In 1966, Paul McCartney was working on one of The Beatles’ greatest songs. His music teacher wasn’t impressed
Paul McCartney recalled that a music teacher was unimpressed when he played an early version of “Eleanor Rigby” during lessons in 1966. The episode illustrates the gap between his ear-led songwriting and the formal music training the teacher wanted him to pursue.
McCartney said he played the melody on piano before completing the lyrics, singing placeholder words over repeated E-minor chords. He remembered the teacher asking him to practise more scales, after which he stopped taking lessons. The finished Beatles recording paired his vocal with a string quartet arrangement, helping give the song its distinctive sound.
In short
- McCartney played an early “Eleanor Rigby” in a music lesson.
- He sang placeholder lyrics over E-minor chords.
- The teacher’s focus on scales ended the lessons.
Explained simply
The Beatles were a British band whose songs helped shape popular music in the 1960s. Paul McCartney was one of the group’s songwriters, alongside John Lennon, and often developed melodies by ear.
Formal music lessons usually teach skills such as scales and reading notation. Songwriters may also work by experimenting with sounds and melodies, without following that training. “Eleanor Rigby” became known for combining McCartney’s vocal with an arrangement for string instruments.
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