If you would like to learn how to play scales, chords and arpeggios in a quick, fun and accessible way, download my piano finger guides at this link: stan.store/martinfinnmusic
That's because it is. Paul's genius as a musician is his ability to maximize what he can do to make the simple sound complex. He's not a highly skilled player, but he's a very good player. He has such great feel and his chord progressions are beautiful.
So inspiring! I always wanted to learn the piano since a young girl. I used to beg and cry myself to sleep because I ALWAYS got the answer "no". My mother who I did love dearly, my dad too but he never involved himself much in us kids.~~ she always said " we can't afford it" . Id ask if I could take lesson's in school, they were offering kids to learn FREE at school~~ my mom would say " you would have nothing to practice on, we can't afford to buy a piano. I used to THINK, would nevrr say, it ti them but " yeah, but you both can afford cigarettes and go buy your liquor in Tijuana every month. Id just go cry & cry I wanted to learn so bad. They did buy me a little 6 chord electric organ one Christmas, and Id bang all kinds of songs out ' by ear"...Im so gkad I had that but it wasn't the same at all. Id go over to 2 friends house's when they would take piano lessons. The teacherswouldd hear me and think I was taking lessons, and Id say no, my parent's say no. The piano teachers were flabbergasted, they both said, " Well sweetheart, you should take lessons, omg, you have such an ear for piano "!!!! Then life, career, marriage, children all kept ne busy. Both children never asked to play an instrument ~ they would have got to in a heartbeat! Now, Im alone, lost my wonderful husband inly 55, healthy the best guy in the world. He had a fatal fall to his head, brain stem, sounal cord contusion 35 years of marriage over in 1 night. Thst was 13 years ago. Its just me & my white Labrador boy 2.5 years old. Guess what, I BOUGHT A PIANO at 72 years young!!! Im getting all my piano books out ( yes, I bought piano instruction books, just to havein case 1 day I could use them!)~~~ well I HAVE!! I just watched this inspiring video!!! Paul McCartney can't read music but he can play piano~~ that gives me mega hope!!!!!!!! Thank you~~ my reply is very long, think 8 needed to vent a little! K, off to the " black & whites"!!!!🥰🎵🎶🎹
Thank you for sharing this! I was so interested to read your story. I'm sure it is true for so many. How great that you kept your dream alive for all of these years. It really is never too late. I'm going to give you a gift to get you started. Just email me at martfinn@gmail.com and I will send you my finger guides for free!
@@2msvalkyrie529 Thank you so much for responding!!! I just re-learned my very first song I taught myself 50 years ago~~~ "THE SWAN" Such a beautiful piece!
he couldnt read sheet music but its silly to think he didnt know any theory atleast on an applied level, his father was a great piano player so its no wonder
@@Brian-Hausheer Did I say he knew nothing about music "theory"? No. But in the group's case, he and they learned chords, and they took it from there. I've listened to music all my life....doesn't mean I can pick up a guitar and play it.
And “Maybe I am amazed” would fit the slow rock style 🙂
7 месяцев назад
McCartney's approach at piano was my music college. Not fully complex but with little intricacies here and there. He imprints a great playing style on his songs. Also his drumming, key to his solo sound.
McCartney should be a beacon to anyone learning more than one instrument. My sister took piano lessons for YEARS... but now she can only kinda sight read... it was certainly not a waste of time... but she should have been taught chords and music theory. Bass playing anyone should study Paul. Drumming, he's getting it mostly right. His guitar parts were wonderful. And then piano of course. Even Prince who was fluent on so many instruments... I feel like it's sometimes like a party trick where he can play really fast and good on everything, but some of the nuance is lost.
I always wondered how Paul could write Martha My Dear. The movement is perfect and beautiful. I always thought surely It would take a classically trained person to come up with that song. Then I heard the outtakes and Paul is at the piano playing the parts and putting the song together so to speak. It just stuns me that he was capable of composing like that.
Unreal, isn’t it. I love that he always pushed himself to be better even when it seemed that what he was attempting was out of reach. Bowie said you should always aim to be a little out if your depth to create something worthwhile.
@@martinfinnmusic I think Bowie was likely channelling the spirit of McCartney at that point! They're both really, really good and we're all so lucky to have had their work to appreciate and enjoy.
I really enjoyed this video and the video you made about John’s styles! I’m a drummer who knows nothing about playing piano, but you really laid out the methods John & Paul employed in a thorough way that was easy to understand! I’m curious to check out your other content plus any future videos you do on other piano player’s styles! Rock on 🤘
Hi there! Thanks for commenting and giving such a great account of where you are at why you like the video. You know, for pop/rock styles like Paul and John’s a drummer like yourself has a big advantage. Yes piano is a percussion instrument and many newcomers to the instrument struggle to make music with it because they lack the rhythm or ability to synch up their hands. Keep all of this in mind when approaching the piano parts shown here!! Good luck with it all. 😊
@@martinfinnmusic the changes in LaWR remind me of Elgar’s Enigma Variations - Nimrod, and the pomp and circumstance March. Both super famous, iconic British classical. There’s something in that shared harmonic language.
Thank you for that brilliant video. unfortunately,(medically) I have a very short attention span, and cannot manage long clips, but I was able to watch all of this clip and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Finntastic! Lillian and meself just watched the 4 styles of John and Paul, and loved it. Great to hear your voice again after such a long time. Cheers and all the best from good old St. John's. Jim
Jim! Lillian! Of course. I'm delighted you liked the videos. I have such fond memories of St John's in 2005. It was just before my wedding and I consider it to be the best stag party I could have wished for. I miss you all. I remember being fascinated by your description of the colours you see when you hear different chords. I hope you are both well!
Brilliant job! I find your descriptions so understandable. I love the way you play 'Martha' so effortlessly and unhurriedly when even McCartney himself says that it was right at the top of his piano level and had considered getting George Martin to play it but he did it because he likes to challenge himself. I'd like to hear you play the whole thing, piano-only. I bought a keyboard (having zero experience because I'm an acoustic guitar player!) during lockdown, and my goal was to learn the piano part of 'Floyd's Great gig in the sky' I did (sort of!) do it but I'd like to hear that song explained. :) I never could get the final run down, just before the screaming starts! If I could subscribe twice I would. :)
Thank you so much! What a great comment. It’s great to hear your thoughts on the content. Re Martha My Dear - I’ll have to do a whole lot of covers on one video and put all the main Paul songs in there. Re Pink Floyd, I know the piece you’re talking about. Lovely voicings in there. He borrowed one from Miles Davis if I remember correctly. Stay tuned and I may get around to that too. I’m loving that you want to subscribe twice. I might actually use that as one of my testimonials if that’s okay? ❤❤
Saw Macca on the eve of his 80th birthday at the end of his latest tour in the Meadowlands. Incredible concert . I waited for many years to finally see him in person.
I love this video because most of my early piano learning was figuring out Paul McCartney songs including the ones you demonstrate in this video. I had to use a songbook to figure out “Martha, My Dear.” My first concert was Paul McCartney in a football stadium, 1990. I was 14. This is the tour immortalized on the Tripping The Live Fantastic album. It was the first time I’ve ever seen a famous person in the flesh, even though I had nosebleed seats so he was pretty far away. There was no famous person at the time I was more interested in seeing than Paul McCartney. I remember my heart racing when he stepped out on the stage, and I was just sort of saying to myself over and over again. “Beatles are real, Beatles are real.” I guess what I meant by that is his music was so powerful and magical to me that it felt like it was not of this world. His voice was so good back then, and he made everything seem so effortless. But for whatever reason what I remember most about the concert was Linda playing the snare drum on “Let ‘Em In” and the Moog part on “Band on the Run.”
This helps me a lot but still tricky to wrap my head around. As I cannot read the bass clef with complete accuracy though getting better, I rely on the guitar tabs above the treble clef to give me the bass notes to play against the melody in the right hand. Often times these are split with the chord on the left played by the right hand, and the note on the right played by the left hand which is sometimes confusing but I'm getting better. As I am self taught, some of these descriptions were something I've never known in 48 years of playing piano but your explanation makes sense to me. Now in my 58th year of life, I keep on the lookout for these tips and tricks to incorporate into my playing which makes me sound even better each time I play. In the left hand, I'm in the habit of alternating the bass notes top to bottom but you say Paul played these parts bottom to top. This is going to be difficult to change as I wired myself to doing the opposite. This proved to be my undoing when I was a boy because none of the piano teachers could work with me which was my downfall and now I'm too old to break form after playing my way for 48 years. I wish I could start over with a proper piano teacher who could think outside the box to work with someone of my caliber.
I really like the tone of your piano. Clear, bright, tuned well, and snappy muting. What’s the make? EDIT: I see now that it’s digital. That would explain the fast muting and clear tone - no natural string resonance!
Thank you. Yes, it’s digital. My piano is a Yamaha Aurius but the sound you are hearing is a software synth MIDI’d through GarageBand. It is from Waves and is called Rhapsody Grand. It was used on Adele’s record Hello. :)
Your Lady Madonna example made me aware of a wrong note in my own rendition of that famous openings-lick 🙈🫣 Luckily, haha, I play it rather fast so not everybody notice it, hopefully 😳 Kind regards, Simon 🎹
@@martinfinnmusic thank you ! Thanks for your respons ! And yes, Paul McCartney is amazing! I wish we were closer, so we could talk a whole day about his amazing catalogue of songs! I now have about a handful of his songs covered, who knows more will come. But it's lots of work, to make one fine tuned and finished, and it's not easy to find a tune that's fitting in your own style of playing. And sometimes, also an unexpecting tune works very well on piano: have you for example heard my version of Here Today, maybe? It's of course a guitar song, but I'm really happy with the modest, tender, soft arrangement for piano solo that I made of it, last year. Thanks again, keep up the good work, and All The Best ;) kind regards, Simon 🎹👍🏻
That shows what a genius Paul is. He made hits for the whole world using these not particularly difficult but special techniques. It's quite the opposite of his kind of playing bass. That's why Paul is my favorite musician....as long as I remember since the 60ties...
Very nice Martin ! What about your fellow Irishman Gilbert O ' Sullivan.? He had his own style of playing piano and wrote a few classics. Sad to say , he's kind of forgotten today . Such is fame...🙏
Great idea. I love Gilbert and you’re right - he doesn’t get half enough credit these days. A pure master. Alone Again Naturally is a whole world in a song.
Very nice analysis! I really enjoyed that. I do have a question. Paul played piano since the early days of the Beatles. He learned a lot from his father. But most of the piano in the early Beatles is very simplistic. By 1968, with songs like Lady Madonna and Martha My Dear it seems that Paul’s piano playing had become more complex. How did Paul’s piano playing develop? Was he mentored by someone? Was it the influence of George Martin? Any thoughts on this?
Thank you! That’s a really good question. I’ve often wondered about that myself and without looking anything up I’m guessing that he picked up a lot from watching George Martin who played so much on the Beatles records and would have been eager to teach the boys as much as he could. Paul was also a technician, a perfectionist and very curious so I think he would have spent countless hours tinkering around on the piano using his natural musical ear to translate what he heard in his head or on a record to the keyboard. He based the Lady Madonna sequence on Bad Penny Blues and so he must have just carefully listened and achieved the same effect through sheer will. Also, The Beatles would have been in contact with endless musicians of all sorts in all kinds of situations and those were all learning opportunities. I hope this helps!!
Paul McCartney is exceptionally gifted musically. He was already very good on two other instruments. He wouldn't need a mentor. He simply needed to practise. Presumably, after they stopped touring he had a lot more time on his hands. He said in an interview that the piano part on Martha My Dear was almost too hard which suggests that he was practising and trying to develop as a player and break out of technical limitations. If you practise you get better. All of the Beatles got better on the piano so it was clearly something that was in their collective experience and possibly something that was a shared goal or even a source of friendly competition.
More than once, I've seen Paul play right hand chords with his pointer, middle, and ring fingers. It even looks like he might be doing that in the picture.
@@martinfinnmusicYeah, that interview is one of the things I was thinking of. He is an amazing musician and songwriter. But sometimes his piano fingering is atrocious. Haha.
Very good video. For some reason 'Lady Madonna' & 'Martha' give me ragtime vibes. Am I hallucinating? 😆. Would've thought 'Golden Slumbers' would fit in the Romantic category. Also, what style would the 50's inspired 'Oh Darling' fit into? Cheers
Thank you. Ragtime has that bass note chord thing going on in the left hand so it’s not technically ragtime. The tempo and groove would be similar though! Re Golden Slumbers, yes I suppose it would! It would have strengthened my case. 😅
@@martinfinnmusicThe only other song that kinda fits into this style would be "This Boy". But as far as I know they didn't include piano on this track.
@@martinfinnmusic My Dad said he learned it from Brian Wilson too. Brian used to get Carl to sing it, which made it even prettier. It get's oddly complicated trying to discuss it. I have a few years of Theory and they insist Chord designations are only in Thirds. I like the mellow sound of a nice E6 cord, which "In Theory" is the E Triad with the 13 added, so it's sorta a E Plus 13... or... sigh...
Did Paul play the piano on the 'out of college, money spent' bit of You Never Give Me Your Money? (Maybe varispeeded?) Because that's possibly a 5th style.
I'm not going to Google it but I'm almost certain that it was Paul on that track. I don't think it was varispeeded but that's from memory too. Pure boogie woogie!
Wow, great video. Only thing better would be to have your sheet music versions, this looks very close to original, whereas when one buys them, they are not.
Thank you for that. I know. You have to combine your ear, RU-vid videos and the best sheet music you can find. I recommend using MusicNotes.com and searching for the title plus "accompaniment". I've found really good versions of Imagine, Let It Be and Hey Jude. Even at that, I noticed some variations from the record...
These are definitely some of my favorites. My ear training and theory are getting better, along with my sight reading, I really need to just come up with my own versions which I could commit to memory. I can sheet read and play most of them from their anthology, but honestly your takes sound better and probably easier to memorize. Thanks.
Thank you. I used to be have a few different groups but I haven't done the original thing in many years. I am looking to get back into it. I write a lot of songs that never see the light of day!
First of all, Paul was very lucky to have a musical family but also very lucky to have a piano in the house The limitations of guitar open up if you study both instruments.
Have anyone ever told you that your voice register is quite similar to McCartney's? I'm pretty sure you could pull off some solid covers with a little singing training.
@@martinfinnmusic Thom Yorke was “called out” by an interviewer in the Kid A era for his frequent use of pedal tones and he copped to it immediately and said it was “one of the two or three” tricks he uses repeatedly on piano. Guitar was his first instrument.
