Fingerstyle guitar to put a smile on your face
December 9, 2008 4:20 PM   Subscribe

Fun, funky fingerstyle arrangements from Adam Rafferty: Superstition, I Wish, Billie Jean, The Chameleon. He's clearly having a great time and I think you will too.
posted by tomcooke (18 comments total) 22 users marked this as a favorite
 
Tutorial videos on how to play the basic groove for "Superstition": Part One, Part Two.
posted by tomcooke at 4:30 PM on December 9, 2008


I shore do love me some fingerstyle.
posted by echo target at 4:41 PM on December 9, 2008


wow. that's all i got right now. just wow.
posted by gnutron at 4:42 PM on December 9, 2008 [1 favorite]


If it were up to me, you'd win.
posted by gman at 4:51 PM on December 9, 2008


That was a tasty performance of "Superstition". I award it the Joe Beese Seal of Approval.

Related question: Why do people make faces like that when they feel music? It can't be just the strain of concentration in applying technique. People do the same thing when performing on air instruments.

There's something Deep going on there, I think. But I can't figure out what it is.
posted by Joe Beese at 4:52 PM on December 9, 2008


Joe Beese -- Guitar Face

This was great. I am so goddamn hopeless with a guitar, but I desperately want to be this guy.
posted by Rock Steady at 5:05 PM on December 9, 2008 [1 favorite]


There's also White Guy Funk Face and - often the most ridiculous of all - Drummer Face (or, as an ex of mine used to put it, Apparently-Receiving-Oral-Sex-Behind-The-Bass-Drum Face).

Nice playing. I could never split my brain like that, into bass line and melody, much less beatbox over top (underneath?).
posted by gottabefunky at 5:22 PM on December 9, 2008 [1 favorite]


Amazing. If I just heard the audio I would think it it 2 or 3 different players.
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 5:37 PM on December 9, 2008


Great stuff. Thanks. ( I love that Taylor sound, too.)
posted by Benny Andajetz at 5:50 PM on December 9, 2008


That's pretty nice stuff. I mean I still hate him. I just grabbed my guitar and came somewhat close to what he's doing. Close enough to still hate him, and make the dog want to go out.
posted by timsteil at 6:16 PM on December 9, 2008


One of the better YT music MF links. Simple, but Funky Music, White Boy.
posted by kozad at 6:19 PM on December 9, 2008


I recently read somewhere that Henry Winkler - The Fonz - was too uncoordinated to drive a motorcycle in real life; a co-morbid artifact of his dyslexia. I fear that I have a similar relationship with my guitar, but I'm also a big believer in practice, practice, practice.
Its great to be gifted, but I think the greatest part is doing it again and again and again.

Great post. It opened my eyes on some technique I couldn't seem to get my head around before, and Rafferty is awesome in all of his white-guy guitar funk glory.
posted by isopraxis at 6:19 PM on December 9, 2008


Among other things, hearing "Superstition" and especially "Billie Jean" arranged this way reminds me of what great songs they are. If you can strip away all the production multiple instruments and what you're left with still sounds great - well, its a tribute to the songwriter as well as the player.
posted by googly at 6:20 PM on December 9, 2008 [2 favorites]


Related question: Why do people make faces like that when they feel music? It can't be just the strain of concentration in applying technique.

There was a story in the Chicago Trib a few years back, re classical music performances, and how some of the (ahem) "patrons" of the symphony were feeling cheated because they didnt think the soloists were showing enough emotion (i.e. making dramatic faces)
posted by timsteil at 6:23 PM on December 9, 2008 [1 favorite]


I've seen his I Wish rendition but the rest are new, so thank ye. Fingerpickin's comin' back, death to the pick.
posted by ageispolis at 6:38 PM on December 9, 2008


Drummer face does seem to be distinct from other musician faces. It's usually more static, but equally funny.

I saw a pretty awesome group of folks do Bitches Brew a few weeks ago with a friend of mine, and when I pointed out the countenance of the right-most drummer (a sort of disgusted, concentrated grimace with one side of his mouth down-turned), my friend turned and whispered to me: "it's just too nasty!"
posted by invitapriore at 8:29 PM on December 9, 2008


The dude's fingers are incredibly long! That's gotta help. Hard to play much more than power chords with sausage fingers.
posted by stargell at 9:04 PM on December 9, 2008


Just for fun, I had a go at moving my whole body with the music and making "guitar faces" the way he does and I was surprised at how much more fun it made playing - not to mention I actually played better as well. Of course I'm just a hacker but I would recommend anyone to give it a try.
posted by tomcooke at 5:35 AM on December 10, 2008


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