Scat, scrapping songs and screaming: a guide to being the next Beatles

Beatlemaniac David Rowley believes the amateur rock world can be revolutionised with a few pointers from the Fab Four. In an extract from his new book, he gives a forensic breakdown on how to prosper in the world of writing stone-cold rock classics

Many of the Beatles’ songs start with the musical equivalent of an alarm clock. Consider the fanfare of brass on All You Need Is Love, the stark chord on A Hard Day’s Night, or the harp on She’s Leaving Home. Sometimes it is the words that do this trick (eg Paul’s solitary “hey” which starts Hey Jude, or John’s shout of “help!” in the intro to the song of the same name). Indeed, if the music does not offer an initial clarion call, then John and Paul’s voices do. If the lyrics are not the strong point of a song, then it could start out with a riff (I Feel Fine, Day Tripper). Also consider the attention-grabbing intro to Glass Onion, which starts off with a drum beat like someone knocking on a door.

Related: The Beatles' Rubber Soul is 50: and it's still ahead of its time