SIMPLICITY

by Adam Rafferty
Guitar Lesson and Tabs http://www.adamrafferty.com

SIMPLICITY
Guitar Lesson and Tabs
Introduction
Greets Gang! Here's a lesson and tabs for an original song called "Simplicity." I recorded this on my rst solo CD "Gratitude". If you are not familiar with it, and would like to like to hear the song, heres the Youtube link. Simplicity on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APEyICMXFyI This was one of the rst solo acoustic tunes I wrote.totally inspired by Tommy Emmanuel. I think you'll hear his inuence in this one. Behind that, there's a heavy JS Bach inuence too! I'm going to make the lesson brief, but helpful. The more you understand about the music, the easier it will be to actually play it. The ngers follow the brain.

Its Not Chords, Its 3 Melody Lines

Let's look at the "parts" before we get into the snarly guitar stuff, like the picking and ngerings. This way you'll see how I am thinking. It may look like "chord shapes" as you play the tabs, but I heard this as 3 separate melody lines, interweaving. See this, and it will be 1000 times easier. (Tuning Low to High: D G D G B E) Example 1 - this is the basic melody inspiration

Example 2 - this is a "sequence" of the melodic fragment, this is actually how I originally heard it after singing the rst 3 notes

Example 3 - this is the melody with counter melody.now there are 2 melodic lines

Example 4 - here's the "sequence idea" with the counter melody

Example 5 - same thing as before with a bass "pedal point" on the note G.

When I got hold of this pretty musical idea, I started running it through different keysand a tune was born. You'll see that the tune takes this idea through the keys of G major, E minor, G minor, and D major. The whole song is just simply based on thishence the title, "Simplicity".

Now for the Guitar Lesson.

TUNING: Guitar is tuned D-G-D-G-B-E HOT TIP #1: It Dont Mean a Thing if it Aint Got That Ring Let strings RING as long as possible throughout. PICKING: I use a atpick for the entire piece, but you can play it however you like. If you use a atpick, I strongly suggest getting good at playing a string with a downstroke, and LANDING on the string below it. Try this. Pick the 5th string with a down stroke and LAND on the 4th string, ready to play it. This will prevent your hand from "bouncing" around too much. It may feel weird at rst, but will make it easier on down the road.

HOT TIP #2: Pinball Wizard Section G is very hard to explain on paper. The melody idea is buried in the chordsgot for an "airy" and "streamy" sound. Think "Pinball Wizard" from THE WHO. As long as you are aware of the 3 parts, you'll sort it out! HOT TIP #3: Insurance Policy Youll see that at measures 13 & 21 I have a message that says Fret Pinky on D - B String, Even though you are not playing it Why? In case that you accidentally crash into the B string with the right hand - the note D will sound ne with the other notes in the chord you are playing. Even the slightest bit of amplication can start an open B string ringing by itself! Try leaving the B string open, as an experiment. Yuck!!!! It does not go with the chord. This way you have an insurance policy so you can be a little more carefree with the right hand, without having to be too careful. HOT TIP #4: Another Insurance Policy Another technique that I use almost all the time is this - when the melody is on the B (2nd ) string, I curl my right hand pinky under the high E string to prevent the high E string from ringing. I want that melody note on the B string to come through loud and clear with no other string ringing! Again, when you play through an amp or PA system, the slightest motion with the guitar can set the open string into vibration - maybe even feedback. This helps make the arrangement more bulletproof. Its not a technique they show you in school - and if you are a classical player, youd never have to do this. An amplied (or micd) steel string guitar behaves differently. I certainly use this technique during the main melody - see letter B and also for measures 57 through 60. Note how on measures 57 through 60 a high E string sounds really bad! (Same idea for measures 65-67)

FORM (Repeats) In case you have trouble understanding all the "DS al CODA" type stuff, here's how the tune should be played: INTRO Play sections "B" through "G". At the DS al Coda instead of playing "H", go back to the sign Play "D" and "E" but at measure 50 jump to the CODA at the end. Basic CODA stuff, but it can be tricky. Once again - refer to the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APEyICMXFyI

Enjoy Simplicity!!! Please send me links & a video response after you put your version online!!! - Adam

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Thank you so much for all the help you have given me this year and all the years before. You are the greatest. I have been gigging more than ever lately (jazz gigs), and my playing wouldnt be nearly what it is without the all the things you have taught me. I look forward to learning more in the future and enjoying a wonderful friendship as well. . Take care, - Kurt

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Adam, I just got the video today, and just nished watching it all the way through. Fantastic!! I cant get over how good it is! Very professional look, polished, easy to follow, etc, etc.. It really inspired me to pick up the guitar and play along. The close-up on the hands and inset of picking is great, and makes it all very easy to follow. I watched while you spoon fed the lines to me and it worked perfectly. No problem keeping up with what was happening. Has that relaxed feel like you are there in the same room. It is really cool the way you play the lines with different feels. The ad lib stuff (heres something Wes would do, how to play 3/4, etc.) was great. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is this a really great video!!! This is as good as any video in my collection, if not the best. I cant wait to start really working on these lines. I have a gig tonight, and feel really inspired to play, and try to apply these lines and the feel. I would absolutely recommend this video to friends. Thanks so much - Ill get a lot of use out of it. Like I said before, cant wait to spend so more time working through the material. Thanks, -Kurt Kurt Bittner, Sacramento CA

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From the Laptop of Adam Rafferty Greetings Fellow Guitar Player! It gives me great pleasure and joy to teach you the guitar and musical concepts and secrets I have learned over the years. I have been very lucky to have the opportunity to study and play with some of the greatest musicians on the planet, from fingerstyle, to classical music to blues to jazz, and I look forward to passing as much on to you as I can. Two things that my great teachers taught me are that 1) there are no shortcuts, but 2) its easy when you get the right information! I made a pact with myself anytime Id feel the elation and delight of unraveling musical mysteries, that Id pass the knowledge on as best I can. This is the process of how music and learning evolve. Each generation builds on the information from the previous one and this continually raises the standard of excellence. I also made a pact that Id be a teacher (for you) that the proof would be in the pudding. I.E. - youd want to learn from me because you actually love the music you hear come out of my fingers! No matter what anyones level of talent is, we all need teachers and people who have seen things we havent, and basically been around the block more than we ourselves have. Your excellence matters to me. Your level of joy and creativity matters to me. Your happiness matters to me! And I thank you for entrusting me to share my knowledge with you. I am here to coach you, teach you, kick your butt and show you how excellent you can be. Feel free to call or email me anytime for lessons, coaching, questions or just to say Hi! As well, if you have any questions about any of my online lessons or guitar educational products, call me. I am here to help YOU realize your true excellence on the guitar, in music and in life! With Warmest Regards,

Adam