• From: North Europe
  • Registered: 2007-08-20
  • Posts: 135

Topic: Playing and crying with George Harrison

Today I was noodling around my old songbooks, and was reminded why I picked up a guitar in the first place all those years ago (yep it was in the 70s ). It was the Beatles and in fact George that motivated me. And you know, as it beginner it seemed almost impossible to play those songs off All Things Must Pass . Check out the key changes, the suspended chords, the minor sevenths all over the fretboard. Now its possible for me to play technically, but now with tears in my eyes because such a great guy is probably underrated musically by people who are looking for songs to learn, and I surely miss him.

All I can do is ask you to check these beautiful songs that sound so good played on the acoustic:

All things must pass (this one now kills me everytime - I'll get over it one day!)
Beware of Darkness
Run of the mill
I'd have you anytime
While my Guitar gently weeps
Something
Here comes the sun .. and so on - George is far more complex than John or Paul - and they are great!.

What a legacy! Coldplay, Greenday, Verve etc, can all write great songs - but those 70's things still shine out when you play them. Boo Hoo!

I am playing all the right notes - but not necessarily in the right order! [Eric Morecombe]
  • From: montreal, quebec
  • Registered: 2007-04-17
  • Posts: 327

Re: Playing and crying with George Harrison

I too am a huge fan of George Harisson, most definatly my favorite Beatle. All of the songs that you listed (and more) are songs that I play almost every day.

what a long strange trip it's been
  • From: North Europe
  • Registered: 2007-08-20
  • Posts: 135

Re: Playing and crying with George Harrison

glad to hear that. They stand up to any of the newer singer/songwriter output. I just wish there were more examples of George playing solo acoustic versions. While my Guitar - the Love/Anthology version is fantastic. But I don't know of any unplugged type performances of the All things must pass material.

I am playing all the right notes - but not necessarily in the right order! [Eric Morecombe]
  • From: montreal, quebec
  • Registered: 2007-04-17
  • Posts: 327

Re: Playing and crying with George Harrison

there is a version of the song all things must pass on one of the beatles anthology alblums. that is also where they got the acoustic version of while my guitar weeps for the love alblum.

what a long strange trip it's been
  • DocR
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 5

Re: Playing and crying with George Harrison

I am also a big GH fan, having played "Apple Scruffs" (bluegrass style) live to a surprised house party. Years ago I bought the All Things Must Pass book and memorized all the chords and lyrics. Now I can't find that book and Amazon shows them for $125 and up!
I am a true fan of George's and recently bought the "Concert for George" DVD and nearly drove my family crazy playing it over and over.
An underappreciated talent for sure.

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: Playing and crying with George Harrison

I was at the Alison Krauss and Union Station concert the night George Harrison died. Jerry Douglas, one of the greatest musicians ever to breath O2, dedicated his solo to George. He did this prior to Georges passing, which made it more the eerie and extraordinary. For 15 minutes Jerry poured his soul out onto those dobro strings and I mean to tell you, it was goose-bumpburg.
I like the way George almost always, in every song he wrote, would throw in a "weird" chord. George, in my opinion, was the glue that held the Beatles together for "all those years".  I'd like to see"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" played to open concerts as anthems are used to initiate sporting events. George's influence was evident in the "Concert for George." So many huge named stars shoed up to give thanks for what George did for music. George was neat, George was cool, I miss him.

Give everything but up.
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Playing and crying with George Harrison

About the Beatles: Lennon and McCartney were great, but the numbers George has written, are probably the best songs the Beatles wrote. I am not talking about "yesterday", but the songs Harisson wrote are probably the most covered songs in Music land.
About all the chords he used, you can skip a lot of chords, without changing the essence of his songs.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

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  • Registered: 2007-06-26
  • Posts: 3

Re: Playing and crying with George Harrison

GH has always been one of my favorites.  I typed out (chords) and posted "What Is Life", but haven't seen it.  I don't think a lot of tab sites are that active anymore

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Playing and crying with George Harrison

As I told: GEORGE was PROBABLY the most talented Beatle, or absolutely not inferior to JOHN and PAUL, he just wasn't part of the team. See the Rolling Stones history: the person who started with the Stones, was and is still BRIAN JONES. It must be very painful to be excluded in the songwriting by MICK and KEITH. He gave birth to a baby called Rolling Stones, but he wasn't longer involved in the education of his child.
I do agree, he was a spoiled little man, good looking, fancy, a dandy and a multi instrumentalist.
It is a pity, but did he write songs?
_________________________________________________________________________________

GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: THE LIFE OF BRIAN

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website