What Makes a Virtuoso? 

It’s so easy to impress people with speed. It’s much harder to impress them with a genius/virtuous musical idea.

I personally think of virtuosity as the ability to play whatever you want on your instrument, and whatever comes into your head. In other words, you are completely connected with the instrument and there is no barrier between what you have in your head and what comes out of your instrument.

"It's not how fast you play, it's what you play when you're playing fast." I love that quote. Thank you, Rick!

The number one lesson I learned from my guitar teacher: “Don’t focus on speed. Speed comes in time. Tone is what you must practice.”

Thank you, Rick! Honoured and Humbled.

Paganini: the original shredder

I never thought of virtuosity as being able to play fast. I always understood it to be much more meaningful. It describes a player who knows their instrument inside and out, where to find each note, having a good ear, and the ability to reasonably duplicate pieces by ear.

I love how back in the day pianists felt safe knowing Paganini was a violinist but then Liszt came along and adapted Paganini’s work onto the keys - both incredible musicians

In fact, from Bach, Beethoven, Liszt were renowned improvisers. And in general, musicians were expected to improvise, until the late 19th century. Liszt would seldom play his compositions. We even know (thanks to Czerny) how Beethoven would sound when improvising. And Bach would engage (as was customary then) in "improvisation battles".

You shouldn’t be playing faster than you can think. - Guthrie Govan

How about the musicology professor/producer, best teacher I ever had in my almost 60 years of existence? Rick Beato is the music information virtuoso! This channel is THE only positive that came out of the pandemic for me. I am so grateful for this channel! Rick Beato has filled in all the blanks of missing information about the music we all care about. Peace from Detroit MI.

As a part time instructor at the big guitar college in Boston, for 20 years I observed first hand the change in young players taking advantage of the endless resources on RU-vid. When I was a kid we would spend hours dropping the needle down on the guitar solo to try and learn it. And if you wanted to see your hero play, you had to buy a ticket if you were lucky. Now if you want to learn jimi hendrix or anybody else, you can not only find all footage of his shows but countless tutorials on every note he ever recorded. So the technical ability of young players has shot through the roof in the past 20 years beyond anything ever seen before. Now kids are showing up with complete technical ability and knowledge of many styles. But I would get many students who could play an entire Dream theater album note perfect yet cannot play through a Blues without getting lost. This is because none of these kids are actually playing music together. Most of their musical experience is spent in front of a computer. Music improvisation is a social skill. But we would also get young players who literally have it all. The scariest technique, innate musicality, with much jamming and gig experience. I have been waiting to see when this huge shift in music will occur because of it. We are seeing some of it on RU-vid but I hope it makes it's way into an actual live social culture soon.

Rick: Look at all these amazing musicians you can learn from for free. (doesn't mention himself) dude I've learned SO much from your channel and you're a perfect example of this! Love your content!

remember kids, if you can play it slowly you can play it quickly

Great to see Guthrie Govan being part of the guitar virtuoso!! He is sooo talented!! Although I actually missed Gavin Harrison in the drummer virtuoso line-up. You should definitely check him out!! He's drummer at prog rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as at King Crimson and The Pineapple Thief. I think he's from another planet when it comes to drumming!!

John McLaughlin is one of the best examples of a virtuoso I have ever seen. Leading a jazz band on an nylon strung acoustic in such a fashion was pure magic.

Virtuosity I think is a talent that comes in so many styles, shapes, and forms. A lot of these virtuosos play crazy fast, display perfect technique, and great discipline. To me personally, this gets boring really fast. I prefer the type of virtuosity of those that know when, what, how and how much to play. Both take a huge amount of musicianship and they earn my respect! Great video, Rick!

Godz... finally, Shawn Lane gets some respect! Thanks for that, Rick. Lane was a beast.

I remember reading an interview about Billy Joel and he said most of his hits came from waking up in the morning with these music tones in his head, the second he woke up. He instantly ran over to his piano and tried it out and it worked for him.

I've played in bands for years. This channel or at least this video is the best showcase of what different musicians can offer. You've picked the perfect examples. Thank you so much!

Thank you for including Guthrie Govan in this. The man is certainly one of the greatest working guitarists, as well as a phenomenal teacher. Hopefully his star continues to rise. A guy like that deserves the world.

Your hair makes you a virtuoso. I thought everyone knew that

While it is a priviledge to have exposure to such virtuosity, it is often overwhelming, debilitating, consuming. many kids/young professionals just feel totally unworthy. Exposure is good in small doses. What is best on youtube are these tutorials, that break down the grooves or riffs into bite-size chunks, which inspires players because it is a goal you can grasp and reach, even if at first just slowly.

Yngwie was the guy that started it for me. I had started playing guitar in 1978 at age 7, but only noodled around with it. I liked the sound of guitar on the old western movies where the cowboy would strum a few chords sitting around the campfire. Then, in the early 80s I heard Yngwie. That changed everything. Before long I was practicing 5-10 hours a day, sometime longer. I was a full time guitar player until I was 30 when I joined the Navy after 9/11. Now I only play in church, but still love to tear it up!

I remember slowing down some improvised Guthrie Govan solos only to find that the intervals and patterns he was playing were incredibly complex. He's not just going up and down scale and chord shapes, he's making unique musical phrases at the speed of light, and I love that.

Warmed my heart to see Shawn Lane.

I see Guthrie Govan i click

Perlman in his first appearance Ed Sullivan is what made my dad decide to play the violin at 6 years old. He went on to be the concert master of the RI philharmonic. Always blows my mind to think of a kid that young choosing their lifelong profession.

Virtuoso = being really really really really really good.

If the images are any indication, hair is a predominant factor.

let me do justice for us bass players, mentioning Jaco Pastorious or Stanley Clarke or Ron Carter, bass players too have amazing techniques

So glad you mentioned Guthrie. He really belongs here. His solo on Steven Wilson's Drive Home is IMO the most expressive, beautiful, heartbreaking playing I ever heard. It's not fast but I challenge anyone to play with more feeling.

Probably my favourite RU-vid channel right now. So informative!

In a 1975 interview of Andres Segovia in "Guitar Player" magazine, he first states, "I'm still learning." Later in the article they asked him why he played a particular Bach piece so fast. He answered, "Because I can."

I'm glad there is so much music out there for me to listen. I don't really like Pop or Country, but most other genres I like.

You can't speak of musical virtuosity without talking about Paganini. Even Rick could not escape from that. Thank you Mr.Beato

I once heard virtuosity described as ‘completely transcending the instrument’, like Allan Holdsworth did.

Transcribe a Holdsworth solo, spend months learning to play it, analyse and understand it; this increased my skill level and musicality immensely. Then realize that Allan improvised that solo and never played it that way again! That is a true modern guitar virtuoso...The Big Boss...could think that fast on his feet and actually play it with the utmost proficiency and beauty.

Man what you are doing in this channel is the best musical education I’ve had in my life. Great work. Thank you very much.

So true, the older I get (52 now) the more I love sweetness vs speed. Always love your postings Rick. Cheers!!

Dude. Porn is not allowed on youtube. They're gonna take this down!

It’s a great time to be learning your craft if you’re starting out. The ability to view talent yesterday and today fuels today’s “virtuosic arms race”. I’ve seen some insanely good unknowns on RU-vid. We all just need to remember it’s about the music, not just the notes.

I love the quote, “or at least you’re trying to improvise”. He then smiles and smirks at the camera.

I agree with you 10,000 % , I believe that virtuosity comes from the heart not from 100 arpeggios . Thanks buddy .

These pianists are insane!!!!!!!!!!! Geeeeeeeeeeeze, i'm always fascinated by Pianists. thank you for posting them Rick. Allen Holdsworth was on another Dimension of Jazz fusion scale work on his guitar for his time. So sad to hear the way he died.

Great video, as always, Rick! :) Kinda off-topic, but since you mentioned Rick Graham, I gotta say that he is one of my favourite contemporary guitarists. His legatos are exceptional. You should do an interview with him!

Glad to see Shawn Lane included in the mix. Pure virtuosity!

I don't understand a tenth of what Rick is talking about but I think I understand the spirit. I love the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven ... Rachmaninoff etc. In 1967 (more or less) a group of friends and I took a transit bus to the Lyric Theater in Baltimore to see "The Doors." They were not quite famous despite having their first two albums already published. We purchased the cheap seats in the balcony, and after the second song we noticed empty seats in the fifth row. So the eight of us moved on down to claim those seats. No problem, the theater wasn't even filled. What a show. They played every song on their two albums, the best live show I've ever seen. What was weird was the silence of the crowd leaving the theater afterward. Everyone's mind had been blown by the performance. I hope somewhere in the archive of Rick Beato presentations there is one about "The Doors." Connection to Rachmaninoff: The Lyric in Baltimore was the site of the premier of his "Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini."

Hey it's the anthony bordain of music.

Classical musicians in fact did improvise. In 1829 Carl Czerny wrote "Introduction to Improvising" ("Anleitung zum Fantasieren auf dem Pianoforte"), where he states, that knowing to improvise is a special duty and adornment for every clavier-virtuoso. Unfortunately most of modern classical virtuosi have forgotten this duty an hence this art is lost.

Tosin Abasi is one of those guys. He’s doing some really innovative stuff.

Jeff Beck is a great example of a virtuoso who doesn't play all that fast. His technique is so proprietary

I agree with you, it's not how fast you play, it's what you play.

I loved that you mentioned Rick Graham!

This is perhaps the best piece of musical journalism I have ever seen in my life. Thanks so much Rick!

Thank you so much for all the education. You make theory accessible to those who bypassed theory and learned by ear, only to regret it as they hit that plateau in their music development - like me.

Holdsworth, my favorite guitarist to grace this earth. RIP

Love your insights!!! Great video 🙌

A virtuoso, as far as I'm concerned, is someone who makes music enjoyable, regardless of instrument. Rick is spot on, I'm delighted I've found his channel!

It’s great to see Glen Gould in this video playing the Goldberg Variations. Thanks Rick.

I LOVE that example with George Benson!!!

Rick beato and Adam neely are my favourite RU-vidrs

passion, total dedication, unwavering willpower... it's not much but it's all you need

Randy Rhoads, genius/ Virtuoso is my favorite ..R I P !!!

I'm pretty sure that Shawn Lane wasn't from this world, he was just another whole new level.

John Mayer will always get my vote for virtuosity. He’s one of the best at phrasing and musical innovation. I’ve seen so many musically-inclined/knowledgeable people watch his live “Neon” performance and they all just have this immediate reaction/look of “what the f.....” and then about 3/4 the way through the performance, they have a look of “how the f......” Plus, it’s no secret he’s one of the best when it comes to guitar players.

These are absolutely fabulous, Rick. Thanks so much for the very wide diversity of music you present.

Peterson on the Dick Cavett show is a fantastic clip. And although many felt that Peterson simply played too many notes, they were very seldom banal. The speed at which he could improvise (and execute) was astonishing. Keep up the great work, Rick

we gotta get rick graham on for a sounding off at some point

You never talk about Robert Fripp

Yuja Wang! Thank you for putting her here. I think she one of the greats for yrs to come

I like that you mentioned that it's not about how fast you play it's about what you play!

Thanks for not forgetting SHAWN LANE

Would love to have heard Holdsworth slowed down to show how it's even more impressive slow. Having been a listener to many of these greats for years, I understand, but for the uninitiated, you make such a good point and an illustration would have been fantastic.

Alfred Brendel is the greatest pianist I have ever seen in concert. He moved me AND blew my mind

Rick I love your channel. There is no Google search that compares your knowlendge of music. Thanks for sharing. Blessings

nice to see Glenn Gould represented in there. my favourite pianist of the 20th century playing a snippet there by the the greatest musical virtuoso who ever lived, or probably ever will :)

Your point about George Benson is probably the most important point of the whole video. There's definitely a difference between virtuosity and artistry.

The runs are sweet but your voicings are the measure of your savory musical gift

One of the reasons that I subscribe to this channel is that Beato talks about the genre of good music, regardless of how the music store classifies the pieces.

3:18 OMG GOULD 😭😭 I cried ❤️

It stands to reason that the great classical composers, in their day, would have been more likely to be known for their virtuosity as players than for their sheet music composition, as live performances were all you had for listening to music. It's interesting how music from before the days of audio recording now exists almost like a fossil, such that you can never be fully confident in what exactly it sounded like or how different live performances may have interpreted it. And even if you could hear one performance, there was nothing akin to a studio recording to establish a canonical version. It's really hard to imagine how I would be able to appreciate a Hendrix or EVH without the aid of recordings -- I would only be able to hear them by virtue of attending someone else's live cover of it, who themselves probably also never heard the original artist play.

Thank you for every thing you do Rick Beato, Love the channel. solid quality content with no fluff... excellent

Love your channel! So great to see someone bringing together classical and more modern music together, as it should be! Subscribed!

Ling Ling practices 40 hours each day

Cool video Rick. Great to see you mention Gambale and Malmsteen.

Thank you Rick! "It's not how fast you play..." total agreement!

Bravo once again on a masterpiece of analysis. That was a lot to cover and what a job you did with it considering any 1 segment could have easily been several hours of discussion. Your point on jazz improv (spontaneous composition) is so true and a great topic. Taking Benson for example ... sire he had favorite lines or even solos he liked to scat with guitar ... but when seeing him live where he wasnt restricted by any commercial constraint and watching him close up build his solos one could see his pauses in working them out and it was impossible to tell whether he was scatting his path thru the solo confirming it with his guitar line or the other way around ... point being ... either way spontaneous compositions ... especially with his early bop ... ... ... Rick, I always appreciate your perspective ... the analogy between Govan and Methany as amazingly unpredictable soloists being one of my favorite of your videos. Your work is most appreciated and ofcourse I've "liked and subscribed".

I would like to see what Rick has to say about Fingerstyle guitarists. Their virtuosity is different than all displayed here. The fact that they play different basslines and high parts congruently with their own beat portion is amazing and transcends what can be tabulated or written on sheet paper.

Al Di Meola was one of the great virtuoso of all times and his music was very interesting and complex. I think we can't say the say the same thing about heavy metal shredder that began to play very fast decades after him.

I have learned so much from you. You make me think. And THAT's why I love these videos.

I love that you addressed this topic. Hard to even touch this topic ... but it matters to do so.

A lifetime of learning and practice and willpower! Plus, freaky genetics doesn't hurt. Someone who spent MOST of their time doing one thing instead of thousands of worthless things like texting on a smartphone.

Great video, Rick! Could you do an everything music on The Beach Boys?

This is pumping me up to play guitar! I might just put this in my calendar as a weekly recurring event to watch it every week and stay motivated 🤣

It was very enjoyable listening to what you had to say! You made some very interesting points. Thank you for the enlightenment!

Great stuff Rick!! Btw. The Cziffra clip was a famous “warm up” prior to BBC recording session. The great composer pianist, Ronald Stevenson said improvisation, composing, and transcription are essentially the same process occurring across different time intervals.

You are so right! Being a virtuoso player does not equal being gifted as a virtuoso composer.....neither can they become like, say, Art Tatum an inventive composer AND virtuosic player

It takes one to know one. You, my man are a virtuoso.

To have heard Bach improvise would be the ultimate time-travel experience for me