Hey Adam i stumbled upon your cover of MIke Reid’s “I Can’t Make you Love Me” on you tube, and was just blown away by the emotion you captured with this song… Dig a bit more digging and man i must say you are very talented this video has opened my eyes literally. As you were using an example of when you were asked to play a C then an F as you said your first instinct was to go to up the neck, i was saying yea yea and you POOOWWWWWWW blew my mind.. I don’t know if you heard of Erik Mongrain, but even though he is more air taps the emotion of the songs you both play are just crazy. I wish i still had that drive and urge to play like i did when i was younger, learning new things so basic and obvious like what your video teaches just makes me want to pick her up blow off the dust suck up the pain from the rusty strings rubbing against my UN calloused fingers and go to town. Unfortunately my fingers cannot keep up with what my brain is telling them to do anymore. its rather sad i just never have the time or will to play anymore but at the same time look at my guitars every day wanting to play. I think Ill play today. Cheers mate thanks for opening my eyes and ears to a new innovative way of playing… My question for is…… What about 12-strings? In my own opinion i would think that this would still work, but on the other other hand is it really needed because the strings alone are already harmonizing with what ever note you play. Or is this a way for a 6-string to sound more like a 12 string? Thanks for whatever information you share enjoy
Hey Adam great lesson! Harmony is SO important to their playing and over all development as aspiring musicians, that I’d put this knowledge under the heading of CRITICAL and MUST KNOW CHOPS! lol So many students especially young guitarists or those just starting out, either aren’t aware of the importance of knowing their harmony; understanding voice leading and how chords and scales work together, etc., or just aren’t bothering to educate themselves on the subject, because they don’t think that they’ll ever need it or that only Jazz musician’s have to worry about that stuff, but how wrong they are!
I remember one of my favorite professors in college, who was himself an amazing Jazz pianist in his own right and who also taught Harmony and Jazz Harmony and in fact wrote the curriculum on the subject for the music depart, always made it a point to say drill into our heads DAILY, “KNOW YOUR HARMONY, BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS! I He was and is one of the rarest of rare musicians with a mind like a steel trap made for music and to hear him play? Man you’d think he could walk on water, the way we all stood in awe of him. We all agreed that if we could sound even HALF as good or even grasp even a small oz of his amazing musician ship and knowledge, we would all die happy. Your lesson reminded of his approach. He was tough (love tough) but was able to communicate what can sometimes be a complicated and difficult subject like Harmony/music theory, to a bunch of ambitious wild eyed characters, making it easier to understand and apply. Your teaching style and lessons are just like that Adam. Thanks you for caring enough to understand that just as music is an amazing and wonderful craft, that teaching is also just as much an art form. Peace. 🙂
Thanks for being generous with your knowledge. As of now I am moving in to uncharted territory in my playing. Thanks partly to my new Taylor dreadnought and of course your blog.
I have made some great music out of what I used to think was an accident or mistake
The harmony lesson answered many of the questions which have presented themselves since I started using my thumb and fingers. I had a great breakthrough in singing with other voices completely by accident. It;s been a great week.
Best Regards
Tom
Rita Cardinal says
Thank you so much for this precious information. I do not read music but I have a good ear and I was about to learn chord shapes.
I can ear the difference between harmony and chord shape because of your demonstration and will work more toward understanding voice leading first.
Do I have to be able to read music to develop a good understanding of harmony ?
Best wishes,
Rita from Montreal
Nate says
Hey Adam i stumbled upon your cover of MIke Reid’s “I Can’t Make you Love Me” on you tube, and was just blown away by the emotion you captured with this song… Dig a bit more digging and man i must say you are very talented this video has opened my eyes literally. As you were using an example of when you were asked to play a C then an F as you said your first instinct was to go to up the neck, i was saying yea yea and you POOOWWWWWWW blew my mind.. I don’t know if you heard of Erik Mongrain, but even though he is more air taps the emotion of the songs you both play are just crazy. I wish i still had that drive and urge to play like i did when i was younger, learning new things so basic and obvious like what your video teaches just makes me want to pick her up blow off the dust suck up the pain from the rusty strings rubbing against my UN calloused fingers and go to town. Unfortunately my fingers cannot keep up with what my brain is telling them to do anymore. its rather sad i just never have the time or will to play anymore but at the same time look at my guitars every day wanting to play. I think Ill play today. Cheers mate thanks for opening my eyes and ears to a new innovative way of playing… My question for is…… What about 12-strings? In my own opinion i would think that this would still work, but on the other other hand is it really needed because the strings alone are already harmonizing with what ever note you play. Or is this a way for a 6-string to sound more like a 12 string? Thanks for whatever information you share enjoy
August says
Hey Adam great lesson! Harmony is SO important to their playing and over all development as aspiring musicians, that I’d put this knowledge under the heading of CRITICAL and MUST KNOW CHOPS! lol So many students especially young guitarists or those just starting out, either aren’t aware of the importance of knowing their harmony; understanding voice leading and how chords and scales work together, etc., or just aren’t bothering to educate themselves on the subject, because they don’t think that they’ll ever need it or that only Jazz musician’s have to worry about that stuff, but how wrong they are!
I remember one of my favorite professors in college, who was himself an amazing Jazz pianist in his own right and who also taught Harmony and Jazz Harmony and in fact wrote the curriculum on the subject for the music depart, always made it a point to say drill into our heads DAILY, “KNOW YOUR HARMONY, BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS! I He was and is one of the rarest of rare musicians with a mind like a steel trap made for music and to hear him play? Man you’d think he could walk on water, the way we all stood in awe of him. We all agreed that if we could sound even HALF as good or even grasp even a small oz of his amazing musician ship and knowledge, we would all die happy. Your lesson reminded of his approach. He was tough (love tough) but was able to communicate what can sometimes be a complicated and difficult subject like Harmony/music theory, to a bunch of ambitious wild eyed characters, making it easier to understand and apply. Your teaching style and lessons are just like that Adam. Thanks you for caring enough to understand that just as music is an amazing and wonderful craft, that teaching is also just as much an art form. Peace. 🙂
adamrafferty says
August thank you for the very thoughtful comment. Sorry for my answering late!
– Adam
Esthon Friday says
I love music so much
Rohan Aiman says
Big fan of your playing! Love the tutorials too and have benefitted me a lot! Love all the way from Mumbai. India
adamrafferty says
Thank you!
Thomas Bregatta says
Thanks for being generous with your knowledge. As of now I am moving in to uncharted territory in my playing. Thanks partly to my new Taylor dreadnought and of course your blog.
I have made some great music out of what I used to think was an accident or mistake
The harmony lesson answered many of the questions which have presented themselves since I started using my thumb and fingers. I had a great breakthrough in singing with other voices completely by accident. It;s been a great week.
Best Regards
Tom
Tim Olsen says
Thanx mate you have opened up a new door for me looking foward to learning more from you
adamrafferty says
Thanks Tim!
Stanislav says
I like the idea calling them siners!!!
🙂
Thx!