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Funky Fingerstyle Guitar

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You are here: Home / Archives for Guitar / Fingerstyle Guitar

Fingerstyle Guitar

Don’t Wash Your Face Before a Fingerstyle Guitar Gig!

By Adam Rafferty 40 Comments

I have a tip you will thank me for later, and it’s all about right hand fingerstyle guitar technique.

Don’t wash your face before you play a gig.

Huh?

Yes that’s right. Don’t wash your face.

It’s a great tip that my classical teacher showed me when I was 15 years old, and somehow my memory served it up the other night as I was going on stage.

[Read more…] about Don’t Wash Your Face Before a Fingerstyle Guitar Gig!

My Personal Fingerstyle Guitar Setup Measurements

By Adam Rafferty 59 Comments

Last month I was at a guitar festival and a student came in for a lesson.

I tried to play her guitar and find that it was very hard to play. I told her…

“You Need a Guitar Setup!”

Students often think that they need to become “stronger” and push “harder” when in fact – the guitar should become “easier” to play.

[Read more…] about My Personal Fingerstyle Guitar Setup Measurements

Adam Rafferty Rethinks Recording CDs & Distribution

By Adam Rafferty 43 Comments

Note: This article is NOT a gripe & whine session. It’s an inquiry of “what should musicians do now that the game has changed?”

  • Below I will outline 12 points.
  • Items 1 – 6 diagnose “the problem” with doing things the old way in the today’s environment (it’s a mismatch)
  • Items 7 – 11 become solution oriented, so yes there is hope! (we have to think differently)
  • Item 10 is my big AHA moment and I describe what I may do next

[Read more…] about Adam Rafferty Rethinks Recording CDs & Distribution

Practicing Music or Practicing Guitar Technique – What’s Better?

By Adam Rafferty 3 Comments

Adam Rafferty guitar technique
Often when we hear a soulful musical performance we can’t imagine that the “wonderful music” had to be practiced technically.

Even though we are “feeling it” as listeners, much more than “feelings” had to go in to it.

Master musicians look at music from all angles, musical and technical.

Master musicians love it all…music and technique. They go together.

[Read more…] about Practicing Music or Practicing Guitar Technique – What’s Better?

Should You Use Classical or Fingerstyle Guitar Technique?

By Adam Rafferty 46 Comments

Should You Use Classical or Fingerstyle Guitar Technique?

I get a lot of emails asking questions like :

  • “I play classical guitar and I find it hard to play with a thumbpick.”
  • “I studied classical guitar for years and I just can’t get the groove right.”
Fransisco Tarrega
Fransisco Tarrega

A great classical guitar technique is a thing of beauty – and I worked on it for a long time.

However, for “African” based music, you need an entirely different “touch”. The “groove” is built into the “touch”. You can’t separate the two.

[Read more…] about Should You Use Classical or Fingerstyle Guitar Technique?
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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!
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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...
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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.
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...
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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...
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"Just A City Boy" - Instantly...
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"Ciao Bella" - Instantly
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"Listen to Your Heart" - Instantly...
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"Shelter Island" - Instantly...
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FREE - Get the Tabs and MP3 for
"America" - Instantly...
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10 Tips for Healthy Guitar Practicing
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Learn to play "O Come All Ye Faithful" for Fingerstyle Guitar, Instantly!
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Learn "Angels We Have Heard on High" for Fingerstyle Guitar, Instantly.
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FREE - Get the PDF Tabs for this "E7 Groove"
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Learn to use harmonics, slaps and percussion!
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Download The "Groove Scales PDF" and Watch Your Technique Improve Effortlessly!
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Learn this simple yet powerful warm up technique in minutes...
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Download The "4 Levels of Thumb Picking" and Watch your Technique Improve Dramatically!
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Full chord progression as played in the video is included in the tabs.
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Discover Lush Guitar Harmonies With a Simple
One Finger Move...
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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!
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Give Your Technique and Fretboard Knowledge a Boost - Quickly and Easily....
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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!
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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!