John Lennon when asked "Ringo wasn't the best drummer in the world, was he?" is famously reported to have replied "He wasn't even the best drummer in the band".

That didn't actually happen. It was part of a comedy sketch. But it is credible, and that has a delicious irony to it.

Judging by his performances and legacy, Ringo was an exceptionally good drummer. But I wonder, how did Lennon's guitar playing stack up to Ringo's? I hear you say, "What"?!

Lennon was no slouch on guitar, although piano was his main instrument. Like most all professional rock musicians to this day, he was jack of all trades. Guitar, bass, drums and to a lesser extent vocals are all parts of the training. He was invited to play guitar on some very significant recordings and did well.

On the other hand, he had an inflated opinion of his prowess. He relegated McCartney, a far more proficient guitarist, to bass guitar, seen at the time as a less significant role. So Lennon played rhythm... his guitar playing was not a patch on that of Harrison otherwise he would probably have demanded the lead guitar role. But Lennon also played bass, quite proficiently, and the early Beatles lineup would have been instrumentally stronger with Lennon on bass and McCartney on guitar.

McCartney criticised Ringo's drumming from time to time. They were an interesting foursome! The best teams are composed of a variety of personality types, and the Beatles showed this to perfection.

But Ringo also played guitar, and quite seriously at times, both before joining the Beatles and during their heyday. And at the time he joined, he was by far the most professional of them musically. He was by far the best drummer in the band. But I wonder, how did his guitar playing stack up?