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14-year-old girl shreds classical guitar watch!

youtube.com — Unknown Asian guitar soloist playing Paganini Caprice.

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  • ramaz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16Beautiful music. I wish my guitar technique could match that. But was "14" just a guess? She might be much older.
    • cogit0, on 10/12/2007, -1/+21From the Wikipedia on her:
      "Li Jie is a Chinese classical guitarist born in 1981."

      Therefore she is 25 (as of now), not 14. Though I don't know how old this clip is, so she could be younger.
    • dotdan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3This video's been around for quite a while, so it's entirely possible that she was fourteen when she played it.

      Very impressive, regardless of age.
    • shitthisfook, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3From the comments:
      Moloth (8 minutes ago)
      wow... Asian people ARE better than us at everything.
      /kidding!
      //kinda

    • catoutfit, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2"Therefore she is 25 (as of now), not 14. Though I don't know how old this clip is, so she could be younger."

      Looks pretty 90s .
    • oddmanout, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4so is that one of those esteban guitars?
    • gaoshan, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4Yeah but much of the locally produced programming in China looks pretty 90's (or even 80's). That's not a criticism or a joke, BTW. That is just seriously what TV looks like right now in China.
    • TheHessian, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It doesn't matter...
      All I know is that a 14 year old girl CAN play better than me...

      We must erase this proof!

      Hessian
    • notdarkyet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+23rd quote down is classic

      "Looks like someone bought the esteban tapes!"
  • n1qaw, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9naaaaaaaaaaaa Su Meng smokes this girl at her own game...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChZ_YRVk4Mc&mode=related&search=
    • plncrzy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Did anyone else think "Mystery Science Theater 3000" when they saw the Su Meng clip?
    • jabberwonk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I certainly wouldn't say she "smokes" her, but I thought the Su Meng version was performed better and that that one was the one with more "feeling" in it. I agree with stallout though - Paganini can be very dry and flat (as well as damn near impossible to play correctly!)
    • Mosatii, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Sure, she may play faster, but I thought the first one was much more enjoyable.
    • HenryFatass, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11Sorry guys..but Ralph Macchio could kick both their asses. :)

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rme2XmAJXzY
    • positron, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Classical guitar is about technical accuracy which Su Meng demonstrates by the ton. If you want soul, try blues or rock.
    • myself435345, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0>Sorry guys..but Ralph Macchio could kick both their asses. :)

      Ralph Macchio ??? Was he just moving his hands and fingers while Steve Vai actually played?
      Yes this video is ok - she would kick my butt - I have seen more interesting players like Vai, Malmsteen, classical and flamenco guitar players - all so cool...
    • Nooze2k, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Here's the full version of that Crossroads duel for anyone interested:
      http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2532824540210704919&q=steve+vai+crossroads

      And as for whether she's good or not, has soul or not... there's a place for all styles, talent and ability... as long as you're playing the guitar and enjoying it, that's all the really matters. As a guitar player myself for the past 14 years, I think they both kick ass for what they do.
    • rtini, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0They are both technically great, but don't really play with gumption. Eliot Fisk transcribed the 24 caprices and the CD of him performing them is simply incredible, makes these girls sound like, uh, kids.
  • RicDesan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Naw I disagree, Meng gets the nod for virtuosity but she pales by comparison to the musical soul of the girl above.
    • ezran, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Actually Su Meng clips sounds better, quite a bit better.
      Her stokes on the bass strings are crisper. Her arpeggio is also tighter.
      However, Su Meng's clip was recorded in a performance hall, with better acoustic too. That helps a lot with recordings.
    • idonthack, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It also seemed to have better encoding
    • SpacePope, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1eh, they're both really good. Thing is, if Li Jie is really 14 in this video, she's been playing for 3 years. Su Meng started when she was 9... Anyway,
      they're both masters
  • cowpowered, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Her name is Li Jie. A link to her biography can be found on wikipedia:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Jie
    • rhesuspieces00, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1yeah, and she is 25, not 14.
    • Phyltre, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Looks like an old video to me! No way the girl in the video is taped at 25!
  • CheapBastid, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5I dunno. Technically wonderful, but a bit lacking in emotional impact.
  • scooterMX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1bummer the lossy compression - would love to see her plucking fingers at true speed...
    • crilen007, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'd rather a nice HD version with full dolby sound.. but I doubt I'll get it.
    • aelias, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have seven or eight of these from about two years ago. Same girl, same session. Not all crapped down to youtube quality. Not DVD by any stretch, but definitely able to see her fingers clearly. She plays flawlessly and is a joy to watch.

  • PAJK, on 10/12/2007, -4/+25I wonder how many beatings she took to get that good. (Woah, even I found that to be in poor taste.)
  • quine, on 10/12/2007, -11/+9Good, but still pales in comparision to the shredding of Michael Angelo Batio and the Quad Guitar...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05YtviVaFSw
    • krewemaynard, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8That was horrible.
    • fjacky66, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5gay
    • catoutfit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Come on guys...that is awesome....in a way...a very homoerotic way.
    • metasin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2omfg! file under: cheesy 80's ***** i hope i never see again
    • SpacePope, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1how can you even compare...
    • scratched, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Batio may be fast, but he really doesn't have much musical talent (by talent I mean music that sounds good and is "musical" not just speed). And besides, IIRC, the guitarist from Cheap Trick played a 5 neck guitar, and the music from Cheap Trick is much better than Michael Angelo Batio's
  • phytonix, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1this is not performance
    it is a "demo playing", i think from instruction video tape
  • JAWS, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Between the Clapton concert last night and this....I will never touch my guitar again *sobs*
    • mr_jumper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I totally hear you, I hate watching videos like these, but I can't stop once I get started
    • cobweb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I think I hear your guitar gently weeping.
  • orph3us, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Bah, guitar schmitar.. it was originally written for violin. here is a link of it being played by all time old great Yascha Heifetz on the violin with piano accompaniment. enjoy :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPcnGrie__M (guitar ones not bad either ;) )
  • lasmith, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I wouldn't call this shredding at all.
  • chubbymidget, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5/lights and waves lighter/

    Freebird!
  • axiomofstealth, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXx1_rBaeyE

    Well, another Asian, and I argue that he beats everyone, ever.
  • ickusslime, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0If only she could play it on a 2 string violin like that nut Paganini originally wrote most of his stuff.
  • sandkiller, on 10/12/2007, -13/+1This is old news....

    Actually, it's almost pre-historic...
  • Bjorn2404, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Funny... I was just listening ot that song via the Lady Vengeance soundtrack - which is free to download on the official site btw.
  • awm4, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Does the background in this video remind any one else of the background used in Amarica's Funniest videos back when ol' Bob Sagat hosted?
    • porkstacker, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Whoa dude, you cannot even spell "America"?????? That's really bad.
  • scooterMX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Personally I thing that Su Meng's interpretation of the third movement is rushed and loses the emotion of the original pizzicato, which was so masterful because of it's perfect placement.
  • orph3us, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0ickuslime I didn't mod you down, but Paganini didn't do that for everything he wrote. The story of the 1 string piece that Paganini played and wrote was called Moses Variations (on the g string) The story goes that Paganini started playing the piece normally on all strings but had the violin rigged to break strings with a little pressure. E string breaks he switches over to the A string, A string breaks he switch to D string, D string breaks and he finishes the piece on the G string. The piece today is actually written on to be played only on one string (g string if you play it on the violin)
  • Amplix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3This is great and all but now I have this huge urge to bite my finger nails.
  • gocleaver, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Wow. There's nothing more to say than this:

    ***** Pwned.

    And yes, Paganini's stuff can seem lacking in emotion, but thats only because its so technically advanced.
  • omnithought, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Yngwie's stepchild?
    • positron, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Yngwie doesn't have half the technical skill this girl does.
  • mantlepro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I don't know if I'd call this shredding, but she's most def. a very skilled guitarist.
  • StandardsDT, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1if im not mistaken i thought i saw this before on digg. the video looks very familiar or am i thinking of a different one?
  • webguru24, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0She's good, but the real question is: Can she beat Jack Butler in a head cutting contest?
  • hseikaly, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1you guys should check out jake shimabukuro's version of this piece. its amazing and he does on a ukulele, which has only 4 strings and doesn't even have the range necessary to play this song. he just uses harmonics to cover the rest of the range. i dont' really have a link to it, but you can probably look him up.
  • TwinkieTheKid, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTFm1yE9ZEE

    she's 12 in this video, and at 14 opened for steve vai....
    • catoutfit, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1I know it's really easy to come on the internet and say this but what she's playing isn't that hard: I can play it....but then again, I'm nearly twice her age....I'm competing with a 12 year old...harsh.
  • chenyu768, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2well what can i say us chinese just have musical ability, but somehow it happened to skip me.
  • l3v14th4n, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Girl's got some skillz...
  • psicom, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Anyone can do that if your parents beat you long enough.
  • Maltby, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Wow i'm literally sitting here with my bass on my lap wishing I could play anything that well lol.
  • LongLostStar, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1She would make one fine geisha.
  • rhesuspieces00, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Parent: That's not roXXorZ pwnagE, no Gerber Green Bean Formula for you.

    Young Asian Kid: :cry: :cry: :cry:
  • OVeRide, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Amazing! She must practice all day every day.
  • steger, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1noodle?
  • phildixon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Yeah, but can she play Stairway to Heaven?

  • mbthompson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Somebody made the Ralph Maccio comment already, so just thought I would add this tidbit. The guitar duel from "Crossroads" was played by Steve Vai and Ry Codder. Steve played all of the "thrashing" parts and Ry played all the slide stuff. Anyway, Vai based the whole shredding solo on this piece by Paganini, an it's even harder to play because of the jumps he makes in the damn thing.
  • HeyGabe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I like Digg and all, but reading Diggscutions like this makes me hate the Internet.
  • MacLiberal, on 10/12/2007, -8/+0Ho Hum, another Asian playing dead white european music. Get with the times girl and learn something relevent
    • SpacePope, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2like what? Lindsay Lohan's new stuff?
  • SpacePope, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I saw her interpretation of Koyunbaba couple of weeks ago and almost turned in my electric for a classical... I didn't, but got one from a friend and started learning it. Now I wish I learned classical when I started playing guitar and had more time...
    Right hand is so didfficult to master after playing almost exculsively with a pick.
  • bluto20, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1why don't they ever play great REAL MUSIC like this on the radio? i love this kinda stuff
    • drowelf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I assume you're just kidding, right? You realize that there are probably multiple classical stations in your area. If you're specificlly talking about classical guitar...there might be one on satellite radio...I'm not sure. In any case, I AGREE!! It's a beautiful piece.
  • CoolWind, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Here's another beautiful, mesmerizing performance by Lie Jie apparently done at the same time as the other one.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ1jl6Iu40A&NR
  • drowelf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree that some of it's rushed (earlier someone mention movment 3), but it's common for people to play other parts much faster. I've hear multiple people perform this and here is the type of speed I usually hear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1xCaJnp69M&mode=related&search=

    anyway, this reminds me how much I love classical guitar...

    With regards to the quad guitar performance someone mentioned earlier...I don't know what to say. I got sooo sick of this stuff in the 80's. Also, what's the point of having 4 guitar's built together if they all sound exactly the same? Someone like Metheny (or Legg, or Hedges, or many others) has a better idea with their dual-guitar offerings where they each contribute some different tonality. Quad...they're just trying to 1-up (2-up i guess) Cheap Trick! Anyway, speed with no creativity is a waste. This is why EVH or SRV will always be considered better guitarists than Malmstien or others who focused purely on speed.

  • eN1X, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1First of all you should be able to tell by looking at her that she is Chinese. Second of all she plays well but it has no emotion at all...it doesn't even look like she enjoys to play. It breaks my heart to see that because she's so damn talented!
    • neko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think she's just focused. I know that if I were able to play to even 1% of the skill she displays, I'd be concentrating very hard and not really aware of anything except the guitar and the queueing up the notes in my head.
  • tagawa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1But can she play Stairway?

    Seriously, it's clips like this that restore my faith in Digg.
  • rtini, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0If you want to hear the guitarist perform this who transcribed it for guitar, buy Eliot Fisk's CD:

    http://www.amazon.com/Paganini-Twenty-Caprices-Eliot-Fisk/dp/B000000FR4/sr=8-1/qid=1159813549/ref=sr_1_1/102-8130887-7583333?ie=UTF8&s=music
  • martinlanny, on 03/10/2008, -0/+1Also very good skills on electric guitar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIjjSb2_UvI
  • jonastamas, on 04/19/2008, -0/+0Cool! Paganini pieces are great.
  • nowyouseeme, on 06/30/2008, -0/+0Excellent, no doubt. BUt how would it go down at a metallica concert?
  •  

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