In a span of less than a decade, the Beatles as a band produced an extraordinary catalogue of more than 200 original songs, many of which have become standards. To an extent unmatched by musicians before or since, the Beatles shattered the conventions and boundaries of popular music to create music of astounding originality and timeless appeal.

Using recorded and live musical examples, along with visual media, this course will explore how their best songs incorporate innovations in melodic structure, harmony, rhythm, instrumentation, and “musical rhetoric”—the use of the language of music to evoke feelings and images—in ways that intuitively parallel those used by the great composers who came before them.

Session 1: Introduction and overview of the Beatles as composers; the critical role of George Martin, their legendary producer, a trained classical musician in his own right; and their development of the studio itself as an integral part of their composing technique.

Session 2: How they used innovations of melody, harmony, rhythm, and orchestration to express their ideas.

Session 3: An in-depth review of some of their best songs: why are they “great”?