Matteo Mancuso is one of the most astonishing young guitar players on the planet. The jazz virtuoso’s flawless electric guitar skills and jaw-dropping fingerstyle techniques were first observed by thousands on YouTube and Instagram, before his debut album The Journeymade him one of the most talked about players of 2023. He’s won the admiration of masters like Al Di Meola, Joe Bonamassa and Tosin Abasi, and Steve Vai has declared the future of guitar to be safe, so long as people like Mancuso are around to keep the evolutionary wheels turning.
As Matteo himself says: “Jazz can be extremely simple as well as extremely complex. Complexity doesn’t mean that it’s good.” But as a player who combines elements of shred, jazz and classical styles, a lot of what he does is complex. In fact, his playing seems almost superhuman at times.
However, he utilises smart time-saving tactics rather than heavy theoretical principles to help him traverse the fretboard in show-stopping style. His motto: “Think less, play more…”
What are the fundamentals of your fingerstyle
