Norwegian Wood

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The Beatles
Want to Learn How to Play Guitar? Learn to Play Easy Guitar Songs –Acoustic Lessons Here!



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Runtime: 26:42 Teacher: Peter
Chords Used:
  • A7
  • Cadd9
  • D
  • Dm
  • Dsus
  • Em7
  • G
  • G/B

Lesson Description

This guitar lesson has 6 chapters. In the Performance you get to see that very familiar and very cool instrumental that all guitarists everywhere (almost!) want to learn how to play. In the Overview Peter tells you all sorts of stuff you may not have known about the song , plus the chords. We start with the Verse (the instrumental comes later in our lesson because it’s the most challenging part of the song). Although this may be your first time playing in 6/8 time, Peter has you learn it within minutes of the start. Next comes the Bridge chapter, where you switch to minor and get to immerse yourself in a heavily syncopated passage that is challenging, but that we think will improve your rhythmic musicianship. In the Slow Practice Peter jams with you the whole song- repeatedly.  Well, not quite the “whole” song, because we still have the next chapter, the Bonus Chapter, where Peter takes you note-for-note through the Sitar solo. Finally, Peter’s Outtake lets you sit back and relax and laugh a little at his jazz interpretation of this song. Overall, this is one of our intermediate guitar lessons. 

Song Information

Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"
Song by The Beatles
Album Rubber Soul
Released 3 December 1965
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
12 October and 21 October 1965
Genre Folk rock, raga rock
Length 2:05
Label EMI, Parlophone, Capitol
Writer Lennon/McCartney
Producer George Martin
 
 
Rubber Soul (UK) track listing
Side one
  1. "Drive My Car"
  2. "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"
  3. "You Won't See Me"
  4. "Nowhere Man"
  5. "Think for Yourself"
  6. "The Word"
  7. "Michelle"
Side two
  1. "What Goes On"
  2. "Girl"
  3. "I'm Looking Through You"
  4. "In My Life"
  5. "Wait"
  6. "If I Needed Someone"
  7. "Run for Your Life"

"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," by The Beatles, was included in their 1965 album Rubber Soul.  It was written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney contributed the middle eight section, and George Harrison learned to play the sitar for this song, adding to its exotic sound.  Rolling Stone ranked the song #83 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

"Norwegian Wood" is one of several songs on Rubber Soul that is darker about romantic relationships than those on previous albums.  At the time the song was written,  Norwegian wood (pine) was commonly used in home decorating, and Lennon had seen it often in girls' flats.  He was writing about his extra-marital affairs, but in a way that his wife wouldn't understand.

Lennon was strongly influenced by Bob Dylan at the time this song was written.  Artistic give and take was common between them.  Dylan responded to Lennon's work by writing "4th Time Around," a song with a similar melody, subject matter, and lyrical style.

This song was referred to in numerous ways by others involved in the arts.  The title, parts of the lyrics, and the guitar work showed up in other artist's works.

Other artists who covered Norwegian Wood after The Beatles:

  • Waylon Jennings
  • Alanis Morissette
  • The Fiery Furnaces
  • Jan and Dean
  • Acker Bilk
  • Buddy Rich
  • Herbie Hancock
  • P. M. Dawn
  • Colin Hay
  • Victor Wooten
  • Mia Doi Todd
  • Milton Nascimento
  • Sérgio Mendes
  • Cornershop (written in Punjabi)
  • Frank Zappa.