Sarah's Shiny Science: Beatles mystery is summed up

True Beatles aficionados will be hoping that MTV release a new peripheral for next year’s Rock Band-esque Beatles game so that they can play A Hard Day’s Night just like the Fabulous Four Five did.

The opening chord to the Beatles classic had been somewhat of a musical mystery for decades, until a cunning professor used a mathematical procedure (called Fourier transform) to split the sound into its original frequencies. Prof Jason Brown found that the Beatles producer lived up to his title of being the fifth member of the band, as the intro included a top-secret let’s-baffle-our-fans piano chord played by George Martin himself.

The piano chord included an F note, which is impossible to play with the other notes on the guitar. So the new Beatles game clearly needs a piano peripheral. What can I say – I have to be true to my art.

Of course, the pianist in your band is going to have a small role to play. I’d give this instrument to one of the darling *ahem* little brats in your family when you are forced to let them have a go.

Sarah Reed

One thought on “Sarah's Shiny Science: Beatles mystery is summed up

  • I didn’t know that! Whatever they did it worked – the chord makes the song instantly recognisable.

    It would be a tricky one to attempt in the intro round on never mind the buzzcocks though.

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