McCartney's 2-Note Chord Secret (Blackbird)
30sReveals a counterintuitive Blackbird guitar technique that makes viewers rethink how chords are actually played.
▶ Play ClipAI Summary
This short guitar tutorial breaks down Paul McCartney's two-note chord technique as heard in Blackbird. The instructor explains how McCartney uses open strings around small two-note shapes, and demonstrates the approach in the key of E. The video emphasizes how this technique can transform the way you see the guitar as a songwriting tool.
Chapters
[00:02]
McCartney's String-Flicking Technique
In Blackbird, Paul McCartney doesn't pinch the strings. He flicks them with the back of his fingers, activating open strings around small two-note motifs.
[00:18]
Open Strings Around Two-Note Shapes
The core idea is to take two-note chord shapes and surround them with open strings. In certain keys, this creates a rich, resonant sound.
[00:32]
Demonstration in the Key of E
To apply this in the key of E, the instructor activates the B and E strings (the top two strings) so they ring around the chord shape, since both notes are part of the key.
[01:13]
Effect on Songwriting
Practicing this technique consistently changes how you view the guitar as a songwriting instrument, opening up new creative possibilities.
Paul McCartney's two-note chord approach is simple yet powerful: let open strings ring around small shapes. This technique can fundamentally reshape your guitar playing and songwriting.
Mentioned in this Video
Tutorial Checklist
1
00:02
Understand McCartney's physical technique: flick the strings with the back of your fingers instead of pinching them, to activate open strings around two-note shapes.
2
00:18
Build two-note chord shapes and experiment with adding open strings around them, especially in keys where those open strings fit naturally.
3
00:32
In the key of E, let the B and E strings ring open around the chord shape because both notes belong to the key.
4
01:13
Apply this approach consistently and notice how it changes your perspective on guitar songwriting.
Study Flashcards (5)
What physical technique does Paul McCartney use in Blackbird?
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What physical technique does Paul McCartney use in Blackbird?
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He flicks the strings with the back of his fingers, activating open strings around two-note shapes.
00:02
What is the core idea behind McCartney's two-note chord approach?
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What is the core idea behind McCartney's two-note chord approach?
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Take two-note chord shapes and let open strings ring around them to create a richer sound.
00:18
In the key of E, which open strings are activated around the chord shape?
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In the key of E, which open strings are activated around the chord shape?
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The B and E strings, the top two strings.
00:32
Why do the B and E strings work well in the key of E?
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Why do the B and E strings work well in the key of E?
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Because both the B and E notes belong to the key of E.
00:32
What effect does this technique have on songwriting?
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What effect does this technique have on songwriting?
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It fundamentally changes the way you look at the guitar as a songwriting instrument.
01:13
💡 Key Takeaways
🔧
The Flicking Technique
A clear, physical explanation of McCartney's understated guitar technique that is often misunderstood as fingerpicking.
00:02
💡
Open Strings Around Two-Note Shapes
Introduces a practical songwriting concept that can be applied in any key, expanding chord vocabulary.
00:18
⚖️
Choosing Open Strings from the Key
Shows a music theory principle: using open strings that belong to the key creates harmonic cohesion.
00:32
💡
A New Songwriting Perspective
Encapsulates the broader value of the technique – it changes how you view the instrument creatively.
01:13Full Transcript
[00:02] to the open strings being activated around this little twoot note shell. And this is exactly what Paul McCartney was doing with Blackbird. He's not doing a pinching the notes. He's actually flicking the strings with the back of
[00:18] his fingers and activating some of the strings, the open strings around those little twoot note shells. So we can take this idea and start trying open strings around these two note shapes. And in some keys this creates a really
[00:32] to the key of [Music] E, what I'm going to do is activate the B and the E strings, the two top
[00:44] strings, and let them ring around that chord shape because both the E and the B belong to the key that we're in. [Music]
[01:13] And you'll find as you do this more and more, it fundamentally changes the way you look at your guitar as a songwriting instrument. Women.
