• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Adam Rafferty

Funky Fingerstyle Guitar

  • Home
  • Guitar Lessons
    • Free Christmas Tabs
  • My Book
  • Store
  • Tour
  • Blog
    • All Posts List
  • Podcast
    • All Episodes List
  • About
  • Contact
    • NEW – “Ask Adam” Voicemail
    • Booking Contact
    • Contact (email)
  • Get Your FREE Guitar Course
  • Show Search
Hide Search
You are here: Home / Guitar / Coffee and Music With a Side Order of Brains, Please

Coffee and Music With a Side Order of Brains, Please

By Adam Rafferty 1 Comment

Greets Gang!

I am freshly caffeinated just out of Starbucks where I received my first “dose” of Holiday Music on the stereo.

As I sat and listened I really enjoyed one of the Ella Fitzgerald tunes – I believe it was “Winter Wonderland”.  Awesome, bluesy and swinging.

Following that, some syrupy more modern version of a Christmas song – sung by a female vocalist came on.  Ugh.  Someone went to the studio to “do their Holiday album” with no concept, no brains, no juice and no soul. I repeat: UGH.

All I could think was “where are the brains behind this music?”

It was perfectly executed, perfectly recorded and mixed…but when you heard it, it was simply a waste of  time.

For music to be successful and truly good – it’s not the choice of tunes that counts, and it’s not even the technical perfection.   Great music requires something more.

There’s a deeper communication in music, and that’s when the musician has dug deep into themselves, found something really special that really resonates with their core being.   After finding this “core resonation”, a true musician practices, refines, crafts something worthwhile, and delivers this to the listener.

It has a great value for the listener, and was not acquired easily or by trickery.  It’s like cooking from scratch vs “just add water.”

What comes to mind is the “breakdown” of the 3 musical stages of development:

  1. Imitation
  2. Realization
  3. Maturity

 

The imitative stage can be seen in a talented child.  One can become a highly evolved imitator yet never “get it”.  Many pro musicians get stuck here.

You’ve probably heard many professional musicians, bands and producers everywhere playing a very slick and perfect type of music, but with little “character”.  That’s imitative music.  The kind you hear on TV ads.

The other 2 stages – “realization” and “maturity” dawn upon the musician who keeps digging and bases their music on sound concepts and principles rather than copying.

When you hear the sound of a musical personality, like the old blues singer croaking out a tune, or Andre Segovia’s guitar touch and tone, or Paul McCartney singing “Yesterday” you find yourself saying and knowing “this is great!!!!”  That’s “realization” and “maturity” that you are hearing.

That’s self knowledge – coming through the medium of music.  Kind of like…if Rembrandt painted you an apple…it would likely be a masterpiece!

That’s the good stuff.  It arises from practicing deeply and honestly.

So now….git to work!

Filed Under: Guitar, Jazz Education, Personal Developement, Recording, Success

About Adam Rafferty

I’m Adam Rafferty – a guitar player born and raised in New York City, and currently spending most of my time on tour playing concerts and coaching my guitar students online at StudyWithAdam.com

Trending

  • 10 Tips for Healthy Guitar Practicing 82.8k views

  • Guitar Right Hand Technique – Nails vs Flesh? 60.1k views

  • How To Build Your Own Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangements – Part 1 55.4k views

  • Should You Use a Thumb Pick for Fingerstyle Guitar? 46.6k views

  • Don’t Use a Metronome 43.6k views

  • My Personal Fingerstyle Guitar Setup Measurements 37.3k views

  • 8 Tips for Playing Fingerstyle Guitar Without Making Mistakes 28.1k views

  • Critical Info for Youtube Musicians Who Perform Cover Songs 20.4k views

  • Youtube Recording Technique for Guitar Videos 14.5k views

  • The Secret to Improving Your Guitar Skills and Battling Frustration 11.5k views

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. gtrrobster says

    November 16, 2011 at 4:26 pm

    Great post AR. Will re-read for sure.
    Nothing like writing hot off the trail of a nice esspresso to get the mind clicking!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Learn my arrangements, get personal feedback and more. Try Study With Adam FREE for 14 days CLICK HERE

Adam Rafferty

Copyright © 2025 Adam Rafferty and Crescent Ridge Publishing | Email Policy | Privacy GDPR, & Cookies