Be a Better Acoustic Guitarist: Magical Mystery Chords

For most fans of the Beatles, it’s the melodies of these songs that make them so special, but the Beatles were also deft at using novel chord progressions, and this part of their craft is sometimes overlooked. In particular, McCartney, Lennon, and Harrison had a knack for writing choruses and bridges that departed from the primary verse key of their songs, taking scenic harmonic detours that eventually led back home to the top of the next verse. It’s no easy thing to do, but they did it over and over again, without repeating themselves. There’s much to be learned from the unusual chord progressions in the Fab Four’s catalog, and that’s just what we’ll be doing in this month’s songwriting column.