Video: Zack Kim’s wicked dual guitar
posted at 9:41 am on August 25, 2007 by Bryan
While I was editing the Wii Vent the other day, I came across video of Zack Kim playing the Super Mario theme song. The way he plays the song just blew me away, so I emailed him to ask his permission to use his track in the video and he graciously granted it.
There’s no quid pro quo or anything, he didn’t even ask anything in return, but I thought you might want to see how he plays the tune.
How about some Bach?
Zack has the Simpsons theme along with several other pop culture tunes, more classical and classics and some original compositions over on his web site. It’s amazing stuff.
Blowback
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Sick tight.
Good Lt on August 25, 2007 at 9:47 AM
Stunning! Seeing the vent yesterday, I blew off the background music. Seeing him perform this is… incredible!
kjspeedial on August 25, 2007 at 9:49 AM
Woah… And I thought Steve Vai was bad.
TinMan13 on August 25, 2007 at 10:02 AM
VERY impressive.
tickleddragon on August 25, 2007 at 10:02 AM
Somebody get the guy a double-necked guitar!
(Eddie Van Halen must be proud.)
profitsbeard on August 25, 2007 at 10:05 AM
Oh yeah!? I can simultaneously burn a DVD AND plug in TWO thumb drives at the SAME TIME! Take that ZACK KIM! My talents know no bounds. Hmph.
robblefarian on August 25, 2007 at 10:07 AM
This guy totally fails to suck! Nice.
portlandbob on August 25, 2007 at 10:20 AM
I don’t get it. How is he picking the strings?
Jaibones on August 25, 2007 at 10:33 AM
My first thought was how much his technique was like Stanley Jordan’s, then saw where Kim mentions him in his blog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjXN3OLgoqs
.
GT on August 25, 2007 at 10:37 AM
Jaibones on August 25, 2007 at 10:33 AM
He’s not, he is tapping the strings…He’s not the first to use this technique or even the best, Stanley Jordan and Jennifer Batten both come to mind. But mind you, he is very good.
doriangrey on August 25, 2007 at 10:59 AM
Dude, you’re talented but please learn to play some rock songs. “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC for the hometown crowds and “Cowboys from Hell” by Pantera for everyone else. This will attract many more girls than the songs currently in your setlist–a setlist that favors Japanamation theme songs, Nintendo soundtracks, and songs that are likely on your parents’ karaoke VCDs.
At a minimum, post a vid of your take on “Battery” or “Welcome to the Jungle” in the next couple of weeks… If you don’t, you have a month before untalented overpaid nerd Patton Oswalt finds your vids and e-mails offering to fly you to Vegas for his L33t ghey sex fantasy.
Seriously. I’m tryin’ to help you out, here.
ScottMcC on August 25, 2007 at 11:15 AM
We need him on America’s Got Talent.
Mojave Mark on August 25, 2007 at 11:16 AM
Is he related to Keith Emerson or what?
PatrickS on August 25, 2007 at 11:19 AM
You wanna see something wicked this is on the order of 100 times more wicked.
Jake Shimabukuro
TheSitRep on August 25, 2007 at 11:21 AM
Damned impressive, yes…but I give the nod to Zack.
btw….didn’t Clapton play lead in Harrison’s “While my guitar…”?
PatrickS on August 25, 2007 at 11:30 AM
I still think this version of the Mario theme(s) is better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0bKq3x74UE
Hand farts trump all.
JinxMcHue on August 25, 2007 at 11:34 AM
It is a technique called “hammering” I think. I am no guitarist.
DorianGray could tell ya.
TheSitRep on August 25, 2007 at 11:39 AM
TheSitRep on August 25, 2007 at 11:39 AM
It’s called bi-manual finger tapping.
doriangrey on August 25, 2007 at 11:48 AM
You win! That was awesome!
BadgerHawk on August 25, 2007 at 11:49 AM
Classy of you to throw some traffic to his site.
Nice work, Zack. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Now… LETS ROCK.
Editor on August 25, 2007 at 12:07 PM
Pyrotechnics. Give me EC on While My Guitar Gently Weeps any day over this schlock.
Drum on August 25, 2007 at 12:09 PM
Editor on August 25, 2007 at 12:07 PM
Hey, what did you expect, Bryan’s a classy sort of guy…
doriangrey on August 25, 2007 at 12:11 PM
Speaking of Mario music, here’s one I really enjoy. No guitar, just piano.
Mario Pianist
JimRich on August 25, 2007 at 12:12 PM
Absolutely Amazing.
congsan on August 25, 2007 at 12:59 PM
First rate “tappers” include Blackmore, Dee, Van Halen, Vai, and of course, Rhoads.
This kid’s Fu is very strong.
Freelancer on August 25, 2007 at 1:00 PM
HAHA, Fatima Struggle.
Oh, and for Hot Air staff: Your Terms of Use link above is faulty.
congsan on August 25, 2007 at 1:00 PM
It’s impressive, but wicked? Dude, come on…
When I learned about it, it was called hammering, and Eddie Van has been doing it for decades now…
urbancenturion on August 25, 2007 at 1:09 PM
I could play better than him with his hands tied behind his back
Drtuddle on August 25, 2007 at 1:28 PM
For the Stanley Jordan fans
For the Van Halen Fans
Thanks for the preview button
DrM2B on August 25, 2007 at 1:39 PM
Even better view of the hammering technique from Mr. Van Halen
DrM2B on August 25, 2007 at 1:41 PM
Probably my favorite Mario theme song video is this one, consisting of some bad-ass group xylophone action.
And if you love the fat Italian plummer the way I do, you might enjoy this bit of performance art entitled “Real Mario”.
mjgreco on August 25, 2007 at 2:11 PM
urbancenturion on August 25, 2007 at 1:09 PM
Hammering is similar but only uses the fingers of one hand, that being the one on the fret board. Bi-manual is the use of both hands to tap the strings, the technique predates Eddie by a long shot. It started with violinists during the renaissance and was also used by some of the great old blues players back in the 20′s and 30′s.
doriangrey on August 25, 2007 at 2:12 PM
What’s old is new, and there is nothing new under the sun.
In the last decade or so, master harmonica players have embraced a technique called overbending, which allows a standard 10 hole diatonic blues harp to play a full chromatic scale. The technique has been popularized by Howard Levy, who played with Bela Fleck, and was first thought to be an innovation. Harp enthusiasts, though, have noticed early recordings of guys like Deford Bailey, who most likely are also using overbending.
rokemronnie on August 25, 2007 at 3:11 PM
My mind is blown.
CP on August 25, 2007 at 3:27 PM
On the topic of multiple fretboard playing, just about anything Andy Mckee writes/performs is amazing.
nottakingsides on August 25, 2007 at 5:14 PM
I can’t play a one stringed Harp. Very Cool.
ajmontana on August 25, 2007 at 6:15 PM
I thought he sounded familiar. I embeded one of his vids back in may.
http://www.starfaring.com/index.php/2007/05/15/and-now-for-a-musical-interlude/
/brazen self promotion
- The Cat
MirCat on August 25, 2007 at 10:11 PM
I thank you.
If you liked that, check out his “cover” of Yakkity Sax (aka the Benny Hill theme music). It’s quite fitting.
JinxMcHue on August 25, 2007 at 11:40 PM
I am very impressed, and as to the detractors that say this guy or the other guy is better, well, you provide a very short list. And as far as I am concerned, he is on the shortlist of anyone that can do what he does, and thus is worthy of notice. Thanks Bryan. You made my day a little better. It was otherwise not going so well, as I need to pick out clothes for a funeral I need to attend tomorrow.
MalkinFan on August 25, 2007 at 11:46 PM
Alvin “Ten Years After” Lee, in the film “Groupies” (a funny flick, and definitely worth a look), does something similar with a drum stick on his guitar neck. ( A 60′s Belgian band called The Jokers had a lead guitarist who was heading toward this realm, and their “Taboo” is worth a listen. Santana’s “Taboo” is something else entirely, and even better.)
This tapping, hammering, etc., is essentialy using the guitar as a keyboard.
I personally like Django Reinhardt’s two-fingered style (all he had).
profitsbeard on August 26, 2007 at 1:23 AM