When you listen to Will Smith’s latest track, First Love, you might think the song is accompanied by an entire flamenco ensemble. However, the intricate rhythm, bassline, and melody are all performed by Polish guitarist Marcin Patrzałek—playing everything simultaneously.
In a new Instagram video, Marcin gives Smith a breakdown of his impressive percussive fingerstyle technique. “You reached out to me, and you wanted me to come on your track and do something in a Spanish style,” he says to the camera. “I thought, okay, I have to show him how I do it…”
As Marcin speaks, his right hand is effortlessly playing a “bassline” while his left hand remains focused on the rest of the guitar. This bassline is the backbone of his sound, a steady pulse that he complements with percussive beats and melody. As he taps and strums, Marcin explains that his style isn’t about “multi-tasking”—it’s about muscle memory and natural flow.
“It’s not [multi-tasking], because I’m not thinking about this hand,” he explains. “If I were thinking about every note, how could I have a conversation with you right now? It’s like on a movie set… when you want to say your lines, you don’t want to think about every single word, right? It has to come naturally.”
Smith nods in agreement, adding, “In acting, they say, ‘You learn your lines so well that you forget them when it’s time to say them!'”
With the foundational bassline in place, Marcin shifts to improvising. His left hand stays on autopilot, allowing him to play percussive beats, pluck melodies, and add rhythmic flourishes. He then demonstrates a flamenco technique called golpe, which means “punch” in Spanish. Marcin explains that this adds texture to his sound, making it both light and deep. To achieve a deeper tone, he taps the guitar body further up, mimicking a heartbeat.
“It’s like tap-dancing,” Marcin says as he intensifies the rhythm, fingers moving rapidly in what seems like a blur. Smith watches in awe, nodding along to the complex rhythms. As Marcin’s technique builds, combining bassline, percussive taps, and melodies, the guitarist becomes completely immersed in his performance.
Smith, clearly impressed, sums up the feeling we all have: “That is amazing!”
Despite his jaw-dropping skills, Marcin humbly insists that his technique is “simple!” Though, considering the level of mastery involved, it’s hard to agree.
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