The Beatles - Roll Over Beethoven - Guitar Cover - Gretsch G5120 - Rickenbacker 325C58

George Harrison takes the lead on The Beatles' 1963 cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven". The song begins with George's lead guitar, one of the only times his guitar can be heard by itself on a finished recording. Notice the position George plays the D major chord during this opening is at the 10th fret (0:03), which can be seen on numerous live performance videos (notably the 1964 "Around The Beatles" TV special).

John comes in with his Rickenbacker 325 rhythm guitar up high on the neck. During live performances, John would vary the position on the neck in which he played the G and A Chuck Berry shuffle riffs, sometimes up high and other times low. However, in the studio recording John plays exclusively at the 10th and 12th frets until the very last A chord. The rhythm guitar most prominently heard throughout the song is John's, while George's can only be clearly observed during lead parts and other isolated rhythm incidents. For this cover, I mixed both rhythm parts equally for clarity.

While it sounds as though the two rhythm parts being played by John and George throughout the song are quite monotonous, there are a number of intentional and unintentional spots where a unique sound is created. Most notably, John plays the shuffle riff with a full D7 chord and sometimes allows the chord to ring out. George plays a straight back and forth shuffle rhythm at (0:38) instead of the usual pattern that includes the minor third note. John does the same thing at (0:50, 1:08, 1:26, 2:01, 2:20). John also plays the shuffle rhythm faster at (0:35), lining up with George's vocal phrasing.

During the "choruses" before the solo and the end of the song, John strums the D chord while continuing with his shuffle rhythm. This strumming by John can be clearly seen at The Beatles' 1964 Washington Coliseum concert, in which he exaggerates his movements during this section. Notice John's overreach during the Chuck Berry riff before the solo at (1:24).

George's fantastic solo was likely overdubbed as it is heard on the right stereo channel rather than on the left with the other guitars. This means that both John and George would have played their respective rhythm parts during the recording of the basic track and recorded the solo separately. Right before the solo starts, George plays a "test" note at (1:27), which can be heard on the right channel with the solo guitar. Of the three double stop bends played at (1:40), George chokes the last two, creating an almost pinch harmonic sound.

The rhythm guitars for the second half of the song also have unique characteristics. At (1:52), George's rhythm part plays the back and forth Chuck Berry riff. A classic Harrison sound is heard here as George accidentally bars his pinky across the higher strings, creating a dissonant sound. This technique of his can be heard on many recordings that involve him playing in this style. John adds some variation to his rhythm riff at (2:07). He also speeds up the end of the G riff at (2:17).

The final chorus sees John repeat his strumming of the D chord. At (2:28), both guitars play different rhythm figures than anywhere else in the song, causing an extraordinary sound to be created. John plays the back and forth Chuck Berry riff but accidentally hits a C# note at (2:29). George adds his own variation to the riff by going back and forth from the minor third to the second of the G chord.

Instruments Used:
George Harrison Guitar: Gretsch G5120
John Lennon Guitar: Rickenbacker 325C58 (2003)
Amp: Vox AC15C1