DADGAD Beatles Solos

Lessons

• Lesson 1: From Me To You DADGAD - Beatles - Doug Young

  This lesson explores a draft fingerstyle arrangement of From Me To You, a classic early Beatles tune. Taking Neil's initial lesson on how to play the rhythm guitar and lead parts to the song, we'll develop a solo instrumental arrangement in DADGAD tuning, in the original key of C.
  
  Part 1 - In the intro, we'll introduce the tune and some background on the arrangement.
  
  Part 2 - Presents the chords to the tune in DADGAD and looks at how to play the melody by itself.
  
  Part 3 - We'll start figuring out how to combine the melody with the harmony and building an arrangement.
  
  Part 4 - We'll end up by talking about additional areas to explore, and play through the tune.
  

• Lesson 2: I Will - DADGAD - Solo Guitar Arrangement

  This is a fairly simple arrangement of “I Will” in DADGAD tuning that provides a good look at how to play in the key of G in DADGAD, and also uses a fair number of chords.

  People often approach DADGAD, as well as many other tunings, as a vehicle for “droning” in a single key, which sometimes gives alternate tunings a bad rap, and this arrangement serves as a counter-example, with its fairly conventional I-vi-ii-V chord progression, as well as some more complex sections. The tune even modulates to the key of C briefly!

  I Will is a good repertoire tune for an instrumental player to have because people generally know it. I arranged it many years ago, and still pull it out in performances, especially when I have a non-guitar playing audience, to give them something they recognize, and can hum along with.

• Lesson 3: For No One - Beatles Solo Guitar Arrangement in DADGAD

  For No One was released in 1966 on Revolver, written by Paul McCartney. 

  For this fingerstyle arrangement, I used DADGAD tuning in the key of D (the Beatles’ recording is in B).  The arrangement is an interesting look at leveraging some of DADGAD’s signature sound while at the same time incorporating some more sophisticated harmony, advanced chords, key modulations – and even a French Horn solo.

• Lesson 4: In My Life CGDGAD Tuning - Beatles - Doug Young

  In this lesson, we’ll learn my instrumental arrangement of In My Life, one of John Lennon’s great songs. The arrangement uses an alternate tuning sometimes known as “C-GAD”, CGDGAD, which is related to DADGAD tuning.
  
  The arrangement follows the same structure as the Beatles’ recording, and we’ll work thru the details of each section, with a few side-discussions about the tuning and the arranging process. The arrangement is played in the key of G, but we use a capo on the 2nd fret, to have it sound in A, the same key as the Beatles’ recording.

• Lesson 5: Still Crazy After All These Years - DADGAD Fingerstyle Arrangement

  Still Crazy After All These Years was the title track of Paul Simon’s album by the same name. The song’s bluesy, gospel vibe definitely creates a mood. In this lesson, we’ll look at an arrangement for solo fingerstyle guitar in DADGAD tuning. This tune is a bit more complex harmonically than many pop tunes, with multiple modulations and some jazz-tinged chords. We’ll talk through the arrangement, but also spend quite a lot of time on the arranging process, challenges and tips for things to consider in creating your own arrangements.