A Hard Days Night - the opening chord

Gypsyblue

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Here it is:



That's Randy Bachman explaining it.
 
Re: A Hard Days Night - the opening chord

That's one of the most wonderful, iconic chords in the history of music. The way the Beatles arranged that chord with the three instruments is really just pur genious. If you want to simulate that chord with just one instrument, you make some compromises, obviously, but it can be somewhat similar if you play a blocked G7, sus (augmenting the third, or adding the C on the G string). Of course, having the bass player hit that low D fills in most of the gap. Add some reverb and chorus to your guitar with just a touch of delay and a lot of presence to simulate the chime of a 12 string.
 
Re: A Hard Days Night - the opening chord

Randy was also guitarist with The Guess Who who had a huge success with the utterly loathsome American Woman.
 
Re: A Hard Days Night - the opening chord

Who's Randy Bachman?

You've heard him for sure. He was the Guess Who's main guitarist and one of their main songwriters. One of my favorites (and one of Neil Young's biggest influences on the guitar). He played one of the most amazing guitar parts ever recorded, with one of the most amazing guitar tones ever used IMO (on "American Woman"). He was also in BTO (of which I am NOT a fan). If nothing else, get the classic album "American Woman." The whole thing is good IMO.

 
Re: A Hard Days Night - the opening chord

Just a note for my American friends here. Jim Kale (the bassist in that above video) somehow managed to obtain the rights to "The Guess Who" name in the USA. He put together some cover band that plays the old songs and tours as "The Guess Who", however NONE of the original members are involved. Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings still get together and do shows and even tour, but they can't use the name "The Guess Who". Apparently Jim Kale still isn't on speaking terms with the rest of the band. I've met the guy and I'm not surprised.

So if you see The Guess Who playing near you in the USA, don't bother going to see it.
 
Re: A Hard Days Night - the opening chord

I'd rather talk about the Beatles. I posted this because I'm old enough to remember trying to figure that Hard Days Night chord out - and I could never get it right. It's a great opening chord. So creative.

As for the Guess Who - who cares? Never liked their music or Bachman Turner Overdrive either.
 
Re: A Hard Days Night - the opening chord

Gary Moore used to tell a story of the time when he met George Harrison and disputed the fingering of the AHDN chord with - let us not forget - the man who originally recorded it.
 
Re: A Hard Days Night - the opening chord

First off this is amazing, I am opening our show tomorrow night with that chord ftw!

Now something of a deeper concern to me, like when I sat talking with a bunch of young punk rockers who didn't know the Pistols.

AZ you must learn some history, not all of it but you know the top 5 bands from a major nation outside of the US and the UK is probably a practical thing. Even if they are Mormons.......

bachman-turner_overdrive-not_fragile(1).jpg
 
Re: A Hard Days Night - the opening chord

A lot of bands have started songs with that chord, but AFAIK, AHDN was the first one to be popular.

Paul Gilbert talked about it in an interview supporting Fuzz Planet; and that he opens the record with an arpeggiated version of it.

Interesting stuff.
 
Re: A Hard Days Night - the opening chord

According to Bachman, it's based off of an F chord. But to my ear it's a Dm7sus4: a V chord in the key of G; the song resolves to G to start the verse (which makes perfect musical sense). Yes, the notes of an F major triad are in that chord, but I don't hear F as the root...especially with Paul and John playing Ds. The chord Bachman describes would have to have the low G and C notes played with the thumb. Maybe the lower notes he heard were the piano part. Recorded onto the same track as the 12 string, perhaps? They weren't working with many tracks at that time.
 
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Re: A Hard Days Night - the opening chord

I agree with you completely itsabass. It definitely sounds like a V chord to me, urging the I chord to happen rather than it being a 'slash chord' F/D in my head.
 
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