Why The Beatles' 'Yesterday' is a MASTERCLASS in songwriting

Why is Yesterday such a brilliant song? Here's why Paul McCartney is such a genius mind!
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Atkin - The Forty Seven
0:00 The song we all know
0:42 The first phrase
2:04 The melody
3:07 Second phrase
4:40 Turnaround
5:32 The mystery flat note
6:51 The wrong key?
7:52 Acoustic Adventure
8:40 Chorus phrase 1
9:55 Chorus phrase 2
11:00 One more time!
11:35 The perfect song
Hi, my name is Paul Davids! I am a guitar player, teacher, producer, and overall music enthusiast from the Netherlands! I try to inspire people from all over the world with my videos, here on KZbin.
If you want to know more about me, check out PaulDavidsGuitar.com or check out my guitar courses at: learnpracticeplay.com and nextlevelplaying.com, and acousticadventure.com
Thank you for watching!
Paul
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[@RC32Smiths01]

I always find the Beatles' more vulnerable and slow songs to be a true testament to their songwriting. Material like Yesterday, Something, and Don't Let Me Down show that they never lost their roots back from their first album. Cheers

[@andocobo]

Mother nature’s son is one of my favourite songs - it’s just so beautiful

[@tompoynton]

She’s Leaving Home

[@LuckeGabriel]

I'd argue their early work didn't contain anything near the quality of those songs you've named.

[@tenzing2090]

For no one, In my life

[@tenzing2090]

​@@LuckeGabrielExactly. Not sure what the comment was all about.

[@Orwell_2984]

One of the most beautiful melodies in rock history.

[@Mmmzzzt]

The most beautiful

[@Mrbeatles1991]

I would say that it is one of the most beautiful melodies that have been composed in the history of music. McCartney, as a melody creator, can compete with the greatest of all time.

[@nathanmiller2982]

Sadly they did not write it.

[@championhairpuller]

Always mind-blowing when I think of how young the Beatles were when writing so many masterpieces.

[@schuckdaddy1318]

They broke up before any of them were 30. Just ridiculous

[@BT405]

@@schuckdaddy1318 and George was only 26 by the time it was all over, honestly mindblowing

[@guyjerry]

Right?! Paul was only 21 when he first wrote this masterpiece, 22 when it was completed. It’s seriously unfathomable

[@sean2520]

Less so when you consider they had classically trained George Martin helping them. Even less so when you consider the melody of Yesterday is basically an old Neapolitan song

[@BT405]

@@sean2520 As if plenty of other producers didn't also have a great understanding of music? The Beatles were lucky to have George but he was lucky to have them as well. Let's not make this a competition of who has the most help for success like this is some sports debate.

[@rome8180]

Paul has so many perfect chord progressions I honestly couldn't guess which this would be before I watched the video. I would nominate "Michelle," "Penny Lane," and "Blackbird" as also having perfect chord progressions. That's just to name a few that I think are particularly elegant and creative.

[@B.R.0101]

Also Martha My Dear for me has a perfect chord progression

[@andyramone]

'Here, There And Everywhere' is the first one I thought of seeing the title of the video.

[@petermacmillan6756]

Some of the simplest sounding ones are fascinating. The chords (and the way they're voiced on the guitar) of "Two of Us" are surprisingly complicated, and John and Paul play different chords that compliment each other, Paul sings the verses and high harmony, and there are lots of time signature changes (4/4, 2/4/ 3/4). But it seems utterly natural. The picking on "Mother Nature's Son" is hard to replicate because there are subtle changes in how he plays the chords and arpeggios that you have to study to get right. Paul, John, and george are underrated as guitar players even after 60 years. They rarely turn up at the top of "best guitarist" lists, but I think they should be.

[@sinatra222]

Also, "I'm Looking Through You" and "I'll Follow The Sun" have great chord progressions.

[@zBeeKing]

I really love these song deconstruction videos. Understanding why I love certain parts and progressions to my favorite songs is probably the single most enjoyable aspect of my guitar journey these days. I've known how to play this song for years, but sitting down early in the morning with my coffee, picking up my guitar, and just following along with you while you breakdown and analyze the song, part by part, is really fun and special for me. Keep up the great work and thanks for the video.

[@carlbaumeister3439]

Another hallmark of McCartney is while he’s playing chords primarily under his songs, he puts in little snippets of melody on the instrument. Not too much, just enough to accentuate in certain spots of the song. You hear this in certain piano-based songs of his, such as Hey Jude and the Long and Winding Road.

[@JesusVazquez-jz2qm]

And I've learned a lot about sonwriting and composition with that! The Beatles still surprise me with so many little subtile details in their songs!

[@gandalf8216]

I think it's the bass player in him, writing songs with a precise mindset around tonalities and harmonic locality. That just enough, melodic but at the same time minimalist approach to framing a song.

[@carlbaumeister3439]

@@gandalf8216 Excellent point.

[@r0bshaw]

Brilliant, fascinating and fantastically well explained. Thanks Paul. Both Pauls! The fact that a 23 year old wrote this instinctively with zero formal music training or academic knowledge is astounding. There'll be no one like him again. I'm sure of it.

[@rainscratch]

Don't forget George Martin's influence.

[@mrSam3ooo]

yeah thinking about the Beatles' ages when they wrote these songs never fails to blow my mind

[@ChidOki]

Great timing on this video, I just watched the film Yesterday again with my wife a few nights ago and it always sends me on a Beatles revival, they’re all I’ve been listening to the last few days!

[@SCDfamily]

McCartney has instinctively written his music to be great pop songs. In my opinion, best pop songwriter of my generation.

[@Gefionius]

Always nice to hear you break down such a seemingly simple and beautiful song

[@tommytorres]

you have a gift for explaining things so clearly. thanks for all your videos.

[@leokimvideo]

Mind Blowing

[@nimamoradi2660]

I love that warm place that you have in background

[@odysamadara3456]

Would be great to watch you play this whole beattle's song at the end of your video🙏

[@zingbopdelux]

... one of the best "feel good" to enjoy! ... Thanks Paul, and Paul!!!

[@m444ss]

i can vouch for the acoustic guitar course. well worth the effort

[@clipsmasterproductions7479]

So good! Thank you, Paul. Your videos are always so fun, comfy, and fascinating. :)

[@Kahuna54]

I’m honestly amazed at the song writing from Paul and John and eventually George and how great they were. I think the best was Paul evidenced by his continued success. It’s a shame John’s life was cut short, who knows what he might have done. And for George as well. Rest in Peace you two.

[@jimmcdougall9973]

A great example of a superb melody, with the guitar playing basic chords in and around it. The days when we could whistle the tunes on the radio. Nice video Paul. Thank you.

[@julian65886]

The isolated voice of Paul gives chills to my spine!

[@mrSam3ooo]

content aside, which is great, i love the style of your videos. No unecessarily long intro, not arduous overexplaining, just straight to the point while effortlessly explaining the key points you want to bring across. Always a pleasant watch!!

[@b1j]

Yes, it is beautiful. Thank you, Paul(s).

[@TheRyguy79]

I have loved this song since early childhood but never tried to learn it. Thanks for breaking it down. Had the pleasure of seeing Sir Paul play it live in 1990.

[@CWb2006gl]

Hi Ray. 👋 I thought so. Mum told me of her trips to her grandmother in lower Bebington, near Liverpool, to see Paul as a child. My grandfather took me to St Andrews, Gretna Green, and my dad took us for a holiday to Kintyre, where Paul and Linda lived. The food in the local hotel near Paul's house was fantastic. I tried to get my daughter interested in guitar. I think it would be a good way to relax.

[@SimonT54]

Great video Paul! Hope the family is well!

[@tedtedguitar]

Your videos are TOP notch man. Well done

[@mrlukejanthony]

Top notch content once again, Mr Davids!

[@GaragebandandBeyond]

This was really awesome. Great work!

[@Mdimanaarman2022-tu7zu]

OOO yesterday is my favourite song for all time. Great bro 😀😀

[@Or-Saar]

Great video my friend. Highly accurate information! Thank you!❤

[@m444ss]

love the analysis/explanation

[@itaintmebabe714]

Great video and great acoustic style choice (double slope shoulder) for Yesterday

[@FelAlvCoi]

The best analysis of this great tune I could find in many years searching. Was great for me to tune down and play in the original key. I used it as a lesson to relearn the tune taking care of the details.

[@anthonyvetranomusic]

Impeccable video! Shows how great of a melody writer McCartney is, when he talks about writing music I always get the idea he was primarily a "melody-first" writer, so he had the melody already and just had to work out chords to go underneath to support it, the opposite of how a lot of people are taught and how pop is written today. So in the end I feel like it's actually the melody that dictates the chords, and that pretty much all legendary songs were written this way too.

[@grandadslads1911]

This is undoubtably the case. He’s told the story a few times of how he woke up with the melody one morning and quickly recorded his voice singing it, to the words “scrambled eggs, etc”. Then he went to various friends houses that morning, including John, asking if they’d ever heard the melody and they said they hadn’t. It took Paul a year of jumping in and out of the raw song, before he finished it while on holiday in Portugal.

[@donaldgardner849]

Really well presented and explained!

[@Lynx-iu2de]

Always a good day when Paul Davids uploads!

[@treborretlaw]

Yesterday is one of the songs, that was so overexposed when I was young, that hardly anyone ever mentioned it in the last 15 years. I think it will soon have a comeback as a top level masterpiece!

[@wtorules4743]

Great video. The Beatles songbook is so popular for beginner guitarists due to those incredible melodies often over relatively easy guitar chords that make you sound amazing right away. The magic is in the songwriting. Beautiful.

[@jeremyversusjazz]

Fascinating about paul singing the yester “dayyyy” down a semitone…just a natural musical genius.

[@bezi_ley1952]

keep up uploading such great videos

[@wizofoz0605]

It has never occurred to me till watching this excellent video of the connection between Yesterday and Blackbird. Written within a short space of time from each other, both feature the ascending melody with descending bass. It really shone out when Paul played that section. What genius, to have this melody appear in your mind, fully formed, while asleep. What talent to write the words and find the chord voicings to compliment it. One of the greatest songs ever written.

[@emrsngs]

I always learn so much when I listen to you. When I tune my uke by ear, to me it sounds better but my tuner says I'm flat. Now I know why. Thank you.

[@christianlacheze3323]

Thank you so much for explaining Yesterday We would never have found out if you had not told us

[@josiahkierstead1499]

I love that Paul uses the shapes of the chords to say what key they’re in. I do that a lot. A song will be in Bb and I’ll say either capo 3 G shapes or capo one A shapes

[@hugmelol]

I'm currently learning this song, perfect timing

[@graemeess]

I thought it was just me who could hear flat noted tuning as someting to be loved, thank you, great video!

[@jmoorecareers]

Beautiful. Thank you!

[@pairof_ls7141]

I can’t tell what’s better. The Beatles coming out w songs like this in a time where nobody could. Or you(Paul David’s) having one of the best FREE guitar lesson KZbin Channels I’ve ever seen. Thanks for letting us see these methods the way you do.

[@ling-liwaniprimo6723]

Yes, mr Davids in short span of time Beatles created different tunes and chord progressions, their uniqueness couldn't be matched...they are the greatest ..your subscriber here, primo Castro from philippines

[@bulatbudaev]

Paul! You are amazing!

[@jguilhermebarone6363]

Brilliant harmonic aprouch! Many thanks!

[@glamslam08]

Amazing explanation ! Apparently Paul came up with part of the melody in his sleep for this song ☺️ even more magical

[@paulodacunha8781]

Great video Paul

[@NewLifeWithGuitar]

This is awesome. I only started learning guitar about 9 weeks ago & I'm documenting my entire learning journey on here so this was super motivational! It was actually a visit to Liverpool just a few months ago that helped inspire me. Nice one Paul.

[@noahorellana]

Nice one Paul. McCartney or Davids?

[@NewLifeWithGuitar]

@@noahorellana Haha both Paul's..!!

[@pistolp01]

Wow.... for someone just learning to play, you've sure taken the high road. I've been playing a long, long time and every moment, I learn something new. I hope you post your journey, for all of us to see and enjoy, with you.

[@NewLifeWithGuitar]

@@pistolp01 Haha thanks so much... I can already see after just 10 weeks that we can be learning & improving on this instrument forever if we choose to do so...! Loving the journey so far!

[@pistolp01]

@@NewLifeWithGuitar I still vaguely remember my first learning experience with guitar. When I started you would just learn from friends by picking their brains and technique. Now, today, it's just crazy with all the incredible input. My first big achievement was learning, Needle and the Damage Done, by Neil Young. This was from a buddy who taught it to me, note for note, exactly like Neil played it. Very tough, I was about 4 months in, but there were times I'd play 10 hours a day... talk about sore fingers. I think the thing that always drove me mad, was everytime I finally thought I was the shit, someone would come along and put me back in my place. LOL Like you said and all of us know, we never stop learning. Good luck and pretty soon those calloused fingers feel no pain. I looked at your channel and you're making good progress. You may want to throw in an extra hour a few times a week, but we all have our own pace. Good luck.

[@metricdeep8856]

You so easily could be the next David Attenborough. You really have an ease and peaceful elegance to your voice. I surely can't be the first to say this. You have a voice for money.

[@deltonhedges9476]

Love your stuff!!

[@sarahbethcohen2864]

Thanks, Pauls (Davids and McCartney).

[@MarkACroft]

This is great! I liked the combination of theory and demo in this classic tune. ii V I. But with cool additions...

[@loveguitarmusicchords]

Great chord progression, Great Stuff.

[@uripmargono946]

Thank Pauls!

[@jamesschaeffer1770]

Brilliant analysis. I especially love the acknowledgement of the third of a chord being sharp in equal temperament tuning and it sounding better being "flat."

[@ccelik97]

Well to be honest while I'm playing if any of my guitar's strings go out of tune and/but either because of the composition of the piece or any playing style differences it prompts in me it still sounds good, I keep it that way until it doesn't anymore xd. If cheesiness is allowed, then "let the guitar sing its own tune a little" I mean.

[@BigBri550]

7:30 Try playing it in F standard tuning. I've tried playing it both D tuned, and non-transposed. F standard sounds best, and it is still how I would opt to play it today.

[@Gerkozielman]

Very nice explanation And what a clever way to tune it one step down to avoid the copyright !!

[@arifq123]

Brilliant! Just great.

[@psatse]

Funny, just played it again today and now I can enjoy your new Video. Good day.

[@simonet.1303]

wonderful song, and excellent video !!

[@random275]

Hi Paul - I love looking at your in detail diagnostics of Pauls song from 58 years ago ! you have analysed and exposed what Paul played naturally to him at the time.. It just shows what a talent he has and you have explained well what came naturally to Paul at all that time ago. Big respect to both of you.. Cheers Phil

[@R.Akerman-oz1tf]

I think We all would want an instructor as Mr Davids. His family is charmed.

[@KieTheCreatingOne]

Love the Beatles, love their music, love Paul Davids, what a perfect watch, cheers

[@commoneuropeanstarling]

Beautifully analysed.

[@jamesthompson2702]

Excellent! Most people don't realize the musical genius of Paul!!

[@paulnovak833]

Is this a sarcastic comment? I hope so

[@jamesthompson2702]

Nope, a true statement. I was once talking about music with someone under thirty five and they said, "Who's Paul McCartney?" Many younger people have never heard the name, let alone know much about musical history!. @@paulnovak833

[@victorsuarez3]

Ya think?

[@Kieran.Net_]

He’s only hailed as the greatest songwriter of the 20th century

[@jamesthompson2702]

@@Kieran.Net_ Sadly, most people I have spoken to under the age of 30 have no idea who he is.

[@Guitarclick]

Thanks for this video! but after all this great detailed video I think he wrote very intuitively, and This is the real magic :)

[@DLT1964]

Nice to see you playing an Alistair Atkin. Beautiful guitars from a great bloke.

[@RRBass]

Beautiful song!

[@Hel0jen]

LOVE the video. Also LOVE the shirt - may I ask where you got it from?

[@theonlinedancer8308]

Zo’n eenvoudig nummer, zo ingewikkeld ..

[@Mahdi_ddA]

I love your song and solo in blind i play with my guitar that song every day with my guitar 🌞🌟⭐⭐🌞🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@TomMassiah]

Paul, I would love to see a video you examining "Here, There and Everywhere"

[@SteveGovern]

Paul - YOU are the genius sir n

[@madsenamplification]

Great video!

[@deansongs]

Sir, you are a genius, and thank you

[@willgalison]

Love your stuff. You didn't mention the important fact that the A sections are 6 measure phrases which is extremely rare in pop music, and makes Yesterday a bit challenging to improvise over.

[@R.Akerman-oz1tf]

Something else, Mr Lennon loved His B string a little flat. Seems to work alright.

[@MrChopsticktech]

@@R.Akerman-oz1tf John didn't seem to work alright. :p

[@R.Akerman-oz1tf]

Even John's self-rebuked songs meant a lot.@@MrChopsticktech

[@ewest14]

@@R.Akerman-oz1tfJohn didn’t play on this song

[@R.Akerman-oz1tf]

Well; define "Play".@@ewest14

[@chongrilee]

Whats even crazier is the fact that all of this just manifested spontaneously in his dream. Unbelievable talent.

[@johnmalcolm9980]

after having played Georgia on my Mind for years.

[@ericwilliams626]

I always start with theme and lyrics and the first verse says it all. 1 word three syllables next three lines basically 9 syllables per line. So its a construction of what a three syllable thematic word, then the melody runs of the 9 syllable lines after that for each verse. Suddenly takes the next verse. Nice structure to understand why things work from words to melody.

[@iaminbetweendays]

Thank you.

[@Richi42]

always a cool and good vidéo here! :) 👍

[@fuze59]

I love this video. Its so nice.

[@alanpritchard5709]

Always wanted to play a guitar (any type) but just never got around to doing it in my life. I'm now 64 and still love listening to the instrument. Listening to the terminology Mr Davids uses in this video leaves me completely baffled! He may as well be talking in Mandarin Chinese! It was educational to say the least, but waaaay above my comprehension. Brilliant song, brilliant break-down of the song chords, brilliant video. (I'm now off to study a much less brain-taxing subject, like 'rocket-science' or 'open heart surgical procedures')

[@CabbageMan23]

Please keep these chord progression study lessons coming. Learning way more than following blindly.

[@johnmaloney1681]

Great video Paul, very much appreciated! Theory is a big scary, confusing ,and confounding proposition for some, and they understandingly avoid it. But my mind won't allow that. I'm compelled to try to understand what's going on. Still, with a song of this complexity, it's difficult to understand exactly what's happening harmonically. So I find this type of analysis to be fantastic as it's true "theory in practice'". I've always considering McCartney to be the king of melody, but wow, those chords are so tasty - just beautiful.

[@sylviojr]

And to think it all came in a dream to him. Like a gift from the sky.

[@Gryffindor8]

Great video! Would love a blackbird breakdown!

[@otto5378]

I bought Acoustic Adventure, really enjoying it.

[@AlexMusicOvery]

Very interesting :) great video as always :)

[@stevec-b6214]

timeless. what an achievement, to write down something that will never age.

[@EddyGHendrickx]

Great video as always! I'm waiting for you to do a similar video on 'Her Majesty'!

[@alessiomancini2749]

Awesome, we all love these Beatles' classics! Apparently, he dreamt about the melody, woke up and quickly wrote it down; the next day he wandered playing it to several people he was working with to see if he involuntary committed plagiarism (he was not). Thanks for sharing Paul! Ps I am currently following your Acoustic Adventure course and I am loving it: the fingerpicking lessons drastically changed both my way of playing and listening to music... once you learn to ear those continuous basses you never go back... speaking of which: Paul, I would really love to see you breaking down some of Robert Johnson's songs: the way he played the blues definitely shaped the way we see the instrument nowadays, and nobody's making a video on it!!! Have a wonderful day, and thanks for sharing! Cheers ☀️

[@cobecio]

The string movement highlighted at 5:10 is basically Somebody Made for Me by Emitt Rhodes

[@jamesrmorris1952]

He does the chromatic run in blackbird too, fantastic

[@martmakesmusic]

I just found out about this movie called yesterday..and while watching it suddenly this video pops up...your scaring me paul

[@toothbrush4022]

I love these videos. Your musical knowledge is to be aspired to. It would be interesting to know if Paul really thought through the musical theory of it, in the manner you described. Seems like he just knows what sounds good and plays what he likes. Doesn't matter though. Beautiful song, and you give it all its due. Thank you for the videos!!

[@67Pepper]

Probably not. I'd say there's more than a 90% chance he wasn't thinking about "theory" when he put the song together, just watch interviews where he admits he writes with his musical instinct. He fairly recently did a long interview with Rick Rubin you should check out. They go through and analyze a bit about their song writing. It's on KZbin, originally done for Hulu.

[@christianm624]

very nice vid! But the T-Shirt you got there looks so comfy... i want that too

[@RichSzerman]

The 1st chord sounded on yesterday is both the same and played in thw same style as the start of Day in the life. Thanks for the interesting analysis