Erik Mongrain - Airtrap -- Live on Jools Holland's Show BBC2 -- 6th Nov. 2009

[matochi506]

hmm i'd play with my dads guitar like this, on my lap when i was like 12yo, that was 12 years ago. i had some piano lessons and traditional guitar play baffled me. didnt sound anywhere near as good as this obviously. maybe i'll give it a try again.

[TheTvrulesthenation]

I feel sorry for the artist who had to perform after him

[stereo20mike]

Not as good as John Gomm but still amazing :-)

[Xsalvaz]

He always does a diff amount of beats before he starts... and it messes me up! the original one is the best. not even the one on itunes

[jakefox111]

thumbs up if you tried playing like this after watching this......and failed

[EaszAz]

@jakefox111 SPOT ON haha

[Klyons92]

I bet Leonardo Da Vinci would play guitar like that

[rosstofurry]

This is just fabulous.

[Deadstar6969]

my computer won't let me turn my volume higher :(

[nxvctm89]

i think when he was ten he wanted a piano and his folks chucked him a guitar and told him to make do

[YannickGuitarist]

What's the tuning on that guitar?

[theletteronyourcoat]

2 people are pissed cuz they could never do anything like this.

[ozzy5million]

i was lucky enough to be at this recording, and it is the longest amount of time i have had the shivers for

[JosephTDavid]

BBC2 means Battlefield Bad Company 2 ??

[AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAlan]

@JosephTDavid BFBC2 is BattleField BadCompany 2

BBC 2 is British Broadcasting Channel 2

noob

[JosephTDavid]

@AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAlan -.-"

[AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAlan]

@JosephTDavid retard

[JosephTDavid]

@AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAlan @zopiate don't understand joke -.-", and i'm the retard -.-"

[Zopiate]

@JosephTDavid You fucking fail..

[zerioth]

@JosephTDavid successful troll was successful 7/10

[cubed3169]

this is awesome

[jasonalexgorton]

Thomas Leeb is better. :\

[franmarshall]

Ok... I won't play guitar anymore. It's not shame or humiliation, it's respect.

[nicknchrist]

@franmarshall Everybody has a distinctive voice that is unique. Let yours be heard!

[mickpriestley]

lol kickass :P

[JulinaAbecilla]

@mickpriestley beautiful! guess he's tuned open :)

[edgeoflight01]

2:02 made me giggle out of amazement.

[Udiengitoloh]

i love to watch Erik play air tap it is one of fave song two thumb up for him

[rockape487]

lol failed in the title much :P

[neodavie]

Erik Mongrain possesses a level of artistry, ingenuity, and technical prowess that is rarely seen in the world. Anyone watching this should feel honored to be able to treat their ears to this virtuoso.

[Skapo]

Dudes got style! That commenter doesn't know crap though. Erik obviously didn't invent this style of guitar playing.

[cheeseschrister]

Anytime anyone on YouTube gets credit for "inventing" this style while taking the most banal I-IV-V chord progression and applying Michael Hedges' most basic techniques to it—as slavish, ignorant commenters declare these children "genius innovators"—it makes me want to retch. Where the fuck is Lenny Breau when you need him?

[thisisjustjeff]

@cheeseschrister Oh yeah, cause music is SUPPOSED to be super complex and filled with theory. Get a hold of yourself. In the end, music is supposed to move you. No matter how simple or how complex it is, if it doesn't stir emotions within you, it's not good music. Bottom line.

[Mattechoo]

@thisisjustjeff I, indeed was moved.

[Arksband]

@cheeseschrister You sound like you know what your on about but, ironically you don't because...you just don't.

[tinu96]

@cheeseschrister Whoa there son, you might want to stop sucking your own dick and think for a moment before you try to write some kind of self-superior comment to advertise your knowledge of music. Bottom line is that no one gives a shit. People use those common chord progressions because they sound good, and that's all music has to do.

[Zapzapkid]

i like how clean he can tap those harmonics like that. this style of playing just baffles my mind. i wish i could do that

[xBrAeDaNhOyX]

it's nice to see vin deisel playing guitar XD

[jclark2317]

@xBrAeDaNhOyX lol, that's funny shit, that's what I was thinking

[aworldofpayne]

Things to do before you die - sky dive, swim with dolphins, travel the world, see Eric Mongrain live :)

[guitar2adam]

i love how he keeps developing this song over the years

[trix2705]

WTF was the crappy out of tune note at the end? Oh wait it was Jay-Z

[assfuck37]

lol did it say "Jay-Z" at the very end of the vid? that's a pretty big gap in musical styles

[Bindlossclun]

After Ocean by John Butler, this is my favourite instrumental. EVER.

[Andragon90]

l’étoile québécois :)

[TheMinims]

This is awesome!!

[syaoranpies]

good sir, i give you permission to sleep with my sisiter.

[maddievanbergen]

my (pretty much) sister thinks this would be easy to learn! :O I had my mouth drop in aw when she said that! I told her " you have no IDEA how hard this would be to learn how to do this" Actually I do know" she said! Obviously she has never even BOTHERED to try to learn to play guitar!

[pwrtecman]

I would like to see this written on staff paper! I bet it would look so wicked!

[MilkBoyofAH]

I wish there was more music like this currently. Music that is actually musical and isn't just...garbage that is sugar coated with crazy outfits and obscene gestures.

[DarkSlide26]

@MilkBoyofAH you forgot to mention how autotune has taken over the modern world of music too.

[ThePhantomas79]

este compa esta CABRON, ES UN GENIO!!!!!!!!!!!

[GarretsShadow]

can the uploader spell the name of the song right please :)

Great vid! I'm glad that a candyrat artist is getting some mainstream exposure.

[jasonlips]

@mitcheldavidishott: EXACTLY.

[ZmegamanrulzX]

Amazing!

[clfarmer]

This is so beautiful.

[kelseybopxx]

I know This Sounds Weird But You Can Feel His Music, Andd If He Came To England Id do anything To see Him Play !

[keef1973]

@kelseybopxx he is touring the uk next month

[WombleHunterB]

I love it that British audiences wait until the end to cheer. I hate the whoopin' and hollerin' that you usually get during a song with an American audience.

[hkross93]

Jay-Z must of been shitting himself..thinking how on earth can i compete with that !!

[PSTdesign]

Ridiculous switch of music, Jay Z's music after Erik's

Everyone is in a special mood by Erik, 2 minutes later "Yeah Niggas!!"

:S

[ROCKYMARCIANOXX0]

I love this, wish there was some sort of loop button on youtube, it's really relaxing to me haha. Cheers for posting matey.

[Johnthegr82202]

hes really good, but i dont understabd how this is different from just tapping while the guitar is proped up normally, like andy mckee

[bnash570]

The only reason i would ever dislike this is because i was jealous. Absolutely ridiculous.

[quagmire475]

what stupid fucker disliked this!

[WombleHunterB]

@quagmire475 agreed

[VulfII]

After seing EM do this for the first time I picked up my guitar and gave it a bash out of curiosity...I couldn't get any decent sounds out of it at all lol! This is seriously hard to do. More power to the guy for pulling it off and making it look easy!

[Bindlossclun]

This is INSANE! This is the first time I've ever seen him play! Wow...

[duendeando1]

Amazing. I was walking one day in Calle Mesones, in Granada when I was living there, and I suddenly heard some celestial guitar sounds coming from the corner of the street. And it was EM. Great to hear that he made it to such a respected show as JH's.

[spartan0490]

you could see al the tappin' style.....may be some van halen tappin' or some dragon force wicked tappin'(i know is speedup in the record don't worry) you could see some Vai's tappin'....but this guy makes you keep your eyes in his hands and you can't believe the sounds coming off from a guitar because your brain is not used to that kind of sounds....that's all im going to say

thanks!

[DoomsdayCelebration]

THAT'S SOME CRAZY AUGUST RUSH!!!!

[eamonn1983]

I don't think this is his best performance of this tune but in fairness, getting on a show that prestigious, his nerves probably got to him a bit.

[moontongkong]

He is awsome.

[Drewsaphine]

Get this man a chapman stick. That would be insane.

[kalamari]

From that musical genius on to... oh, Jay Z.

[Golding8995]

@kalamari What's wrong with Jay Z?!

[zpct]

@Golding8995 He can't play a guitar like this, that's for sure. =P

[Golding8995]

@zpct Nor did Jimi Hendrix! =P

[myhighmilo420]

he's amazing, but he hardly "invented" the style. people have been 'tapping' for many years

[dudah]

give a name that does it the same way he does please.....

[r3n3h3ijn3n]

@dudah I cant name one by mind. but have you seen the movie august rush ? I can already tell you you have not.

Eric is wonderfull - He is also kind he actualy once told me he had natural nails en told me the tuning he used for this song. That said he is not the only one who plays like this ( some guy on youtube plays like this and calls himself the inventor of piano guitar :/ )

That said eric has more song playing the normal way than he does playing this way

Eric for president

[cambria3]

Absolutely beautiful :)

[talentedMrRead]

this track "airtap" is years old.. oddly enough i did wonder when/if he was gonna get on jools holland.. hmm 4 or so years later and he made it.. lol....there are better tracks on his album tho

[CoralLineFan]

It's tuned to F A C F C F

[SubaruWRX23]

This guy is good and has a lot of talent....but he doesn't compare to Justin King.....He is the man at tapping and singing

[POUICHI]

Disagree. Justin King is like the Eveready pink rabbit as opposed to Mongrain who is a "real" musician playing with lots of emotion and feelings.

[shinshikamaru]

@POUICHI You obviously don't know much about Justin King's music. You're missing out, because he too plays with lots of emotion and feelings. I admit he's less skilled than Mongrain tho.

[PISCORUSH]

AMAZING!

[mitcheldavisishottt]

everyone who is saying this man is bad has never tried to play guitar normal or this way. Erik is one of the most talented people i have ever seen. you people have to appretiation for legit amazing music.

[quake779]

@mitcheldavisishottt Tbh i am in total 100% agreement, and you would almost definitely need to learn to play the nirmal way before creating the style of 'lap-tapping' this man is just a pure genius, and as you say incredibly talented.

[BruceLeDouche]

@mitcheldavisishottt Who ever said he was bad?

[SmokinMesa]

Damn...just stumbled across Erik AWESOME!

[zakandkevsnumber1fan]

@B3boy - this is as sweet as Carbon dioxide to you?

What a strange thing to say.... just phoolin' with ya. I quite agree.

This is beautiful.

[PownedParrot]

boooooooooooring

[djgentili]

your a TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL...

shall i assume your better and more successful?

[me700gnomes]

I agree to an extent. While its amazing to watch, it gets boring and somewhat repetitive. I like his other stuff much better.

[Malitastic]

Well then you must suck - That's not my opinion it's brute fact.

[me700gnomes]

I'm probably better then you kid. And I wasn't bashing Erik Mongrain, if that's the reason for your adorable but incredibly stupid comment, he's my favorite artist right now. And you're a faggot which is a complete brute fact

[Malitastic]

Better than me at what? Guitar? I doubt that highly and I never said that you suck at guitar you just suck in general and seeing as faggot and taking my insult and turning it on me is the only thing you seem to have come up with, it obviously proves that you suck. Sorry for the late reply, I just have better things to do than reply to rejects of society trolling on youtube.

[me700gnomes]

@Malitastic LOL . Ok you win. Im sure you have a much more eventful and busy life then me. After all, its not like you seek out confrontation on the internet...OH NO WAIT! You do. I wasn't the one who lashed out at some one simply because they have a different opinion. You were. And don't pretend to have an important life kid. Because the truth is, you're a nobody.

[theangryskunk]

im going to fucking kill you.

[ShaneDignan]

I really wish there were a show even remotely comparable to Jools Holland over here in the US.

Erik Mongrain has gotten even better as he's gotten older.

[JamesSilverside]

This is great and good to see some "Jools" exposure for such an artist. On a side point, any Nick Harper fans need to email Jools Holland to get him on there! He needs to be similarly highlighted as probably the greatest singer/songwriter/guitarist in Britain at the moment

[GreenDayRulesAll]

Just....wow

[jimmimate]

Simply amazing

[SebasHendrix]

unique

[TheChristChris]

Absolutely extraordinary skill on display.. It sounds like three or four guitars at the same time!

[B3boy]

this is as sweet as the vapors escaping from my lungs

[eleanorps]

beautiful!!!

[Sennaf11994]

Spotted Erik about 10 months ago on utube and cant get enough,lol.Saw him live on Monday night playing a small venue,was a joy! we got to talk to him between each track (and crack jokes).He also was very approachable outside and was more than happy to chat and take pics.Good on ya Erik :-)

[zdotjbeanz]

wow imagine this witten in notation that would be some crazy lookin music! truly amazing!

[snackajack117]

glad erik's finally getting decent uk exposure

[peck8ble]

michael hedges played this way in the eighties. but in the normal position. can't fault him though. lovely

[agallagher034]

even with multi-million pound artists like jay-z and the foo fighters on Jools holland this week, this preformance really made made my day. it was so amazing

[mckdeedog]

i've been watching this guy on internet for ages, i'm happy he was on Jools. I think guitars suck 3 was the first video I seen him in.

[ryanhutchings]

beautiful.. didnt seem to appear on the iplayer version of jools, but meh... bootiful kiss kiss x x

[knockmed0wn]

Stunning.

[fulcrum100]

Leo Kottke has made this sound for 35 years now, tho his guitar conventionally slung over the shoulder.

[mmyyppaarrttyy]

wow.

[Thattheregoose]

This style of harmonic / percussion play has been taken to a new level here. Spot on.

[damion73]

wow!

[Toffeeman626]

fantastic, i watched this and was stunned.

[stantonjo]

I loved this, amazing!