wave. The reason being is that your finger is already bent and in position for a downstroke and when you play it fast you'll barely hear a difference.

[@Ilurk247]

funny, I just recently learned I've been playing Ain't talkin bout love wrong for 40+ years :D

[@Aidenjaxon]

Make a guitar collection video with all you guitars

[@Brunocmartins22]

btw there is a similar pattern used in Her Majesty

[@Brunocmartins22]

There's a lesson, easily found on KZbin, teaching that.

[@rappy90]

I think these days Paul changes it up and doesn't play it note for note to the recording. Thanks for the video!

[@prometheustv6558]

Maybe I can actually learn this song now.

[@RutNij]

Confusing guitar... the double inlay on the ninth position suggests that it is actually the 12th position... well... at least to me...

[@zerronyx1362]

no wonder it looked so short, weird guitar

[@dead_ted9149]

Just watched Paul play this live last month. He even shared that no one plays it correctly.

[@MistaToasty]

Similar to John Mayer’s technique without the slap

[@sushi_donut]

That's a beautiful guitar, what is it? Thanks for the video! :)

[@neilmartin99]

Pretty sure that is a Martin 000-15M mahogany.

[@spbjr]

I once heard that John used to poke fun at Paul’s finger-picking style by calling him “two-fingered Paul”. However, I haven’t been able to verify the story.

[@carsonsmith8362]

He found the g spot and just came out.❤️

[@Jeff_H_the_Guitarist]

This is also a great tutorial on Blackbird. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4G2mWqXg7Jgabc&loop=0 After the double finger pluck I notice Paul McCartney does a quick strum up/down with his pointer finger on the 2nd and 3rd string.

[@eagles_s]

It has that Lindsay Buckinghm thing going on in the bass.

[@jasonhinton212]

Hey there what model Martin are you playing here ?

[@asmit_plays]

000-15m... Perhaps the one Frusciante uses

[@neilmartin99]

@@asmit_plays I have one. Paid around 1000 a year and a half ago. I think they are up to around 1500 now. Gorgeous guitar with incredible tone.

[@BeauJames59]

Tip that helped me: practice rythym separately from the fingering. BOOM ba-da ba-da BOOM. 8th 16th-16th, 16th-16th 8th.... Long short-short short-short Long

[@kkarx]

I just find it so funny and very ironical when musicians make mistakes, use sloppy/improper technique, play with a lot of unwanted noise, hit notes very badly here and there so some weird noise comes out of their amp. It adds some charm to it and it sounds good to our ears because we love to hear these little mistakes that make music so much more fun and humanlike but it is often nearly impossible to replicate and people desperately try to figure out what masterful technique is used because they love those little mistakes so much. Whenever I hear how Hammet plays Creeping death solo I always loved how messy it was in parts, to me it always sounded perfect. Now when someone plays it cleanly it somehow loses its magic.

[@neilmartin99]

Are you playing a 000 15M ?

[@briang768]

Be careful if you play Blackbird properly on a regular basis. It can lead to wearing a hole in your fingernail. One can wear an acrylic nail over your real one to forestall that from happening.

[@toddjalane4192]

"I'm not gonna play Blackbird" ... plays Blackbird.... haha thanks for the video.

[@michaelcantu6071]

I use my pinky as an anchor for most fingerpicking songs that I play. Never knew it was considered bad technique…

[@kevintandian6257]

It's not bad, check tommy emmanuel out he does that as well sometimes.

[@BeauJames59]

Another tip: write out in manuscript. It makes everything more clear. Tab is more of a shorthand. Manuscript is an actual graphic representation of music. It shows timing and pitch. Tab doesn't. If you want to communicate with other musicians, manuscript is the way to go.

[@varunagrawal7036]

Don't feel bad... everybody has the same problem! 😊

[@jamesnewton485]

Name guitar Wally, short for walnut because it has kind of a walnut color to it.

[@margiesplace259]

So maybe thats where John Mayer got his guitar picking technique? thank you!

[@Mrp00p3rs]

Never expected to get woke at 1 am for a YT vid lol

[@ricksanchezito8972]

Which guitar is this?

[@mrdragonballfreak307]

Thx I've been doing this wrong too xD

[@jtsplosion5282]

Hello

[@mattgilbert7347]

Before I watch I'm going to guess. I took 5 lessons when I was 14. Teacher gave us this one (I was already a beginner intermediate or whatever) to learn and i remember him saying "It actually sounds like he's "brushing" the strings rather than actually picking them". Now, to find out...

[@easygoinggrant6817]

I guess we all have been playing it wrong as well!

[@MattWhatsGoinOn]

Yeah, I don't think I'm going to deal with that just because of McCartney's finger-picking short-comings. I don't care if he uses his left ear to scratch his right nut. It's possible that I might change my mind, however.

[@jobama9909]

TLDR: John Mayer slap technique without the slap