Why George Harrison Embraced Slide Guitar in the Late Beatles Years
If you played guitar in The Beatles, you had competition. George Harrison, the lead guitarist throughout the Fab Four’s run, didn’t always get to take the solos on the group’s records. At times, the very skilled Paul McCartney would step in and drop a solo.
Paul showcased his guitar chops on tracks such as “Taxman” and “Drive My Car.” Then there was rhythm guitarist John Lennon. John took his share of solos over the years too, including a memorable one on the hit “Get Back” single.
But like his fellow Beatles George had other interests besides guitar playing. By late ’65, George had developed his songwriting craft to the point where he was getting two Harrison tracks (minimum) per album. And he began his deep exploration into Indian music around this same period.
During that time, George devoted so much time to the sitar that he mostly set his guitar aside. It wasn’t until about three years later that he picked up a guitar again seriously. And at that point he gravitated toward slide work.
Source: cheatsheet.com
