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John wrote and recorded this Christmas classic in 1971, and Phil Spector produced it. It's technically attributed to John & Yoko/The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir

Although it's a simple song (instrumentally), I learned that there are many interesting guitar parts after listening to the isolated tracks-
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Phil Spector employed his Wall Of Sound technique by having musicians double (or in this case quintuple) their parts. In total there are five acoustic guitars. John plays rhythm 12-string guitar on the backing track, along with Teddy Irwin and Stuart Scharf on six-strings. Then session guitarists Hugh McCracken and Chris Osborne overdubbed the fast tremolo-picked guitars

The alternate mix from the 2018 Imagine Ultimate Box Set was helpful for deciphering parts. It omits the fast tremolo picked guitars, so you hear the three rhythm acoustics more clearly. John's guitar is in the center and clearly a 12-string. Split left and right are the other two six-strings

It's not clear what models of guitars were used, so I chose a variety of my acoustics. John had stopped using his Gibson J-160e by 1971, and was mainly using Martin acoustics and a Hagstrom 12-string

I'm using my 1967 Gibson B-25-12 for John's track. And my 1969 Martin 00-18 and 1970's Ibanez J-200 copy for the other six-strings. I'm mic'ing the guitars with my Neumann TLM-103 condenser

INTERESTING NOTES:
*Rhythm Backing Guitars*
0:04 One of the backing track guitars emphasizes only the downbeat strums
0:09 Each guitarist plays this chord sequence differently. John stays on Bm then releases the open high E string. One guitarist emphasizes the G and B strings, sliding up from 2nd/3rd frets to 5th/6th. The other goes from Bm to XX4320 to XX4420 to Bm
0:14 John stays on a normal E major chord. The other two guitarists play Esus to E to 024100
0:28 John plays 021000 before resolving to Em. Another guitarist plays Em to XX2040 to XX2002 to Em. The third plays XX545X to XX544X to XX547X to XX545X
0:49 The two rhythm guitarists (not John) alternate between low single-note open A and low E string notes during the chorus A major chords
1:01 The two rhythm guitarists (not John) walk up the low E string before the verse
1:53 One of the rhythm guitars walks up the low E string before the G chord
2:29 (off camera) John returns to 021000 again after 021000 022000
2:52 One rhythm guitar emphasizes the 2nd fret of A string here
2:56 One rhythm guitar hammer-on the 0-2 frets of the G string during the D chord
*Tremolo Guitars*
0:04 (off camera, right channel) the high harmony tremolo guitar starts by strumming chords, before joining in on single-note tremolo fast picking at 0:15
0:45 Both guitars do harmony arpeggios for the choruses
0:57 The low one begins the D chord arpeggio here on an open A string
0:59 The higher one plays a high B note here
1:08 The higher one messes up a lot here. He goes to the Bb note late, then slides up to a C instead of Db accidentally.
1:13 The high one continues to deviate from the regular harmony, going down to a low Gb and Ab
1:44 The high one goes to the A chord arpeggio early, hitting a Db note. Then corrects itself
1:57 The high one plays more high B notes in the D chord arpeggio
2:41 The low one hits an E note on the G chord arpeggio

MY GEAR:
1967 Gibson B-25-12
1969 Martin 00-18
1970's Ibanez 598 Jamboree (J-200 Copy)
Neumann TLM-103

#johnlennon #happyxmas #guitarcover

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