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Is this one of the best or worst books for learning to play acoustic fingerstyle guitar?
You can learn to play music by simultaneously using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books.
The Inner Game of Fingerstyle Guitar by Adam Rafferty is an inspirational collection of practical advice on becoming not only a better fingerstyle guitarist, but a better musician and human being in general. This is NOT a method book with specific instructions and playing examples. It reads more like a non-fiction novel that you would read in your most comfy chair. The text is easy to read and flows well from topic to topic. Every section will provide you with ideas to improve your playing, organize your practice time, conquer your stage fright, connect with your audience, etc. I’d recommend this book for all skill levels, but especially for beginner and intermediate fingerstyle guitar players.
If you are looking for ways to motivate yourself or to get yourself over a musical plateau, this book would be a great investment of time and money. It is a great supplement to other instructional books, video lessons, and in-person lessons. Spend 5 or 10 minutes reading prior to your practice session, waiting at the doctor’s office, or while traveling.
The book is organized into three parts: “Your Soul,” “Your Craft,” and “Your Listeners.” Part One: “Your Soul” contains lots of ideas that you might find in a general self-improvement book. Most of the advice is not specific only to becoming a better guitar player. Adam recommends playing music that really speaks to you, focusing on your strengths, and setting goals with specific plans to achieve them. Some of this may be a little “heady” for some readers with ideas of “musical truth” and allowing your subconscious mind to guide you towards achieving your goals. Even if that’s not your cup of tea, stick it out (you will likely find something useful) and you will be rewarded later in the book.
In Part Two: “Your Craft,” Adam discusses how to actually improve as a musician. He goes over the stages of artistic development, the ten areas of musical study (concepts like “what to play” and “how to play”), how to practice effectively, and how to get out of a rut. This section of the book gives a great overview of what is actually involved in mastering your musical craft.
In Part Three: “Your Listeners,” Adam shares some of what makes him so great as a musician and performer. He provides practical advice on finding gigs, dealing with stage fright, and satisfying your audiences. I love what he has to say about performing music that is both inspiring to you and entertaining for your audience.
If you like what Adam has to say in this book, you should absolutely check out his recordings, his successful YouTube channel, his podcast (Fingerstyle Guitar Hangout with Adam Rafferty), and his online courses. He is incredibly talented at not only playing the guitar, but at arranging popular tunes for fingerstyle guitar. I personally learned so much from him through his courses and through an interview that I did with him around 5 years ago on Fret Buzz the Podcast.
No guitar required while reading this book!
Published in 2020 by Crescent Ridge Publishing, LLC.
My eBook: Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook. Learning to arrange melodies will also help your fingerstyle songwriting and your understanding of the inner workings of fingerstyle guitar.
My music is available on all streaming platforms at https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dcokTG6C598OhTslHH5uo?si=hrQb7FViSZewDRSgECw9Ew:
Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album was released on January 19, 2024. Watch the first single, “Open Road,” on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uPBh8sZQsT4?si=EM_wAwnHFqU1VC9C.
Riding the Wave and Acoustic Oasis: my first two fingerstyle guitar albums.
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