Let It Be is an unforgettable song by The Beatles that features an easy chord progression for anyone to learn and is an excellent way to practice your guitar chord shapes.
A triad is the easiest kind of chord to create. It consists of three notes separated by intervals (recall our article about intervals?).
This particular triad features a minor interval which gives it a somewhat melancholic sound.
Chords
Although many Beatles songs seem daunting to play, most can actually be simplified down into their individual parts and assembled again for easier performance. “Let It Be” for instance has an extremely straightforward chord progression that’s simple enough even novice musicians to follow along with.
Let It Be’s chords are drawn directly from the C major scale and all diatonic, making them easy for beginner guitarists to remember.
Use this song to practice guitar inversions, which provide an effective shortcut when transitioning between chords. Plus, for an added rhythmic flair try playing the bass walkdown an octave higher. Doing this adds additional rhythmic variety that keeps songs interesting!
Verse
Let it Be is an ideal song to learn in the key of C, as its four chords make it simple and easily memorizable. Furthermore, its transposition feature can provide excellent transposition practice!
In the verse, each chord is held for two beats while bass plays passing tones over F and C chords – providing an effective method for learning how to distinguish between bass notes and passing tones.
Beginners might benefit from reading Music Theory for Beginners to help understand how chords in songs work together and why certain songs have certain keys; this will make learning more complex songs much simpler in the future. Chord Charts for Beginners provides additional songs with easy chord progressions with names, fret numbers and even downloadable midi files!
Chorus
Few songs are as beloved and instantly recognizable as “Let It Be,” yet its success owes much to its amazing history, including one of the highest-selling bands ever and an internationally-recognized singer. Furthermore, creative decisions were necessary in making “Let It Be.”
In this lesson, we’ll discover how different musical choices combine into an iconic modern pop song that has endured over time. Additionally, we will delve into some basic music theory concepts suitable for beginner guitar players.
Note for beginner guitarists: the chord progression in this song uses the key of C, so if you wish to switch up its key and change chords per chorus if that is necessary. For more on this topic, check out our popular guide on chord progressions for beginners – you will then be ready to tackle any song! And don’t forget our capo cheat sheet which will help quickly locate those tricky chords!
Solo
Let It Be’s guitar solo is relatively straightforward for beginners with an understanding of chord progression. While dexterity may be required when skipping strings and playing close notes together, with practice it should come.
While performing a guitar solo, you should keep in mind that rhythm and tempo play an equal part. Transition between different parts of the scale with ease while switching directions frequently to prevent your solo from sounding repetitive. A great solo should build to an exciting climax before returning quickly back down into another part of the scale to maintain tension.
Integrate chordal elements into your solos to add texture. For example, use double stops – playing two notes simultaneously without changing string position – with barre chords to spice up your solos and create exciting performances.