Music · Tempo

Tempo change

The song shifts to a noticeably different pulse mid-track.

songs

Tempo change happens inside fifteen of their recordings, from 1964 to 1970. It sits thickest on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, three of its twelve tracks. Both ends are Lennon's, 'I Call Your Name' first and 'You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)' last. More of them come from 1967 on than from the first four years, ten against three. The lead vocals go John on five, Paul on five and George on two. On 'Love You To': free alap, moderate gat, fast drut gat and accelerates at coda. On 'Magical Mystery Tour', the bridge slows roughly to half-speed cocktail/lounge feel.

Analysis

Song count per year

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

Early2 · 13%

Mid-period8 · 53%

Late5 · 33%

Book

The Beatles: Complete Scores

Hal Leonard

Book

All the Songs

Margotin & Guesdon

Sheet music

Musicnotes – Beatles Piano/Vocal/Guitar

Musicnotes

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Year

Album

Writer

Lead vocal(s)

#	Title	Year	Album	Lead Vocal(s)	Notes
1	I Call Your Name	1964	Past Masters	John	Bridge shifts to ska-style dotted feel
2	What You're Doing	1964	Beatles For Sale	Paul	Piano/bass tag slows into fade
3	Ticket to Ride	1965	Help!	John	Double-time 'my baby don't care' coda
4	Good Day Sunshine	1966	Revolver	Paul	Ragtime feel in piano solo and coda
5	Love You To	1966	Revolver	George	Free alap, moderate gat, fast drut gat; accelerates at coda
6	Strawberry Fields Forever	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	John	Splice joins two tempos
7	Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	John	3/4 verse to 4/4 chorus, ~120 BPM

8	Within You Without You	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	George	Instrumental break accelerates relative to verses
9	A Day in the Life	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	John, Paul	Verses ~77 BPM; bridge ~82 BPM
10	Magical Mystery Tour	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Paul	Bridge slows roughly to half-speed cocktail/lounge feel
11	Honey Pie	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Rubato intro into in-tempo song; body ~158 BPM
12	Happiness Is a Warm Gun	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Multiple section tempos
13	All Together Now	1969	Yellow Submarine	Paul, John	Accelerates through outro refrains
14	You Never Give Me Your Money	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	Ballad (~91 BPM) to boogie to arpeggios
15	You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)	1970	Past Masters	John, Paul	Lounge → ska → cabaret style shifts