"Billy Jean" Gets the Percussive Fingerstyle Treatment

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A few years ago, Guitar World published a popular lesson dedicated to percussive acoustic guitar playing.

Even though it had absolutely nothing to do with Michael Jackson, the lesson was called "Beat It," just because it seemed fairly clever at the time.

So it's cool that someone has finally come along and done a riveting percussive-acoustic fingerstyle version of a classic Jackson tune, "Billie Jean."

The pro-shot music video shows guitarist Alexandr Misko playing the solo-guitar piece in a perfectly lit tavern as patrons order drinks (and eat peanuts) in the background. We suggest you check it out.

For more about Misko, subscribe to his YouTube channel.

Damian Fanelli
Damian Fanelli
Editor-in-Chief, Guitar World

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.

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