The Beatles - Yellow Submarine - Guitar Lesson

About Yellow Submarine

Few songs sit as comfortably under beginner fingers as this one. In G major, "Yellow Submarine" relies on open-position chord shapes, a strumming pattern that follows the sing-along bounce of the melody, and almost no lead work to worry about. The real challenge, modest as it is, is keeping the rhythm feel loose and march-like rather than stiff, so focus on your right hand and let the chords ring cleanly. The Beatles built the track around G, D, C, and Am, which means you can get through the whole song with four shapes you likely already know. If the chord changes are tripping you up, use the Practice Toolbar to loop those transitions slowed down until they feel automatic. This is a genuinely rewarding piece to have in your repertoire precisely because it sounds finished and complete at a beginner level, without requiring any shortcuts.

• The song sits in G major and uses open-position chord shapes throughout, making it one of the most accessible Beatles tracks to play on guitar.
• The rhythm feel is a steady march-like strum, so concentrating on a relaxed, even right-hand pattern is the main technical focus.
• Practising the G to D and C to Am transitions slowly in a loop will cover the most common chord changes in the song.