How to play the Zoot version of Eleanor Rigby

Song Guides
Written By Michelle Nelson
 
Download the chart here
 

The 1970 heavy guitar version of Eleanor Rigby by Australian band Zoot is a classic re-imagining of the famous Beatles song. Featuring the guitar work of Rick Springfield, this version was a big hit in Australia and gained a cult following amongst Rock aficionados globally. The Zoot’s version of Eleanor Rigby is a great chart for electric guitarists.

Chords: E5 C5 G5 B5 D5 C Em

Why don’t these chords fit with the recording? Because the song is played with the chords shown in this chart but was recorded with the guitars tuned to a semitone below concert pitch ; Eβ™­ Aβ™­ Dβ™­ Gβ™­ Bβ™­ Eβ™­

Pick or Fingers? Use a firm pick. This version of Eleanor Rigby features classic 1970’s heavy-rock sound; a style created by strong plectrum playing on electric guitars.

Acoustic or Electric? Electric guitar for sure. Some songs simply don’t work on acoustic guitars and this is one of them!

Lead guitar : the intro features β€˜unison bends’ (U.B.) These are played by bending the lower note up to match the upper one. Most important is that you keep the upper note still with your index finger. Use middle and ring fingers to create the bend and strike the pick flat across the two strings with a strong attack. For more insight about how to control pull-off notes, slides and bend notes, download a copy of Electric Guitar Solo Style 1

Relevant pages in Electric Guitar Solo Style 1 : to learn more about the metric TAB used in our charts and the scales and techniques needed for this song see pages 8 - 9, 10, 19, 25 - 26, 32 and 34. For an excellent introduction to chords and rhythm work check out the very helpful Modern Guitar Chord Styles series.

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Michelle Nelson

Michelle Nelson is a professional guitarist, composer, and educator with decades of experience across classical and electric styles. A fully accredited VMTA teacher, she has performed in rock bands, classical ensembles, and plucked string orchestras, and currently composes for the Birrarung Trio and Concordia ensemble. Michelle specialises in Classical (Classical era to Modern), Rock, and Blues guitar, and draws inspiration from artists like Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck, Wes Montgomery, and Mauro Giuliani.

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