Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi,

I own the wonderful 330/12 and have played it for years. But confound it that I cannot, for the life of me, play that fast 12 string solo part from A Hard Day's Night. I can play the notes exactly, but it's getting the speed etc... to really make it right. I know it was a combo of acoustic and piano, but if you're playing live, your using the 12 string (like George did, huh?) I tend to hammer the strings too fast or not fast enough. It's hard to catch that upbeat timing.

Was that solo played with a capo on the guitar so it was easier to "hammer" the strings and play it fast? I've done that before and it seems easier. Any body seen that song done live on video that showed George playing it that can give insights? Hearing it done on the Live Hollywood Bowl, he sounds dead on with his 12.

Any thoughts?

Na, Ive seen him do it on acouple of shows...He really enjoyed playing lead on his Rick 12. Acouple odd songs Ive seen him do the lead work on (with the 360) are Cant buy me love, Roll over beethoven, and shout (parts 1 and 2)
But the capo Idea is intriguing, but it dosent explain why he wouldnt do it on stage

I find that it's hard to "hammer" the strings while you're barring the A and D strings. I tried, just as a lark, and put the capo so you can play the G chord in an E formation (capo at 3rd fret). You can then just hammer the two strings easier. It make it a little bit easier, but like you said, I think it's just played the regular way.

You can still play the chords from the song and even do the ending line (albiet fingered differently).

Martin: I am always intrigued by questions about The Beatles' playing style. I am of the view that it is not played with a capo but also that it was accentuated by the technical wizards.

I don't think that the ending can be done in a convincing way if the outro is not based on the F chord with the alternating G and F on the high E.

Lastly, you can make things a bit easier for yourself using compression on the solo. Still some practice is required to get the picking just right.

Plain and simple - George was a Bad ***.

Plus, they had all grown up on really heavy strings, so they were probably used to the work-out that the tension requires.

On a similar note - I recently got a Tennessean 62' HT. Since I wanted everything to be 'period correct' - it got .011 flats. I normally play .011s anyway, but not with a wound G.
The bends take a little more strength, so that required a little more practice...and muscle.

I'm going to be doing my once every year-and-a-half (!) Beatle jam with my 2 other friends and I'll just have to practice Help! a little more!

Have to agree with Peter. No capo was involved. Technically though it's a different story. A little wizardy.

The last several notes of the solo are a bit quick, but manageable. Could be it was recorded in a lower key and sped up. I know they did that with George Martin's piano solo on IN MY LIFE. The HDN solo sounds to me like a Rick 12 doubled with a harpsichord. anyone??

Sounds to me sometimes like a double-tracked lead or both George (12) and John (325) in unison, sort of a descending horse race!

I ammend that Help! comment. Where was my mind??? Obviously on the Beatles. Wrong movie!

It was recorded at slow speed. Did you hear the version on Live At The BBC? They cut the studio solo in, because George couldn't play it.

Yeah. I have the BBC stuff. What the heck were they thinking? But he does bang off the solo right on Live at the Hollywood Bowl, so maybe he just wasn't up to snuff when the BBC gig was happening.

I like the ending where George plays the ending notes and they all start talking at once and say "we did that.. to prove we weren't playing the record then..."

At BBC they only cut in the solo because they thought that george martin would be in to play the piano notes behind it......considering it was their newest record, they would want it to sound good on a live radio performance in order to boost sales

It's not all that hard - really.

George was certainly capable of playing his own part.

Ian McDonald says: " Harrison's solo, doubled on piano by Martin, was taped at half-speed, as was the jangling arpeggiated fade"
I slowed the solo down to half speed and to my ears he is right, here, the solo sounds like taped at half speed, but not the fade out!