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The Complete Beatles Songbook vs The Beatles Complete Scores


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So, I know this is a specialized question in a generalized forum, it didn't seem to fit anywhere else, tell me if someplace else works better SO. :bor: I want to buy a book to play Beatles songs from for the PIANO. The two that seem to be most popular are in the title. Does anyone have experience with either and have any recommendations? Thank you! :)

 

http://books-videos-music.musiciansfriend.com/product/Hal-Leonard-The-Complete-Beatles-Volume-1-Piano-Vocal-Guitar-Songbook?sku=900900

 

http://books-videos-music.musiciansfriend.com/product/Hal-Leonard-The-Beatles-Complete-Scores-Book?sku=900655

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So, I know this is a specialized question in a generalized forum, it didn't seem to fit anywhere else, tell me if someplace else works better SO.
:bor:
I want to buy a book to play Beatles songs from for the PIANO. The two that seem to be most popular are in the title. Does anyone have experience with either and have any recommendations? Thank you!
:)

http://books-videos-music.musiciansfriend.com/product/Hal-Leonard-The-Complete-Beatles-Volume-1-Piano-Vocal-Guitar-Songbook?sku=900900


http://books-videos-music.musiciansfriend.com/product/Hal-Leonard-The-Beatles-Complete-Scores-Book?sku=900655

 

I previewed both books before purchasing. I own the Hal Leonard books, there are 2 volumes.

 

The Beatles Complete Scores is nice if you want to study the other parts going on in their songs. The Hal Leonard Edition is about getting you the songs in a very basic form: piano and vocals.

 

If you`re studying songwriting or just want to play their tunes, I would encourage you to get the Leonard Publishing. If you want a more in depth look at everything going on in their songs, get the Complete Scores.

 

Hope that helps.

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I owned both of those books.

 

Both are extremely useful. The Scores I found particularly fascinating, as it was amazing to see--- in black and white notes---- exactly what the Beatles had been doing on record all these years. It was especially interesting when the scores revealed to me that I had heretofore oversimplified a particular lick, and that it was actually more complex than I'd thought.

 

Especially, let's say, the bassline to "Drive My Car". It was when MCCartney (who'd been listening to the James Jamerson MOTOWN sides at the time) broke out and really delivered a melodic, "moving" bassline.

 

I did a full-blown MIDI sequence of "Drive My Car" as it was notated in those Scores. Really, it came out fantastic... I had 5 synched-up MIDI synths, each playing parts of the piece. Lastly, I had a VHM5 sequencing in the vocal harmonies of "Drive My Car". Kewl.

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I have it.

 

It is scores, in proper musical notation. If you are a real musician it's useful.... if all you read is tab, don't waste your $$$.

 

"The Beatles Complete Scores Book"


---> not one website which give a preview to an example how this notation and scores looks

 

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I owned both of those books.


Both are extremely useful. The Scores I found particularly fascinating, as it was amazing to see--- in black and white notes----
exactly what the Beatles had been doing on record all these years.
It was especially interesting when the scores revealed to me that I had heretofore
oversimplified
a particular lick, and that it was actually more complex than I'd thought.


Especially, let's say, the bassline to "Drive My Car". It was when MCCartney (who'd been listening to the James Jamerson MOTOWN sides at the time) broke out and really delivered a melodic, "moving" bassline.


I did a full-blown MIDI sequence of "Drive My Car" as it was notated in those Scores. Really, it came out fantastic... I had 5 synched-up MIDI synths, each playing parts of the piece. Lastly, I had a VHM5 sequencing in the vocal harmonies of "Drive My Car". Kewl.

 

As a Fab Four and sequencing dweeb, I find this fascinating. :thu:

 

It's funny to hear cover bands massacre Beatles tunes. The playing was not... "typical".

 

I was in the car humming the bass part to "I Saw Her Standing There" - sounds simple, but there are change ups all over the place. Sir Paul, while he did overplay at times, was one of the more successful guitarist turned bassists.

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As a Fab Four and sequencing dweeb, I find this fascinating.
:thu:

It's funny to hear cover bands massacre Beatles tunes. The playing was not... "typical".


I was in the car humming the bass part to "I Saw Her Standing There" - sounds simple, but there are change ups all over the place. Sir Paul, while he did overplay at times, was one of the more successful guitarist turned bassists.

 

One of the most interesting things about The Beatles... listening to Pauls playing. One of the most innovative bassists and for his time... wow.

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The Complete Scores is without doubt the most definitive work around but it is not without its errors and omissions, most notable being the opening chord to A Hard Day's Night (an understandable head scratcher). The contents are also transcribed by 4 different arrangers and all are not equal in their attention to detail. The printing is also small and hard to decipher at times when sitting at the piano and I've been known to copy a song of interest and print a blow up for the purposes of serious study. That being said, I believe it is a must have for serious study of The Beatles' songs.

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Bass players (excluding jazz) typically fall into two categories (speaking very very generally here)

 

A - those who enhance and support the rest of the action with relatively few notes, staying with the drummer and out of everyone else's way, like Entwhistle.

 

B - those who use the bass to make separate melodic statements and/or to lead the musical direction, provide the motor, like Jaco or Jack Bruce.

 

McCartney is almost unique in his ability to both support the other musical lines while making big melodic musical statements and driving the tune at the same time. There are certainly more funky, rhythmically interesting bass players than McCartney, but hardly any more "musical".

 

If McCartney's playing did tend to force any other player into a smaller role, it would be the drumming. So there was some logic in his sometimes overbearing control of Ringo's playing.....a more touchy, assertive drummer would probably have not lasted long.

 

At least seemz so t'me:)

 

nat whilk ii

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As a Fab Four and sequencing dweeb, I find this fascinating.
:thu:
.

 

This was before it became easy to do everything completely "in the box". Five sizeable pieces of hardware was the best I could do at that time. How times have changed!

 

 

I appreciate McCartney, for sure. But it's still Jamerson who draws gasps from me. His work on, say "Bernadette", "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and Diana Ross's version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

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So, I know this is a specialized question in a generalized forum, it didn't seem to fit anywhere else, tell me if someplace else works better SO.
:bor:
I want to buy a book to play Beatles songs from for the PIANO. The two that seem to be most popular are in the title. Does anyone have experience with either and have any recommendations? Thank you!
:)

http://books-videos-music.musiciansfriend.com/product/Hal-Leonard-The-Complete-Beatles-Volume-1-Piano-Vocal-Guitar-Songbook?sku=900900


http://books-videos-music.musiciansfriend.com/product/Hal-Leonard-The-Beatles-Complete-Scores-Book?sku=900655

 

I have the one the second link points to, it was given to me by my studio owner friend. PM me with an e-mail address if you'd like an example scanned from the book.

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