For those that have access to PBS in the States, last night we caught an excellent new music documentary; Deconstructing the Beatles. Especially if you’re a Beatles fan you should try to catch this.
Scott Frieman hosts this and from what I understand he spent 10 years of his life researching a deep-dive into the how and what behind many of their songs. And he’s produced an 11 DVD set that’s for sale.
The approx. 1-hour summary that is now being broadcast gets into chord progressions, and major, minor and diminished chords as he demonstrates concepts on his keyboard while showing the sheet music. He also drills into the lyrics. I have yet to see a deeper dive into music theory or The Beatles on broadcast TV.
He also gets into the Studer J37 4-track recorder and even breaks down which elements (drums, bass, vocals, guitar, etc.) ended up on which tracks for particular songs.
Along the way he shares stories such as George getting a bad case of the flu just prior to going on Ed Sullivan for the first time and how they needed to use a stand-in so the cameraman could do his framing.
I also came away with just how pivotal and musically talented George Martin was; the 5th Beatle as they say.
Guaranteed to learn something from this documentary . . . good stuff indeed.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Nicely done Joseph, I don't believe I've ever seen such a national PBS schedule.
If I didn't have my 100/100 Project in full swing, I'd probably buy the 11 DVD set. But right now it would be too much of a distraction.
One story that Scott gives is that during the development of Strawberry Fields Forever John liked one recording (I think in A) and another recording (I think in C at a different tempo) and challenged George Martin and the tape operator to somehow blend them together and make it work. After several days of speeding up sections, slowing sections, cutting, splicing and other magic, they got it to work.
I'm not sure I could accomplish that today with my modern DAW!
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Interestingly it is listed on the main PBS.org site but the streaming link will not click through. Perhaps only available on some local stations. Doesn't appear to be stream-able on PBS passport.
We don't have Passport but watch many concerts and documentaries on over the air broadcast TV. The other night we caught the Concert for George with Clapton, Preston, Ringo, Paul and others (for the 6th or 7th time over the years); good music never gets old.
I'd call customer support, my understanding is you should be able stream any PBS content on demand with Passport.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
He also drills into the lyrics. I have yet to see a deeper dive into music theory or The Beatles on broadcast TV.
Thanks for sharing. Looking through this post recently - I wondered if you would share the deepest dives into music theory and The Beatles on the internet or anyplace else.
Thanks for sharing. Looking through this post recently - I wondered if you would share the deepest dives into music theory and The Beatles on the internet or anyplace else.
I'm not sure I understand this question. You can Google "Music Theory Beatles" and I'm sure a ton of material will be found. You can then filter and tailor exactly what you're looking for.
As for the Deconstructing documentary, it was broadcast again on PBS last week during their fund raising. If you're inclined, you could purchase the DVD set, it's a professional and entertaining treatment of the subject.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Thanks for sharing. Looking through this post recently - I wondered if you would share the deepest dives into music theory and The Beatles on the internet or anyplace else.
I'm not sure I understand this question. You can Google "Music Theory Beatles" and I'm sure a ton of material will be found. You can then filter and tailor exactly what you're looking for.
As for the Deconstructing documentary, it was broadcast again on PBS last week during their fund raising. If you're inclined, you could purchase the DVD set, it's a professional and entertaining treatment of the subject.
Deconstructing the Beatles may also be available for streaming at PBS.org or the PBS SmartTV app depending on where you are and/or your contribution level. Sounds Fab!
Last edited by DC Ron; 06/10/2502:15 AM.
DC Ron BiaB Audiophile Presonus Studio One ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM Presonus Faderport 16 Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
Some if us have been deconstructing the Beatles since the day after they appeared on Ed Sullivan over 61 years ago.
I would be wary of any amateur deconstructions of the Beatles music. The documentary is trustworthy and produced by professionals.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Not necessarily true Steve. An amateur with a theory background can and do correctly deconstruct songs.
Mario, I think you are missing my point. What evidence do you have to trust a Mike Halloran deconstruction over a pro like Scott Freiman and his team? They're not even in the same ballpark.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Not necessarily true Steve. An amateur with a theory background can and do correctly deconstruct songs.
Mario, I think you are missing my point. What evidence do you have to trust a Mike Halloran deconstruction over a pro like Scott Freiman and his team? They're not even in the same ballpark.
I don't think that I missed it. What evidence do you have that doesn't prove a Mike Halloran deconstruction over a pro like Scott Freiman and his team? You, I, or most of us on the forums have no or little idea exactly what skills other members have.
Waitress "How did you find your steak sir"?
Me "I just looked next to the potatoes and there it was"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
What evidence do you have that doesn't prove a Mike Halloran deconstruction over a pro like Scott Freiman and his team?
That's easy, Mike has trouble understanding the simple concept of what a white paper is and that's despite giving him more than one published definition. Scott Freiman's evidence is his highly acclaimed documentary.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
What evidence do you have that doesn't prove a Mike Halloran deconstruction over a pro like Scott Freiman and his team?
That's easy, Mike has trouble understanding the simple concept of what a white paper is and that's despite giving him more than one published definition. Scott Freiman's evidence is his highly acclaimed documentary.
In all due respect Steve your "Mike has trouble understanding the simple concept of what a white paper is and that's despite giving him more than one published definition" has nothing to do with his music theory knowledge and/or his ability to deconstruct a Beatles of any other song.
Waitress "How did you find your steak sir"?
Me "I just looked next to the potatoes and there it was"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
In all due respect Steve your "Mike has trouble understanding the simple concept of what a white paper is and that's despite giving him more than one published definition" has nothing to do with his music theory knowledge and/or his ability to deconstruct a Beatles of any other song.
Mario, if you tell me that pigs can fly, I’ll say show me credible evidence. If you say Mike Halloran has deconstruction skills equivalent to Scott Freiman, I’ll say the same.
Scott Freiman may be the only person to have sold out Carnegie Hall and been a Finalist for Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year. He is also a leading expert on the music of the Beatles who has appeared in several films and TV series about the Fab Four.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
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Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
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Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
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