How The Beatles use Modes
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- čas přidán 15. 12. 2018
- I analyse the role of modes in Tomorrow Never Knows, Within You Without You, She Said She Said, Hey Jude, Eleanor Rigby and Norwegian Wood.
This is a replacement for my initial video covering the use of modes in The Beatles' music. There was quite a lot I didn't like about the old video and I wasn't comfortable having it online so this is a remake with lots of new content in it.
'What is a mode?" by Leonard Bernstein (1966): • Video
Background Music: • 'Running Man' 🎹 Jazz-F...
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"I'm not sure John, Paul, or George knew what modes they were using"
Ringo Starr confirmed mode genius
Yousef Ghaneemah was that necessary?
Yousef Ghaneemah ??? I never said truth I just said was it necessary.
Yousef Ghaneemah so was yo mama
They analyzed classical music for inspiration, I'm pretty sure they knew about modes^^
Yousef Ghaneemah you good bro?
I'm a big fan of the note John sings in Girl on the words "about" and "came".
He switches temporarily from natural minor to the harmonic minor on those notes, if my theory serves me correctly. How he came up with it though is another story.
That "at a church" bit in Eleanor Rigby is pleasingly fitting, too.
@@jl7994
That seems to check out. Thanks.
what is this some kind of crossover episode or somethin?
I'm a big fan of Unfinished London.
‘’Are you a Mode, or a Rocker?’’
"I'm a mocker, actually."
Underrated comment 👍
Someone beat me to the mocker line!
Sergeant Pancake better than being a rod
I stole this from the great Yo La Tengo
People get hung up on whether or not a song writer knew the music theory behind what they were writing. Clearly, the Beatles didn’t know or care and the results speak for themselves. What many people fail to understand is that music theory is an analysis tool, not a rule book. Music came first and then it was analyzed. We use music theory to understand how and why (Beatles) music is superb.
There was a fifth Beatle called George Martin and i'm sure he knew a thing or two...including modes.
Funny how he didn't do it with Gerry and the Pacemakers
Pretty sure Paul McCartney knows his modes also.
@@keepkalm he definitely knows now, but maybe not back in the day
@@keepkalm McCartney actually didn't read music at the time. He mentions this in many interviews. He went by what sounded good to his ear. Like the major chord is a 'happy' chord and minor chord is a 'sad' chord. He was just interviewed this year by Howard Stern and they discussed this. He became more familiar with music theory later in life, but it's doubtful he thought of "modes" in the time period in which these amazing tunes were written. Sometimes theory gets in the way of creativity - it does for me anyway (or at least that's one of my excuses :) ).
@@calumsmith9191 Spot on.
David, as a musician of almost 50 years, I know theory, modes and scales, but the way you break down and dissect familiar tunes is enlightening and wonderful. If you're not doing it already, you could be teaching, and even have your own music school. But in these days of CZcams, you are probably reaching and educating far more people, and making even better money, from Google, I sincerely hope, bucause you deserve it! Kudos to you, fantastic work, from an older Detroiter, a famous home to great musicians, many thanks to you. Best find on the internet in a long time! Please keep 'em coming!
YES !!!
I went to school with Mick Solidian. He was interesting.
Slow clap.
I remember his girlfriend, Dory-Anne and her sister Liddy. They lived in Scotland, and in winter it was fridgean up there.
Try singing next to him during warm ups. He'd be rock solid on the first six, but he'd always come up shy on that "ti" note.
BRUH I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING
lol, warmups
I wasn't in the mode for this, but I'm glad i watched.
Well played, sir.
"Within You Without You," is such a great song, lyrically and philosophically as well. The idea that a Western musician can all of a sudden or by study or whatever, can think in Eastern Scales. If George didn't know what he was doing the song could've sounded like a parody of Indian music. As it is the song is perfect for the style or mode that it's in.
It might very well be my favorite song on the album. It's the most serious as it concerns life and death and expresses real truth about it all. The fact that George was such a great listener who could adapt to what he heard is probably a big reason that Ravi Shankar ever took him seriously as a musician in the first place.
That, and the fact that Shankar would make millions once featured on and talked about in a Beatles album.
Similarly the "Maharishi" didn't just take on any schlub as a student. You had to have - and offer - fame and bucks.
David Gargiulo, I absolutely agree, well said!
And now David agreed with Roomie on his video about "one chord songs", stating that the song sucks
Whenever a song gets changed to major it sounds like Paul McCartney. Whenever its changed to mixolydian it sounds like Lennon.
Or George.
agreed
This is excellent.Please do more Beatle songs with modulations,thank you.
Thank you. Beatles modulations is on the list :)
David,what your doing is brilliant.There is a huge need for your analysis worldwide Please continue with them.Thank you.@@DavidBennettPiano
David,I have studied this video and the 4 inventive songs many times and I learn something new each time.Your analysis is at a very high level and because of this they will keep growing in popularity.Your new video on Beatle modulations will also become very popular.I am waiting everyday to see it on your site.Regards, Peter.
@@DavidBennettPiano David Bennett Piano i wish youd show the original in midi before you show it in a different mode in midi. it would really help in recognizing the difference.
Sorry, it´s not modulation, this video talks about modes. They are different musical concepts.
I'm teaching myself guitar using knowledge of theory and this channel puts so much context behind songwriting. It's super rad.
12:18 Notice how the placement of that note which introduces the Mixolydian is pretty perfectly matched to the lyric the first time round, at the beginning of the first verse. "[S]he once had me" is the wry aside, the knowing remark which colours the folky, storybook "I once had a girl" opening. As he sings the flattened note, you can almost see Lennon raising his eyebrows and squinting his eyes slightly, after that significant pause at the end of "or should I say". You can hear it in his tone of voice too.
I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about but nice video
beflygelt same
Hr pretty much walks you through it ... that's why this is such a great video
Check out the youtube channel "Signals Music Studio". He has a great video explaining modes.
Blue Jay Way would be a good example of Lydian in a Beatles song. The melody actually also uses the minor third, but it's basically just alternating between the tonic chord and a common tone diminished chord (C major and C diminished) and you could see that as a chromatic approach, not as something that defines the mode of the song. The rest of it uses notes in the C Lydian scale and the only chord in the background is Cmaj7.
I was waiting for him to do Blue Jay Way
Julia is also a good example of Lydian in the bridge. And I am the Walrus is an even better example of it!
@@paulfeldman8771
I think the bridge of Julia is simply a modulation to F#m. I don't hear the D major as the tonic chord any more when the bridge starts - the chord progression is C#m D Bm6 F#m9, which I hear as v bVI iv i - I think the Bm6 resolving to F#m sounds like a pretty strong resolution. It also doesn't emphasize the D chord much, so I just don't hear it as D Lydian.
Which part of I Am the Walrus sounds like Lydian to you? It has a lot of chromatic stuff in it (mostly modal mixture - chords borrowed from the parallel minor), but I don't think there's anything specifically Lydian in it.
Blue Jay Way in Lydian?
Wow, I'd never thought that way. The song just sounds way too dark to me to be recognized as 'the-mode-that-is-brighter-than-Major' song.
The verse is Lydian #2
12:32 I love the phrase "litttle myxolydian moment" . It sounds like something which brightens up anyone's day!
Wow, what a wonderful piece of musical analysis. I say that as someone who loves music - the Beatles in particular - and as a former teacher. But also as someone whose knowledge of music could be written on the back of his hand! Really looking forward to more!
Hopefully, this version of the video doesn't get blocked again.
Reactions There's something wrong in a world where Rick Beato and David Bennett have to make anemic synthesized versions of the songs they're analyzing to avoid copyright infringement, while Google has the right to shell out millions of dollars to use "Help" to cravenly hawk their brand name on TV. That music is sacred, damn it... worthy of study and respect... not some commercial jingle.
@@MendTheWorld Couldn't agree more. The idea that these guys are ripping of Beatles/Abba/Queen etc. is just laughable. They are helping us to like those artists even more, so actually adding value to the "brand".
I love the Leonard Bernstein Easter egg at the end.
Awesome. Delighted to find you... Had to go back months into history, Mr. Bennett. Thank you for such wonderful material.
Excellent video man. Well done :)
Currently writing music for a video game and your channel is filling me with new inspiration and ideas! thank you so much! really appreciate your work
I finally understand the difference between modes and keys thanks to your clear and excellent explanation. I particularly loved how you demonstrated how each song would sound in the standard major/minor key and illustrated the power of a single note to influence our interpretation of all the others.
Excellent video. Very well done! The way you re-create these songs by demonstrating how they would have sounded if the Beatles hadn't used modal interchange or borrowed chords is fantastic, and really highlights the genius of the Beatles in opting to use these seemingly minor shifts of adjustments to the song and tonal structure, which end up playing a large part in giving the songs the mood or sonic character that makes them so great.
This is an excellent analysis of the Beatles' use of modes. The ONLY exception I would take was that Paul definitely knew he was writing in Dorian mode for Eleanor Rigby. George certainly learned about modes as he was studying Indian music (you can't really get around it), and John had a thorough understanding of sounds, so he kind of just "knew" modes. Thank you for making music theory fun.
That had to be one of the best discussions about modes I've seen. Thanks!!!
0:38 Tomorrow Never Knows
2:44 Within You Without You
5:35 She Said She Said
7:25 Hey Jude
10:44 Eleanor Rigby
12:05 Norwegian Wood
OUTSTANDING!!! Clearly descriptions and really well-done musical examples. People -- time to give David a pile of $$$ for a great documentary.
Awesome Video! One thing: The opening drone in Within You, Without you is a Tamboura and the "Violin" part is called a Sarangi. Thank you for your great Videos
Close, but no cigar. It was a dilruba.
Amazing video, I especially love the mixes your used! I sure do love John's voice!
Hey, I just wanted to say I love your videos so much, they are absolutely brilliant! I've taken music theory classes in high school so I understand the terminology and such but hearing these things in context really help my understanding so much! Also, your videos involving the Beatles are a major reason why I've started getting into them recently, so thank you for that!
David is a great music theory teacher because he "dumbs" down the technical explanations by showing/playing and using visual references. Very easy to watch/listen. And he is consistent on his delivery...Tx again 🎼🎵🎶👍
Extremely well done. I have loved the Beatles since I was 10 years old when I first heard "I Want to Hold Your Hand". I'm now 50 yet I never understood why I love their music. Thank you for pointing out the details. I'm subscribing.
Thank you for making this super easy to understand. I'm in the beginning of my theory journey so a lot of videos like this go well over my head, but I actually felt I came away with a lot of useful information here.
Appreciate your channel!
These videos actually really contextualise and makes understanding modes much easier, for the first time in decades I've been aware of modes. Like how drastically the one note difference changes everything and gives that special character to a thing. You can play all the notes of the scale in order or say "it's major starting from a different note" you want but this makes someone understand what they really do and why, and instantly teaches you how to use them. It gives a musical idea, not mathematical idea.
David. You are an excellent teacher. Entertaining as well. Really appreciated your presentation.
The Beatles are truly amazing. Thanks for the video loved it
David your videos are so good. You are very eloquent. I am soaking up this music theory and loving it. So well made videos too. Applying what you are teaching here to my piano and guitar learning.
Thank you! That means a lot 🙂😃
I am playing guitar and drums for 40 years and I think I learn more music theory from watching you 10 minutes than everything before rolled up
Thank you for a great channel
Thanks for this! Delighted that you led off with my favorite Beatles tune - "Tomorrow Never Knows."
great video! loved the way you changed the songs to show the examples, very clear
Within You Without You in Ionian is the grossest thing I've ever heard
No. There Is Bb in the melody so it could be Ionian with the root on F. But the root is С because song ends on C. So the key is Cmajor but the scale is mixolydian (the same as F ionian but starts on C)
@@ildarrrr2 i know fam. I didn't say the original song was in Ionian, I said the Ionian example of the song was weird.
@@MrJgreenwell2000 Sorry bro, I still don't get it. I was wrong with the tonality - it's C# with B♮ so it's still C# mixolydian (which is equal to F# ionian but starts on C#). The intro however is played by only 5 notes of that scale and can be called as the different scale - egyptian pentatonic (C# E# F# G# B). Django Reinhardt being ethnic gypsy (which are India descentants) knew this scale well and played it over jazz standards since 1930-s. So did many his followers including John Mclaughlin)))
@BLINK BLINK what are you even talking about
David, you know you’re doing an amaze balls job, when people like me, find what you’re saying, and how you’re explaining it, incredibly interesting... you’re a born music teacher. I love your analyses every time.
Terrific explanation! I've been learning modes to improve my guitar playing and I didn't really get modes until this video. Thank you!!
This has become my new favorite channel
Tomorrow Never Knows and Within You Without You are the first songs I think of when I think of using mixolydian to approximate that Indian classical music feel!!! Those two examples alone have been endlessly influential to me. Great video and great content, keep it up man!
Really great video! I'm glad to find this cause I've been looking for this! This videos about harmony theory with artists are soooo useful
Great stuff! I'm a harmonica teacher and recently I've been researching about different ways to explain modes to my students. This material is such a valuable resource. Thanks David!
Thanks!!
you're very good at explaining these kind of things. great work.
I would love for you to analyze full songs. Loved the video!
Thank you. Yeah, I'm considering doing that soon (a bit like I did for pyramid song). Doing a Rick Beato-ish look at particular songs. What do you think?
Man, I love the idea, I'll be checking each one of them. Cheers!
Really great job with this!! I feel like I’ve been searching for a video like this for a while! Cheers!
I really hope you see this, thank you very much for the way you make, present, and publish these videos. I'm learning so much and you present it in such an easy to see fashion without compromising technical. Thank you! Keep up your great work.
Thank you Eric! I’m really glad the videos are helpful! Thanks for watching 😁😁
@@DavidBennettPiano Of course!! I'm a new sub so I'm loving all the videos you've posted over the last few years. I really enjoy how you explain the technical (theory and ideas) in a way that makes it more approachable. An example is the way you show the modes from light to dark in terms of brightness, that made their functions and applications click so much better. I'm a guitar player at heart but recently acquired a piano for a diverse perspective to music, so sometimes I take lessons or ideas from here to the guitar. Thank you for making the adventure of learning music more fun and easy! P.S. thanks for replying to my message haha and p.p.s. I'm a King Gizzard fan and I know they use the dorian mode a bit, like in the song The River, B flat dorian, so glad to see them in a video haha would love to see more on their choice of modes. Or any Jazz folks like George Benson or Herbie Hancock! Cheers 🍺
George was actually writing and composing Indian music about a year after learning the Sitar. George knew a lot about Indian scales and music ideas. I can imagine he probably learned a lot of western music theory from George Martin. It never gets mentioned but George released a full Indian album for a movie soundtrack. Within You Without You is a straight Indian song musically so western music theory was probably not on George’s mind when he wrote it.
Trying to imagine George Martin telling John "yeah, I like that Mixolydian bit you sang..." Actually, I am a die-hard fan of the boys, but truly think George Martin advised or at least educated them way more than he was given credit for...he was a master of beautiful music. The engineers also were truly amazing. It's as if the Beatles brought all the ingredients to the kitchen and the harmonic and engineering "chefs" said "Bravo, let's make it the best we can." And so it was. Your video was outstanding btw, good work.
@Nicholas Ennos hey, that's interesting...were you just saying that for a laugh? I gave it some thought and then thought...naw, GM couldn't rock, but he sure could've structured those vocals to killer capacity, right? They might have been Nowhere Men without him.
Great vid mate and great to see a young person getting into and talking about the beatles. Very good analysis and well displayed as well 👍🏼
This is incredibly useful and well-presented. Good job!
I don't REALLY get it but you explain it very intelligently. You seem to really know your stuff. Right on dude
Great video, I loved it! You're explaining the modes good and easy to understand, which is really good! (:
I am a musician, also a huge fan of the band and your video made me think more of the modes in The Beatles' songs.
So, I have a few suggestions for songs with Mixolydian mode:
1. First interesting example is A Hard Day's Night - right at the beginning there is F9 chord, where both the harmony and the melody go to F natural, which I think you haven't spoken of, but it's really interesting!
2. I Feel Fine - the vocals sing the mixolydian mode, but the harmony keeps to G, D and C major chords, and the riff of the song is mixolydian itself,
3. Same for the riff goes to Day Tripper - mixolydian riff, harmony stays in natural major, the main, Paul's, vocal also stays natural, but the second, John's, vocal goes to D, so mixolydian
4. We Can Work it Out - D C9 major chords, mixolydian harmony with vocal, which stays in natural major
5. Same for Got to Get You into My Life - G and F9 chords, vocal sings the ninth of the F major chord
6. Paperback Writer - mixolydian riff, mixolydian melody, natural major harmony
7. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - the harmony goes down to mixolydian mode, also with F major (natural), taken from A minor key, and if you take off the harmony, the clear natural major of the melody is heard.
8. Taxman - interesting thing is that the song is in D major and sound as if it's minor, 2 reasons - 1st because of the lots of F natural tones that are used and 2nd - the main melody sing the mixolydian mode, but don't sing the third of the D major chord, which defines if it is major or minor. So we can hear the clear F#, which defines the D major at the lyrics 'If you drive a car'
One more interesting thing about the song is that at the solo George plays through 3 modes - starting with minor scale, then goes to natural major, with C# and at the end of the solo he gets to mixolydian mode with C natural
Also a few examples with Dorian mode:
1. Eight Days a Week - not the whole song, only the chorus 'Hold me, love me' - Bm, G, Bm, E major - this little touch of dorian mode adds a lot of light in the song, it's not much, but it's changing the whole song(:
2. Wait - F#m, B/F# - it's in the second voice of the melody, but it's every verse that basically lays on F# sustain bass note and chromatic harmony going down, including the dorian mode.
3. She's Leaving Home - we can hear the dorian mode at the very entrance of the violoncello on every verse - the dorian mode, in general, makes the minor scale so bright and not so 'sad', let's say
There are also more examples, but to sum up The Beatles loves the 9 chords, mixolydian and dorian modes. In my opinion, they used modes 1st, because they make a lot difference in the natural major and minor scales and sound good, and 2nd, because of their dear friend and mentor, sir George Martin, who helped them a lot to built from 4 really talented young men, to one of the greatest bands in the world! (:
Once more - great video, I am happy to watch interesting facts about popular and film music (really nice work with Star Wars' modes video! ) and hope to see more! (:
All the best
David, thank you for putting this vid together. Very well presented, interesting and useful information. Especially interesting that you played a familiar melody, then demonstrated how a mode change modifies the emotion.
Thank you so much for making these videos so accessible for us that don't have a music theory background, really didactic
I hope this guy is getting paid for this, because it is brilliant.
Great channel. Thank you for your work.
Changing the one note was the simplest (thus the best) way I've seen to explain this. You can't argue with what your ears are telling you.
I always start viewing your analysis videos somewhat with a doubt, but that always ends with a feeling I just learned or understood something new. Very exciting.
Excellent analysis, just a cerrection required in the instrument inat 3.29 , It is Sarangi leading with an accompanying Tanpura as a drone.
I was going to say something about that too, but I figured he wouldn't see it
No, it is NOT a sarangi, as a matter of fact it is a DILRUBA.
Great analysis. You explain it very clearly. I hope you keep making more videos like this.
Excellent. Thanks for pointing this out. The Beatles were so good at putting in little unexpected twists and turns.
Great video! Very helpful to help me hear how modes can be used for parts of a song, and how a few note (mode) changes completely changes the vibe of a tune.
man just keep doing these vids, please...
cheers from brazil!!!
Wow this is so well done and informative..
I'm really enjoying your videos, David. Thank you so much. Greetings from Brazil.
Lovely explanation both audibly and visually. I can enjoy listening to music more now, and what to listen for. Cheers!!
Wow man, really love you analyses. Some of these Beatle tunes are so fascinating harmonically, however simple or complex ya know? Anyway, the Beatles got me when I was a child, I experienced all Beatle songs as a child of up to 10 years oldend 69-71. So, through a child's ears I heard these melodies, and I still listen to em frequently , they're part of my DNA I almost feel, but its cool to hear it from a theory perspective. Never thought of it in terms of theory, cool stuff, I like when you change keys, I sounds cool, nothing like the original, like a dual song, a parallel song, yeah that's really far out when u change keys, yeah it recontexturizes t all, a parallel painting, but different
You're back!
Thanks for these profound analysis, they come in handy to understand how music really works. 👌
Excellent! Opened my eyes as to how to actually USE modes to add flavour (fleetingly) to tunes. Thanks!
Very very interesting!
You're a good speaker, even though ive got no idea what you're talking about, it seems interesting.
M@B It’s basically useless music theory relative to making good music. The Beatles didn’t know any of this stuff and it didn’t affect them
Alexander Vickers I’m just gonna say it’s not useless
@@endi3386 They did know more than you think
kip It is, how is it useful in any way
@@endi3386 little detail, beatles were not ordinary people ;)
I love the way you break things down. Excellent
What an interesting and enlightening piece of analysis.
Thank you so much.
The Bee-toes... I love the pronunciation! And the music theory is even better.
8:18. André Previn : "You were playing all the wrong notes"
Eric Morecombe " I was playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order!"
God, I wish I could understand more than 50% of what you're saying. I'm the dolt in the back row who just smiles and nods, while praying the teacher won't call on him. Whew. Seriously though I absolutely love your presentations. I can hear the points you're making even I don't have freaking idea as to the terminology. How could humanity have intuitively made such beauty?
Your study here is Properly presented without a stutter, pause, ahh, uhh or mhh. Your Insertion of interested, involved speaker using eloquent, flowing, unflattering prose; e.g. “nursery rhyme.” is engaging to the listener/viewer. Your voicing throughout this video essay kept my attention glued to what you were about to say and show in motion graphics.
Splendid, job well and properly done!
I deeply hope this video doesn't get blocked. It has both the Beatles and Bernstein.
This video got blocked five times before I managed to upload a version that got through the copyright checks!
It is bad enough that EMI commits copyfraud against fair usages, but these things like whatever company bought the rights to Bernstein and don't do anything else, are awful.
I watched this video whilst eating ice cream. “A la Mode”, i suppose you could say.
Neopolitan I'll bet
I think you have to hum the tune while eating the ice cream for it to be a la mode.
this is absolutely great! im taking a music theory class soon and this is helping me understand modes and their applicability a lot!
Thank you. I have wanted to give a similar lecture for years. Excellent!. Thank you. That's right on. Very educational. A good way to hear how the modes sound in real time.
I doubt John or Paul, or George new much of this, which highlights their genius, rather than their ignorance. That and LSD...
Robin Hodgkinson poor Ringo
meryem k Ringo knew to how to hit a stick.
In fairness, they were still in their teens, just starting to learn rock and roll, no books, TV and CZcams to learn musical concept and theories. Therefore, they are genius with their instincts and songs.
@Psy Duck It unironically does
"How The Beatles Used Mixolydian"
This is an excellent discussion of modes and how they work to change the character of the song.
Very enjoyable listening to the breakdown of the Beatles music. Thanks
"We were talking about the space between us all, and the people who hide themselves behind a wall." It's all about Covid-19.
Gee... They really could see the future!
Nice lesson. well done.
thank you
Great way to show the impact of modes, with the Beatles. I know very little about the impact of modes vs major or minor keys but I have listened to hours of the Beatles, so now I have a reference.
Happy to have found this channel! Subscribed
Excellent
You rock. Period.
I may be actually starting to understand what modes do and how they are used. Same notes as some major scale but giving a different mood because of what it uses as the root note. Thank-you, David! You have cleared up years of confusion. 😊
Really well done and explained. Congratulations !