David Garrett: Crossing generations and genres. Need to get your energy up? Watch violin virtuoso David Garrett as he channels AC/DC with this cover of Thunderstruck.
David made the Guinness book of world records by playing the ‘Flight of the bumble bee’ in 66 seconds. That’s 13 notes per second. He started playing when he was four, he’s 31 now.
David Garrett breaks violin world speed record
madame scientist's not-so-mad musings 
Have you heard this guy play before Kimberly Brosnan ? It helps that he is a looker too 😉 He plays Led Zeppelin…I’ll post the exact one I want you to hear when I find it. 🙂
Now that’s how you get kids interested in classical music.
Watch this and swoon, G+ ladies 😀
David Garrett – Kashmir Open Air Live 2010 (1080p).mp4
Wow!! Just wow!!!
This guy is good.
Very cool!!
Undisputable a very talented violinist. It looks like he started to gain traction in the music business since 2007 and his music career should be nothing but up.
The coolest part is how he looks so happy performing. He totally gets it–he most important thing is to have fun!
Yes, he is a pretty boy, but I wonder how many classically trained musicians would be viewing this trough their fingers while grinding their teeth? He lost me when he gave a ‘rock’ count in…
I love classical music and I love rock music. Never the twain should meet IMHO 😉
Mike McLoughlin strictly speaking, nothing classical about this other than playing a non-traditional instrument in Thunderstruck. Isn’t it the same with Jethro Tull? Because me thinks you are being ever so slightly curmudgeonly 🙂 over this pretty boy, I found you this:Shadows- Lindsey Stirling . What do you think? 🙂
He is the Jamie Oliver of music: fresh and eclectic. teehee.
Rajini Rao You make a very interesting and valid point. She is lovely though, isn’t she. Curmudgeonly is a great word.
No (stay with it Mike), there is much too much of the promotion of classical music performers that need to look ‘hot’. I know it has gone on in pop/rock etc for ages but for that genre it must be ability and technique, surely? Although, yes, they need to sell records.
I also love Folk music (Jethro Tull’s genre) which is full of fiddles, drums etc but not an elecro-beat in my experience. Stadium Folk or stadium Classical (or even stadium comedy) are reduced by their magnitude, too.
It could be a personal thing, perhaps. I love World music but I don’t go for fusion (sitar plus electric guitar etc) and both of these videos are fusion of sorts.
I shall end this with a link of such profound beauty, that it is as fine an experience with or without my eyes open (no hot totty in sight, I’m afraid) – http://goo.gl/h0QuI 🙂
That was Fantastic!
Not from David, But, Did you hear this ?
Yanni Best Violin Player EVERbest violin solo
+rajini Rao, +Mike McLoughlin.
I tend to agree with Mike. For some reason violin soloist and rock fusion are not really music to my ear. The sound of violin that is mixed with rockish drum beats and guitar bass… are not really mixed well. Violin is more for the classical concert hall, Mozart and Bach. Same stuff like the talented Charlie Daniels is good for country music but I still do not go crazy with that. The only band which I think is good at mixing some cello to rock is E.L.O. Led by Jeff Lynn. They are well arranged and played the rock style. But over all, I must say Garrett is excellent with his violin!
Thanks Tom Lee – it is nice not to be a lone voice.
Two curmudgeons -just kidding 🙂
My daughter plays the fiddle for a Celtic band and I’m used to listening to different (=insanely fast) rhythms on the violin…perhaps it’s that..or it could be the pony tail 😛
David u r Awesome Man
Rajini Rao didn’t know that pony tails are adored by ladies before. I was very trendy a couple of years ago, even the Shinin’ Jack Nicholson sported a pony tail in real life for some time. I think this year it probably going to be short crew cut with low shaved beards. Let’s see…
Short crew cut+beard….meh 😉 The pony tail implies disregard for convention and is inherently more interesting IMO.
Thank you for the video Rajini Rao 🙂
Obviously this guy plays very well, he doesn’t need to break any record to prove it. I think music is not about beats per minute but to express emotions and feelings.
Sorry, sometimes I am too idealistic and romantic. I like to think that music is only an art when in fact nowadays is art and showbusiness.
Successful music groups have always been in tune with show business, I think. Just look at Jim Morrison and his leather pants/snazzy belt! He was selling more than the lyrics and music, wasn’t he? Freddie Mercury was a consummate performer as were frontsmen for all the major rock groups. I bet if we looked at classical music stars, they interweave their personalities into their performances just as much. It’s just the way it is. Of course, no amount of showmanship can make up for mediocre music..and obviously this guy, David Garrett is anything but that.
Even in academia and research, you have to be really good at what you do, but it sure does not hurt to have a great personality and give amazing talks 🙂
Okay, w/r to the pretty boy thing…he looks rather like Bjorn Borg back in the day…got all those teenage girls all crazy at Wimbeldon with his long blond hair. The commentator, Bud Collins, used to refer to Borg as “Teen Angel”.
From this springs some thoughts on the amazing things that can come out of unconventional methods…
Borg definitely had unconventional tennis technique–does anyone remember that big roundhouse swing on the forehand? It gave incredible topspin on those returns. And this is not to mention the hockey player-like two-handed backhand…
Yet, despite the unconventional packaging, Borg can be counted as one of the tennis greats.
So the generation-removed fiddler may still be worth the fuss, perhaps?
What this Garrett fellow does project is a real love of performing and for his talent. So here the analogy breaks down. I never got from watching Borg–it always looked like work.
Great mix of rock and classical. David Garrett, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Paul O’Neil, Robert Kinkel and Jon Oliva) and Others really bring this genre of music to the forefront. Thanks for the heads-up.