In their last major period of change and development, The Beatles used more straightforward stylistic arrangements for many of their songs and cut down on the use of certain added instruments; the result gave a harder edge to their music. At the same time, early in 1968, they recorded the single “Lady Madonna.” This blues-piano based boogie, with its distorted rocky guitar fills points toward the future and indicates the direction the groups were taking with the increased use of keyboards with guitar. "Across The Universe" (1969) was also recorded at this time and it harks back to their middle period, with Lennon's phased acoustic harmonies and an extra beat in bars of 4/4 giving an out-of-kilter, floating, unresolved quality.

The white album

The double album The Beatles, almost universally known as the "White Album," was recorded between May and October 1968. It is a varied and fragmented work in which the separate members of the group often record their own compositions without any contribution from the others. The guitar varies from heavy modern rock with sound processing to attractive acoustic ballads on which the guitar supports the vocal melody. Among the heavier tracks are the rocking rhythms and soloing on "Back in the USSR," the cutting riff of "Birthday," and the staccato introductory chords and fast-driving rock figures of "Everybody's Got Something to Hide except Me and My Monkey." In contrast, the version of "Revolution" on the album is slow and relaxed in comparison with the single, and is supported with acoustic guitar.

The Beatles attempted to parody prevalent trends and John Lennon's characteristically irreverent approach is particularly evident on Yer Blues. This has a groaning, stretched-out repetitive riff and overblown blues phrasing. The screaming, adventurous "Helter Skelter," with its chaotic dissonance, sees Lennon, Harrison, and McCartney playing different parts on a song that anticipates later trends with a metallic, acerbic sound. Complex meter changes are juxtaposed on "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" and this helps to convey its jaunty sarcasm. The guitar on "Savoy Truffle" also paints the scene with its flat, fuzzy chords and short, rasping solo.

The White Album also gave the Beatles the space to write tracks that convey humor and color with a pastiche of guitar styles. There is an unexpected flamenco opening to "The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill" and country-style accompaniment on "Rocky Raccoon." "Wild Honey Pie" has a short passage of jazz soloing with a rolled-off treble that is rare in the group's output.

One of the most famous guitar pieces is "Blackbird," on which McCartney draws on acoustic folk-guitar music. Using fingerstyle, he plays a delicate melodic part based on an open tuning that stands on its own instrumentally. He also uses acoustic for "Mother Nature's Son" and "I Will." Lennon plays acoustic folk style on the hauntingly beautiful "Julia" which has two separate guitar tracks.

One of the highlights of the album is George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Eric Clapton was invited to play fills and an expressive melodic solo, which was processed to give a rich, sonorous tone.
After this album, the single "Get Back" (1969) stands out for its rhythmic groove, where the guitar meshes well with electric piano. John Lennon plays short phrases that answer the vocal line and solo breaks that create an unusual sound by mimicking country steel guitar-styles and adding a bluesy feel.

Abbey Road

The Beatles decided to work together again as a cohesive unit with producer George Martin for their album Abbey Road, which was recorded between L July and August 1969. Harrison makes a tremendous contribution to the recordings, returning to some of the material that moulded his early playing, with country-style guitar fills on "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," "Octopus's Garden" and "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window." The parts on "Oh Darling" stand out, with rock-guitar chords, slides, and staccato arpeggiation through the chord sequence.

Harrison continues to play creatively, revealing an original voice as he puts down a harmonized slide solo using overdubs on "Come Together." Similarly, "You Never Give Me Your Money" displays a thoughtful variety of sounds and touches, including chiming, processed chords, and sections with arpeggiation and blues-rock fill.

On "I Want You," there is a distinctive arpeggiated opening typical of his approach this stage and highly effective composition. It returns at the end of a section before a passage of warm, sensitive melodic playing with the vocal line.

The opening to "Here Comes The Sun" is the most well-known acoustic intro from The Beatles' last period, but one of Harrison's greatest moments is his outstanding, melodically original composition, "Something.

John Lennon's song "Because" features an arpeggiated cyclical chord sequence, inspired by Beethoven, in unison with electric harpsichord and moog synthesizer; in contrast, the gently strummed, atmospheric chords on "Sun King" are similar in approach to those on Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac instrumental "Albatross".

With an appropriate title, "The End" provides a telling insight, revealing the three Beatles' differing personalities as guitarists. Harrison, Lennon, and McCartney exchange solos in two-bar breaks. There is a wonderful contrast between McCartney's bright, metallic melodiousness, Harrison's contemporary, vocalized blues influences, and Lennon's aggressive, rhythmic, distorted sound.

The Beatles' last single together, "Let It Be"(1970), has gospel overtones and a elegiac feeling, yet Harrison plays an optimistic melodic solo using a sound produced by a mixture of Leslie and distortion that blends in well with the organ.

The end

"Let It Be" was released in the UK just before The Beatles finally acknowledged that they had split up in April 1970. In less than a decade, The Beatles had recorded the most extensively varied body of guitar work by any group in popular music. They cast fresh and inventive roles for the instrument and created guitar parts that are often both melodic and startlingly original.

After The Beatles split up, George Harrison developed a highly personal quality in his slide playing. This can be heard on his solo albums, including All Things Must Pass (1970), and on John Lennon's album Imagine (1971). He played a crucial part in the group and left a large body of outstanding work.