Exploring Kind of String Arrangements in Beatles Songs

Part 1: “Playing electric guitar as loud as possible is not the only way to rock!”

How many Beatles fans are there just in Japan?
My guess is that everyone in Beatles copy bands will usually meet their fellow band members at studios once a month at studios and string up their Rickenbackers, Gretsches, and Höfners with flat strings, and then they practice for the next two hours or maybe even three because they’re getting ready for their next gig.
They get their hair ready for their upcoming regular gig, and they put on their favorite hats and they’re busy studying how they can strike their signature poses in front of the mirror.

Have you ever heard yourself say that you want to play one of these songs with your band?

■ Yesterday

This song changed how string quartets were used in rock music.

■ Eleanor Rigby

The approach to how the music was made in “Eleanor Rigby” was the first of its kind at the time. It is well known that engineer Geoff Emerick placed the microphones close to the instruments to achieve a unique dead sound quality.

■ I am the Walrus

I wonder what went into creating a sound like this. Not only the psychedelic arrangement of the strings, but the entire song is Beatles magic.

■ Hello, Goodbye

This song doesn’t really have much of a strings sound, but the interlude features the viola. The presence of the viola sound is unique.

■ Strawberry Fields Forever

The Beatles was probably the only band that successfully conveyed the image of how psychedelics would feel to sober people.

If you have any of these songs in the regular setlist of your band, it’s probably just “Yesterday” or “Hello, Goodbye”. There are many other Beatles songs with the strings section.
In this day and age, we have synths that can reproduce a strings sounds of high quality that are so close to the real sound that it’s hard to tell if the sound is real or not, so if your keyboardist is planning to play the strings part, they should be able to fill in with decent sound quality. It makes sense because that’s what Paul does at his solo concerts.
By the way, you can now buy the Abbey Road Studios sound.

SPITFIRE AUDIO / ABBEY ROAD TWO: ICONIC STRINGS PROFESSIONAL

Playing in a band is fun, but do you feel that something is missing?

John’s shouting, George’s guitar playing, Paul’s bass playing, Ringo’s tom roll...
Perhaps you have learned everything?

Have you ever dreamt that your band members suddenly switched their instruments to violin, viola, and cello, and then started playing “Eleanor Rigby”?
Or maybe you’d like to create that psychedelic low string sound in “I am the Walrus”? I’m sure you’ve thought about it more than once or twice.

I can hear the voice in your mind telling you;
“I know about guitars, but I don’t know anything about violins... because violins are so expensive... Hahaha!”

What you are reading now is a blog post by Sound House.
A string quartet, that is, two violins, one viola, and one cello - all you need is 100,000 yen to buy all of these instruments. Check out the product page now and you’ll be amazed at what it offers for these prices.

PLAYTECH PVN244 Violin Kit

PLAYTECH PVN544 Violin Kit

PLAYTECH PVA255 Viola Kit

PLAYTECH / PVC244 Cello 4/4

You: “I could buy all the instruments in a string quartet. Sound House is an online store, but are they really a safe website to buy instruments from!?”

Us: “We inspect all of our instruments upon shipment. There is no need to worry.”

You: “But even if I buy a string instrument, I’m worried about whether I’ll be able to play it or not.”

Us: “That’s up to you to pursue that for yourself...”

George Martin was responsible for most of the string arrangements for the Beatles. It is well known that his arrangements produced a sound that could not be done with ordinary string recordings thanks to his elaborate recording techniques. If you buy a violin and play it in front of a microphone, you will not immediately get the sound in “Yesterday”.

Someday I hope to play that sweet strings section sound with my own hands.
Maybe it’s time to get your violin, viola, or cello in front of your expensive MacBook Air.
While you’re at it, why not also get a high quality microphone and interface for recording?

AKG / P420 Condenser Microphone

STEINBERG / UR22C Audio Interface 32bit/192kHz

For this blog series, I may explore the string arrangements for Beatles songs.
The second issue is going to be “What to do with the sheet music? Will I even be able to play a string instrument in the first place?”
When you were a kid, you probably thought that you weren’t able to play an instrument when you had just started, but you thought it was fun. - You may be able to experience those childhood memories again. However, for those of you who have grown up, it may be more difficult than you think to learn to play a new instrument.
Are you ready?

If you are not confident, first buy a sound source and use software and then things will start to make sense.

But what about sheet music?

Well, you will have to come back next time (so I can write about just that in the next entry).