Success

Practicing Guitar and Your “Happy” Brain Chemicals…

11-14-brain This is a pretty taboo subject, but let’s dive in.

I recently got an email from a reader saying:

“Hi Adam. I’m going through a phase where I can’t find any I situation or have as much fun playing as I used to. Have you got any idea or any tips or me to get back into it? Thanks – Mick”

Musicians are human, and all of us have ups & downs because it is built into our system. When we have ups & downs, much of “how we feel” has do do with the presence or absence of certain naturally produced brain chemicals.

How to Achieve Maximum Confidence for Performing Fingerstyle Guitar

By Adam Rafferty 34 Comments

10-14-guitar Performing fingerstyle guitar on stage can be nerve-racking.

Something you have played perfectly at home suddenly “falls apart” when you try to get on stage and do it in front of people.

For my first few years touring, my hands would shake on stage too, so don’t worry – it’s normal.

I’m going to show you how to solve this problem.

Adam Rafferty Rethinks Recording CDs & Distribution

By Adam Rafferty 33 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

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.

Announcing – the “Fingerstyle Favorites” iPad Mini Winner!

By Adam Rafferty 3 Comments

Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who bought “Fingerstyle Favorites” last week! If you purchased between July 8 – 15, 2014 you were automatically entered to win an iPad Mini.

Here is the Prize Drawing – Captured on Video…
It’s about 5 minutes long, and I want you to see how I did the drawing. A few of you asked how I would do the drawing so that it was fair and random.

Watch Now to find out if YOU won:

4 Tips for Keeping Your Guitar Arrangements Under Your Fingers

By Adam Rafferty 37 Comments

A student just asked me the question from the “Ask Adam” page.

“Adam…..I have a problem of remembering songs I’ve already learned
when they haven’t been played in a couple of weeks…usually when I’m
concentrating on new material. How do you keep it all under your fingers?”

When I learn a new song, or am writing a song I have to almost have to “forget” every other song I know.

For example, I recently came up with an arrangement for “Killing me Softly” and I had to
play nothing but that song for a week.

OPERATION BROOKLYN – signing 100 “Fingerstyle Favorites” DVD’s

By Adam Rafferty 1 Comment

Well, I am not in NYC that often these days, but I wanted to show you the sights of Brooklyn and the B.Q.E. on a really hot sticky day so you could feel the “New York Vibe” a little.
[Read more…] about OPERATION BROOKLYN – signing 100 “Fingerstyle Favorites” DVD’s

Win an iPad Mini from Adam….

By Adam Rafferty 10 Comments

Watch the video to find how…

In the last post & video I mentioned a “cool prize” that I will be giving away to customers of the new “Fingerstyle Favorites” DVD when it launches….

Drum roll….

I will be giving away a brand new Apple iPad mini! Maybe you’ll be the lucky winner….

“Fingerstyle Favorites” DVD launching Tuesday July 8, 2014

By Adam Rafferty 46 Comments

I want YOU to be part of the new DVD “launch”, so I will be offering some VERY special stuff to my email and blog subscribers only.

For Fingerstyle Guitarists – Effects & Tapping vs Melody

By Adam Rafferty 95 Comments

5-14-tapping

This weekend I got a chance to listen to some wonderful young guitar players, but it brought me back to an issue I try to explain over and over when I teach workshops.

Many fingerstyle guitarists today are forgetting about the most important aspect of music – melody. I think this is due to a basic lack of musical study, and the lack of asking the basic question “what is music?”

Without an inquiry into what music actually is, one can get lost by simply copying whats trendy and popular on Youtube and in magazines.
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