PREMIERCLINIC
J
Mark Stefani’s ChordMelodyCafe
And I Love Her
“And I Love Her” is a great Beatles ballad from a memorable era.
This solo version, which can be performed rubato or in time, is
arranged in the key of D. We’re going to cover some movements
that will allow to you navigate the song a little easier, but once
you have it down, be sure to experiment with this song in terms
of dynamics and rhythm. Because the song is so open and airy,
it really lends itself well to different approaches – you can go
extremely legato, connecting everything, or play it staccato with
a bounce.
A
Z
Z
could brush the entire chord with your thumb for a softer feel.
When you do a roll, note that there are a lot of different ways you
can play them. You can make the higher voices louder by exerting
more tension in the joints of the finger – just as if you’re making
a claw effect – or you can just relax the joints to make the notes
sweeter. You can also experiment with the angle. If you come
off the strings at a right angle, it’s bright and strident and harsh.
Coming off at more of a diagonal approach gives you that sweeter attack with more warmth – you get more flesh involved.
This song opens with the signature bass intro associated with the
original recording by the Fab Four before getting into the verse
melody. After the intro, with your hand in the second position,
hit the first B in the second measure with your index finger. You’ll
want to keep your finger on the B to keep it ringing, as it’s a component of the E minor chord. You’ll use your middle finger to hit
the F# and your ring finger to hit the G. These two fingers will act
as a guide when you slide up to the seventh position in the following measure.
The bridge begins in measure 13, with a B minor chord in the second position. You’ll likely want to use a 5-6 bar, but deaden the
sixth string – it’s called a “ 5-6 plus.” Deadening the bottom string
keeps extra tones from ringing and ruining this beautiful chord
you have constructed. As you move up to the A chord, let your
first finger be a guide barre – it will provide a lot more security
and stability as you move.
The Dmaj7 in measure 10 is a five-note chord, and because it’s
simply a held chord, it gives you a lot of options. You could play
it with the thumb and all four fingers at once, to roll it; you could
use your thumb and fingers to pluck it and let it shimmer; or you
The song culminates in a Dmaj7 chord in the second position. It’s
arpeggiated at first, but then you’ll reach over and play artificial
harmonics with your right hand. Use the thumbnail of your right
hand to play the note, and then stop the string 12 frets above
whatever you’re pressing down. Let the notes ring together for a
beautiful effect.
