Polish guitar prodigy Marcin Patrzalek, whose captivating performances have won over celebrity fans and amassed millions of views online, has a technique so intricate and fast that some skeptics believe he’s tricking his audience.
“It’s a bit frustrating when people think it’s fake, but it’s good to see there’s a conversation about it,” the 24-year-old remarked during his European and North American tour, which kicked off in Paris last week with nearly 40 scheduled dates.
Whether playing the works of Chopin, Nirvana, Dr. Dre, or Stevie Wonder, Marcin has perfected a technique that creates the illusion of a full band with just his acoustic Ibanez guitar. He uses his right palm to strike the guitar’s body, mimicking a bass drum, and taps it with his nails in a flamenco style for percussion.
Simultaneously, his fingers move across the strings at lightning speed, producing bass, rhythm, and lead guitar all at once.
After studying under Spanish flamenco guitar master Carlos Piñana, the self-taught virtuoso from Kielce, southeast Poland, decided to forge his own path.
“I didn’t want to mimic anyone; I didn’t want to be like anyone else. I aimed to create something unique,” he explained.
His videos on Instagram almost always exceed a million views, with some clips featuring the astonished reactions of celebrities like Wyclef Jean of The Fugees – “That’s amazing!” – and actor Will Smith, who was so impressed that he invited Marcin to feature on his track “First Love.”
“Guitar has always been very natural and fun for me,” said Marcin, who comes from a non-musical family and picked up the instrument for the first time at age 10.
As a teenager, Marcin won Mam Talent!, the Polish version of America’s Got Talent. He later moved to the US for his studies, where he made it to the semi-finals of the American competition in 2019.
Despite his fame, Marcin is mindful of the online pressure his virtuosity brings. “For many people, my technique impresses them,” he said. “If you’re scrolling through your phone or listening on Spotify and hear something like: ‘Wow, how is this possible?’ you want to learn more.”
However, he acknowledges the downside. “The problem is that after a while, it gets repetitive. Not every performance should be fast and technical.”
This dilemma continues to challenge him: “On one hand, I want my posts to reach millions of people. But on the other, I want to create new things, something fresh and different.”
His latest album, Dragon in Harmony, released in September, reveals a more minimalist classical style that contrasts with his fast-paced, attention-grabbing Instagram hits. “Classical music is the foundation of all music,” Marcin emphasized.
During his recent performance at La Maroquinerie in Paris, Chopin’s Nocturnes and Bach’s Toccata were performed alongside a Nirvana cover.
“The fact that my music reaches people who wouldn’t usually listen to classical music is a happy accident,” he said. “I just want to play the music I love and do it in my own way.”
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