This Fingerstyle Cover of Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir is Mindblowing

February 19, 2021 2 min read

This Fingerstyle Cover of Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir is Mindblowing

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that Led Zeppelin is my jam. Zep was my gateway to rock and roll and Jimmy Page is one of the main reasons I’m playing guitar today (and why I’m a little bit obsessed with Gibson Les Pauls).

As a result, I’ve listened to lots of Led Zeppelin covers over the years. Honestly though, I’ve never heard anything quite like this.

Guitar World reposted this clip of Marcin Patrzalek’s take on “Kashmir” today. Before I start gushing with the superlatives, I’m going to let the clip speak for itself:

 

Next level, right? As Guitar World’s Matt Owen recounts:

“After driving the iconic guitar riff along with the a thundering kick drum and snare snap provided by booming right-hand slaps, Marcin shifts up a gear with a dizzying display of his prolific playing skills, executing a number of high-speed percussive drum lines and melodic strums.”

The grand finale sees Marcin race through a flurry of blink-and-you'll-miss-them two-hand taps as the mesmerizing performance is wrapped up in style.”

It’s a seriously impressive interpretation of the Zep classic; unashamedly virtuosic, but never losing sight of the melodic grounding of the original.

Marcin’s take has been getting plenty of love from guitar playing legends as well. Tom Morello’s christened him #HogawartsAxeslinger, which is high praise indeed considering Mr. Morello’s penchant for mindbending guitar pyrotechnics. 

If Mr.Patrzalek seems familiar, you might recognize him from the 2019 season of America’s Got Talent, where he reached the semi-final. He also won Must Be the Music in his native Poland back in 2015.

You can check out more of Marcin’s music on his YouTube channel, which features originals, as well as rearranged covers, like this unique and beautiful take on System of a Down’s “Aerials”: 

…And this epic, 7+ minute runthrough of Metallica’s opus, “Master of Puppets”:

Watching Marcin rip though those tracks has got me thinking: what are the best acoustic interpretations of pop and rock songs out there?

There have been some great acoustic versions of full-band songs over the years. Tommy Emmanuel’s joyous Beatles medley – which features sections from"Here Comes The Sun", "When I'm Sixty- Four", 'Day Tripper", and "Lady Madonna".- immediately comes to mind.

And sticking with the legendary Mr. Emmanuel, this gorgeous cover of the Carpenters’ “Close to You” must surely also be a contender:

But what are your picks? Let us know your favourite acoustic takes in the comments section. Oh, and if you have any renditions of your own that you’re particularly proud of, why not share them with us as well? We’d love to hear what you’ve been working on! 



Also in Fingerboard Stories

What To Do When You Get The Call
What To Do When You Get The Call

September 19, 2023 5 min read

One of the last times I did a hired-gun gig for a house band, I got a call at around 7:30 a.m. on a Friday in February 2023. It was Shawn Sasyniuk (drummer/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire and all-around great dude), asking if I was busy the following weekend and if I happened to be available for a couple of days. The guitarist that he originally wanted for a house band at a gig backing up several artists was no longer available to do it and he needed someone to fill the spot.
When You Need A Reminder
When You Need A Reminder

September 12, 2023 5 min read

You can however argue that Tyler Childers is way more “country” than the majority of Country artists on Top 40 radio. Songs from his album Purgatory sound like they belong in the same set as Hank Williams and George Strait, rather than Florida Georgia Line and Jellyroll. To my ears, what Childers is doing is Country Music in its most traditional and identifiable forms.
New Nostalgia
New Nostalgia

September 05, 2023 5 min read

His sound is not far from the truth. As stated earlier, he would fit in with a lot of older artists and is musically a standout in today’s modern country scene. As he stated in an interview with the Guardian in 2019: “Let’s not just Solo cup and pickup truck it to death. Let’s handle this in a smart way. Nobody is thinking about lyrical content, or how we’re moving people, or what’s going on in the background of their minds.”