Comments on: Blackbird

By: Mr. Kite

Mr. Kite — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 20:44:32 +0000

This was recorded to support the US civil rights movement? You sure about that?

By: Fayez Abedaziz

Fayez Abedaziz — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 04:01:23 +0000

This White Album is not as good as Rubber Soul or Revolver and it simply has more than a couple of ‘filler’ songs: not much there, so to speak, in those filler songs.
First of all, Blackbird is a boring song with silly words that are really trite, I mean, really..? you can get up and fly…
And, no there’s no way Paul was thinking of any kind of movement in the U.S. that he supposedly said, later that he did. Especially when he talked of having the idea of the making of the song before the mop tops were ever heard of. Contradictions…
If he did, he’s pandering. In fact, that’s what brother Charlie Manson gave as the meaning of those words in that boring song.

By: MikeP

MikeP — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 01:14:40 +0000

Come on , people! He wanted the beat in the recording, but didn’t want drums. Simple.
And it very much sounds like a metronome. It DOESN’T sound like feet tapping, hands on thigh, or anything of that nature.

By: MikeP

MikeP — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 01:12:31 +0000

The metronome kept playing but was faded out for the ritardando. Geoff Emerick (and others who have examined it) say if you follow the beat , it matches up exactly when the song starts up again. It was miked up away from Paul (possibly in the control room? ) and fed to him via headphones.

By: MikeP

MikeP — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 01:05:41 +0000

It’s a METRONOME. Paul and Geoff Emerick have both acknowledged that.

By: Jonas Groth, Norway

Jonas Groth, Norway — Sat, 28 Oct 2017 21:52:08 +0000

I cannot be a metronome as it’s not “stabile”. It’s not keeping one tempo. It flies slightly up and down throughout the song. I just sampled it and measured the beat. Or… It COULD be a very bad metronome that could hold a steady tempo, but then what’s the point in using it?

By: Mr Mustard

Mr Mustard — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 15:57:02 +0000

I saw McCartney on tour in 2015, and he asked, “How many people know how to play Blackbird?” everyone put up their hand. Then he asked, “How many know how to play it the right way?” No one put up their hand. The tapping is his own feet alternating to sound like a metronome.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 08:24:43 +0000

Blackbird absolutely has bars in 3/4 and 2/4, though the bulk of the song is in 4/4. Listen again.

By: Eve Demian

Eve Demian — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 11:50:15 +0000

Do not make the mistake of repeating the crap written by someone who knows nothing about music, on the Beatles Music History page. No; it *doesn’t* start as a *waltz*, in 3/4 time, nor is there any merit to the term “2/4”. The time signature on ‘Blackbird’ is *4/4*!

By: mrcianjsmith

mrcianjsmith — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 23:15:17 +0000

I think this might be accurate information but slightly muddled up; Paul himself said he made it up as a kid in Liverpool, saying he liked the bass to be played at the same time as the notes. it comes from that Bach piece he and George learned,

By: Ondra

Ondra — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 15:41:22 +0000

No. He’s always played it in the standard tuning. There is a video footage of the actual recording session and he’s in standard tuning.

By: Corwin Booth

Corwin Booth — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 19:37:43 +0000

It is a 1967 Martin D-28 (which is a steel string), according to this site. Not sure why it lists it as a 1968 then states the serial number indicates it is a 1967 model. Coincidentally, I was taught to play Blackbird on almost (I think it was a 1969 model) D-28 around 1980 by my wonderful cousin Debbie. Always sounds just right on that awesome guitar!

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 14:57:33 +0000

What kind of a guitar was used on the recording? I know it’s an acoustic but I’ve always wondered if it’s played on a classical or steel string guitar in on the recording used in the white album

By: Graham Paterson

Graham Paterson — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 11:32:10 +0000

A brilliant Paul McCartney composition, It is just such a beautiful song.What a lovely creative way to support the Black Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The “White Album”, just has so many great songs.

By: Max Moose

Max Moose — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 20:06:18 +0000

Wow … 5 years later and the same topic persists. OK I’ll bite. If I am playing in Drop D (as frequently happens) I am not about to re-tune a string just to play the G note on the 3rd fret instead of the 5th. Similar logic applies to Double Drop D. If I am playing solo I will tune the guitar up or down a bit depending on where my vocal range has wandered that day. There are not a lot of people listening who have perfect pitch, and therefor be bothered. If you were there in the 60’s, you know the young McCartney’s voice was remarkably adaptable.

By: tstout

tstout — Thu, 28 May 2015 11:52:10 +0000

The tapping was done by his shoes….alternating left than right.

By: tstout

tstout — Thu, 28 May 2015 11:42:23 +0000

FYI…Blackbird is NOT in drop D or double drop D. It’s in standard tuning. Paul plucks the bass E and A string with his thumb and uses his middle finger to pluck the B and high E strings. And in between, he strums the rhythm with both his thumb and index finger held together….his own unique strumming pattern that he used on most of his acoustic songs. And it is no where near the Travis Picking pattern that John learned from Donovan which he used on Dear Prudence and Julia.

By: Julian

Julian — Tue, 19 May 2015 15:03:09 +0000

That’s the very end of “I’m So Tired”. I don’t know what that is.

By: castironshore

castironshore — Tue, 19 May 2015 11:51:26 +0000

Has anyone noticed what sounds like a child’s voice saying “play” at the start of this song ? Or am i hearing things ?

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 17 May 2015 23:53:54 +0000

That’s correct… as Dublin – refers to Black pool.