*Listen to the chord
The distinctive chord which opens A Hard Day's Night became one of the most iconic sounds in The Beatles' output. Instantly recognisable, it was the perfect beginning to the group's debut feature film.
We knew it would open both the film and the soundtrack LP, so we wanted a particularly strong and effective beginning. The strident guitar chord was the perfect launch.
~George Martin
The fingering, as played by Harrison on his 12-string Rickenbacker 360/12 guitar, was as follows:
E ----3----
B ----1----
G ----2----
D ----3----
A ----x----
E ----x----
B ----1----
G ----2----
D ----3----
A ----x----
E ----x----
The 12-string guitar was crucial to the power of the chord, giving it a richness which would otherwise have been absent. The notes were also used for the arpeggio at the end of the song.
As Harrison pointed out, his 12-string wasn't the only instrument to be heard during the chord. John Lennon also performed an Fadd9, although on a Gibson J-160 6-string acoustic guitar. Close listening reveals a cymbal and snare drum buried in the mix, and notes performed on the bass and piano. Paul McCartney added a D note, played on the 12th fret of the D string on his Hofner violin bass. This note was the equivalent of an open D string on a six-string guitar, which had a crucial effect on the overall sound of the chord. The bass note also resonated in the body of Lennon's acoustic guitar, further changing the sound. George Martin played a Steinway grand piano on A Hard Day's Night, and contributed to the opening chord. Although somewhat difficult to hear against the other instruments, it is thought that Martin played just three notes: D2, G2 and D3 (middle C is C4).* [ed. note. as compared to the intense discussion at the DC comics blog, which caused it to shut down all comments. The debate being -- who's faster, Superman or the Flash].
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