Man, questioning whether Prince was actually playing is damn near sacrilegious!...That man was a MASTER at his craft, and no matter the genre or who you ask - Prince will forever be named one of the best guitarists of ALL TIME!
Guys…watch his left hand, not his right. Not sure if you know anything about guitar playing, but there’s a ton of reverb and when he pulls the strings away with his right hand, it’s the left that hits the notes.
Sorry guys, that was a 100% live performance not pre-recorded in any way. He insisted on playing it live. The crews were pretty anxious about it too... there was a real risk of electrocution with all the rain coming down. He was arguably one of the best rock guitarists of all time, right up with Hendrix. Most people who play guitar regardless of genre, tend to look up to him.
It says volumes that HE was the guitarist to play the Clapton solo during While My Guitar Gently Weeps at the George Harrison tribute concert. Played it better than Clapton, imo.
💯 Prince is a LEGEND! I would've liked this video but since they obviously did not read any of the comments on here and come back with a response I can't. 😢
This was LIVE!!!! You guys obviously don't play the guitar but he was playing it live. He's one of the best guitarist ever. He can play every instrument on that stage. Watch his performance on while guitar gently weeps. He was a true musician.
100% live. I can tell by watching him play. But they should also know, Prince followed his own rules and nobody else's - dude lived completely in his own reality lol. Not a chance he would have played the super bowl if it wasn't entirely on his own terms.
100% live. Zero chance Prince would agree to faking it. Dude was a legend. A singing, dancing, writing, guitar-ripping, multi-instrumentalist who ALWAYS did his own thing.
And yes, you can strum the guitar, and then keep moving your fingers and get sound out of it. You can also run your guitar through pedal effects for a reverb effect.
Im glad almost 4000 comments are educating yous about one of the most talented influential artists of all time. Watch the documentary of the show. It was totally in the rain and he played and sang the whole time. As a guitarist, hes playing every note. No backing tracks or vocals. Its all him and his band. I haven't seen anyone top his halftime show yet, when it comes to talent and preforming and showing us that you can have a football game at a Prince concert. Prince did that. Minnesota's pride and joy. 💜💜💜
I was able to go to Paisley Park in Chanhassen Minnesota a few months after His death and the outpouring of LOVE 💟was BEAUTIFUL! He was a musical perfectionist often playing all the instruments on his own songs and wrote many songs for other artists. 💜 BEST SuperBowl halftime SHOW EVER!
I love when one of the people in the documentary tells that when they considered canceling because of the rain, Prince refused and said, "Can you make it rain harder?"
The prerequisite to Prince performing at Superbowl was that it was NOT to be pre recorded. This performance was 100% live with electric guitars and high heels on a wet slippery stage. Prince was a genius and there will never be another like him. Also, playing on the neck soley is possible by hammering the strings
Fellas, Prince was the fiercest on the guitar and even if it’s on a track, that was 💯 Prince. He played all instruments. Self taught. Prince was a genius! ❤
Guitarist here: prince is tapping and hammering on. That is what produces the alternating notes. Plus, as others have pointed out, Prince would always play it live. Insane guitarist, and a legend. Full stop.
My husband and I were watching this and we both said, “I don’t think I can waste my time on anybody so clueless that they think Prince was faking this.” It’s just sad how much they don’t know.
Prince was using a technique called tapping. You can still get sounds out of the neck of the guitar by tapping the strings without strumming. The fact that he can get those clear sounds out of it shows just how damn good of a player he was. This was 100% live.
@@wheatthicks Actually? Because legato in music generally refers to a smooth flowing phrasing of the music, not a specific technique. I'll take your word on it, but that's a weird bastardization of a term with an already widely used and accepted meaning within music.
As a guitarist of over 15 years, I can confirm Prince was playing that guitar. You guys should watch other videos of Prince playing live. He was a genius instrumentalist.
There was also an NFL Films bit about this show, with a lot of the producers talking about it... not only no indication that he faked it, but also they had a lot of worry about him playing electric guitar during pouring rain, or "The Twins", the backup dancers, in like 8 inch heals dancing on a wet and slick tile. And in line with what was said in this video, one producer said he called Prince that morning to discuss the rain coming in during the game/show, and Prince was just like, "OK" as if "Yeah, of course it is, that's what I wanted to happen."
@@rybockI saw same thing Prince was truly 1 of the best musicians of EVER ❤but I will say Dre Snoop 50 Em Mary J. Kendrick Lamar they are up there but my choice Prince was truly a musician that man played over 22 instruments wrote his own music produced his own albums what a huge loss❤❤
Not to mention playing an electric guitar in a thunderstorm. Talk about commitment to a gig, risking electrocution, and moving around that wet stage in those boots. The man was a true professional , and one of the best guitarists ever.
And you do know that performers don't get paid to perform at the SB halftime show, the reason why artists take the gig is because who get's a chance to perform for over a billion people all over the world at one time. Prince was a musical genius this was a LIVE performance.
Prince was one of the sickest guitar players to walk this earth, the man was beyond talented. Such a deep thinker, stood on his beliefs and refused to be ruled by the corporate record labels. Seeing him live was one of the very best concerts I've ever been to.
You guys need to realize Prince is the G.O.A.T. He can sing, mix, produce, write, and play every single instrument on his records. He is a legend and personally one of my top five favorite guitarists. R.I.P.
@@angelawoody3223 Thats a steep claim. Prince vs MJ has to have a qualifier in my opinion.... Greatest Performer? MJ; Greatest Musician? Prince; Greatest Lyrics; MJ or Prince... over an entire catalog, thats a tough debate.
@@angelawoody3223 - and MJ, from the time he knew about Prince, was sure worried about how great Prince was.. Maybe MJ should have learned how to plan an instrument. Prince was definitely the better performer. All that energy and he was just 5'2". And their drug demons got them both.
Prince playing so well they literally can't believe it 😂 you can 100% make sound with only your left hand. Hammer ons and pull offs, also maybe some tapping. Prince is one of the best to ever play. 100% live!
Prince REFUSED to preform over a pre recording. They all do a pre recording just in case of emergencies. But there was no emergency. It's PRINCE!!! THE GOAT!!
YES, THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF MUSICIANS BACK IN THE DAY....THEY EARNED THEIR WAY ON PURE TALENT. PRINCE NEVER FAKED A PERFORMANCE. THAT'S WHY THIS IS LEGENDARY.
Prince was a true music genius. He NEVER faked a performance. The guitar player behind him was a bass guitar. Prince was one of the best guitar players of all time. He played guitar on this entire performance and does whatever he wants on stage. Music will never be the same without his genius.
indeed! Prince embodies talent, discipline and conviction, few musicians embody those characteristics. Prince and Zappa are from that small group with something in common, GREAT guitarists.
PRINCE was one of the the most complete & organic artist of all times. The way he prized his music this would be an insult, if there is anyone who hated fake & phony lip synching in music was PRINCE, this man wasn't perfect, but he was pretty much close to it as a musical genius, icon and legend PRINCE was and still is. 💯💜 😎💜.
I love yeah but, you got to do your homework ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fMMSf2wrJK8.html He's telling you everything everyone else is telling you, Prince is a pure legend.
@@phunkidruma I’m not much older than them and I still know about Princes guitar god status… I have my mom to thank for that tho. He’s my all time fav musician. Better than anyone today for sure
@@phunkidruma they NEED to check out his guitar solo in the Tom Petty and others tribute to George Harrison’s “while my guitar gently weeps” Prince killed that then walked off the stage knowing he killed it lol
@@jennifer2071 your parents must be cooler than cool and they most likely have great taste in music. When you see a live prince performance even in a video you can see he always gave it 110%. Some people might call it showing off but when you have that kind of talent how can you not give it 110%?!
@@jennifer2071 yes he did because Trolling Stone magazine left him off the top greatest guitarist list"and then he schooled every single person in that room about how to shred with passion!
No lip sync, auto tune or six hundred stage dancers…..yes. He is playing that guitar. A complete artist. He wrote his songs, composed the music. Played the instruments. Yes….he could play many instruments.
There is also a bald second delay between your seeing his lips and speakers…..dude was not going to do it if they made him pre record. Why do you think he is respected so much by everyone….including many famous guitarist.
@godlikemonolith That comes from the fact that they're completely ignorant when it comes to Prince and music in general. He literally sang a few of his well-known songs and a few covers of well-known songs How do they not know who the Foo Fighters and the song The Best Of You? That song is literally played at nearly every professional football game
Prince’s first album was all him. He played every instrument, did background vocals. Everything. He was 17 years old at the time. He was by far one of the most talented people on this earth.
@cindaodneal6041 The only thing I disagree on is Prince’s age when his first album came out. He was 19. He and/or his handlers did the show-biz thing where they shaved a few years off his age early on to make him seem even more of a prodigy. MJ and Madonna, among others, did it too.
I remember an interview he did with Arsenio... he asked him if he couldn't be PRINCE what would he be, career-wise and Prince said he looked through the phone book and could not find one job he would want to do so he devoted his time to becoming the best musician he could... this is not verbatim, but close enough to let you know how and why he was 100,000,000% dedicated to his craft!
Guys he was absolutely playing that live. I’ve been playing guitar for 27 years and Prince was an amazing musician, songwriter and highly skilled guitar player
Their comments about his guitar playing showed me none of them play guitar or any instrument, lol. Hopefully, they have done a little research on Prince's halftime show and now know he was playing live.
Prince never played any music that wasn't LIVE he was known to be a perfectionist about music he always played REAL LIVE MUSIC AND LIVE VOCALS he was a phenomenal guitar player and artist. You should check out his movie Purple Rain the movie is filled with many great songs of him singing.🎶🎸🎵
also, fun fact: at 7:56 he starts his cover of “best of you” by the foo fighters. Dave Grohl wrote in his recent book that he cried watching Prince perform his song, and Dave called it “without a doubt my proudest musical achievement.” when Prince called him one night and asked him to come over for a jam session, Dave said he was “desperately trying to keep my cool… in the presence of greatness.” that’s the kind of guitar player Prince was 😉
Dave has told the story of meeting Prince several times & to say he was a fan boy is an understatement. Dave was star struck just jamming with him. Beautiful moments.
The NFL also required media interviews - Prince didn't do interviews. He did a mini concert instead at the press conference. Prince hated lip-syncing and refused to do prerecord performances. All 4 of his guitars were live - they were afraid he would get electrocuted. The documentary about the performance mentions this. As someone who's been to 5 of his concerts, the prerecord comments are insulting. He used the neck of the guitar to extend chord vibration after strumming. It's his signature sound. BTW - Prince and MJ never had beef. That was media hype. They both respected each other. #princefriend4life
As a person who grew up in the era Prince gained fame, Prince always played his instruments live. He never pre recorded. On his Musicology tour, he never played the same songs the same. He changed the way he played the sets every time. And yes, you can play an electric guitar without strumming. It is called hammer-ons. This is probably the best guitarist you will ever see outside of Jimi Hendrix. Look up guitar technique videos and you will see. He was a brilliant musician who loved his craft and would never jeopardize his art/craft by relying on a pre-recorded, fake performance. He was never that type of performer. He hated that type of stuff.
You don’t have to strum. Fingering on the board also makes sound. I play the guitar and I do it all the time. If you bump the guitar it will make noise. He played a 100 percent of this. Probably the most underrated guitar player ever. He is a top five guitar player. That half time show was magic. Trust me the NFL ain’t telling Prince what to do. That dude wouldn’t let famous musicians help him with his first album at 17 years of age. I guarantee you he designed that entire performance himself. The dudes a genius. Best halftime show ever.
I agree with you about his playing. He was an extraordinary musician. Definitely top 5 rock guitarist. He really showed some of what he could do in this show. I saw him live 20 times including his first concert outside of Minnesota in 1979 at The Roxy in West Hollywood. As great as his recordings were, they didn't come close to showcasing his musicianship. The aftershows were where he really blew you away. Most genius pop musician ever imo
@@dr.kevinmoore8889 would loved to seen his shows back then. His shows were legendary. He’s got some of that Sly and the Familly Stone crosses James Brown with Hendrix guitar skills and similar style. My impression of his shows is like the building is shaking. Long jam sessions.
The sound of a guitar, particularly an electric guitar, does not stop as soon as you stop strumming. It continues to resonate, and what he is doing with his left hand is playing the notes through that continuing sound. Prince is one of the most talented artists there have ever been. He did it all, played all the instruments, the song writing, the dance moves back when he was younger. He was a one of a kind, and so much swag and attitude. A real showman. And I’m not just saying that because I used to live down the road from him. He was also very spiritual, and became a Jahovah’s Witness, and gave back to the community he lived in without announcing it publicly. He was a very private person when not performing, which is why he kept his home and studio in the smaller town of Chanhassen, MN, because people left him alone there. On occasion he would have free performances for his fans at his studio, where he would just play and sing for hours. A few times he would decide at the last minute to take everyone to see a movie, and buy out the theater lol. It wasn’t unheard of to see other celebrities go to see him at these fan shows. Madonna was often there, and Lenny Kravitz, because they were friends. A friend of ours is a super fan and often went to these shows. He was real, he didn’t fake any of his performances. The main reason the NFL requires a recording is a backup in case the sound system/microphones fail during the performance. It is live tv after all. There are lots of examples out there of how good he was on a guitar, but your next Prince experience definitely needs to be the cover of the Beatles song While My Guitar Gently Weeps at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He steals the show is such an awesome way.
Don’t underestimate that man. When he was alive, he was the best guitarist on the planet, and that shouldn’t even be a controversial statement. Moreover, he was the greatest all around musician when he was alive. He played everything, and at an expert level. I guarantee he was playing and singing live. Because that was Prince.
No other performer like Prince! God allowed rain to happen, and he never stopped playing. Ultimate performer and none of his concerts were the same. All original.
Prince was legit playing the guitar. You can 💯 make sound on the frets with pull offs and hammers. It's not easy, but Prince was so incredibly talented.
@@YayaValderI’ve been playing for 12 years and I can honestly say anybody can play the guitar, it doesn’t take much practice and dedication to play songs in full length, it just depends on what you like
@tuckercunningham9370 I taught myself years ago, but no, not everybody can. I can't anymore because of a spinal cord injury. Learning chords is one thing, but strumming & picking & learning to actually play music is another. And not everyone has the talent that Prince had on his guitar. Seriously, he's one of the most underrated guitar players out there.
I saw Prince six times live in London. You think that half-time show was good. Imagine what a two-hour concert with him was like! He was an unbelievably talented musical genius.
I saw prime Prince 2004 Musicology Tour, please don't ever claim he wasn't playing live. He is one of the most gifted Maestros to ever pick up a guitar along with 26 other instruments. The man was a GENIUS. His brilliance was unmatched! He was our Royal Purple Highness Prince Rogers Nelson!! 💜🕊🌂☂️☔️☮️💔
The accidental Prince disrespect is insane with his video. And it shows you how great of a guitarist he is that they thought it was impossible for him so to do that with one hand - and he was singing live the whole time
I was legitimately stunned hearing the disrespect of Prince. How could anyone ever dream of thinking Prince faked his talent? I SAW the performance in person there wasn't a single person who wasn't mesmerized by the great purple one's God tier level performance. When that current was raised it was something that a person never forgets. I still get goosebumps and chills thinking about it. Prince's halftime performance is thee greatest halftime performance ever. Period.
The purple one would NEVER fake playing his guitar. They have a backup track in case of emergency, I am sure, mic goes out, amp fails, but Prince would never rely on that. That is why he was the GOAT! Gone too soon.
Don't forget when Rolling Stone Magazine disrespected the quality of his guitar playing, it's what prompted what we saw him do in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction video for George Harrison.
This was not pre-recorded. They actually wanted him to stop because of the rain (they were worried he would get electrocuted) but he refused. He said he came to play and that's what he was going to do. By far, the best half time ever. There's also a wammy bar on his guitar that keeps the sound going.
Prince was Multi-talented. He can sing, dance, entertain, self taught all instruments. He even said he doesn't lip sing. He was true to his craft. We don't have this type of Music genius now. Prince will forever be missed.
It breaks my heart so many young people don't know Prince or his music. He is, without questions, one of the most gifted, brilliant musicians (and song writers) of the 20th and 21st centuries. He's playing the guitar, one handed up on the frets. Watch Purple Rain.
My mom is the reason I’m a HUGE fan of Prince. He’s absolutely my number 1. My friends make fun of me when I play his music in my car but I don’t care lol I have like 6 Prince shirts, a necklace and a few books on him. Most of my fav artists are from the 70s-80s and I have my mom to thank for that. But again, Prince is #1!
They're really young. These videos all over RU-vid are to make money but they are also young people actively seeking out music they know nothing about. I dig it. It reminds me of being young and sharing unknown music with friends.
Prince was famous for absolutely refusing to perform with pre-recorded music. He actively criticized performers who did. Him pulling his hand off the guitar was a demonstration of his ability as a musician, guitarist, and showman. Y'all gotta watch some of his other stuff to understand just how absolutely godly this man was on those strings. He performed "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with a bunch of other legends (including Tom Petty) at the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, and his solo blew the entire performance out of the water.
Y'all, I'm sticking through till the end of the video, but god damn, that was hard. y'all gotta educate yourselves on Prince. He would not have performed if they made him to it over pre-recording. Love y'all and you're reactions, but y'all are gonna deserve every thing you'll get from these comments cause that made it so hard to watch.
That was one of the most epic performances *of all time*. It was beautiful--with a room full of fine guitar players--and then Prince came on and actually made his guitar weep. He just took over and wiped the floor with everyone else.
Prince’s singing and playing is live. Those are called hammer-ons. He’s absolutely doing that live. There may be recorded tracks to keep things on schedule, but Prince is live.
You can see countless live performances of famous guitarists doing hammers... Watch Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen, just to name two who used the technique often.
With the downpour of rain, the crew told him that he shouldn't plug in and play due to the chance of getting zapped. Prince plugged in and went out and played anyway! LEGEND!!!
Someone once asked Eric Clapton what it was like being the world’s greatest guitar player, His response was “I don’t know, you should ask Prince!” Absolutely amazing!
Oh damn you have NO idea... Prince has one of the biggest catalogues in history. More songs written than most even know. He is a divine and unique talent and SO much diversity in sound. He also MADE the careers of so many stars.
Prince seriously was the greatest of all time. People who aren’t fans don’t know music. You should research how many songs he wrote for other people. No one will ever touch his genius. Ever. Keep doing what you do guys. Love seeing you open up to music you’ve never heard before.
In 8 years of playing with my band, I've had 4 occasions to play to a festival or fair crowd when it was raining. Something special happens playing a concert in the rain for as long as (the sound crew lets you continue and) the audience sticks around. I had a wireless guitar and headset mic back then so there was little chance of me getting shocked even as I was getting drenched, but the rest of the band had a bandshell to keep safe and dry. But those rainy shows are some of my favourite memories on stage.❤❤ I can only imagine what it was like for Prince at the superbowl.
The pouring rain, a slippery stage, Prince & his dancers in high heels and no one fell!! This truly was the greatest Super Bowl halftime performance ever!!!
@@n8b.512 I think you mean the Cartier Family. I never doubted Prince's guitar playing, ever. I knew he was doing this live, in a monsoon, and that makes it that much more incredible!!
No matter what genre of music you prefer, you have to admit that he OWNED the stage. And like other ones have said you don't have to strum to produce sounds.
They may have had background music but he is 100% playing. His manager was talking about how scared he was because it was monsoon raining and he was playing on 3 different electric guitars. You're pretty amazing and iconic when you don't even have to sing at the end of Purple Rain because 100,000 fans are doing it for you!
Shocks me to do this day when ppl say they don’t really know Prince. He was a musical genius! He was special on the guitar. He made it speak! A true musical legend that will live on!!
Rolling Stones Magazine once interviewed Eric Clapton. The interviewer asked Clapton “How does it feel to be the greatest guitar player to ever live?” Clapton responded “I don’t know; ask Prince!” I saw Prince in concert in New Orleans in 1985. It was Awesome!!
Rolling stone magazine couldn't judge a T Ball game. There stuck in the sixties and seventies, All great guitar players today say Eddie Van Halen is the greatest.
Just watched this again. Prince was amazing!! I heard you guys say you were not that familiar with Prince. Go back and find what you can about him and his music (and why he changed his name to a symbol). He was a genius and one of the greatest guitar players & musicians in the world. Trust me, he played live that night in the pouring rain. You guys need to watch the movie Purple Rain 💜💜
Love you guys but like everyone else has said Prince is playing live and hearing you guys think he wasn't was just painful. Prince was one of the best guitar players to ever live. He could do more with his left hand than most players could do with two.
Its cringeworthy the lack of knowledge here. I guess the up side is they are trying to educate themselves. The comments are also very helpful and informative.
@jasminelundy5011 well, one of them was trying to educate himself...the rest were just laughing their asses off at how smart they were and how much they knew about playing guitar....
You can play the guitar without strumming. Electric guitars give such feedback when plugged into an amp that even touching the string would create a sound. Prince made a special point to make his performance all live if I’m not mistaken. RIP one of the greats
Guys I have seen Prince play the guitar and he is really great at it, he is probably one of the greatest guitarist ever lived just watch his performance with Tom Petty playing a song from Beatles "Guitar Gently Wheeps". It is a great performance and Prince rocked on the guitar solo. Thanks for sharing and I appreciate it because Prince was my favorite performer and I have met him a few times back stage at First Avenue.
Not only was he playing it live as everyone has said. He was doing it wearing heels on a wet stage in the rain. The level of difficulty of this performance is off the fucking charts and he killed it
Prince played it live. I’m a guitarist and it’s live. Prince playing the electric guitar even without touching the strings hes still playing the chords
Your commentary makes me blessed and happy that I grew up in a household where all types of music was played and that there was a musician in my family ( my brother). I would suggest you’ll come out of your comfort zone and sample all forms/ types of music because it helps broaden your musical palette/ prospective. Prince was a real musician and always performed live. FYI…He wouldn’t have it any other way.
LIVE rain, LIVE music, LIVE marching band, LIVE audience on the field. Yes, many artists have hired dancers but those are REAL fans (like myself) out there! His symbol represents a lot including the love between us all and the guitar Prince plays too, even one hand or not… Watch more of Prince’s work; this was LIVE!
Prince was absolutely playing. You can play an electric guitar without strumming. Also, this is NOT pre-recorded. Prince could absolutely shred on guitar. Also "this is a great song" is a Foo Fighters song titled "Best of You"... it's not the exact same but 95% the same. Keep it up fellas! #Louisiana
@@phunkidrumaRight. It saddens me that there's a group of intelligent guys with this many people in it and there's not one musician. It just goes to show you how not well rounded of adults we produce in this country. It's sad to me that not even one of them can play an instrument or read music or even have any familiarity with it of a level high enough to understand all the different ways One would be capable of producing sound on a stringed instrument (that also happens to be an electric guitar so it can also produce, sustain, and distort sound in multiple other ways as well). They seem so sure of themselves because they have that little understanding of how those types of instruments actually work. And they don't have any musicians of today's day with those kind of talents that display true musicianship and the ability to perform live at the caliber of Prince and many many others from back in the day. At least if there are any I've certainly not been hearing about them lol
No price was his own lead guitar player, all you see is actually him playing he plays with his left hand just as good as his right hand, he also plays a chord and lets it echo out as he pulls his hands, Prince is one of the top 5 guitar legends.
the general public won’t stand for slander of one of the greatest guitar players to ever live, myself included. as others have said, he always plays live. he was a phenomenal musician and performer. still love y’all though 💜
This icon would NEVER have a background track playing guitar. His genius is why I made it through high school. His music defined my life. It’s like watching an energy life force here. Best halftime show ever. Rest in power!
