![]() “Paul and I enjoyed writing the music for the film, but there were times when we honestly thought we’d never get time to write all the material,” Lennon said in 1964 about writing the songs for their movie “ A Hard Day’s Night.” "You Can't Do That" was one of those songs. The trendsetting formula of the “two measure guitar riff” was heard first on the John Lennon rocker “You Can’t Do That.” The Beatles may not have been the first to utilize this gimmick (witness the piano riff on “ Money (That’s What I Want),” but they were the first to make it fashionable and trendsetting, as everyone, it seemed, was bent on imitating the formula The Beatles were using. Evidence of this trend even made it to the 90’s, with hits such as “Blister In The Sun,” “There She Goes” and even “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Other 60’s artists were quick to pick up on this trend, such as The Rolling Stones ("Satisfaction” and “The Last Time”), The Yardbirds ("Heart Full Of Soul"), Paul Revere and The Raiders (“Kicks”) and The Monkees (“Pleasant Valley Sunday”). The riff then becomes the most prominent, identifiable feature of the song as it is repeated throughout or in strategic places of the song. The riff usually appears at the beginning of the song, played only by the guitar, after which the rest of the band kicks in to play the remainder. ![]() ![]() One of many musical details The Beatles spearheaded was the use of what we can call the “two measure guitar riff.” This riff, which encapsulates guitar rock throughout the generations, was first popularized by The Beatles in the song “You Can’t Do That.” The Beatles used this feature continually throughout their career, evidenced in “ I Feel Fine,” “ Ticket To Ride,” “ Day Tripper,” “ If I Needed Someone,” “ Paperback Writer” and “ I Want To Tell You” among others. Whether current hit makers admit it or not, or realize it or not, the patterns and structures used in popular music most times can be traced back to the pathway paved in the 60’s by the “fab four.” The influence of The Beatles on modern music is still felt today.
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