'Because' from Abbey Road is stunning. Great video, James.
@Oleg_K.
7 сағат бұрын
Phenomenal representation of harmony. Please do more analysis like these.
@wedspagonhimself7550
2 күн бұрын
No way, I’ve been looking into beatle harmonies lately and James has just made a video on it. Nice one again, you know exactly what we want. Keep it up James.
@JamesHargreavesGuitar
2 күн бұрын
Glad to hear it! Enjoy 👍👍
@PoogiebearP90
2 күн бұрын
Same here man the timing was perfect
@bitdropout
2 күн бұрын
The vocals in "Yes It Is" sound brilliant to me.
@trollvidde
2 күн бұрын
I know right? Bro is nitpicking or sum
@slidenaway
2 күн бұрын
i love that song, I have a good ear, and James is being weird about this. They sound incredible. Yeah it's not perfect but it's really freaking good
@slidenaway
2 күн бұрын
@@vincewhirlwind68 idk man, he spent all that time making a shitty version of it, and edited it with people holding their hands over their ears! I hope he WAS joking, but in that case I wish it had been clearer that it was a joke. That might've been funny I respect your take but as I think more, I think you're stretching lol
@fromchomleystreet
2 күн бұрын
He’s not being ironic, I’m afraid. He’s just being a person who isn’t tone deaf, and isn’t wearing rose-tinted fandom earmuffs. There are some really bum notes being sung in that recording. There just are. The Beatles, in common with the rest of humanity, were not infallible and thus, occasionally, had an off-day just like the rest of us.
@johng94x
Күн бұрын
One of them literally sings out of tune at around 8 seconds into the song. Not one of the Beatles finest attempts of harmonising.
@fromchomleystreet
2 күн бұрын
The key to singing harmony is chord tones. Know the notes that make up the chord you’re singing over at any given time and always be singing one of those, and you really can’t go wrong. Rather than thinking of a single seven note scale for the song as a whole, think about a new one for each new chord, where the root note of the chord is #1. The three most important numbers for the harmony singer are always going to be 1,3 and 5, the three notes that make up a triad. Unless it’s a diminished, augmented, or suspended chord, if you’re hitting one of those three (with respect to the particular CHORD, not the overall KEY), and it isn’t the same one the other singer is singing, you’re harmonizing. BUT… it’s important to note that this will inevitably mean that there will be times when one voice moves and another remains static. Thinking that you need to follow an identical arc, in parallel harmony, is what gets people in to trouble. If you remain exactly a third (or fourth, or fifth, or sixth, or whatever) above or below the other singer at every turn of the melody, slavishly following their arc, you’re inevitably going to be horribly out of tune with some of the chords. The space between the voices HAS TO grow and shrink unless you are performing a piece of music specifically composed with parallel harmony in mind. The vast majority of Beatles chords are, fundamentally, simple major and minor triads. They each have a root, a third (occasionally replaced by the second or fourth in a suspended chord) and a fifth. So, for the most part, you are always responsible for either the root, the third (or its substituted suspension as noted above), or the fifth. But you won’t always be responsible for the same one. On one chord the lead singer might be singing the fifth, and you the root above them. On the next chord, their note has now become the root, and so you now sing the third. In both cases, you’re singing the closest higher note that is also a chord tone, but because the distance between a fifth and the root above is larger than the space between a root and a third above, the space between the two vocal parts has changed. While there are obviously exceptions that are more complex, the basic job of the close harmony singer is to always be singing a note that is as close to the note the other singer is singing as possible, while also being a chord tone. If you follow that basic premise, your harmony can’t really fail.
@jimwalshonline9346
2 күн бұрын
Excellent job. You're right - the boys' harmonies, long overlooked, are a key part of their musical magic.
@BeatlesCentricUniverse
2 күн бұрын
Overlooked by whom?
@johnp515
20 сағат бұрын
Not overlooked whatsoever. Very famous for their harmonies.
@philipmcandrew
2 күн бұрын
fantastic lesson James...waiting for something like this for so long...really really well done.
@JamesHargreavesGuitar
2 күн бұрын
Cheers :)
@chrisgatesmusic
2 күн бұрын
BRILLIANT JOB JAMES!!!...BEST simplification & ease of communication I've seen..(maybe ever). Visual aids are perfect for those developing their ears. Harmony is always such a tricky subject for those that it doesn't come to naturally, & this smashes all the barricades. I'd LOVE (with your permission) to use this vid as an aid for my students, it is that good!! (obv sent directly to this vid, w full credits to you)
@chrisgatesmusic
2 күн бұрын
PS: Paul's high one on Lucy...bet that was a doozy!!
@JamesHargreavesGuitar
2 күн бұрын
Feel free to send it to your students 👍👍 glad you enjoyed it!
@chrisgatesmusic
Күн бұрын
@@JamesHargreavesGuitar CHEERS!!!...this is actually MEGA for them to get the"AH-HA" moment so much quicker & w ZERO need for the staff altogether! Putting the scale degrees to a midi scroll format as you did, not only makes midi clear, but most importantly, a perfect segue to PNO operation. Once compare how GTR barre chords keep gender/quality & Rt PNO triads change, but give all chords in the key, BOOM!!...they're off & writing their own songs immediately, w ZERO need for reading/writing the staff!!! You just made some VERY happy ppl!!!
@j0pj0p
2 күн бұрын
Love this. Clever way to present it too.
@JamesHargreavesGuitar
2 күн бұрын
Glad you liked it!
@ethanhood5304
2 күн бұрын
It’s so funny, I was in the car today listening to Abbey road and when “Because” came on I was thinking about how awesome the vocal harmonies were. Now I’m watching a video explaining it lol
@wishkahzyricks
2 күн бұрын
Thank you James. Such a nice video, could be an example for music KZitemrs: no clickbait or other BS, no beating around the bush for half a video, straight to the point which is explained and demonstrated with craft. I'm glad I found your channel, and I've been a subscriber ever since, and you don't disappoint. Great job!
@fromchomleystreet
2 күн бұрын
The “Because” example is a mystifying choice to illustrate countermelody where “all of them are singing something completely different, and are not locked to a pattern” With the exception of Paul’s embellishment at the end, which briefly puts a major sixth, then a seventh, then a ninth into what is essentially an F#minor chord, they are literally just arpeggiating triads in total lock-step with each other. Throughout the song, in fact, they remain rhythmically and harmonically locked together. With (again) a couple of very minor embellishments from Paul as the exceptions to the rule, they are totally “locked to a pattern”. They go up at the same time, they go down at the same time. In fact, the parallel motion of the three parts (*not literally parallel in the technical sense because the size of the intervals changes) is almost the defining quality of the harmony. It’s difficult to imagine how you could have chosen a worse example. If you want a good example of independent counterpoint, look at “Help” The idea that “Because” is the Beatles most complex harmony is frankly bizarre. The vocal harmony in “Drive my Car” is more complex. “Because” is a beautiful song, and the harmonies are impeccably sung and gorgeously recorded. It may be their best three-part harmony PERFORMANCE. But while some of the chord choices are interesting, the vocal arrangement in which they are rendered is really quite simple. They’re essentially just singing the composite parts of the chords, in a very straightforward manner.
@mikelistman5263
12 сағат бұрын
Yep...I concur!
@kastro99
2 күн бұрын
just what I've been looking for. thanks James!
@JamesHargreavesGuitar
2 күн бұрын
Very welcome 😎
@mp-kq3vc
2 күн бұрын
This was super informative, thanks.
@allanmcgroarty9925
2 күн бұрын
Great explanation, James.
@jayorag
2 күн бұрын
Thank you very much. This video is like the videos that show how amazing magic tricks are made. The magic doesn't fade away but you understand what's happening: double pleasure
@maryc6091
9 сағат бұрын
I really enjoyed that James. Thanks. 😀
@escureto
2 күн бұрын
Amazing mate, a lot of learning here!
@waldronjb2001
Күн бұрын
This is so helpful James. Im in bad with female singer and been struggling to get harmony right on some songs. Excited now to try it out 👍 will thank you when we're headlining Glastonbury 🤣🤣🤣
@edmundlubega9647
2 күн бұрын
I never realised this needed explanation. However, still a very interesting video tutorial
@vincenthill8303
2 күн бұрын
Brilliant video, so well explained.
@Flukey_1970
2 күн бұрын
Pure musical genius
@paulsawtell3991
17 сағат бұрын
Er not really. If you want vocal harmonic 'genius' go to Singers Unlimited.
@jefflikeusual20
2 күн бұрын
Doing Beatles harmonies are worlds easier than Beach Boys harmonies, especially from the Smile era. 😅
@BeatlesCentricUniverse
2 күн бұрын
Just making that statement shows you haven't listened to many Beatles harmonies.
@jefflikeusual20
Күн бұрын
@@BeatlesCentricUniverse I’m a big Beatles fan and I’m certainly not denying their brilliance. Faultless, in fact.
@greenchannel2114
2 күн бұрын
Great vid James, really interesting
@JamesHargreavesGuitar
2 күн бұрын
Thanks 👍😎🎸
@WaitingForTheHook
2 күн бұрын
The Yes It Is harmony sounds fine, though? What?
@trollvidde
2 күн бұрын
The yes it is slander is crazy
@johng94x
Күн бұрын
No it's not have you actually heard the song? They absolutely are singing out of tune some or the time. It was a really bad attempt at harmonising for The Beatles standards.
@trollvidde
Күн бұрын
@@johng94x yes ive heard the song. You come across as a total dick by the way.
@ThisBirdHasFlown
23 сағат бұрын
@@johng94x so? Being out of tune here and there doesn't wreck an entire song.
@leonardohonorato3652
17 сағат бұрын
The problem with this song is that John wrote a melody that doesn't fit into the chords, then the harmonies had to do some weird patterns to harmonize. Nothing wrong with that, just add some colors and movement to it.
@fromchomleystreet
15 сағат бұрын
@@leonardohonorato3652 John’s melody works fine with the chords. The culprit here is George, as it usually was when their early attempts at three part harmony occasionally went a bit pear-shaped. Within the first ten seconds of “Yes it is”, he sings a horribly dissonant F natural over an F#minor chord.
@CasparThomasMagic
2 күн бұрын
Superbly explained insight as always for musical laymen like me.
@kempcky
Күн бұрын
Loved this video! Cheers from the US! - Ryan
@ADJ1.1
2 күн бұрын
Really helpful video. I'm putting down some vocals next week. Cheers 👍
@jayorag
2 күн бұрын
May I ask how is Baby's In black harmonized? I don't know why, but it's absolutely satisfying to my ears. When I "sing" 😅 it, I think sometimes I'm singing John's part and sometimes Paul's The same goes for Every Little Thing: I've just listened to a John Lennon's impersonator singing it solo and I can't help thinking, in the chorus, "man, what are you doing? That's not ELT!" I think I "sing"John's verse and Paul's chorus
@josephlambert5413
2 күн бұрын
The harmony techneek I find very good is the one in Brown Sugar by the Stones. The lead vocalist sings the melody, then the other vocalist sings another one that gives the different melody that the harmony is charachterised of. It’s the one I understood realizing it and it’s the basic one I use all the time. And it’s a very basic harmonizing thing.
@Rogerbiggelsworh
Күн бұрын
Nice man. How people harmonise without following anothers melody line well thats something
@JoeByrne-kj9rn
Күн бұрын
Excellent video. Nice one
@trevsblog
2 күн бұрын
Great video! Fair play this must have taken ages to edit 😅
@JamesHargreavesGuitar
2 күн бұрын
Days haha
@beatxt
Күн бұрын
Brilliant! Howard Goodall couldn't have done it better. (Did you do it all without any pitch correction ? 🙃 )
@johnsinclair2038
2 күн бұрын
What a great video.!
@JamesHargreavesGuitar
2 күн бұрын
Thank you!
@tombassi
2 күн бұрын
Thanks James
@CRESCOCHANNEL
2 күн бұрын
Thank you! Beautiful video! 😺
@RobertHutchinson398
2 күн бұрын
Great video James
@JamesHargreavesGuitar
2 күн бұрын
Cheers Rob
@wamgoc
2 күн бұрын
Brilliant! 👏👏👏
@captaincrumpet5558
Күн бұрын
Hey James do you do think you could do a video on Heathen Chemistry and it's reception both with fans and the band a general retrospective?
@roystonsbailey
2 күн бұрын
Great work
@6stringfool759
Күн бұрын
Great vid, thanks!
@WillStephensArt
2 күн бұрын
James has top tastes 🤘
@billygraham5589
3 сағат бұрын
Beatles, Beach Boys, Three Dog Night, and so many others, it Wes their vocals that made them famous. Well, that and catchy tunes,
@juhasalo6738
18 сағат бұрын
Sorry, you are wrong about Yes it is. It was meant to be like that. The harmonies are sometimes so close to each other that it sounds dissonant - but great!
@psw1976
Күн бұрын
That was great , really interesting one as I'm mad on melody . Surprised you never used this boy or baby's in black as an example , bib has been talked about particularly because of the two different melodies Paul n John sang and they both said it was a song they were very proud of
@mikelistman5263
11 сағат бұрын
"That boy" is lovely, although it's mostly an example of parallel harmonizing, outside of a few individual embellishments (probably Paul...?).
@fromchomleystreet
9 сағат бұрын
@@mikelistman5263 Got to disagree with you about “That Boy”. It’s always the first example that springs to mind for me when the subject of bad Beatles harmonies comes up. I’m not sure what they thought they were going for with the dissonances in that arrangement, if it is indeed the conscious arrangement and not just someone not quite nailing the note that they’re going for (it may be a combination of both), but to my ear it makes everything but the bridge sound like nails on a chalkboard. I actually think it’s a good example of what happens when your focus is on slavishly following the arc of the lead vocal without due regard to chord tones.
@YBDownsta
2 күн бұрын
Easily my favourite part of beatles songs
@LeoGladmanMusic.
2 күн бұрын
Great video
@Theactivepsychos
2 күн бұрын
How did you get the lyrics to nowhere man wrong 😂 Great video though. I sat and did this for one of our songs recently and it took me so long until I saw the obvious pattern 😂
@JamesHargreavesGuitar
2 күн бұрын
Tell you what there's some screw up on literally every video hahahaha I went through all the numbers this time, fastidiously. Of course, the screw up this time was a lyric. Damn it.
@Theactivepsychos
2 күн бұрын
@@JamesHargreavesGuitarI bet there was a little eyelid twitch as you did it you ignored 😂
@mikelistman5263
12 сағат бұрын
I don't really think the Beatles were that far off in "Yes it is"...a confounding factor is Harrison's use (lovely, IMHO) of harmonics and the guitar "violin" effect, where you pick a note at zero volume then quickly turn the volume knob up so that the note rises without the percussive plucking sound...I think some of those notes are just slightly off. Gonna try and find and listen to the isolated vocal tracks, to check this theory. In any case, it's a tough, tight harmony they're reaching for, in this song.
@mikelistman5263
12 сағат бұрын
kzitem.info/news/bejne/x2ipuI5mfp6anYosi=o2CAd_j_8soAXMNJ Here's the isolated vocal track...pretty darn good, I reckon!
@fromchomleystreet
10 сағат бұрын
There’s one particular really awful note sung by George, but it happens every time the same part of the song returns. It happens within the first ten seconds of the song. He plainly sings an F natural over an F#minor chord. It’s bizarre.
@otimashistorias7076
Күн бұрын
Make more videos like this of other Beatles songs
@Beefcake3853
2 күн бұрын
Is that you singing?? Very nice
@veganaiZe
Күн бұрын
Sick.
@halcooper3070
2 күн бұрын
There was a stinky low note in nowhere man. :) not stinky as in off key, just not the harmony line. As you note , rules are to be broken
@JamesHargreavesGuitar
2 күн бұрын
Hahahaha you may have noticed a (admittedly pretty small) disclaimer in the bottom right of the screen on that one... I did change it a tiny bit for the sake of illustrating the technique. But well spotted all the same 👍
@kevinmccusker1463
2 күн бұрын
Anybody else notice when all 3 Melodie’s in because are combined they create the single note technique as well? Wonder did the Beatles know this?
@marksomething
2 күн бұрын
5:30 the beach boys did a similar thing to this but would add an extra G on top
@BeatlesCentricUniverse
2 күн бұрын
Except the Beach Boys always sound like a nightmare, and the Beatles are gods.
@marksomething
2 күн бұрын
@@BeatlesCentricUniverse the Beatles aren't gods,most of the musical techniques that they "invented" was taken from other artists
@marksomething
2 күн бұрын
@@BeatlesCentricUniverse also,if you think God only knows sounds like a nightmare,you might need to get your ears checked
@BeatlesCentricUniverse
Күн бұрын
@marksomething God Only Knows is indeed one of the greatest songs ever. Wouldn't It Be Nice and Good Vibrations are absolute masterpieces. Dozens and dozens of other BB songs are mediocre as best, if not outright bad.
@BeatlesCentricUniverse
Күн бұрын
@marksomething "...most of the musical techniques that they 'invented' [were] taken from other artists." That's hilarious considering your beloved early BBs 100% ripped off ol' Chuck Berry repeatedly, note-for-note and phrase-by-phrase. Try again 😆
@brianjames5685
2 күн бұрын
Or the tune to the kids show "Rainbow". If that's too rock and roll then dexy's is cool too.
@sinenkaari5477
Күн бұрын
Next How to harmonize like Beach Boys / Brian Wilson
@kuran84
10 сағат бұрын
Yes it is is my fav song man did…you just…
@jeremymr
2 күн бұрын
Yes It Is sounds harmonious to my ears! 6:20 does not, however 😆
@Joeelkins.
2 күн бұрын
Or, watch spinal tap at Elvis grave scene 😅😅
@Pmfried
2 күн бұрын
Ummm. It's ".......SITTING in his nowhere land."
@nedjowann
2 күн бұрын
changes throughout the song
@Theactivepsychos
2 күн бұрын
@@nedjowannnope. He says the line twice both times being _sitting_
@kevino4372
2 күн бұрын
If I fell doesn't sound bad
@kencory2476
7 сағат бұрын
First and foremost, trust your ears.
@brianjames5685
2 күн бұрын
Does anybody in England not have a stinking cold right now?
@josephlambert5413
2 күн бұрын
They got it from The Everly Brothers. And the Everly Brothers are better sounding I find.
@BeatlesCentricUniverse
2 күн бұрын
Yes, they were influenced by them. But the blending of Lennon and McCartney's voices is magical.
@josephlambert5413
2 күн бұрын
I discovered the Everly Brothers in a charity shop, they were playing « this little girl of mine » and I thought, they’re like the Beatles. It turns out it’s the other way around.
@APMTenants
2 күн бұрын
*HARMONIZE
@kevino4372
2 күн бұрын
Lennon could hit the high A no problem most of the time
@ThisBirdHasFlown
Күн бұрын
Yes It Is sounds great, though. Very dissonant song, especially that bit in the chorus.
@paulsawtell3991
17 сағат бұрын
There is far more interesting music to talk harmonies about.
@raystaar
7 сағат бұрын
'Yes It Is' is not as discordant as you make out. True, there are a few clunkers, but the song does not deserve the mockery you've heaped on it. When you've made a record as original and as good as 'Yes It Is,,' get back to me.
@ChuckNoland-p2c
2 күн бұрын
They suck.
@nedjowann
2 күн бұрын
alr dude
@trollvidde
2 күн бұрын
God made you the man to judge
@BeatlesCentricUniverse
2 күн бұрын
ChuckNoland-2pc Your comment indicates an extreme lack of insight and basic brain functioning.
@Gorilla7738
Күн бұрын
Nah
@ChuckNoland-p2c
Күн бұрын
@@Gorilla7738 The most overrated band ever. Herd mentality
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