Three Beatles Riffs

Learn to play three classic Fab Four riffs with our online video lessons

1966 was a turning point for the Fab Four – while it marked arguably the peak of Beatlemania hysteria, it was also the year they stopped playing live after years of relentless touring. What followed was a surge of creativity – the ‘studio years’ saw the band begin to use the recording studio to experiment and innovate, and the result was the groundbreaking genius of Revolver.

George Harrison’s abrasive album opener Taxman has a great guitar vamp, based on just a handful of chords and a sharp, attacking rhythm. The classic riff on the ’66 non-album track Paperback Writer sees the band in harder rock territory, while As Your Bird Can Sing opens on a harmony line – a technique that would become commonplace in the 70s, as bands such as Wishbone Ash, Thin Lizzy and The Allman Brothers made their names playing twin-lead. Read on for more advice on how to play the riffs and remember to check out our video lessons to see how it’s done .