Billy McLaughlin Fingerstyle Guitar - Church Bells

[Alexalmq]

Awesome awesome awesome what a piece of music excellent!!!!

[aromaathome]

Saw "Walk Off The Earth" on YT 2day; Gianni kinda reminded me of Billy (in a way). They're good, but NOT "Billy-Good!" He will ALWAYS b king! :) Looks as BRILLIANT as ever! (Wish I could get him a copy of a pic I had taken w/him @ a bar in Pocatello, ID - prob 15+/- yrs ago??? Not sure when; it's DEF been a while! :) Should I post it on Facebook...???) Thank GOD he didn't give up on playing music! :) What a GIFT 2 all of us! Miss seeing him live... but glad 2 c him here. Sending LOVE from Idaho!

[isabelheartsyou]

He came to my school today(: <3 He is an amazing guitarist!!! He said he opened for a band 'traffic' [?] once and they posted a review about it in the new york times and said he should learn how to play guitar rock and learn how to play it in a timeless historical way like traffic, and he said he guesses they didn't know that he doesn't play that and if he wanted to do that all he needed was a couple words and 3 or 4 chords, then he played a "song" he was AWESOMe, and my curiousity brout me here

[Cityloud]

Does anyone know the tune of this song?, I think is in DADGAd but I not sure

[NoldorianElf]

My favorite of his pieces so far. Will he come to Germany one day I wonder.

[ChlooteFreak]

sometimes he looks like Barney Stinson :P

[traveler2oo8]

Brilliant

[toastytoast69]

does anyone know of an acoustic fingerpicker who plays insaneeeee irish songs, like some of his stuff is absolutly mind blowing, kinda like andy mkee? i know hes on youtube, its like an old video and he is sitting on a stool in a church. i cant find the video and its driving me crazy.

[devolve42]

@toastytoast69 I bet you're thinking of Adrian Legg, but he's English, not Irish.

[machirimachiri]

beautiful!

[Ton1ey]

He is playing left-handed nowadays because doctors found that he has Focal Dystonia. His left hand fingers doesn't work as they should. He almost closed his career but then he started to practice playing left-handed and now he is touring again!

[OtheRJoE8]

Why is he playing left-handed?

Because he can, and he can do it so god damn well...

[queene4j]

Keep up the awesome work Billy....you have a gift 2nd to none :-)

[BALCACER]

THANKS CBS NEWS FOR SHOWING THIS MASTERPIECE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD AND AMERICA FROM XALAPA VERACUZ !!

[AirgunHunt3rs]

He came to mahtomedi middle school in minnesota please leave a thumb for billy and how he overcame his stuggles

[The101177]

I love your beautiful soul, and courage, Billy!! Never give up!

[KatieKegg]

You are an inspiration to all people sitting in the darkness of lost hope. I hope the whole world hears your music and smiles for the miracle you are.

[77wrxsti]

Tears.

[MySYLVIE62]

Vraiment super bon, j'adore beaucoup.... Merci de nous livrer cette belle musique, xxx

[geragna]

Just because your name is Billy, you don't have to be such a Bad Ass XD

[syn707]

Billy is a living miracle. Yes along with Django...if only in that he has completely overcome a severe disability.....corageous....st­rong...and he plays such pretty music. This doesn't mean I think he is the worlds best musician or guitar player....but I love his music and his guts....how can you find fault in that??

[nikos0gaitis]

i was thinking that if the frets were made by wood ,the sound would be more calm and clear!

[cosmicraider1]

He's not playing left handed the strings are just inverted but I'm pretty sure you figured that out. There is no left or right handed when the guitar is 180 degrees unless you point the sound hole towards your belly but what would be the point of that

[kakaris75]

@cosmicraider1 This definitely look like a left handed technique to me...

[DuskY1991]

@kakaris75 That's because it is. ; )

[Nobodie92]

Saw this guy today, great and inspiring dude.  Great music.

[henryisagoodboy]

The tremors are called Dystonia. A neurological disorder that can take many forms throughout the body. It changes your physical ability to do tasts the way you were originally taught. Here is a man who still has music in his heart and wasn't going to let anything change that. He is a fine example of mind over body. I know first hand because I was a musician and I have Dystonia.

[crayhead]

Just read about this guy while in the doctors waiting room-----Incredible story in a neurology magazine about the tremors in his right hand, and what he went thru to re-learn his craft---Amazing talent..

[protilius]

I love the contrast here. Very nice.

[Michibz57]

Billy, I love this song, really!!! Michi

[MrBravo206]

If you insist on tapping on the fretboard..THIS is how you should do it. Melody, feeling, beauty....Billy's the man

[DyChalion]

For the last two years, my wife and her brother have attended his Christmas concert at St. Stephen's which is just down the road from us. We are so blessed to have a musician and person of this quality be close to us. Billy, you are an inspiration to us all and your work is simply beautiful. Don't stop and just keep playing. You simply are a wonder.

Paul & Amy

[cufable]

CHE MERAVIGLIA INIIZIARE LA MATTINA COSì

[dmanfromm]

I can't believe someone actually hit the 'dislike' button

[Nin10doGmr88]

@dmanfromm They obviously missed the 'like' button, and are now kicking themselves for it. :D

[jo88dale]

@dmanfromm

Only a ass would hit the dislike button...

[spidercrawler13]

WOW!!! Totally amazed by Billy technique. So unreal and unbelievable but here I sit in complete awe! Thanks for such a different outlook on playing guitar.

[pinkensteve]

Good going, kid.

[gaylebugs]

This really shows the power of prayer and determination of a man that God has truly gifted. Keep on Keeping On Billy. IF we all just had faith as a mustard seed. God Bless you and your work.

[JKru511]

Miss ya Billy!!  :)

[andrewhively]

BIlly is awesome - I've seen him several times in concerts and at clinics and he is the nicest guy you'll meet. At one clinic I went to there were only 3 of us there and someone asked him to play several songs and he did while the guy video taped him from 3 feet away. Awesome guy and awesome musicality.

[xzz0195]

He's invented a totally new and beautiful style of music.  God Bless this man, his courage is admirable.

[Neuroelf]

Just got back from the American Academy of Neurology meeting in Toronto where Billy wowed several hundred neurologists, not only his guitar playing, but with his insights into focal dystonia as well. I had never heard of thus guy before, and now I am hooked both musically and neurologically. Thanks Billy!

[ottl]

big respect to the man!

i have dystonia too.

but im about to beat it.

[scaryvisionary1]

very inspiring to see someone overcome such a tragic loss...and to find bliss again.

[flatw00d]

similar to the "Stick"technique?

[zuzeshi]

look at his right hand. his pinky and ring finger is never used. he has focal distonia. so he relearned to play the guitar left handed

[Otacon894]

his left hand you mean

[jazzpsalti]

I wanna open for this guy

[jazzpsalti]

just so I can meet him :)

[talus007]

He is very aproachable.

He played at my buddys wedding (no kidding) just because he and his wife are such huge fans.

[pdef1949]

Very nice music

but to pick a bone....BM was not the pioneer fo tapping, Preston reed was doing it 15-20 years ago, and Michael Hedges ten years before that. Let's give credit where credit is due.

[ShatOnATurtle10]

tapping of this kind evolved with different artists around the same time. billy was around the same time as hedges and reed. Also billy's style is way different from reed's and hedges'

[kevlar3000]

So was Billy. I started watching him 20 yrs or so ago. No bone to pick if you know your history,

[mattmarriottacoustic]

Fantastical!

[kdheithaus]

excellent

[wilz373]

LOL sorry for asking a silly question but does he do any heavy stuff like shredding ? i like the way he plays the guitar by the way , very nice

[ShatOnATurtle10]

well his guitar is set up as a lefty, but its all about your plucking hand. if he wasnt tapping he would be strumming/picking with his left hand, so lefty

[mattmarriottacoustic]

In 2001, Billy was diagnosed with Focal Dystonia, an incurable neuromuscular disease that rendered him unable to play his own music.

By 2002, Billy McLaughlin's career was over.

In 2006, Billy began a comeback. He was doing the unthinkable - relearning his songs left handed.

[chokerjoker4]

god the film about it is amazing

[hcaznosttam13]

awesome!

[juniusmaltby]

He's a GREAT man!!!

[MrTaylorN]

This guy is soooo good! Andy Mckee and a couple other fantastic guitar player site Billy as one of their major influences.

[fancracker33]

i think i can make it now; the pain is gone.

[alfredlofaro]

Grande Billy.

Grande artista e grande uomo.

Conoscerlo a Minneapolis e' stato un grande onore.

Alfredo Lo Faro Sicily

[bass109]

angel of god

my guardian dear

to whom his love

commits me here

ever this day

be at my side

to light and guard

to rule and guide

Amen

[NMMCoelho]

Hi, he's now playing left-handed because he has a focal neuromuscular disease, and he was starting failing some notes. This disease is incurable, so he started playing with his left hand...it's really hard to start all again and play like this.

[AmyLouiseFrench]

i know i can never even imagine trying to learn guitar with my left-hand it would just feel so wrong to start with, let alone be able to play the things i can with the other hand.

and his style would be soooo hard!

hats off to him :)

[AmyLouiseFrench]

He plays left handed becuase he had something wrong with his hands? Then he learnt everything note by note with his other hand, is that right? :)

[yellowchairreviews]

his left forearm, actually.

[AmyLouiseFrench]

oh right, what happened to it?

[yellowchairreviews]

it got affected with focal dystonia. basically, it means he can't control the left arm well enough for extensive fretting.

[AmyLouiseFrench]

didn't he get it in his right arm.. ?

[yellowchairreviews]

lol, no.

[AmyLouiseFrench]

well in that case, why did he learn it with his left arm?

He used to play with his right hand ... :/

[progresivjose]

un verdadero ejemplo de perseverancia y de continuar con lo que uno quiere y realmente ama!! este tipo llego lejos!!!

[Lu3YLOL]

lol he came to my school, he said that he played 3 other instruments but he said it was hard o.o

[1psychobusdriver]

I love this. 5*****s.

[satrapaspor]

Super!

[hypersn1per109]

he played at a summer camp i went to in a city, and gave his story. It was beast (:

[godsholyjustice]

I met Billy McLaughin at a panic my family was having because my aunt knows him. She introduces us and we talked for quite awhile about music and guitar. He is not only an amazing guitar player playing the bass line and harmony at the same time, but a wonderful person.

[juniusmaltby]

Billy è un immenso musicista e un grande uomo. Personaggio solare, positivo, sereno, come la sua musica, nonostante i grossi problemi personali di salute. Un numero uno, un esempio da seguire.

[yourkennedy]

i just saw this show last night in minneapolis.

absolutely incredible!

[ktbcsn]

Oh my... When I purchased this CD this was my favorite new track; to see the video was fantastic and I can't WAIT for the full video's release. Thanks Billy

Kevin Black

[AnchoriteProductions]

Outstanding! Where did the video come from? Thanks for posting. 5***** -Derek

[Guitarman504]

A true "guitar hero". Don't ever stop Billy!

[WhiteLakeDan]

Amazing comeback and such beautiful music. I really hope to see him live sometime.

[capo420420]

AMAZING .. a few people compared my guitar playing to Billy's .. thats an amazing compliment .. I have a tune i wrote holding the guitar like he does .. its a very fun technique .. also see my video on my channel "Wink to Gabriela" .. that was my first song played in that upright fashion ..

thanks for posting this .. 5 stars from me

jeff williams / guitarist

[realitybitesit]

He suffers from focal dystonia. He has had to change his playing style due to the condition that happened after an accident.

[tedblack47]

wasnt even after an accident...just started happening! he said he thought he was going insane