How to play Birthday by The Beatles
Birthday by The Beatles is a perfect little rocker for developing electric guitarists! One of the big hits from their 1968 double-album The Beatles (often referred to as “The White album”), Birthday is a light-hearted, blues-based number with clear, distinctive guitar lines.
Chords: A D E C G
Pick or Fingers? Pick, pick, pick! Only the pick creates the tone and attack you hear on the original.
Acoustic or Electric? Electric, electric, electric! (It’s one of those songs that just doesn’t work on acoustic guitar)
Lead guitar : The main riff is based on a major-chord arpeggio, and the position of each chord riff is where the corresponding Root 6 bar-chord is. The A riff is in the 5th position, D is in the 10th and the E is in the 12th position. The song is in A Blues and the main scale used is the A pentatonic minor pattern. The middle section riff starts on the C at 5th string, 3rd fret. Start this phrase on your middle finger, then play fingers 1, 2, 3, 4 on the next four notes (all on the 4th string). Keep your hand still, in the 2nd position to play this section before you need to move up the 4th string.
How does the timing work? Birthday is in 4/4 time but the rhythm pattern involves a lot of rests. Look at the first example of the main riff; the timing in the first bar is “1 and 2 and 3 and (4) and” (the bracketed number 4 represents a tied note). The following bar has a one beat note on the 1st beat followed by three beats rest for the guitar. You need to count the rests so you know where to come for the two-bar repeat.
How should you play the 1/2 tone bend in the main riff? With three fingers on the string to control the action (fingers 1, 2 & 3 ; don’t use the little finger for string bending ). Maintain the pressure on the string close to the fret as you bend up to the desired pitch.
What is a ‘unison bend’? Two strings held together as the lower note bends up to reach the pitch of the higher note. Keep your 1st finger on the top note as your 2nd & 3rd fingers push the lower note up.
Relevant pages in Electric Guitar Solo Style 1 : To learn more about the scales and techniques need for Birthday see pages 8 - 9, 13 and 25 - 26
Need a bit of help?
Electric Guitar Solo Style Book 1 is the perfect companion for developing Electric guitar players. It is specifically designed for the electric guitar and presents all the important scales and lead guitar techniques you need to know to get you playing well.