The Music of the Beatles

The Music of the Beatles

Instructor: John Covach

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7 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

750 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

7 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

750 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Students will be able to summarize and describe the evolution of the Beatles from their early days to Beatlemania and beyond.

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

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Assessments

6 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 7 modules in this course

The Music of the Beatles will track the musical development of the band, starting from the earliest days in Liverpool and Hamburg, moving through the excitement of Beatlemania, the rush of psychedelia, and the maturity of Abbey Road. While the focus will be on the music, we will also consider how recording techniques, the music business, the music of other artists, and the culture of the 1960s affected John, Paul, George, and Ringo as they created the Beatles repertory.

There is probably no band or artist that has had more written about their music than the Beatles. There are many good books on the band's biography, several insider accounts offering glimpses behind the scenes, books that interpret the meaning of the songs, and even books that catalog dates and people regarding the band. This course will try to synthesize much of that information into an account of the Beatles' development as musicians and songwriters.

What's included

5 videos4 readings

The Beatles as pop craftsmen. Study of cover versions at Cavern and Hamburg shows, Please Please Me, With the Beatles, and the singles from this period.

What's included

9 videos1 assignment

9 videosTotal 109 minutes

Organizing the Biography and Music14 minutes
Before Beatlemania13 minutes
Hamburg and Liverpool18 minutes
The First Recordings for Parlophone12 minutes
Please Please Me10 minutes
SCU – Love Me Do, Please Please Me, I Saw Her Standing There14 minutes
The Beatles and UK Pop, 196310 minutes
With the Beatles6 minutes
SCU - She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand13 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Early Day and Success in the UK30 minutes

The Beatles begin to move toward the artist model. Music from A Hard Day's Night, Beatles For Sale, and singles from this period. From this point on we will closely follow particular authorship of songs, keeping track of John, Paul, and George as individual songwriters.

What's included

8 videos1 assignment

8 videosTotal 81 minutes

Introduction3 minutes
The Beatles are Coming!12 minutes
The Beatles in the Movies8 minutes
A Hard Day’s Night, the Album14 minutes
SCU - A Hard Day’s Night, Can’t Buy Me Love, and Any Time At All9 minutes
Beatles For Sale, Fall 196415 minutes
SCU - I’m A Loser and Eight Days a Week7 minutes
Brian Epstein and George Martin13 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Success in America and the World30 minutes

Increased experimentation, still mostly within the context of the pop single. The increasingly important role of the recording studio and recording techniques and innovations. Help!, Rubber Soul, and singles from this period.

What's included

7 videos1 assignment

7 videosTotal 82 minutes

Overview of 1965: Beatlemania Continues10 minutes
Help! The Movie7 minutes
From Craftsmen to Artists8 minutes
Help! The Album12 minutes
SCU - Help!, You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away, I’ve Just Seen a Face, Yesterday14 minutes
Rubber Soul15 minutes
SCU - Norwegian Wood, In My Life, Michelle, I’m Looking Through You, If I Needed Someone15 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Pop Maturity30 minutes

The artist model comes into full bloom. The rise of importance of the album and idea-driven projects. Revolver, "Penny Lane," "Strawberry Fields," Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, and other singles from this period, including the tracks that would end up on Yellow Submarine.

What's included

9 videos1 assignment

9 videosTotal 112 minutes

The Rigors of Touring and the Freedom of the Studio13 minutes
Revolver: The Album13 minutes
SCU - Rain, Tomorrow Never Knows, Eleanor Rigby, For No One, Taxman15 minutes
On the Way to the Summer of Love8 minutes
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band18 minutes
SCU - Strawberry Fields, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite, Penny Lane, She’ Leaving Home, Within You Without You16 minutes
Loss and New Directions in Fall, 196711 minutes
Magical Mystery Tour: The Album6 minutes
SCU - All You Need Is Love, Fool on the Hill, Blue Jay Way13 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Psychedelia30 minutes

The White Album both begins a return to roots while also continuing the musical experimentation of the earlier music, but now each song is less of a group effort. Creative differences arise. The White Album and singles from this period.

What's included

9 videos1 assignment

9 videosTotal 98 minutes

1968 - Events and Singles16 minutes
The Beatles (White Album)7 minutes
White Album - The Paul Songs10 minutes
SCU - Lady Madonna, Hey Jude, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da12 minutes
White Album - The John Songs14 minutes
SCU - Revolution, Happiness Is a Warm Gun, Julia13 minutes
White Album – George and Ringo Songs8 minutes
SCU - The Inner Light, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Piggies11 minutes
Yellow Submarine6 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

A Co-Op of Singer-Songwriters30 minutes

Once there was a way to get back home. The Get Back sessions embrace a return-to-simplicity approach but are aborted. Abbey Road attempts to get back to the band's previous manner of working. Let It Be combines material from Get Back with newly recorded tracks. Abbey Road, Let It Be, and singles from this period.

What's included

9 videos1 assignment

9 videosTotal 111 minutes

Introduction7 minutes
The Get Back Project15 minutes
Get Back/Let It Be, The Album11 minutes
SCU - Let It Be, Dig a Pony, I Me Mine, I Got a Feeling14 minutes
The Grand Finale: Abbey Road10 minutes
Abbey Road: Side One6 minutes
SCU - Here Comes the Sun, Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, I Want You (She’s So Heavy)15 minutes
Abbey Road: Side Two (A Longer Day in the Life)17 minutes
Conclusions16 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Get Back30 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(146 ratings)

John Covach

University of Rochester

4 Courses107,337 learners

Offered by

University of Rochester

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Reviewed on Feb 26, 2019

Great course! I knew nothing of the music of the Beatles, but this course has made me appreciate the poetry and musical innovation of the Beatles.

Reviewed on May 31, 2020

Thankyou so much for this course. I learned a lot and it was a nice first aproach to music. I love The Beatles even more now. The professor is great. I loved everything. Thankyou

Reviewed on Aug 13, 2020

I really enjoyed the course, including the side stories. I only wish that there was no problem with copyright infringement and all so one can listen to the songs as they are being discussed.

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