ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Preston Reed - Revolutionary Guitarist
Preston Reed’s hands have an otherworldly coordination. The fingers, nails, thumbs, and palms of both left and right dance, pluck, strum, and slap his guitar, which bursts with a full sound.

Why you should listen

Most guitarists the world over play their instruments in essentially the same way: the left hand holds the neck and applies pressure to each string to change notes, while the right hand plays the melody. Not so with Preston Reed.

In the 1980s, Reed began playing his instrument in new ways, sometimes twisting his left hand to pick out a melody while the right hand strummed accompaniment or tapping the guitar’s body like a drum. A new playing style was born, with deep chords, complex percussion, and weightless melodies. And he's inspired new generations of guitarists to further innovate on the genre he pioneered.

More profile about the speaker
Preston Reed | Speaker | TED.com
Usman Riaz - Artist, composer
TED Senior Fellow Usman Riaz is an artist and composer.

Why you should listen

Usman Riaz is the founder of Mano Animation Studios -- Pakistans first hand-drawn animation studio. Their first project, The Glassworker (شیشہ گر), was created by a team of creatives from Pakistan, Malaysia, Canada, South Africa, the US and the UK. 

More profile about the speaker
Usman Riaz | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2012

Usman Riaz + Preston Reed: A young guitarist meets his hero

Usman Riaz and Preston Reed: Un giovane chitarrista incontra il suo eroe

Filmed:
5,260,414 views

Usman Riaz, a 21 anni, è un mago della chitarra percussiva, uno stile che ha imparato a suonare guardando i suoi eroi su YouTube. Il TED Fellow suona sul palco di TEDGlobal 2012 -- seguito da un assolo strabiliante del maestro della chitarra percussiva, Preston Reed. E guardate questi due chitarristi improvvisare sul momento.
- Revolutionary Guitarist
Preston Reed’s hands have an otherworldly coordination. The fingers, nails, thumbs, and palms of both left and right dance, pluck, strum, and slap his guitar, which bursts with a full sound. Full bio - Artist, composer
TED Senior Fellow Usman Riaz is an artist and composer. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:17
(MusicMusica)
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11:21
ChrisChris AndersonAnderson: You guys were amazingStupefacente.
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Chris Anderson: Ragazzi siete straordinari.
11:23
That's amazingStupefacente.
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È straordinario.
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(ApplauseApplausi)
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You just don't hearsentire that everyogni day.
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Queste cose non si sentono tutti i giorni.
11:30
(LaughterRisate)
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(Risate)
11:32
UsmanUsman, the officialufficiale storystoria is that
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Usman, la storia ufficiale
11:34
you learnedimparato to playgiocare the guitarchitarra
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è che hai imparato a suonare la chitarra
11:36
by watchingGuardando JimmyJimmy PagePagina on YouTubeYouTube.
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guardando Jimmy Page su YouTube.
11:38
UsmanUsman RiazRiaz: Yes, that was the first one. And then I --
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Usman Riaz: Sì, quella è stata la prima. E poi ho --
11:41
That was the first thing I learnedimparato,
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Quella è stata la prima cosa che ho imparato,
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and then I startediniziato progressingprogredendo to other things.
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poi sono passato ad altre cose.
11:46
And I startediniziato watchingGuardando KakiKaki KingRe a lot,
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E ho cominciato a guardare molto Kaki King,
11:49
and she would always citecitare PrestonPreston ReedReed as a biggrande influenceinfluenza,
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che citava sempre Preston Reed, che ha avuto su di lei una grande influenza,
11:53
so then I startediniziato watchingGuardando his videosvideo,
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così ho cominciato a guardare i suoi video,
11:55
and it's very surrealsurreale right now to be --
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e ora è molto surreale essere --
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CACA: Was that piecepezzo just now,
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CA: Quel pezzo,
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that was one of his songscanzoni that you learnedimparato, or how did that happenaccadere?
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era una sua canzone che hai imparato, come hai fatto?
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URUR: I'd never learnedimparato it before,
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UR: Non l'avevo mai imparata prima,
12:11
but he told me that we would be playinggiocando that on stagepalcoscenico,
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ma mi ha detto che l'avremmo suonata sul palco,
12:14
so I was familiarfamiliare with it, so that's why I had so much more fundivertimento learningapprendimento it.
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la conoscevo bene, ecco perché mi sono così divertito ad impararla.
12:18
And it finallyfinalmente happenedè accaduto, so ...
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Ed finalmente è successo, quindi...
12:21
(LaughterRisate)
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CACA: PrestonPreston, from your pointpunto of viewvista,
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CA: Preston, dal tuo punto di vista,
12:24
I mean, you inventedinventato this like 20 yearsanni agofa, right?
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l'hai inventato 20 anni fa, giusto?
12:26
How does it feel to see someonequalcuno like this
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Come ci si sente a vedere qualcuno
12:29
come alonglungo takingpresa your artarte and doing so much with it?
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arrivare, prendere la tua arte e farne così tante cose?
12:33
PrestonPreston ReedReed: It's mind-blowingmente-blowing,
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Preston Reed: È strabiliante,
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and I feel really proudorgoglioso, really honoredonorato.
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e sono orgoglioso, onorato.
12:39
And he's a wonderfulmeraviglioso musicianmusicista, so it's coolfreddo.
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È un musicista eccezionale, è fantastico.
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(LaughterRisate)
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CACA: I guessindovina, I don't think there is like a one-minuteun minuto other piecepezzo you guys can do?
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CA: Ragazzi, non credo che ci sia un altro pezzo da un minuto che potete fare.
12:53
Can you? Do you jammarmellata? Do you have anything elsealtro?
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Potete? Improvvisate? Avete altro?
12:55
PRPR: We haven'tnon hanno preparedpreparato anything.
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PR: Non abbiamo preparato niente.
12:58
CACA: There isn't. I'll tell you what.
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CA: Nessun pezzo. Sapete cosa vi dico?
13:02
If you have anotherun altro 30 or 40 secondssecondi,
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Se avete ancora 30 o 40 secondi,
13:06
and you have anotherun altro 30 or 40 secondssecondi,
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e avete ancora 30 o 40 secondi,
13:07
and we just see that, I just think --
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e lo vediamo, credo che --
13:09
I can feel it. We want to hearsentire a little more.
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Lo sento. Vogliamo sentirvi ancora.
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And if it goesva horriblyorribilmente wrongsbagliato, no worriespreoccupazioni.
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E se suonate veramente male, non vi preoccupate.
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(Applausi)
Translated by Anna Cristiana Minoli
Reviewed by Elena Montrasio

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Preston Reed - Revolutionary Guitarist
Preston Reed’s hands have an otherworldly coordination. The fingers, nails, thumbs, and palms of both left and right dance, pluck, strum, and slap his guitar, which bursts with a full sound.

Why you should listen

Most guitarists the world over play their instruments in essentially the same way: the left hand holds the neck and applies pressure to each string to change notes, while the right hand plays the melody. Not so with Preston Reed.

In the 1980s, Reed began playing his instrument in new ways, sometimes twisting his left hand to pick out a melody while the right hand strummed accompaniment or tapping the guitar’s body like a drum. A new playing style was born, with deep chords, complex percussion, and weightless melodies. And he's inspired new generations of guitarists to further innovate on the genre he pioneered.

More profile about the speaker
Preston Reed | Speaker | TED.com
Usman Riaz - Artist, composer
TED Senior Fellow Usman Riaz is an artist and composer.

Why you should listen

Usman Riaz is the founder of Mano Animation Studios -- Pakistans first hand-drawn animation studio. Their first project, The Glassworker (شیشہ گر), was created by a team of creatives from Pakistan, Malaysia, Canada, South Africa, the US and the UK. 

More profile about the speaker
Usman Riaz | Speaker | TED.com