How to "Yer Blues" by The Beatles on Guitar

Hey Friend!

There is nothing quite like John Lennon’s raw and edgy vocals singing a blues tune. So today I want to share with you how I play "Yer Blues" by The Beatles on guitar.

This is a raw and soulful blues-rock guitar tune. And in this blog post, we'll explore the chords you need, 12-bar blues, riffs, and even some time signature changes. So get tuned up and let's dive in!

Who wrote Yer Blues?

"Yer Blues" is a song written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon-McCartney. It was recorded by The Beatles for their self-titled album commonly known as the White Album, released in 1968. The song originated during The Beatles' stay in Rishikesh, India, where they were attending an advanced Transcendental Meditation training course with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

The song's origins can be traced back to a moment of frustration and homesickness experienced by John Lennon during their time in India. Feeling isolated and longing for the blues, Lennon wrote "Yer Blues" as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the blues genre and its themes of sadness and longing.

During the recording sessions, The Beatles aimed to capture the raw and live sound of the blues. The song features John Lennon on lead vocals and guitar, with powerful performances by Paul McCartney on bass, George Harrison on lead guitar, and Ringo Starr on drums. The band successfully emulated the intensity and energy of the blues, creating a song that stands out within their massive repertoire.

"Yer Blues" showcases The Beatles' ability to experiment with different musical styles, infusing their signature sound with elements of the blues. It remains a fan favorite and a testament to the band's creative versatility.

Yer Blues Guitar Chords

“Yer Blues” is based on a 12-bar blues chord progression. The song is in the key of E. The majority of the song is in a 6/8 time signature. You’ll need to know 4 chords E7, A7, G5, and B7. Here is how I would play each of these shapes.

E7 is played like a standard open position E chord however, here we’ll add the pinky finger to the 3rd fret on the 2nd string like this:

A7 can be played in the open position as well like this:

G5 looks like a typical G chord in open position, however, I often mute the 5th string when I am playing rock like this:

And finally, B7 is played like this:

Once those chord shapes feel comfortable next try putting them into a 12-bar blues chord progression. As I mentioned above the song is primarily in a 6/8 time signature, but when we get to the turnaround (the last 4 bars in the progression) we are going to add 2 beats to 1 bar. I’ll explain as we go. Start out with strumming once per bar and counting to 6. Follow this progression:

E7 (4 bars)  

A7 (2 bars)

E7 (2 bars) 

These first 8 bars match perfectly to a very common 12-bar blues progression. But next the chords and rhythms deviate just slightly. First up is the G5 chord in measure 9

G5 (1 bar)

Then we change the time signature from 6/8 to 8/8. This adds 2 more counts to our rhythm but it’s just going to last 1 bar. In bar 10 we’ll play B7 for 8 beats.

B7 (1 bar of 8/8)

Then we’ll return back to a 4/4 time signature and finish off the progression with 2 bars of E7.

E7 (2 bars)

So all together the 12-bar form goes like this:

E7 (4 bars)  

A7 (2 bars)

E7 (2 bars) 

G5 (1 bar)

B7 (1 bar of 8/8)

E7 (2 bars) 

Watch out for bar 10 where we have that time signature change. This new rhythm only lasts for that 1 bar. Then it’s straight back to a 6/8 count. The lyric cue here is:

“Oh, girl, you know the reason why..”

Strumming Pattern

The rhythmic arrangement between the different instruments on the recording is brilliant. But all these different parts at once can be a little tough to translate to one guitar/rhythm part. If I was accompanying a singer or playing this song by myself I would use a 6/8 strumming pattern that captures the elements of the groove.

The pattern I play goes like this:

This strumming pattern uses eighth notes and expands on the basic strumming we did above when learning the progression. For this pattern, I use all downstrums. Start by strumming 4 downstrums and counting along with them. When I get to the 4th strum I make that one very staccato. This creates a backbeat type of feel in 6/8.  

Then I finish it up with two scratch strums. This is where I just mute the strings with my fretting hand and get more of a percussive sound as opposed to actual notes.

To really nail this rhythm and groove make sure to count out loud along with your strums.

In 6/8 I'll often have a slight accent on beats 1 and 4. This helps to create a backbeat feel like this:

1 2 3 4 5 6 

Conclusion

"Yer Blues" by The Beatles is a great example of how the band explored the blues in their music. Also with the changes to the chord progression and different licks, it really shows their ability to infuse their own style into it. 

By learning the origins of the song and how to play it on guitar, you not only gain a deeper appreciation for The Beatles' musical versatility but also level up your own blues guitar chops. Remember to take it slow and when you’re ready try to play along with the recording. Happy jamming and for more blues lessons check out this blog on the 101 best blues songs to learn on guitar next!