We’ve found some kids with amazing guitar skills online, and these youngsters have out-of-this-world talent. Those below are among the most recognized from around the world and they are proof that hard work and talent can lead to something special at an early age!
Whenever mentioning guitar virtuosos, we instantly think about maestros like Zakk Wylde, John Petrucci, or Paul Gilbert. We naturally think about adults who mastered guitar skills through decades of practice. But there are plenty of children who are displaying amazing talent and skill at a young age.
Contents
1. Taj Farrant
Taj Farrant is just 11 years old but he is by far the most famous young guitarist out there. He gained worldwide recognition after appearing on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “Australia’s Got Talent”. At only 9 years old, he was officially endorsed by Elixir Strings and Gibson guitars, becoming the youngest guitarist with such an achievement. Also, Universal Recordings made him the first artist signed this decade.
Taj’s love for guitar started after his father took him to an AC/DC concert. In just 2 years he became so good that skilled guitarists can’t believe he is so young.
2. Konstantina Andritsou
At 6 years old, Bulgarian guitarist Konstantina Andritsou was able to flawlessly perform J.S. Bach’s Prelude, with a classic guitar that was almost as big as her. If this is not enough of an accomplishment, she was reading the sheet music and interpreting the song at the same time.
At only 7, she made her official debut in Athens, where she performed Francisco Tarrega’s Caparicio Harabe. Nowadays, she is often invited to display her talent and keeps surprising professionals with her steady growth.
3. Zoe Thomson
Zoe Thomson was born in England on April 4, 2003. She started playing the guitar at 5. Her family supported her and showed off her talents on YouTube. The clip above her playing “Sweet Child O’ Mine” was seen by Slash, who was understandably impressed.
Zoe went on to keep improving, playing in bands and performing on YouTube, with industry heavyweights like Metallica publicly praising her. Right now, she is acquainted with the likes of Mike Shinoda and Zakk Wylde.
4. Liu Pinxi
Liu Pinxi goes by YOYO on YouTube but do not let the cute nickname fool you. She was born on December 12, 2006, and started taking classical guitar lessons when she was 6. After only one year, she started to practice on the electric guitar because she was passionate about heavy metal.
YOYO made her official debut at the ShangHai Musical Instruments Exhibition, in October 2015. She was invited by JOYO as a guest when she was only 9 years old.
5. Jeremy Yong
There are not many guitarists that can improvise a rock medley featuring “Eruption” (Eddie van Halen), “Paranoid” (Black Sabbath), and “The Final Countdown” (Europe) as Jeremy Yong did above. He was only 9 years old when the recording was made, and he also sang Europe’s song.
When Jeremy was 7, he made it to the semi-finals of Australia’s Got Talent, being the youngest person to ever do so. Since then, he was featured in numerous shows in Asia, Europe, and the US. He is now endorsed by Gibson guitars, E.W.S. effects, RME audio products, Mesa Bookie amplifiers, and several other brands. Jeremy even had a major film role with Ethan Hawke by his side and is a multi-instrumentalist.
6. Jaden Lehman
Jaden Lehman was fascinated when he saw a performance by Matisyahu. This happened when the soon to be guitar prodigy was only 7 years old. He was then exposed to artists like Ravi Shankar, David Gilmore, and Donovan. They influenced his style and psyche, leading to a style that relies less on structure than with most guitarists. He joined the band Troika Blu and only time will tell how good he will become.
7. Hunter Hallberg
US-born Hunter Hallberg became known in the entire world when he won the Young Guitarist of the Year award from Music Radar in 2018. He was born in 2004 and at 13 he already recorded his first EP called “Future of the Past”. This was one year before winning the award. One year after, he already had a video music out for his song “Euphoria”.
Right now, Hunter is working on his first LP album and producing content on Instagram and YouTube.
8. Jayden Tatasciore
Jayden Tatasciore was born in Perth WA, Australia. He started playing the guitar at 5 and when he was 9 years old, he became a part of the School of Rock Musical. Right now, he regularly cameos in a small AC/DC tribute band, performs at charity events, and records videos on his YouTube channel.
Jayden’s influences are Slash, Synyster Gates, and Angus Young. And he even jammed with Richie Faulkner when he was 11.
9. Michael Hermes
Michael Hermes is a little older now, 18. But he has been playing for 13 years. He picked up his first guitar when he was 6 and his current style is described as a cross between Hans Zimmer and Plini. Michael released several singles and EPs, with compositions filled with inspiration from personal experiences. His songs were well-received by guitarists from around the world and only time will tell how good he will become as he is still growing as a musician.
10. Andrew
Andrew is a rather unknown guitar prodigy who shows a lot of promise. In the video above, you can see him jamming with his instructor, and improvising. What is impressive is that Andrew was only 10 years old when this video was recorded. Although he was not featured for several years in YouTube clips since the video above, he is sure to soon appear somewhere and show us how good he became.
Summary
YouTube has made it easy for talented performers to showcase their skills. As you can see, there is no shortage of talented young guitarists that play better than most older ones. Although it does take a lot of effort to learn how to play the guitar, these kids make it look simple and instantly stand out.
