Twist And Shout Guitar Lesson (Beatles)

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If you want to learn a simple song that can potentially make your audience go crazy, cutting rug on the dance floor all night long… then this post can show you how.

We will be primarily looking at The Beatles’ version of this song. But it has been brought to fame through a number of iconic versions.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Twist And Shout” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Twist And Shout?
"Twist and Shout" has an interesting backstory to it. Multiple artists contributed to its fame. The original writers were Phil Medley and Bert Berns (credited as Bert Russell). And, it was first called "Shake It Up, Baby", (a clever title inspired by the twist dance craze which began with the American rock and roll singer and dancer Chubby Checker.)

The song was first recorded by the Top Notes in 1961, and produced by legendary producer Phil Spector. However, this version didn’t gain much traction. Bert Berns, unhappy with Spector's production, decided to give the song another chance with a different band.

Enter the Isley Brothers!

In 1962, the Isley Brothers recorded "Twist and Shout" with Bert Berns producing. This version became a hit, reaching number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The Isley Brothers' energetic rendition helped the song gain widespread popularity.

The Isley Brothers’ version is a classic. But the most famous version of "Twist and Shout" was recorded by The Beatles. It was included on their debut album "Please Please Me," released in 1963. The Beatles' version was recorded at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in London. The recording took place on February 11, 1963, and was produced by another legendary producer (sometimes called “The Fifth Beatle”) George Martin.

The Beatles' recording of "Twist and Shout" is renowned for John Lennon's raw and edgy vocal performance. Lennon famously delivered the vocal in one take, despite having a sore throat. This take is legendary for capturing the sheer energy and excitement of the band. The Beatles' version reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. And, the song became an essential part of The Beatles' live performances. It’s now considered one of their signature songs.

The Beatles performed "Twist and Shout" on their iconic appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, which was watched by millions of Americans and helped etch their place in music history in the US.

If you’re trying to play this iconic song on guitar you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Twist And Shout?
The tuning for "Twist And Shout" as recorded by The Beatles is in standard tuning. Those 4 lads from Liverpool kept it simple.
Standard tuning is spelled out as EADGBE.
Here are the strings:

E (6th string, lowest pitch)
A (5th string)
D (4th string)
G (3rd string)
B (2nd string)
E (1st string, highest pitch)
Let’s next take a look at the…

Twist And Shout Chords
If you want to play “Twist And Shout” on guitar then you’ll only need to know 3 chords D, G, and A. Many huge hit songs only use 3 chords. This song is no exception. However, we will use two different variations of the A chord, which I include below. But essentially there are just 3 chords.

Let’s take a look at a few ways these shapes can be played on guitar.

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