The Beatles — Help

Pete Shotton, John Lowe, and Collin Hanton, Ken Brown, Pete Best, Stu Sutcliff, Tommy Moore, and Norman Chapman are the names of all the musicians that played with one or more members of The Beatles before the band became the most famous ensemble in the history of popular music. By 1960, The Beatles comprised John Lennon (rhythm/ vocals), Paul McCartney (rhythm/vocals), George Harrison (lead/ vocals), Stuart Sutcliffe (bass/vocals) and Pete Best (drums).

On Feb 9, 1961, The Beatles first performed at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. In that same year, Brian Epstein received three requests for The Beatles’ single, «My Bonnie», at his record store. He went to hear and see them at the Cavern Club, and subsequently, became their manager.

In 1962, Pete Best was replaced by Ringo Starr, at the request of George Martin, the producer at EMI records who recorded almost all of The Beatles’ works .

On September 11, 1962, in Studio 2 at Abbey Road, The Beatles recorded their first song that charted, «Love Me Do.» The song was written by Paul McCartney in 1958. The version recorded on September 11 took eighteen takes, and a session drummer named Andy White provided the beat, with Ringo on the Tamborine and Maracas.

Their first number one recording was «Please Please Me», recorded on February 11, 1963 and released in the USA in February 1963. Subsequent USA releases occurred in May 1963, «From Me to You», followed in September with, «She Loves You», but didn’t chart until January, 1964, which then soared to number 1.

After their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, The Beatles dominated the popular music scene as the number one band in sales and popularity in the world, and created an extraordinary body of recorded music. This recorded music has provided an inestimable amount of printed music of The Beatles’ compositions.

The Beatles’ guitar music and guitar solos are timeless and provide inspiration to musicians of all calibers and experience. From the famous Beatles Guitar lick in «Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise» to the riveting guitar lead in «I Saw Her Standing There», the number of outstanding musical moments is too numerous to count. There are hundreds of publications of The Beatles guitar tabs and scores.

The compositions of Lennon and McCartney rank with many of the masters. «Help», written by John Lennon, is a song especially well constructed. If one looks at the Help tab, they will see a structure of a tune with brilliant economy, and yet flexible and alive.

Almost any Beatles’ band tab could provide insight and creative inspiration to any musician, and above all joy.