• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Adam Rafferty

Funky Fingerstyle Guitar

  • Home
  • Free Guitar Lessons
  • My New Book
  • Store
  • Tour
  • Blog
    • All Posts List
  • Podcast
    • All Episodes List
  • About
  • Contact
    • NEW – “Ask Adam” Voicemail
    • Booking Contact
    • Contact (email)
  • Show Search
Hide Search
You are here: Home / Guitar / If Paul McCartney Can’t Read Music, Why Should I?

If Paul McCartney Can’t Read Music, Why Should I?

By Adam Rafferty 7 Comments

If Paul McCartney Can’t Read Music, Why Should I?

I hear this often from students and guitar fans.

And I am into a 2nd Venti at Starbucks.

I am Venti-ing.

I get very disturbed when a young student tries to “shirk”  away from the work because one of his or her heroes can’t read music.

Often, accomplished musicians who can’t read music will “put down”  musicians who can read – and bolster their own position  of illiteracy with the voodoo of…

I know something’ because I don’t know nuthin…and if I learn too much, I might lose the sumthin’ I gots….

I have played with many great musicians who thought their illiteracy made them special.

It’s their musicality that made them special – not their inability to read!!!

Let’s review the options….

  1. Yes, you can be a great musician and not read. DISCLAIMER:  Some of my favorite musicians couldn’t or don’t read music.
  2. You can be a musician who reads and misses the point of music, YET strays from the “feeling aspect”…not good!
  3. But – how’s about option 3? – Be a GREAT musician AND READ!!!  Like Bach, Mozart, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Beethoven, Chopin, Andres Segovia….yeah, all those dudes and dudettes! (the list goes on….)

Why Learn to Read?

(By the way, I will always include tabs on my DVD’s – so don’t worry…I’m just trying to push you to new heights….)

You have to be able to “see music”  in your inner vision. Stevie Wonder is a perfect example of a guy who understands the HECK out of harmony & melody without reading (for obvious reasons.)

Back to the Beatles…..Paul McCarntey and John Lennon have (and had)  a super-duper musical IQ, and PLAYED THE PIANO.  And they heard and sang melodies with shapes, arcs, and that told a story.

So – Why is playing just a little piano important?

Once you play chord voicing and harmonies on a piano – you’ll start to see them moving as “melody lines”  not chord grips the way a guitarist would normally think of.

Listen to the backup vocals that the Beatles use.  That’s the piano influence!

The piano can cure many many ills – and your music will have an intelligence in it.

You should strive to know music on all these levels:

  • Your Ears
  • Your Voice
  • Your Eyes
  • Your Touch
  • Your Intellect

Can Adam Walk the Walk?

Hear for yourself – and you be the judge!

I did not “write”  this arrangement on paper  – but this is highly informed by the ability to read and understand music – and understand harmony in a pianistic way.  A typical “guitar chord approach”  would never produce this result.

Please compare the sound of these 2 videos shown below.

I was able to listen intently to the Beatles original, hear the melody, the band orchestration, the backing vocals – (and by the way, there are choir harmonies in just the backup vocals, each verse with a different chord inversion!  Those pesky Beatles!)

Many people with can of course sing along with the original Beatles melody in their car, or even strum & sing this one….but if you want to be the nutty professor of fingerstyle (like I do) ya gotta dig, dig dig deep and pick apart the “parts.”

Reading music is just a way to have a “birds” eye view of what’s happening.

What Should You Do Next?

  • Find a piano or keyboard  and start plunking on chords – ASAP.  Don’t try to be the best, or perfect – just get started.
  • Get an easy reading book and just do 5 minutes a day.
  • Keep making music that sounds and feels great.

Now…git to work!!!

Filed Under: Guitar, Jazz Education, Success, Videos

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
  • Guitar Right Hand Technique – Nails vs Flesh?
  • How To Build Your Own Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangements – Part 1
  • Should You Use a Thumb Pick for Fingerstyle Guitar?
  • Don’t Use a Metronome
  • My Personal Fingerstyle Guitar Setup Measurements
  • 8 Tips for Playing Fingerstyle Guitar Without Making Mistakes
  • Critical Info for Youtube Musicians Who Perform Cover Songs
  • Youtube Recording Technique for Guitar Videos
  • The Secret to Improving Your Guitar Skills and Battling Frustration

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Duffy Pratt says

    December 17, 2013 at 9:01 am

    I can’t say for sure with the back-up vocals on You Won’t See Me, but Paul and John did have the assistance of George Martin in the studio. Often, they would tell Martin what kind of sound they wanted, and Martin would guide them to the result. So, even if they couldn’t read music, they had a first rate translator for them. When they wanted something to sound like Bach in the break (In My Life), then Martin would help them out in figuring how to get the result they wanted. And, unlike lots of people, when they heard what they wanted, they knew it right away.

    Great post here. Only thing I might consider changing is the recommendation for people to start plunking chords on the piano. Guitar players think too much about chords as it is. Plunk out a melody line on the piano. Then sing the melody, and try to plunk out the bass line at the same time. Then plunk the two of them together.

    By the way, I love your YouTube videos.

    Reply
  2. maureen says

    May 6, 2014 at 10:57 am

    Hi Adam,

    I have read that Laura Nyro taught herself to play the piano. Do you know whether she could actually read music?

    Thanks,
    Maureen

    Reply
    • adamrafferty says

      March 2, 2015 at 11:53 pm

      Maureen – no idea if she could!

      Sorry for the late reply and thanks for commenting!

      Reply
  3. Greg says

    July 28, 2014 at 9:39 am

    Hi Adam,

    Great article. I can’t tell you how many guitar players I’ve met who like to point out examples of guitar players who can’t do something to support their claim that it’s not useful. I think it’s absurd. There have also been great blind musicians (Ray Charles) and musicians without fully functioning hands (Django Reinhardt). The fact that someone made it with a handicap doesn’t mean it’s a desirable condition. And I’m sure most accomplished career musicians who can’t read will, if they’re humble enough, admit that they always wished they could.

    Yeah, you can play guitar without reading music. You can also ride a bicycle without your hands. But is it worthwhile? I ask my students to imagine that they’re able to open any songbook for any music written in the last 500 years, and play the tune regardless of if they’ve ever heard it. Most people with half an imagination seem to think that’s a pretty cool skill to have.

    By the way, I hope this isn’t too spammy or anything, but I’m trying to build a resource online specifically for guitar players to learn to read, because I haven’t seen any that were too useful. Maybe we can change a few attitudes if the right materials are available. Right now it includes 40 example exercises, around 40 pieces of classical repertoire selected because they’re suitable for pick-style guitar, and coming next is a full tutorial. I’ve put it here: Sight Reading Exercises for Guitar. I hope anyone dropping by finds it useful. Cheers!

    Reply
    • adamrafferty says

      May 7, 2015 at 6:25 am

      Greg, thanks – sorry for my late reply. Great info…hope your site does well! – Adam

      Reply
  4. Tanja Guven says

    September 2, 2014 at 12:46 pm

    Because if you want to get into music school, that is one of their demands, and if you want to work as a session player, that will also be one of the demands of the job.

    Reply
  5. Bleikr Morrison says

    May 8, 2016 at 2:20 pm

    Took music theory in high school, but rarely use it in compositions. After obtaining the emotional feeling of the song, I will use the piano to tidy up chord progressions. This helps, especially since I use slightly dissonant sounds quite often.

    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.

Get private guitar coaching from me HERE.

Adam Rafferty

Copyright © 2023 Adam Rafferty and Crescent Ridge Publishing | Email Policy | Privacy GDPR, & Cookies

FREE - “Discover the 7 Tools You'll Need to Record Awesome Fingerstyle Guitar - At Home!”
Learn how you can get great results with very affordable equipment. I'll show you exactly what I used at home to record my most recent CD. Enjoy!
Start playing "Simplicity" and "Vitamin E Blues" - in just minutes...for FREE!
Your tabs will come INSTANTLY via email. Just fill out this form, grab your guitar and start learning - Instantly!
Discover 5 Powerful Techniques that Will Make You Sound Like a Full Band on a Single Guitar. Learn to play Bass Lines, Melodies and Grooves at the Same Time - Guaranteed!
Watch these FREE guitar lesson videos revealing my “secrets” to guitar technique, groove, and effective practice so that you can improve YOUR playing, INSTANTLY!
FREE - Get PDF tabs and 9 Step-by-Step Video Lessons for "Vitamin E Blues" - Instantly...
Your PDF tabs and video links will come INSTANTLY via email. Just fill out this form, grab your guitar and start learning - in just minutes!
Get the FREE PDF and Start Playing "Simplicity" for Solo Guitar in Just Minutes!
You will love learning and playing this song...and your friends and family will listen in amazement as YOU play it!
Learn to play "Silent Night" for Fingerstyle Guitar - Instantly!
You'll get a PDF and 8 Video Guitar Lessons, FREE.
Start playing "Vitamin E Blues" In Just Minutes...for FREE!
Subscribe to my newsletter and get Instant Access to the free PDF with the tabs and a 9 part video lesson, free! Grab your guitar and start learning - immediately.
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
Learn to play "Silent Night" for fingerstyle guitar - Instantly!
You'll get a PDF with complete guitar tabs and 8 video guitar lessons - free.
FREE - “Discover the 7 Tools You'll Need to Record Awesome Fingerstyle Guitar - At Home!”
Learn how you can get great results with very affordable equipment. I'll show you exactly what I used at home to record my most recent CD. Enjoy!
Start playing "Simplicity" and "Vitamin E Blues" - in just minutes...for FREE!
Your tabs will come INSTANTLY via email. Just fill out this form, grab your guitar and start learning - Instantly!
Discover 5 Powerful Techniques that Will Make You Sound Like a Full Band on a Single Guitar. Learn to play Bass Lines, Melodies and Grooves at the Same Time - Guaranteed!
Watch these FREE guitar lesson videos revealing my “secrets” to guitar technique, groove, and effective practice so that you can improve YOUR playing, INSTANTLY!
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
FREE - Get PDF tabs and 9 Step-by-Step Video Lessons for "Vitamin E Blues" - Instantly...
Subscribe to my newsletter and get Instant Access to the Free PDF - and videos! The will come INSTANTLY via email. Grab your guitar and start learning - in just minutes!
Get the FREE PDF and Start Playing "Simplicity" for Solo Guitar - Instantly!
You will love learning and playing this song...and your friends and family will listen in amazement as YOU play it!
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
FREE - Get PDF tabs and 9 Step-by-Step Video Lessons for "Vitamin E Blues" - Instantly...
Subscribe to my newsletter and get Instant Access to the Free PDF and videos! Links will come INSTANTLY via email. Grab your guitar and start learning - in just minutes!
FREE - Get the Tabs and MP3 for
"Just A City Boy" - Instantly...
Your PDF tabs and mp3 will come INSTANTLY via email. Just fill out this form, grab your guitar and start learning - in just minutes!
FREE - Get the Tabs and MP3 for
"Ciao Bella" - Instantly
Your PDF tabs and MP3 will come INSTANTLY via email. Just fill out this form, grab your guitar and start learning - in just minutes!
FREE - Get the Tabs and MP3 for
"Listen to Your Heart" - Instantly...
Your PDF tabs and mp3 will come INSTANTLY via email. Just fill out this form, grab your guitar and start learning - in just minutes!
FREE - Get the Video Lessons, Tabs and MP3 for
"Shelter Island" - Instantly...
Your PDF tabs and video links will come INSTANTLY via email. Just fill out this form, grab your guitar and start learning - in just minutes!
FREE - Get the Tabs and MP3 for
"America" - Instantly...
Your PDF tabs and mp3 will come INSTANTLY via email. Just fill out this form, grab your guitar and start learning - in just minutes!
10 Tips for Healthy Guitar Practicing
The form collects information we will use to send you updates about promotions, special offers, and news. We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
Almost there! Please complete this form and click the button below to subscribe to the newsletter and gain instant access.
Learn to play "O Come All Ye Faithful" for Fingerstyle Guitar, Instantly!
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
Subscribe to my newsletter and get Instant Access to the Free PDF - enjoy!
Learn "Angels We Have Heard on High" for Fingerstyle Guitar, Instantly.
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
Subscribe to my newsletter and get Instant Access to the Free PDF - enjoy!
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
FREE - Get the PDF Tabs for this "E7 Groove"
Instantly...
Subscribe to my newsletter and receive tips about guitar and get instant access to the free PDF.

Learn to use harmonics, slaps and percussion!
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
Download The "Groove Scales PDF" and Watch Your Technique Improve Effortlessly!
Subscribe to my newsletter and receive tips about guitar and get instant access to the free PDF.

Learn this simple yet powerful warm up technique in minutes...
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
Download The "4 Levels of Thumb Picking" and Watch your Technique Improve Dramatically!
Subscribe to my newsletter and get instant access to the FREE PDF!.

Full chord progression as played in the video is included in the tabs.
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
Discover Lush Guitar Harmonies With a Simple
One Finger Move...
Subscribe to my newsletter and get instant access to the FREE PDF!

You'll also get the 'move' as well on D, G, C, E and A minor chords in the tabs!
Learn to play "O Holy Night" for Fingerstyle Guitar - Instantly!
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
Subscribe to my newsletter and get Instant Access to the Free PDF - enjoy!
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
Give Your Technique and Fretboard Knowledge a Boost - Quickly and Easily....
Subscribe to my newsletter and get instant access to the FREE PDF!

You'll get the 3 octave G scale with all tabs and fingerings - Instantly!
Learn to Play Arpeggios "Magically" on the Guitar - In Just Minutes...
It's actually so easy to understand and play arpeggios using this technique, that you'll feel like you're cheating! :-) Enjoy!
Give Your Technique and Fretboard Knowledge a Boost, Quickly and Easily...
Subscribe to my newsletter and get instant access to this free PDF. You'll get the "Boost Your Scale Chops" tabs with fingerings delivered Instantly!
We take your privacy seriously. No spam. See our terms and privacy here.
Are You Curious About the Jazz Solo from
my "Black Orpheus" Video?
Tabbed out just for you! Here's the improvised solo from "Black Orpheus" plus a lead sheet of the alternate chord changes I use. Enjoy!