Opening Chord..Hard Day's Night

[gt40graham]

I go with this one:

12-string:
E ---3---
B ---1----
G ---0---
D ---0---
A -------
E -------

For 2 reasons: it sounds right on a 360V64 and I remember reading an interview with Gary Moore who got George to show him this chord. Moore's reaction was: "Is that it?" ie a very simple chord. They don't come much easier than the above do they?

Regards,


Graham.

[wim]

I go with this one:

12-string:
E ---3---
B ---1----
G ---0---
D ---0---
A -------
E -------

For 2 reasons: it sounds right on a 360V64 and I remember reading an interview with Gary Moore who got George to show him this chord. Moore's reaction was: "Is that it?" ie a very simple chord. They don't come much easier than the above do they?

Regards,


Graham.

I use the same chord on the same model, and it sounds really good indeed.

[morgan]

I go with this one:

12-string:
E ---3---
B ---1----
G ---0---
D ---0---
A -------
E -------

For 2 reasons: it sounds right on a 360V64 and I remember reading an interview with Gary Moore who got George to show him this chord. Moore's reaction was: "Is that it?" ie a very simple chord. They don't come much easier than the above do they?

Regards,


Graham.

I use the same chord on the same model, and it sounds really good indeed.

This is the chord I keep coming back to on my C63 because it indeed sounds right. The Beatles were the masters of elegant simplicity.

[billydlight]

me to. sometimes I add the G in the bass

[xpitt]

me to. sometimes I add the G in the bass

Try to add an F on the low E string , G on the first and C on the second strings, the others open, that's how it sounds right to me on my 12V64

[Zurdo]

hi,
I am new in this forum, not trying to be a rocket scientist or presume to be an expert, but the chord is nothing more than a D7 Sus 4, also known as an Apoggiatura, {a chord that wants to "resolve" to its "basic form"}, in this case D Major. A good example of an Apoggiatura is in the song "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away".

Evidence of this chord in "Hard Day's Night" is that Paul plays a D note on the Bass. Some of the chords I've seen in this thread are missing the A note on the G string, second fret, which can be heard clearly.

What sounds "right" to me is:

Open A string
Open D string,
Fretted G string, (A note) second fret
Fretted B string, (C note) first fret
Fretted E string, (G note) third fret

well, at least everybody agrees the E string plays a G note at the 3rd fret.

In the original recording, someone else is also playing an F note on another guitar or a piano.

otherwise, this chord will forever be a puzzlement and George Martin might say: "Paul should know", and Paul might say: "I think George Martin should know".

Zurdo

[Folkie]

Where's that can o' worms picture when we need it?

Anyway, AFAIK, nobody knows the answer definitively. My favorite way to play it is like this:

12-string:
E ---3---
B ---1----
G ---0---
D ---0---
A -------
E -------

Live, on the bass, I play the open D string and the 7th fret of the G at the same time, to fill up the sound a bit more.

I was never really sure what the 6-string and/or the piano should be doing exactly. Some form of a G sus chord, for sure.

This voicing sounds right to my ear and is easier to play on a 12-string than a barred G7sus4.

[iiipopes]

Hasn't everybody seen the youtube video of Randy Bachman describing going to Abbey Road Studios and getting to hear each track in isolation by George Martin's son, who now works there? It's a done deal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvxPc5MPEuQ

[servant]

Hasn't everybody seen the youtube video of Randy Bachman describing going to Abbey Road Studios and getting to hear each track in isolation by George Martin's son, who now works there? It's a done deal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvxPc5MPEuQ

Not a "done deal" for me: He says nothing about the piano chord...

[wenzel]

Hello all! I'm new here and am a friend of the Gretsch Pages. This is my 2nd Rickenbacker I've owned (360 12/C63) and I didn't want to beat a dead horse with this topic, but wanted to give my insights on why I believe "George" played the opening chord the way I have been playing it for years. Ok, so before I start on that, there may be other notes in there from Paul's bass or Just George Martin mixing 2 or more guitars, but my logic is as follows.

At the end of the song, George plays that little outro in the formation I believe he played the first chord in. It would make more sense to have the beginning and end shapes be the same rather than completely different. I mean, this is a Hard Day's night, not Abbey Road. The way I've been playing it is as follows.

3
1
2
3
x
x

Add the bass and you're good to go. It's basically an F chord without the low F or C notes and add the G to the high E string.

Anyway, I thought I'd throw my $.02 in there and look forward to getting to see your guitars, hear your stories, etc...

[8mileshigher]

Welcome aboard the RRF, Chris. There is some interesting reading and linked references on this thread (going back several years) to academic studies by mathematicians and musicologists and photos of George and John playing the chord, etc. etc.

Its a favorite topic around here and there are dozens and dozens of opinions about "the" chord.

[firstbassman]

Whew.

At first I thought, "I've been gone for two years and this is still being discussed?"

Good to know it's just an old thread being resurrected.

[8mileshigher]

Whew.
At first I thought, "I've been gone for two years and this is still being discussed?"
Good to know it's just an old thread being resurrected.

Mark, after your hiatus, you need to add to the discussion of which of these suggestions is the chord ! !

[prjacobs]

Well - here's the solution to the opening chord - directly from the Beatles tapes.

E - 3 = G
A - 3 = C
D - 3 = F
G - 2 = A
B - 1 = C
E - 3 = G

Here it is... Mystery solved

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvxPc5MPEuQ