Music · Arrangement

Viola

Bowed orchestral string instrument, alto range, lower than the violin.

songs

The viola is on nineteen Beatles recordings, from 1965 to 1970. The first is 'Yesterday' and the last 'I Me Mine'. More of them come from 1967 on than from the first four years, sixteen against one. Paul sings lead on eight of them, George on four, John on two and Ringo on one. All four of them take the lead on 'Carry That Weight'. On 'Across the Universe' it is Spector orchestral overdub. Among them, 'Eleanor Rigby' is in E minor, and only four of their recordings are.

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26 Beatles recordings feature a string section. The first was 'Yesterday' (1965); after that, strings became a recurring colour.

Yesterday 1965 Violin Cello Arrangement

Performed byJohn Underwood Keith Cummings Kenneth Essex Leo Birnbaum Stephen Shingles Ayvren Harrison Bernard Davis Caroline Buckman Drew Forde Gwynne Edwards Henry Myerscough John Meek Ken Essex Linnea Powell

Analysis

By Year

Song count per year

By Songwriter

% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)

By Era

Early0 · 0%

Mid-period5 · 28%

Late13 · 72%

By Album

Abbey Road5

The Beatles (The White Album)4

Let It Be3

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band2

Help!1

Revolver1

Magical Mystery Tour1

Past Masters1

Reunion singles1

Sheet music

Musicnotes – Beatles Piano/Vocal/Guitar

Musicnotes

Book

All the Songs

Margotin & Guesdon

Book

The Beatles: Complete Scores

Hal Leonard

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Songs(19)

Year

Album

Writer

Lead vocal(s)

#	Title	Year	Album	Lead Vocal(s)	Performer(s)	Notes
1	Yesterday	1965	Help!	Paul	Kenneth Essex	-
2	Eleanor Rigby	1966	Revolver	Paul	Stephen Shingles,John Underwood	2 violas
3	A Day in the Life	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	John, Paul	John Underwood,Gwynne Edwards,Bernard Davis,John Meek	4 violas
4	She's Leaving Home	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul, John	John Underwood,Stephen Shingles	2 violas
5	Hello, Goodbye	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Paul	Ken Essex,Leo Birnbaum,Kenneth Essex	2 violas
6	Hey Jude	1968	Past Masters	Paul	-	3 violas
7	Glass Onion	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	John Underwood,Keith Cummings	2 violas

8	Good Night	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Ringo	Uncredited	3 violas
9	Martha My Dear	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Henry Myerscough,Leo Birnbaum	2 violas
10	Piggies	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	George	Keith Cummings,John Underwood	2 violas
11	Carry That Weight	1969	Abbey Road	Paul, John, George, Ringo	Uncredited	-
12	Golden Slumbers	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	Uncredited	4 violas
13	Here Comes the Sun	1969	Abbey Road	George	Uncredited	4 violas
14	Something	1969	Abbey Road	George	Uncredited	4 violas
15	The End	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	-	-
16	Across the Universe	1970	Let It Be	John	-	Spector orchestral overdub
17	I Me Mine	1970	Let It Be	George	Uncredited	4 violas
18	The Long and Winding Road	1970	Let It Be	Paul	-	4 violas
19	Now and Then	2023	Reunion singles	John	Ayvren Harrison,Linnea Powell,Drew Forde,Caroline Buckman	-