Paul McCartney's Piano Lesson

Paul McCartney teaches a piano lesson. The Beatles' singer/songwriter shares his approach to learning and writing songs on the piano. John Lennon used this approach when writing "Imagine" as has John Legend when writing some of his songs. He's speaking with Rick Rubin. From McCartney 3, 2, 1.
Beatles playlist: bit.ly/3yo4lD0
#thebeatles #thebeatlesgetback #getback #paulmccartney #masterclass #beatlespianotutorial #getbackfunnymomentsbeatles #mccartney321
Chapters
0:00 - Paul can't read music
0:20 - Middle "C"
0:55 - Moving the chord shape
1:15 - Permutations
2:00 - Learned it from Jerry Lee Lewis
2:22 - Harmonies
2:50 - Experimentation - Imagine
3:03 - On John Legend (not Lennon)
3:33 - Bach is their favorite composer
3:50 - Paul likes the math
4:29 - Outro

[@SecretsofRock]

Check out the Beatles playlist for more: bit.ly/3GJMDwN

[@user-im9yx1nw1s]

ive heard of these guys...

[@robertasirgutz8800]

@@user-im9yx1nw1s I love when Ringo says "the Beatles are the best band I've ever played with" (lol)!

[@antoniosantorini9355]

Such gibberish , im Paul I'm still relevant, look what I could do ! teach you piano

[@user-im9yx1nw1s]

@@antoniosantorini9355 bro he’s a legacy I don’t think he’s thinking about being “relevant” lmao

[@antoniosantorini9355]

@@user-im9yx1nw1s .. well if I had all his money I can think of something better to do than make a stupid KZbin video.. come on , he was once on top of the world what's he resorting to this for

[@johnnywhite274]

I think Paul's ultimate gift is being able to come up with the best melodies from the simplest chord patterns or progressions.

[@muchanadziko6378]

yes. It's truly amazing. I mean, he can play a I-IV-V pattern and make the most beautiful song out there. While all we mortals here would sing the blues. What the the fuck?

[@antoniovera667]

Yep, I was thinking the same thing…that’s the key, a good beauty vocal melody

[@bryanvickers]

That and some remarkably tasty bass lines with perfect motion and syncopation.

[@rafbass]

His ultimate gift is his voice

[@danraviv7393]

indeed, though he also came up with some amazing chord progressions as well

[@bonnieralston1706]

I studied piano for ten years and this man can't even read music. Yet he understands music more than I ever will.

[@trevorjameson3213]

He understands how to create very catchy melodies that sound really, really nice. That's hard to do, but playing a piano and learning music theory and chords is no big deal, anyone can do that. It's just being able to actually create a great melody with it, is what is hard.

[@PoboyMusic]

You don't need to know how to read music to be a musician. Just need to know your scales and chords.

[@MoonshineH]

Not saying the piano/keys in Beatles songs aren’t amazing, but in this video Paul is literally just doing various simple things in C major (all white keys). Of course there are undoubtedly other keys he has played in, but just sayin’ this video doesn’t really display extreme piano skills imo.

[@bonnieralston1706]

@@MoonshineH Paul does not have extreme piano skills or technique. But as I said in my initial comment, "he understands music."

[@MoonshineH]

@@bonnieralston1706 What exactly do you mean? My explanation is that some people basically just have a really good ear. Not tryna discount Paul’s talent, but most musicians I know are ones that learned to play piano, guitar, etc… by just one day starting out by themselves and for some reason they can write, interpret and improvise music very well but can’t explain to you what key they’re in or how they know what chords/notes to play. It blows my mind because I tried to just play for 6 years and I always sucked until I finally got good after I got lessons and learned scales and music theory.

[@You.r.overdue]

"Our favorite composer in the Beatles was Bach." That made my day.

[@mariajulien3155]

Mine too

[@lordemed1]

Bach is eternal..think of all the different ways his music can be played. From Pablo Casals to the Beatles.

[@Better_Call_Raul]

Would be interesting to know when they got into Bach. Cannot picture tough teenage John and Paul particularly into Bach. Too busy with Elvis, Buddy, Jerry Lee,...

[@MrWowman97]

@@Better_Call_Raul I remember an anecdote from McCartney that him and George would play a Bach piece as kids on guitar to impress people, so they must have got into him pretty early in life

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

I have 4 CDs of Bach

[@leokimvideo]

Imagine this piano teachers hourly rate, but hell it would be worth it

[@feliciagaffney1998]

I might have learned piano when my mom forced me to take lessons when I was 8, if my teacher taught like this! And enjoyed it! Lol Hell... we could have learned some Beatles music! Instead of stupid 19th century teaching music...

[@MatiasGeraldoThe2nd]

Not quite. Most piano musicians could teach you these things in about 15 minutes. Worth it for the stories maybe!

[@jesseth9419]

This is extremely basic knowledge..wtf is your point..

[@mgr001]

@@feliciagaffney1998 same here. Beatles music was real music and relatively easy to play.

[@PhoenixSplash]

I taught like this. Taught kids songs they wanted to learn. Of course, parents want something they can show off

[@alisoninchausti1080]

Bob Dylan: “I’m in awe of McCartney’s sense of melody”. And that’s the real key, isn’t it? You may have the simplest or most complex of chord sequences but if you don’t have a nice melody to go with it, you don’t have a song. And Paul is one of the greatest melody makers.

[@Magicalfluidprocess]

He is , , I concur

[@davidcain214]

This is very true... forget all about the text books..if you haven't got a good ear for melody then you've got nothing....a skill which is lacking these days unfortunately

[@jroc2201]

That's it

[@bobg6638]

Yes and so true.

[@michaelsrowland]

What is a melody?

[@teotammivuori3209]

Oh, what a world we're living in! Sitting here on our couches and taking lessons from the great masters of our time! Thank You very very much to everyone involved!

[@juleslefumiste9204]

You're welcome

[@jawaka1000]

Such a pity they didn't bother to show his hands so you can see what he's talking about.

[@ProgRockDan1]

I agree

[@moonlitegram]

@@jawaka1000 Most of what he's doing here is just moving triads up and down the piano. If you don't already know it, just learn the major scale, and then group every other note together in 3s and you'll get all the core triads of the chords in the scale. So you got 7 notes in the scale: 1/do is the root, 2/re, 3/mi, 4/fa, 5/so, 6/la, 7/ti, and then back to do/8 or 1 at the octave of your root. 135 will make your first root triad, 246 the next, 357 and so on. And you can play around with those sounds. Of course, the way Paul is talking here, he's basically just suggesting to do it by ear as well which I think is largely how he relates to music. Especially in his early days. I imagine he probably had a naturally good ear to start with as he preferred learning by ear as a kid over taking lessons on instruments. So for him this all probably seems really natural and simple. And if you have that kind of natural ear too, thats awesome. You can just work it all out by ear basically by playing around on an instrument like the piano and listening to music you like. That's essentially what Paul is saying he did here. But of course we all aren't born with good ears for distinguishing musical pitches and what we're hearing. I definitely never did. So if you find thats you but still want to learn, learning some theory helps make a lot of sense of what your ears are missing. And then there's also plenty of resources to train your ear to get better. Do a search for ear training and you'll find a number of free resources like tonedear.com and musicate.app. You can also find free ear training programs on your phone/tablet too in the app stores. Anyways, I think the thing to take from this is the idea that Paul wasn't doing anything super fancy with music half the time. But he took note of what had worked before him and played around with that until he came up with stuff that sounds good. Its both encouraging (in that its simple to figure out) and discouraging (in that part of it just comes down to his taste and personal decisions) at the same time lol.

[@buckemptier]

Indeed, what a great comment, us older guys don't take that for granted because we remember when it wasn't the case KZbin is great, and I often say Wikipedia is among the best things to ever come out if the internet. I'm not trying to stray from the subject, it's true about KZbin too, what I mean is the wealth of information that is sitting at your fingertips, that is knowledge on tap, and it's why humans will soon live for 1,000 years and travel to every corner of outer space. It's tempting as an older person to resent technology as it seems to be leaving you behind, but don't let it - at least keep up with the basics, and again, never take it for granted, and that especially goes to young people. Understand that a computer doing the work for you puts a greater responsibility on your generation to achieve that much more, and don't just know that, fucking be a part of it. OK I'll stop. I'm serious though. Don't forget it.

[@patrickbrowne9308]

Paul Mac can grab a melody out of the air that we breathe.... the same as his old mate John.... and we are all the richer for these wonderful four guys sharing their gifts 👍

[@twistedgamer9167]

@@kenchawkin4379 Never saw it, never will, it's a trite piece of garbage

[@allosaurusfragilis7782]

All he needs is the air that we breathe.....

[@winegum3086]

I've never really rated Paul Mccartney, I think the driving force behind the Beatles was George Martin.

[@twistedgamer9167]

@@winegum3086 Really!

[@ewest14]

@@winegum3086I don’t mean to insult you but you obviously don’t know much then. Just watch Get Back and you’ll see. If that’s not enough here’s a quote from their engineer: "I don’t want to take anything away from anyone, but production of the Beatles was very simple, because it was ready-made. Paul was a very great influence in terms of the production, especially in terms of George Harrison’s guitar solos and Ringo’s drumming. The truth of the matter is that, to the best of my memory, Paul had a great hand in practically all of the songs that we did, and Ringo would generally ask him what he should do. After all, Paul was no mean drummer himself, and he did play drums on a couple of things. It was almost like we had one producer in the control room and another producer down in the studio. There is no doubt at all that Paul was the main musical force. He was also that in terms of production as well. A lot of the time George Martin didn’t really have to do the things he did because Paul McCartney was around and could have done them equally well… most of the ideas came from Paul". - Norman Smith, the Beatles engineer

[@3flyte_3flyte]

The man is a genius. He bypassed the drudgery and went straight to the music.

[@jgunther3398]

rock and roll and music are different things. you can bypass the drudgery and make rock and roll

[@thomas-jp2yq]

The mans a genius, but he sure took part in the druggery lol

[@johnsee7269]

For geniuses that's ok. For the rest of us; practice that pentatonic scale and everything else. I'll have dues to pay...

[@astragreen]

Some say he’s a ‘genius’ I don’t believe that self taught piano players are plentiful, as are songwriters!..

[@DanThomasUK]

The Beatles spent a year sleeping on a nightclub toilet floor and drove around Britain in a van with a broken windscreen - they played a tower gigs in Hamburg for 300 nights a year. They definitely did the drudgery.

[@ClueSign]

I like how Paul gets into some kind of long-winded explanation for the simple fact that he was born a musical genius.

[@Whattheflip64]

Pun intended?

[@emilal]

@@Whattheflip64 The Long And Winding Explanation

[@jamesanthony5681]

Even geniuses had to put in the time and work at it.

[@danbarkles8499]

​@@jamesanthony5681Except if you're Mozart and already a genius when you're 5. Probably still took work but maybe not as much as some.

[@sgrant39]

The Bach with a beat explains a lot of Rock and Roll

[@NoName-zi9qs]

This guy is good. He should be in a band.

[@David-cm4ok]

He’s too old bro, maybe back in the day…

[@mikemcconville2495]

He gave it a shot with Wings I think

[@therainman7777]

Cringe, played out joke. Just stop.

[@NoName-zi9qs]

@@therainman7777 Cringe, envious comment. Debased!

[@donkey3187]

@@therainman7777 oh lighten up

[@diggerthegroundhog8799]

Rick Rubin was so respectful during this wonderful show. You can see he is absolutely spellbound

[@twocows2403]

This is exactly how I learned piano and I always try to tell people, “trust me, it’s not hard”. You have to do it a lot to be good but if you enjoy it and you’re having fun, spending hours in a day doing it is really easy.

[@mungofinalfi4480]

I just wish I would've learned it with the correct finger technique...

[@superpotiron]

There's a huge difference between playing few chords on piano and being a pianist (even a bad pianist). Piano technique is very difficult. Most of the piano scores in rock and roll music are far easier than a beginner piece.

[@ronaldrayner5049]

It's in your head ,practice is getting to come out your fingers ,I know you know

[@Kinobambino]

For sure! Way easier than something like acoustic guitar.

[@Kinobambino]

​@@mungofinalfi4480aw man I kind of feel the same way but it's really not too late

[@kathrynlayfield9599]

I'm so glad Paul McCartney is still here with us. Listening to him talk about the beginings of his musical career and the relationships with George, John and Ringo really opens up what was going on in their lives. We see and hear the end results of lots of studio time and personality glitches that they lived through. You've got four different men wanting to succeed and dealng with their personal problems and ambitions. It makes me love them all even more! I would love for Paul and Ringo to stay healthy and happy and have loved ones in their lives! And, keep making music! God bless their wives and children, please give them good health, joy and happiness for many years to come.

[@152leroy]

I feel so blessed to have grown up with the Beatles. I was 10 years old when I first saw them on Sullivan, and my brain and heart were forever changed. It’s heartbreaking that we’ve lost John and George, but I’m thankful we still have Paul and Ringo and their musical genius. I could listen to Paul’s piano lessons all day, any day. ❤

[@charliemurphy3529]

Yes, but what I wish someone would document - in detail - is how did this incredible talent evolved - a lot more information about his parents encouragement ( which to me is always the key to everything ) and then how it moved from his confidence in playing other people's music and became the icon of creativity and creator of "melodies". Literally , document the step by step process that Paul went thru on all the songs he wrote - every one of them - if we don't do that now, it will be lost forever - no one has ever achieved his level of musicianship over such an incredible span of time. That "documentary" could easily be a series of college courses and might help to get future musicians to return to the concept of creating "melodies" rather than just a hodge podge of sequences that rely solely on dynamics.

[@alexandravalassis8390]

@@charliemurphy3529I completely agree with you. Good parenting is the key to a person’s development. He grew up in a loving home with a lot of encouragement. We are so blessed to have him! He is super creative & a wonderful & kind person. He uses his platform for good things. He’s lovely:)

[@charliemurphy3529]

I was at a Knights of Columbus dance (1963) when I saw this girl that "all of the sudden" I really wanted to dance with - but another guy walked up to her and she started dancing - so I went outside to sulk - about 3 minutes later she came out and reach out to me without saying anything and without either of us saying a word, we went inside to dance - I swear, as soon as we got to the dance floor, they started playing "I saw her standing there" - I had never heard the song before and it did something to my ears - like they were exploding or something - I was in some kind of vortex of good vibes - never will forget that dance, that girl, or that song. I can go back to that moment whenever I want and the amazement never goes away. @@alexandravalassis8390

[@ScottMasson]

Music just oozes from his soul. He’s so locked into the cosmos, he doesn’t even try or understand how gifted he is. 😆 It’s beautiful.

[@lundsweden]

I've gotta say it, Paul McCartney is still cool after all these years!

[@morpher44]

I do like that he is doing deep dives into explaining the Beatles.

[@prathameshbhambure]

I'm not a pianist but a guitarist but this was no lesser than a masterclass to me. There's so much meat in this clip alone. Thank you, Paul.

[@TheWhippingPost]

I used to only play guitar with no understanding of music theory. When I got a cheap keyboard, it opened up theory to me. I highly recommend learning simple piano for any musician. It's music laid out in its most straightforward form.

[@rfurdaylee]

Doubt that. He's a veggie.

[@sirmcfrank4464]

@@TheWhippingPostYES. My guitar skills greatly improved after getting more hand independence on piano. I’m not sure how to explain it but the movements on the piano opens these paths that improve on any other instruments you play.

[@JollyMcStanson]

This is great. Paul explaning how he wrote songs. But at the end of the day, Paul is conected to a bigger song energy.

[@ethan1268]

Yea, demonic if he’s hanging about with John Legend.

[@lewisdavis7247]

@@ethan1268 🤣

[@GATSU1979]

Music is a gift...I mean his mum coming to him in a dream and gave him the idea for let it be.......universe in work

[@ethan1268]

@@GATSU1979 humans who have passed don’t come to people in dreams, they’re either in hell or heaven.

[@tomaszszczegola]

@@ethan1268 Wow! That's a revelation, isn't it?

[@pb12661]

Paul seems to love the piano more than any other instrument and was definitely the most accomplished pianist in the group.

[@lukeizabelle2131]

Out of the Beatles he was the most accomplished musician period, at least tecnically speaking😉

[@playbackvintagehifihunter9669]

@@lukeizabelle2131 I was going to say the same thing, you got there first 😁

[@David-cm4ok]

I wouldn't disagree, but I like Lennon's piano better. Love, Mother, Imagine, Oh Yoko!, God. Beautiful.

[@lukeizabelle2131]

@@playbackvintagehifihunter9669 😊👍

[@keymaster430]

What gets me is how all four members could play the piano. Or, at least knew basic chords and progressions. I believe every one of them knew how to play everyone else's instrument to a certain degree. I guess after years of playing together, you teach a lot to the other members of the band. Still a very talented group of guys.

[@ProfessorKenneth]

Paul is absolutely brilliant. I love that he's explaining his brilliance in a subtle way.😅👍🏻💯

[@elan0054]

The Beatles were on another level. Their approach can be almost be seen as hilariously simple, but what they did with that is genius.

[@maelinjoli]

what differenciate McCartney from other songwriters is the quality of his melodies---there are tons of songwriters out there but to be able to write something as good as Maybe I'm Amazed or Let It Be is another ball game---and most songwriters can't even approach that---it takes a very high level of melodic genius and Paul is a phenomenon at that

[@sixslinger9951]

yep and george and john weren't too shabby either at songwriting.

[@JohnARosemeyer]

"For No One" "Here, There and Everywhere" "I Will" Favorite melodies.

[@scottmasson3039]

Truth.

[@grinsko6741]

Martha My Dear has such great piano.

[@SThompsonRAMM_1203]

This series with Paul was so good, and way too short for my liking, as I didn’t want it to end. I could listen to this for hours and hours. I’ve been lucky enough to see Paul in concert back in the Wings days, arguably the best show I’ve ever seen. He didn’t just get up there and sing songs and play. He entertained, and in doing so he himself seemed to be enjoying himself.

[@robbiepeterh]

I learned Fool on the Hill today and it’s extraordinary. It has a D6, Dm, Dm7, a Bb with a D in the bass and Em with a D in the bass. So five D chords in one song and yet none of them are the regular D major. Paul is a musical genius. His musical training came from the early Beatles days when they played 8 hours a night and had to learn hundreds of songs by ear. In doing that, the Beatles learned all the pathways song and melody could go. But, for me, Paul was the one who truly became the most sophisticated out of he, John and George ✌🏼

[@shrksE]

You know I was learning Twist and Shout which they took the melody from La Bamba but the way Paul did the bass for that is out of control. What sounds to be a pretty simple song is so extra when it didn’t have to be but i’m so glad he did. I laughed in awe as I tried to learn it.

[@jardinag]

@@shrksE worth mentioning that Twist and Shout is actually a cover and wasn't written by The Beatles

[@shrksE]

@@jardinag im well aware of that.

[@blakereynolds8894]

superimposing moving chords over a static bass note is called pedal point. Notice how in the verse it's "D major" pedal point going UP and then in the chorus it's "D minor" pedalpoint going down? Very cool way to create longer arcs and cohesion within a song.

[@sunny70299]

During their first stint in Hamburg Paul's cheap guitar broke early on and he couldn't afford to replace it, so ge actually spent most of those months as the bands piano player (the club had its own piano) which he says is how he learned to play the piano so well. I think that helped him a great deal as a songwriter too.

[@eziosfara7891]

I figured out the same relations in the piano starting form rockabilly tunes, when I was a child, but actually stopped there. There is an enourmous gap between we mere mortals and the creative genius of Paul McCartney. We are so lucky to live in this era, witnesses of a musitian whose legacy will live on for centuries. Thank you Sir Paul.

[@NoCanDu]

That was so lovely it brought a tear to my eye. Such a sweet, kind, talented man. Of everyone we’ve lost in the music world, I know I’ll totally lose my sh^t when his pure joy and light is no longer with us. I hope the younger generations pick up on it by watching this and carry that light forward!

[@Wheresthelove7]

Here here my brother. And his philosophy is so positive. How fortunate we were to live in their time. When he and Ringo leave us there is gonna a void in our world.

[@pamalojo]

You just put into words exactly how I feel!

[@Lucille_McCartney73]

When he’s gone I don’t know what I’ll do with myself… He truly is so sweet and so kind, it’s just so pure…! Joy and light for sure! 💙

[@stuffandthangs2595]

Doing worry. I’m 21 and he’s my biggest inspiration in life!

[@aleeo5124]

I'm 17 and grew up listening to the beatles a lot. They're my favorite band and McCartney my favorite singer and composer ever. I love them so much and have a huge confidence that their music will stay relevant forever 🤧❤️

[@billmoss2877]

When I get lonely or sad I listen to Paul and it doesn't seem so bad. Thanks Paul for your insight and love down through these many often tumultuous years.

[@ellynmacgregor8210]

Bill, do you realize that the first sentence of your post sounds like the first two lines of a song lyric? Needs a little tweaking, maybe, but you might try working with that bit and then see where it leads. Best of luck from another huge fan of The Beatles in general and Sir Paul in particular.

[@lolawheeler179]

Totally agree! I feel the same way you do Bill. Paul is our light in those last difficult years we’ve been through. Glad he is still with us 🙏

[@carlbaumeister3439]

I’ve always thought of Paul as the voice of optimism.

[@troliskimosko]

@@ellynmacgregor8210 Makes me think of “Hey Jude, don’t make it bad, take a sad song and make it better” funnily enough

[@morpher44]

loneliness: Eleanor Rigby, No More Lonely Nights, When I'm Sixty Four, "Lonely" Hearts Club Band, With a little help from my friends, John's "Yer Blues", She's Leaving Home, etc. There are several songs that touch on the theme of loneliness.

[@pentachronic]

This just shows me how gifted Paul is. He’s listening to what the sounds are and how they relate vs rote note bashing. This is probably why his compositional foundations are so good and his song writing is incredible. Plus he remembers it all!!

[@lordemed1]

Pure gold....Paul makes it seem so easy and natural- the sign of true genius.

[@emanuelle8364]

Obviously I don't have a quarter of Paul's abilities, but I really identify myself with the way he learns music and seeing this was a lovely experience

[@keymaster430]

Same here. I remember when I first started playing piano when I was around 10 or so, sitting there playing around with the keys and realizing that certain keys played together sounded nice. If not, nice, then they at least sounded 'right'. Then putting those chords with other chords. It made learning so much more fun when you have moments of discovery like that.

[@theothertonydutch]

@@keymaster430 After a while you get tired of the normal chords and you start adding spicey stuff. I've been at that point for two or three years now with music. I literally had a day where I was "this sounds generic, let's put "wrong" notes in".

[@Magicalfluidprocess]

Are you saying you have an eighth of what mc Cartney has ? 😀 fair play

[@emanuelle8364]

@@Magicalfluidprocess hahaha I wish I had an eighth, what he has is simply unique, we can't compare ourselves, it's not fair 😁

[@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020]

Paul has his abilities and you have yours. The good thing you have going for you is that there will never be another you so be the best version of yourself, no one else can do that but you. Good luck.

[@RobertOrgRobert]

Paul is a Phenomenal living musical genius.

[@misternewoutlook5437]

Paul is right. When you play piano, songs start coming into your head. Even with the simplest progressions. They almost compete for your attention! Writing a good song is not that hard, but writing a great song... that's where talent comes in.

[@Jazzinthecountry]

After watching this I had the opportunity to give my partner's 9 year old grandson his first lesson. I had him rocking out in less than a half hour. When I think back fourty five years to the meagre progress I made after months of classical lessons I shake my head.

[@tedl7538]

@Jazzinthecountry Well that was the fault of your early instruction, not of classical music itself, which is an astonishingly deep and broad well of inspiration and achievement.

[@MrMikomi]

Well, the point (the main point) of learning classical piano is to be able to play classical piano pieces. You can however learn a huge amount by analysing classical piano pieces as you learn them. But it does take effort.

[@musabhatti7948]

What a genius! Im so fucking grateful to be alive at a time where I could witness these legends!

[@SecretsofRock]

Me too

[@juliekilburn1827]

@@SecretsofRock all secrets will be revealed if not confessed. It may take a while. God KNOWS all secrets

[@jrhamp]

What a great talent..truly, one of a kind person..his legacy and music will live forever.

[@lexdunn4160]

This learly illustrates McCartney's inherent and deep understanding of music. No wonder he is able to create such beautiful songs. Elton John also had this comprehension. Two of the best melody writers and chord shapers in popular music.

[@aussiecoastie72]

Paul is truly amazing ❤ I had the pleasure of seeing him live , my absolute all time favourite musician … ❤

[@mattpunk931]

I can't believe we're alive at the same time this living legend is.

[@captainkane1984]

In a way it’s no different from being alive at the same time as Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, Wagner, Mozart, however it is also WAY different. It’s extraordinary! We are lucky to be here with him at the same time

[@dncviorel]

@@captainkane1984 He only played what others gave him to play. 😉

[@timothycollins1968]

Greatest song writer ever in my opinion. We won’t have this great talent around for much longer. What a horrible day it will be when we lose him.

[@antoniach4190]

hes already dead!, that one is a fake!

[@stephendorn5875]

@@antoniach4190 the fake McCartney is clearly the best then. Lol

[@Mustang_Sally_]

@@stephendorn5875 lol literally

[@philnaccarato]

I'm going to be curled up in a little ball for a week. That will be the biggest musical loss of my lifetime. I'm not looking forward to that inevitability.

[@davidmatthews3131]

Let's all listen to Bob Dylan & Bruce Springsteen & Joni Mitchell while keeping in mind that they'll soon be dead. Really, let's not.

[@lunes-1]

Speaking words of wisdom.Even Betoven would liked to meet Paul. 🎸🎹🎤👏

[@cath1589]

How lovely of Paul McCartney to share this knowledge and make music accessible to amateurs, especially those of us who don't read music. I read a little and had a few piano lessons, but this gives me hope I can play the piano in the future for my own enjoyment. He's brilliant - have always loved him and his music!

[@valentino1000]

It must be great to be Santa and learn music from Paul McCartney.

[@petearvo8918]

Ha ha. I thought he was speaking to God..

[@bcoldwell1]

Hah! At first I thought it was Lee Sklar.

[@tillylolac8256]

@@petearvo8918 he kind of was 😉

[@ellynmacgregor8210]

@@bcoldwell1 me too!

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

Interesting that Paul as a left hander doodles on the piano that way, with the chords played by his right hand, and the bass melody played with his left. Which is how he approaches his bass guitar lines, which are far more than just root notes to fill in the sound

[@meikebohn8424]

Yes, and without using his right Thumb! As in prebaroque time

[@soupdragon151]

That is a good point I hadn't noticed that, no piano teacher would teach you that way it'd be the right handed way

[@calebfuller4713]

ALL piano players play the bass with their left hand and chords or melody with their right. To do otherwise you'd have to cross your hands over!

[@marialuisaflores4846]

Dear Paul, in 2019 I visited your house in Liverpool and I touched your old piano. It was one my wonderful experiences in my life. Greetings from Lima Peru .. and I was in three of your concerts, In Buenos Aires 2010, In Lima 2011and 2014.

[@michaelmelling9333]

Cool!🙂

[@EmilyTienne]

He could be wiping his nose on his sleeve, and we’d still be in awe. He is musical royalty.

[@videomaniac108]

He makes it look so easy, like the master that he is.

[@nickermations3503]

Agreed

[@ellynmacgregor8210]

True, and I think that for a number of years, that quality may have worked against him--with music critics, especially; because he makes it look so easy, some people (jealous much?) apparently got the idea that he wasn't taking his work seriously. Nowadays, far more people appreciate that, while he DOES take his work seriously, he doesn't take himself seriously--which means (duh) he has a sense of humor!

[@NoahHornberger]

it is easy, the greatness is a marketing illusion. Most people can make music if they sit at a piano and play for a while. It really just takes the drive do learn and try . . .and the reason is simple: harmony is a universal language. so much money has been made on the idea that its 'hard' to make music. it's harder to play sports because you have to compete directly with others in each game. music is easy when you compare it to physical labor and such

[@HunterBelkiran]

it's pretty simple..

[@videomaniac108]

@@HunterBelkiran Being a retired physicist, I could say that about the creation and annihilation operators for the energy eigenstates of a quantum harmonic oscillator, but I don't think it would be for the average person.

[@danielhkhk7283]

Very few people have the ability to write great melodies. McCartney is one of them, of course.

[@limdongcheol]

It's only pop shite - a couple of minutes tops, in one key that doesn't develop or go anywhere. And to compare yourself with Bach...

[@danielhkhk7283]

@@limdongcheol well, there's great classical music that is actually pop.

[@ewest14]

Many people have written great melodies since there’s so many songs with great melodies out there. The difference is that Paul has the ability to do it over and over again and hasn’t stopped. Even in his late 70s and 80s, he can still write a remarkable melody like it’s nothing

[@donkey3187]

The man has woken up with melodies floating around in his head...he's on another level.

[@jeffmejia3556]

This man put together some really great chord progressions. Maybe I’m Amazed, My Love do not have typical ‘music theory’ type of chord progressions but they work. Sometimes not being classically trained is a better way to go. You’re not confined to the ‘rules’.

[@mmeditatio]

you're not confined to rules when you learn the rules either. you just know them. and there's a million 'rules' anyway, no one will learn them all.

[@TheExtremenarcissist]

Classical composers had stopped following the rules of harmony by the 20th century. I think Debussy lead the way. Jazz musicians don’t follow the rules. Not following the rules doesn’t mean they hadn’t learnt them when they studied music.

[@soupdragon151]

Someone said the same about Lionel Bart's melodies they do things no "music theory" would do, they shouldn't work according to theory, but they do.

[@mmeditatio]

@@soupdragon151 that's probably someone who didn't know a lot about theory. theory can make sense of literally anything.

[@allenf.5907]

@@mmeditatio But the intuitively understood theory and could expand upon it.

[@timalexwar]

This guy is so generous with what he knows, and so kind in his interactions with his fans who have been his fans (like I) since 1963.

[@stefanpetersen9249]

Paul is so talented , it's just incredible lovely ... Love this guy

[@BNC593]

Brilliant- as expected from the best composer of our times.

[@maurocoimbra9624]

It always amazes me what a genius he is... and how modest he also is. A absolutely remarkable and lovely human being!!!

[@joeterp5615]

I love this! I started making up my own songs - with no training at all - about 20 years ago based on a short video I saw that was similar to this in the explanation it gave of the basic elements of a song. It all just clicked, and I thought, “oh, that’s all there is to it?!” so I bought a digital piano and started having fun. I’m still not trained at all, but people enjoy my compositions - and that is what music is all about! I love how Paul is such a good and generous teacher here, opening the door for others to be able to express themselves through music. That generosity of heart is also clearly reflected in his music.

[@chaconneind3777]

This deserves exposure. I feel like if this video spread wide enough music will carry much more meaning for everyone. As a little composer myself I don’t know how to feel about that.

[@brentnoury7626]

Hopefully they release this series. It's from McCartney 321 on Hulu.

[@muchanadziko6378]

As a home composer, musician and producer (who is currently at a music school [learning bass, guitar, piano, drums and trumpet] and at a sound engineering school]) I don't know what to think of this either. Apart from: why the fuck do people teach other people music in such a dumb and unimaginative way?

[@liamtg912]

Saw Paul live a couple of years ago for the first time. I was like 18 at the time. I cried multiple times throughout the show. Bless my parents for introducing me to the Beatles at such a young age.

[@Wallace69]

feel you brother, saw him as well couple years ago - i relate to every word u saying ♥

[@BruceWax79]

Same here man. I was late 30's when I saw him at MEN Manc. Cried a few times. Never seen such a happy crowd of all ages smiling and laughing, dancing, crying. It blew me away. When he played Here Today solo, wow.

[@TokyoBlue587]

Best concert I’ve ever been to (saw him in ‘88)

[@bariskaradeniz6398]

I bought an upright piano just learn to play the Beatles songs. After a few years practicing I can play many Beatles pieces. I love you so much Paul and thanks for your contributions to humanity.

[@KatieAMinor]

I love this so much. Best documentation ever

[@helevision]

Paul, thanks for trying to teach us ordinary humans how easy it is to write music. Your humility is touching but it appears there is only one who can compose such a prodigious number of wonderful melodies, and that’s you.

[@foxmatte1914]

This sure can inspire many aspiring song writers with no proper music background..... and to believe that there is a simple way of doing it, for a chance to hit the bigtime......Big Mc is spreading his wisdom for everyone .....

[@johngore7744]

Hit the big time like George’s ‘Honey Pie’ ?

[@michaelr6616]

Speaking words of wisdom, if you will...

[@ghostriderinthesky6685]

@@johngore7744 that was Paul’s song

[@johngore7744]

@@ghostriderinthesky6685 but George sang it and played Uke on it ala George Formby if you have family from the UK (North) you’d know what I mean.

[@soupdragon151]

@@michaelr6616 Let it be.

[@TMPSpodcast]

It’s so simple but so incredibly incredible at the same time

[@dncviorel]

What if his entire career is not what people think it was?! What if he didn't write anything for the Beatles, and he only played what the band manager asked him to play, as everyone else in the band?! What if the Beatles was a political project in the first place?! 😉

[@morpher44]

@@dncviorel well it worked out for them because they made some actual British money and toured the world.

[@callington601]

You can't learn music, you feel it and your ear does it. I play the piano at work (in the psychiatric ward) with a lot of patients. There are people who learned to play the piano strictly, they can do it, but in a different way. then I have people with autism they can just feel it and play it and we play together on the piano, combining different chords and always finding out new things and at the end they just play a song and no one ever knew where it came from. it came from our hearts. ❤️ Thank you Paul for this beautiful Video. Your a god of music❤️❤️❤️

[@omgsolikevalleygirl]

so cool Paul McCartney is communicating so much these days. One way to keep the world sane.

[@plasteredbastard]

i watched this beginning to end and he's as lucid and vivid as ever.

[@vrcimino1250]

I remember as a kid strumming a broomstick with my neighbors in their garage pretending to be the Beatles in the early to mid 60's. Each album we would wait anxiously for and then in awe listened as their music progressed exponentially (actually all the records were the same --->>> Great!!!! Melodic!!! Memorable!!!). Now Paul is giving us piano lessons and he's a great instructor. Thanks Sir Paul!

[@SuperBlackguard]

I absolutely love Paul McCartney especially in his older years his charisma and humanity are so natural and infectious what a gem and role model 💚

[@serzjuh79]

I feel a lot of emotion though this. Nowadays I teach music at a Highschool..but, I remember vividly being a 4 yr old trying to play the melody triad in Pauls 'We all stand together'. Inspired by this youtube film I taught my daughter 4 yrs of age the starting melody of it. She is pressing the c e and g one by one and at the same time. Tears of happiness I tell you..

[@garyowens1517]

One word to describe him. GENIUS.

[@davidevans3227]

i love the seeming simplicity of what he's doing here and what he can do with it.. where it can go... thankyou for sharing this clip.. should watch the whole thing!

[@trevorjameson3213]

I learned piano basically the same way, except I actually learned theory also, how to construct various chords in various keys (not just the key of C). It's also very important to practice a lot, to build up muscle memory and hand independence so you can actually hit the notes you want without looking or thinking about it. And, you also need to practice timing, so use a metronome at all times, otherwise you'll not develop proper timing. So what he's saying in the video sounds simple and easy, but you can't just suddenly do it, you have to commit to practicing every day. And continue learning new things all the time. Not just simple chords either, but also more complex chords.

[@JimmysOldTimeRadioShow]

Woke this morning wondering how to push forward, my concerts shut down again, a head full of doubts and questions, then as if from the ether...AH!...inspiration from Sir Paul himself. Merci, my good man.

[@SecretsofRock]

Rock on!

[@robertgrant3844]

I've been listening to and watching the Beatles since the 60's, or more than 50 years, including the recent revealing release of Get Back by Peter Jackson. And this is the most interesting I have ever seen Paul teach. Thank you.

[@lloydpinto623]

I just love these interviews. Such a wealth of history and wisdom hidden.

[@goatscaneatanything5978]

Thank you Paul McCartney. This is really fun and inspiring to me. Wonderful you could share this

[@TheJmusic1]

Truly inspirational. So many sad stories about how people were 'put off' doing music because their teacher made it so dull. The generation before me speak of getting their knuckles rapped in a piano lesson. Love it when he mentioned once how they sent him to the smelly old lady. My piano teacher was a lovely lady but he's so right- there was that smell you couldn't put your finger on. For her, anything that wasn't classical, wasn't proper music, so in truth, lessons could be rather dull. I took more inspiration from people like Paul and Freddie Mercury.

[@vzeroshik1082]

Indeed, 90% of piano teachers thinks so. Because piano was making history of music since 18th century. It's an instrument for classical music.Rock is a brigth but short comet in music history, they thinks. For me rock'n'roll is bigger than Bach, but I'm not sure that my grandsons will thinks so. Cheers!

[@phyllislicata4392]

I love Paul, he’s brilliant! Been listening since their Ed Sullivan appearance in 63. I happen to be a music teacher, classically trained but not a classic snob:) I love when students get to the point where they have enough skills to start choosing different songs & styles of music to play. However I must admit the teacher in me cringed watching his right hand 2-3-4 chord fingering 😳😊

[@calebfuller4713]

@@vzeroshik1082 So true - but a lot of the "classical" music composed for the piano was just showing off the technical capabilities and what you could do with thee new fangled "even tempered scale". To me it sounds annoying, even grating, like the 18th century version of Yngwie Malmsteem. I like to think there was a time, when the piano was new, all the old school musicians who'd learnt things like violin or flute scoffed at these new fangled pianists making music "just pushing buttons on machines" that takes "no talent - you want a middle C you just push a button and bang, perfect middle C. No talent or skill required!"

[@philgray1023]

Did you hear Jimmy Page playing Chopin? All music is music. You aren't an ex student of Mrs Nettleton and her nasty knitting needle are you? Don't get the same note wrong twice in a lesson or whack.

[@vickielawson3114]

@@phyllislicata4392 I noticed his weird fingering of those chords as well! I figured, sure if it works for him, but it looked awkward to me.

[@CaronteBeats]

Paul is my number one inspiration for making and loving music. And is that Rick Rubin? My gosh! Two legends got together!

[@theresamca4440]

When u can hear the music, feel the music, you're ahead of the game. We need more of that today.

[@ProgRockDan1]

I read music but I still come back to these basics in songwriting. I loved it when he said that is all you need

[@virgiliocassanicassani2743]

Paul, você é o máximo!!! Um show ! Você brinca - poca ! Traz alegria - lúdico! - enfim, abundância do divino músico e artista. Meu coração ri à bessa , meu caro. Um abraço.

[@Dave-po2mz]

Rock on Paul, love you forever. When I play one of your songs on piano it's a part of you that's with me now.

[@morrisman64]

THANK YOU!!! Finally, a video/Interview about how Paul learned how to play the Piano.

[@kennethraymondmoore]

Just hearing him play simple things is amazing.

[@MirrorDomains]

It's cool that he still gets a rush out of the basics and creation!

[@Semiam1]

Paul really has always had a passion for music and loves sharing it with humanity.

[@lindaodle3952]

I have always loved Paul!

[@MusclesHockeymask]

Now that's virtuoso musicianship what he does here in five minutes. This is the best breakdown of piano notes and chords I have ever seen.

[@bernarducs]

I just gave a try to all these tips in a piano app and already able to play some tunes just few hours ago. Thanks, Mr. McCartney. Permutations, kids, permutations!

[@debbiereigate705]

Wow, thankyou so much Paul! I am learning the piano and this is a huge help and boost for me 🤗🙏❤️

[@jaydenronnie3155]

Hello 👋 Debbie 🌸 How are you doing today??

[@pauljacksonstoryteller7631]

Sir Paul has many gifts, as we all know, and for me the one that stand beside his sheer musical genius is his ability and love of sharing his musical wisdom. A legend and a kind man all in one.

[@coopthescoop100]

That is so cool Paul giving Santa a piano lesson!!

[@MrSkunk1964]

God blessed that man with so many musical gifts.....

[@IgnacioFS]

Completely loved this video . . . Paul is a living treasure for mankind.

[@dreammix9430]

This was absolutely amazing! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you exclamation point

[@Daveaaaaa]

He is just my favourite person in the world!

[@Retrogamer71]

I could listen and learn all day to Paul McCartney

[@brev9664]

Paul and Rick together is so cool to see. Two artists that both understand that starting with simple ideas is key.

[@robertwjtaylor]

Thank you Paul for the lesson and thanks for all your work that has changed all our lives and culture!

[@michaelsrowland]

How has he changed our lives?

[@guitarkoo]

This is brilliant!!!! Just love him and love to watch video. Every single he plays the piano mame me tears. Im so lucky to watch and listen his music.

[@matrixseeker7911]

He makes it look so easy because he is a genius.

[@Arkdark_lm]

The Beatles for me is my childhood. It's an air. Paul's song are always good mood and the best daystart. The best of the best! With the Beatles you'll always be in a great shape.

[@cmclaren7]

Musicians make magic. I've never been able to play anything more than a record. Watching him play seems miraculous to me.