Learn "Paperback Writer" by The Beatles on Guitar

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Paperback Writer by The Beatles on the electric guitar - including its high-energy, super popular riff. High energy also means a high tempo, but you'll want to start slow and gradually build your speed.

💡 This Beatles classic was born back in '66! It's an homage to numerous authors who John Lennon admired.

Paperback Writer has a lively riff and a fun rhythm, making it a great practice for Intermediate Guitar Players and beyond! You'll also encounter barre chords, fast hammer-ons, and accents - loads to dive into! Grab your guitar, and get ready to have some serious fun. :)

Paperback Writer by The Beatles: Guitar Riff

The riff revolves around a G7 barre chord (353433), but you don't need to grab the full chord. We're only playing the three thickest strings. :)

Start by using finger 1 to barre the three thickest strings at fret 3. In the first bar of the riff, we pick string 6, then string 5, before hammering on finger 3 at 5:5 (string 5, fret 5). Keep it in place.

Then you add your little finger to 4:5 and hit string 4, play 5:5 again, then lift off your little finger to reveal 4:3 and pick string 4. The order of the notes is: 6:3, 5:3, 5:5, 4:5, 5:5, 4:3, and the rhythm is:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D U H U   U D

The second bar is easier than the first. :) The notes are 6:3, 5:3, 6:3, 5:3, 5:5h, 4:3. We don't even need little finger! The rhythm does change, though.

1 + 2 + 3e+ 4 + 
D U   U Dh  D

A couple of final details: the note on beat 1 is pretty quiet. You can even miss it. :) And the hammer-on to 5:5 is quick and comes before the "and" after 3; it lands on the "e."

It's also crucial that you pick this one right. As you can see above, we use down picks on beats (1 2 3 4) and up-picks on off-beats (+ + + +). It might feel weird when your start, but it'll feel natural if you keep your hand moving consistently.

🚨 Getting the right picking is what makes this riff make sense. Look at clips of The Beatles playing live and you’ll see this consistent motion. It almost looks like George is strumming the riff. And it takes practice to get that feeling – you can’t rush it. Take your time!

You'll know when you get the picking right. When the riff feels easy, please pick up the tempo, and start putting some emotion into it. The riff is pretty aggressive, and you'll have to pick quite hard to get it to sound like the original. Give it some!

Paperback Writer by The Beatles: Strumming and Accents

Let's look at the chords now. You'll only need two for the whole song: G7 and C7. Play both with an E-shaped barre chord: G7 is 353433, and C7 is 8 10 8 9 8 8. G7 lasts eight bars, and C7 lasts two. We then switch back to G7 for two bars with the riff played over the top.

The groove is quite syncopated. This one sounds wicked:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D   D     U   U

Strum beat 2 a little louder than beat 1, so relax your fretting hand to mute the strings just after. It gives you a nice tight sound. The same goes for the "and" of 3.

A lot is going on in this tune, and transcribing it is the best way to work out all those vocal lines and instruments and incorporate them into your guitar sound. Feel free to take it further and explore it on your own!

👉 Get chords, tabs, and lyrics to follow along with my The Beatles song tutorials!