Learn piano with Olivia Rodrigo and The Beatles
New medleys are now available to play in the ROLI Learn app
What connects The Beatles with Olivia Rodrigo? Well, aside from the latter having spoken about the influence of the former on her music (Rodrigo once learned to play “Something” on guitar), not a whole lot — until now.
These two artists are the first two entries in the ROLI Learn app’s new series of medleys — short segments of some of each artist’s most-loved songs, rearranged into one fluid musical arrangement. Think of them as bite-sized nostalgia fests for old fans and tasting menus for potential new ones.
Let’s take a look at which songs made the cut...
The Beatles
Let It Be
We begin at the end, with The Beatles final single before breaking up in 1970. “Let It Be” is written either about Paul McCartney’s mother, Mary; the Virgin Mary; or Beatles road manager Malcolm Evans, depending on whose account you believe. Whatever the truth, it contains some good advice: if you don’t nail all the notes in this opening section, just “Let It Be” — the best way to improve is to keep playing, then come back and practice it again afterwards.
Something
If a young Olivia Rodrigo could learn this one on guitar, you can do it on piano with a little help from ROLI Learn. This 1969 hit, written by George Harrison for his wife Pattie Boyd, is reportedly the second most covered Beatles song of all (after “Yesterday) — just follow the lights to add your name to the tally.
Hey Jude
We close out our Beatles medley with an uplifting sing-along, or a snippet of one, anyway. Penned by Paul McCartney for John Lennon’s son Julian, “Hey Jude” topped the Billboard charts for a record nine weeks on its release in 1968 and regularly appears on greatest-song-ever lists to this day.
Olivia Rodrigo
Vampire
Our tribute to Olivia Rodrigo kicks off in epic fashion with “Vampire” — her lead single from 2023’s *Guts*. This song almost feels like a medley in its own right, transitioning between different feels and genres across its four-minute length. If you want to give the full version a try when you’re done, you’ll find it in the app too.
Drivers License
Olivia Rodrigo’s debut single, “Drivers License,” set the world alight when it was released in 2021. This power ballad went to number one in 25 different countries, broke several streaming records, won a Grammy, and even made it onto Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Given all that, we could hardly have left it out of our medley, could we?
All I Want
Compared to “Drivers License”, this piano ballad from *High School Musical: The Musical: The Series* could be considered a minor hit (though it did still go 3x Platinum). “All I Want” could, however, be considered Rodrigo’s breakout, leading to her first record deal and setting the ball rolling for the incredible career she’s had ever since.
Learn to play like Olivia Rodrigo and The Beatles
Want to learn to play piano like your favorite artists? There’s never been a better time to start. All you need is a ROLI keyboard and a subscription to the ROLI Learn app. And right now, you can preorder our upcoming flagship keyboard for learners, ROLI Piano, at a discount of $200 / £180 / €200.
