Was John Lennon a good guitarist?
- Thread starter Antney
- Start date
And so does anyone who has listened to his music.
That video has been around for a while, he's responding to a bunch of trolls from a previous video the same guy did about the "Lennon" Gibson acoustic. Which is exactly what the trolls wanted!
The whole thing is silly, but welcome to the world of the Internet...
walrus
ezstrummer
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He was way better then I am...…. 
Westerly Wood
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Yes. He was one of the guitarists in the infamous jam of Beatles, Abbey Road, The End...
All those guitarists are good, and can quite hold their own. Not to mention, Lennon could play piano as well as guitar and while he is mostly esteemed as a songwriter, well, I give him credo for all this.
I think I am correct here, but I believe Lennon is the real funky sounding soloist in that jam. Real raw sounding power, I attribute that to him. So that solo is Paul, George then John, in succession, but I might have it wrong. all I know is, it was the one time when John told Yoko to wait outside, it was just him and the boys
All those guitarists are good, and can quite hold their own. Not to mention, Lennon could play piano as well as guitar and while he is mostly esteemed as a songwriter, well, I give him credo for all this.
I think I am correct here, but I believe Lennon is the real funky sounding soloist in that jam. Real raw sounding power, I attribute that to him. So that solo is Paul, George then John, in succession, but I might have it wrong. all I know is, it was the one time when John told Yoko to wait outside, it was just him and the boys
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
Outstanding guitarist, of course.
Got even better after Donovan showed him some Ma Carter/Travis picking at Rishikesh in ’68. Both Paul and John picked it up and wrote major White Album songs based on their new picking skills.
Dear Prudence is one of the more famous.
I’ve never picked Lennon’s guitar skills apart. Why?
Regardless of his guitar playing, there are hundreds of Beatle songs that are absolute gems.
Yesterday, Back in the USSR, Let it Be.
All of us mere mortals combined would be lucky to write one song that can hold a candle to say The long and winding road or While my guitar gently weeps.
Etc, etc.
Got even better after Donovan showed him some Ma Carter/Travis picking at Rishikesh in ’68. Both Paul and John picked it up and wrote major White Album songs based on their new picking skills.
Dear Prudence is one of the more famous.
I’ve never picked Lennon’s guitar skills apart. Why?
Regardless of his guitar playing, there are hundreds of Beatle songs that are absolute gems.
Yesterday, Back in the USSR, Let it Be.
All of us mere mortals combined would be lucky to write one song that can hold a candle to say The long and winding road or While my guitar gently weeps.
Etc, etc.
Westerly Wood
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here is John playing acoustic at a show in 1971...
Yes. He was one of the guitarists in the infamous jam of Beatles, Abbey Road, The End...
All those guitarists are good, and can quite hold their own. Not to mention, Lennon could play piano as well as guitar and while he is mostly esteemed as a songwriter, well, I give him credo for all this.
I think I am correct here, but I believe Lennon is the real funky sounding soloist in that jam. Real raw sounding power, I attribute that to him. So that solo is Paul, George then John, in succession, but I might have it wrong. all I know is, it was the one time when John told Yoko to wait outside, it was just him and the boys
That's correct! One take!
From the usual source:
McCartney, George Harrison and Lennon perform a rotating sequence of three, two-bar guitar solos.[2][13] The idea for a guitar instrumental over this section was Harrison's, and Lennon suggested that the three of them each play a section.[14] The solos begin approximately 53 seconds into the song. Geoff Emerick, the Beatles' recording engineer, later recalled: "John, Paul and George looked like they had gone back in time, like they were kids again, playing together for the sheer enjoyment of it. More than anything, they reminded me of gunslingers, with their guitars strapped on, looks of steely-eyed resolve, determined to outdo one another. Yet there was no animosity, no tension at all – you could tell they were simply having fun."[15]
walrus
So many examples...
Here's one of my favorites. Lennon plays lead through the whole song, matching his vocals with his guitar. A technique George Benson later made famous...
walrus
Here's one of my favorites. Lennon plays lead through the whole song, matching his vocals with his guitar. A technique George Benson later made famous...
walrus
mellowgerman
Senior Member
A lot of people think you have to play a million notes per second like Eddie Van Halen or Yngwie Malmsteen to be a "good" guitarist. For me, soloing speed means very little. Solos in and of themselves tend to be a little boring to me, regardless of what instrument. I'm more interested in tone, chord choices, interesting rhythms/syncopations, pretty melodies, and how a player's contribution fits into any given song. Those are the things I look for in a "good" guitar player. I just love analyzing the interaction between musicians, rather than just focusing on what one person is doing.
Even though I don't consider myself a huge Beatles fan, John Lennon certainly was a good guitarist and a great songwriter!
Even though I don't consider myself a huge Beatles fan, John Lennon certainly was a good guitarist and a great songwriter!
Like many a boy/young man I emulated Lennon as best as I could. Never was as good because I never played a banjo or a tenor guitar so IMO stylistically he was pretty darn unique and also one has to remember this was relatively early on in the days of rock and roll.
Westerly Wood
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he got a cool groove right here in this song:
Westerly Wood
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this dude proves Lennon's guitar prowess using 4 Beatles songs:
Westerly Wood
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Interestingly enuff, Lennon himself says "I had very limited vocabulary on guitar and piano. I was not like George and do the things he could. I did not go hang out and jam with Cream, I was too insecure and shy..."
Westerly Wood
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WW, see Antney's original post!
walrus
oh dear sorry guys. that only proves i am getting old. it's about time!
One of the most openly insecure artists of all time, perhaps the most. Just listen to his songs...
BTW, he also said "I'm not very good technically, but I can make the thing howl and move!". I'd say this describes a lot of guitarists we all know and love!
walrus
Westerly Wood
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i totally agree with him and he makes a much larger point too: I prefer raw power and edge over technical prowess any day.
in a little rowboat
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Guitar, yes. Bass guitar, mmm...listen to The Long and Winding Road