John Ferrara: Fragments of Silence

John Ferrara’s solo playing has always blown me away, and it’s been fascinating to get the inside scoop with his “Tapping Technique and Composition” lessons. Aside from his amazing technique, his sense of harmony and combination of genres always connect with me, and his new single, “Fragments of Silence,” is no different.

It’s an epic eight-minute composition that explores classical, grunge, and jazz with just a bass and Ferrara’s two hands. It’s clear that he’s pouring his heart and soul into the music.

“’Fragments of Silence’ is a confessional, honest, and intensely emotional song. Writing it felt very natural. Executing it perfectly, however… a different story!” he shares. “I slaved over the parts for months, sculpting and shaping. Eventually, I posted a clip of a section of it, a percussive tapping riff entitled ‘I am a repressed drummer.’ It ended up getting over half a million views on Instagram and an overwhelming amount of positive feedback. If you know me, you know I have a hard time catering (for better or worse for my career), but the amount and quality of the positive responses inspired me to release it as a single.”

Ferrara uses an array of techniques to realize his musical vision, including several percussive and melodic tapping techniques, plucked harmonic slides, open string drones, and more.

“Fragments of Silence” is streaming now via Spotify and more.