Get Back Guitar Lesson (The Beatles)

Here’s a powerful song that was performed live during the Beatles' famous rooftop concert on January 30, 1969.

This was the last public performance of their career. This gig was filmed and included in the "Let It Be" documentary.

It’s a simple song, but it’s packed with energy and showcases the Beatles’ connection to blues and early rock and roll.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Get Back” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Get Back?

"Get Back” was written primarily by Paul McCartney, but it’s credited to the songwriting duo Lennon-McCartney. The song was released as a single on April 11, 1969, and later included on the album "Let It Be" in 1970.

"Get Back" was created during the "Get Back" sessions, which were intended to return the Beatles to their roots by recording a straightforward rock album without a bunch of studio effects. The sessions were done in January 1969, initially at Twickenham Film Studios and later at the Beatles' own Apple Studio in London.

Early versions of the song included political and satirical references, such as poking fun at the attitudes towards immigration in Britain. However, these elements were eventually toned down, or taken out. Leaving the final version vague and singing about the need to "get back" to a simpler time or place.

The recording features brilliant playing from Billy Preston on electric piano. Preston's contributions were significant enough that he was credited on the single, making it "The Beatles with Billy Preston," which is quite rare for Beatles recordings. The track was recorded at Apple Studio with Glyn Johns as the engineer and producer George Martin overseeing the sessions.

Credits:

• Paul McCartney: Lead vocals, bass guitar
• John Lennon: Lead guitar, backing vocals
• George Harrison: Rhythm guitar
• Ringo Starr: Drums
• Billy Preston: Electric piano

"Get Back" was released as a single with "Don't Let Me Down" as the B-side. The single gained commercial success, reaching number one on the charts in several countries, including the UK and the US. In the US, it was certified gold by the RIAA.

What key is “Get Back” played in?

“Get Back” as recorded by The Beatles is in the key of A major. The song at its core just uses these three chords A, G, and D. These three chords make up the I chord, the bVII, and the IV chord, in the key of A major. 

The song dips into the blues and early rock and influences especially with the use of the G chord. Other than that, the rest of the song can be summarized as a I to a IV chord. 

Here’s a chord analysis of “Get Back:

A Major (I):

Notes: A, C#, E

Function: The tonic chord, which serves as the home base and point of rest in the key of A major.

G Major (bVII):

Notes: G, B, D

Function: In the key of A major, G major is not diatonically related because it contains G natural instead of G#. However, it can be used as a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key (A minor).

D Major (IV):

Notes: D, F#, A

Function: The subdominant chord, which creates movement away from the tonic and often leads to the dominant chord (V) or back to the tonic (I).

To better understand how these chords all relate on the guitar, grab my free fretboard guitar here:

Get Back Guitar Chords

To play “Get Back” you’ll only need to know 3 main chords A, G, and D. All of these chords can be played as open chords. Let’s take a look at some common ways they can be played on guitar.

A is played from the 5th string down. For this shape, I often use just 1 finger, my index finger, and then I mute the 1st and 6th strings like this:

G can be played using all 6 strings like this:

Note: sometimes in a rock setting I omit the 5th string. But any G chord will work here.

Finally, for D, I play this from the 4th string down like so:

The chord progressions for “Get Back” are really quite simple. There are just 2 parts the verse and the chorus. The intro, chorus, and solo sections are all the same thing. Then the verse is the only other part and it’s almost the same. Here are the differences.

The intro/chorus/solo sections go:

A (2 bar)

D (1 bar)

D, G, A (1 bar)

Then the verse goes:

A (2 bar)

D (1 bar)

A (1 bar)

It’s just the last bar that has extra hits in the intro/chorus/solo sections.

Once you have the chords and progressions down, these can also be played using some really cool…

Get Back Blues Rhythm Patterns

The rhythm patterns in"Get Back" are a perfect example of how these lads tapped into their blues and rock and roll roots. It takes a common blues shuffle pattern but applies it to this very straightforward rock feel with a driving backbeat. 

Instead of just strumming the A chord you could alternatively play this: 

Get Back Strumming Pattern

The basic “feel” and strumming for “Get Back” is called an eighth-note rock feel. It can be counted like this: 

1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

To play this, you must understand a few fundamentals of rhythm. Here are some tips to get you started:

These eighth notes divide each beat into two equal parts. In a 4/4 time signature, there are four beats per measure, and each beat can be split into two eighth notes. This means you will have a total of eight eighth notes per measure. Again, to count them, use the following pattern: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

Each number represents a beat, and each "and" represents the second half of each beat. For an eighth-note rock strumming pattern, you'll typically use downstrokes for each eighth note.

Get Back Guitar Solo Lesson

An interesting fact about the guitar solo for “Get Back” is that it was played by John Lennon, instead of George Harrison. This gives the solo a different feel in comparison to other Beatles tunes.

There are a few scales you could use to solo over the instrumental sections. The first I would recommend would be the A major pentatonic scale. 

The A major pentatonic scale is a five-note scale. It uses the notes:

• A (Root)
• B (2nd)
• C# (3rd)
• E (5th)
• F# (6th)

Here’s a common way to play this scale: 

Another great scale is the A minor blues scale. The A minor blues scale is a six-note scale. The notes are: 

A (Root)

C (Minor 3rd)

D (Perfect 4th)

D# (Diminished 5th or Blue Note)

E (Perfect 5th)

G (Minor 7th)

Here’s a common way to play this scale:

Conclusion:

To wrap it up, “Get Back” is a monumental song in The Beatles' career. It’s a piece of music history that captures their return to the blues and early rock and roll. 

By learning to play “Get Back,” you’re not only mastering a classic rock track but also taking the plunge into the rich musical influences that shaped one of the greatest bands of all time.

Keep practicing, and if you want to learn songs way faster, better understand the fretboard, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free fretboard guide here right now: 

Jon MacLennan