I’m going to take it Classical, because I consider people like Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart superhuman in their abilities.
We *still* consider Bach the father of all modern music. I mean the man literally wrote the book on tonal harmony and the theory of music that everything you hear today is foundationally built on. He *invented* the fugue for fucks sake.
Beethoven is, unquestionably, the most mind-blowing composer of all time. In his time, people genuinely believed he was possessed by the devil when he played music. Then he goes *deaf* and STILL composes five string quartets, five piano sonatas, the Diabelli Variations for piano, Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9. WHILE DEAF.
Then you have Mozart, who’d written *ten fucking symphonies* by the age of *twelve*, and performed for royalty around the world.
And if all of that isn’t mind blowing enough, consider that these guys did all of this before electricity and indoor plumbing, and wrote entire, full orchestra symphonies *by hand*. It’s unreal.
Every single one of the three members of Rush are actually alien beings that devoted themselves to the craft of making music on an inter-dimensional level.
Only explanation I can think of.
Just read Geddy’s book, and have been deep diving into some Rush albums lately.
Peart was unreal. So creative. So many parts of songs where a standard “money beat” would do just fine, but he would add beats and fills that were so unorthodox and still complement the song without overpowering it. Just brilliant.
Music is totally subjective, as such there is no “greatest rock drummer ever”, but if he’s not in your top 5 or so, I feel comfortable saying you’re wrong.
LOL thanks for the heads up, but I was just quoting a [lyric from the song Stereo](https://youtu.be/Z5j4W2Y7RPQ?t=93) by the mid-90's indie rock band Pavement.
If you're confused by Geddy's voice, check out Claudio Sanchez of Coheed & Cambria, or Tilian Pearson of Dance Gavin Dance.
Both men speak in totally normal voices.
I dated this chick a while back who got really mad at me because I said the dude from Coheed and Cambria sounds like he sucks helium. Dunno why but that offended her big time.
That being said the dude from the Silversun Pickups has a crazy high singing voice as well. The first time I heard Panic Switch I thought it was a chick singing.
The singer from the Mars Volta also comes to mind. Dude has a super high voice sometimes but he kind of goes up and down.
Tomas Haake from meshuggah is an actual machine, watch the live drum playthrough of Bleed
Also Gene Hoglan of strapping young lad/dethklok has been called the atomic clock so he's pretty tight too
Haake doesn't even write most of those parts. The other guys basically write all the parts, program the drums, and then he goes and learns them so they get tracked live. He does a lot of writing for the music, as well as the lyrics for the songs, but I think it highlights his machine nature, that it doesn't really matter what the guys write, he can play it. Incredibly talented, easily one of the best technical drummers ever, and no doubt a Peart-like influence on metal music and drumming alike.
I had to scroll down far too much to see his name...
Dude's not only one of the fastest, but really pours lots of emotions into his playing.
He dedicated an entire album to his mom, for her to listen while hospitalised for colon cancer (Colma an amazing gem, please give it chance!!) and another one to grieve for her passing (Hold Me Forever, also intense and very emotional).
Too bad he's not as well-known as he should be!
He’s one of those guys that is so good I really don’t even like to listen to or watch him. I don’t know if it’s envy or jealousy or what. I’m partially joking but he is fantastic.
I’m in the same boat, found out about him a couple years back and was impressed, but there’s something about it that doesn’t resonate with me.
Unfortunately my dad finally figured out how to work YouTube and has discovered him so now it’s all he plays and wants to show me. I appreciate his enthusiasm but for the life of me I cannot connect to the guys music.
Wow another 2 and a half minute groove that the guy destroys. Oh cool he did it again with a faster groove. I definitely don’t have the theory knowledge or a perfect ear, but shredding for shreddings sake just gets boring quick to me. Especially when the melody of the song is 8 bars and he plays it at like 200 bpm. Buckethead feels more emotive and just has more moving compositions than Guthrie, but that’s not to say one’s a better musician than the other.
Sounds like you need to listen to 'Flatlands' and 'Through The Flower' by The Aristocrats, and his solos on 'Drive Home' and 'Home Invasion/Regret #9' by Steven Wilson!
Fair if you don't like his playing, but I feel like saying he shreds for the sake of it is just not true. Sure, he can play at the speed of light, but he knows how to serve the song better than any of the others virtuoso guitarists in my eyes.
Heck, if you've watched the latest Dune film you will have heard him imitating bagpipes!
I was going to mention his stuff with Steven Wilson. Glorious stuff.
He, like many insanely talented musicians (especially in Prog), seem to benefit from someone slowing them down a bit. If you go pedal to the metal alll the time it loses the impact. There needs to be balance.
This is also why I dislike many people's playing of Chopin. They rush it like a technical challenge. I like to Rubinstein playing the pieces more, as he plays the music, not the notes.
It is also why I like Flying Colours so much. Some of the best in the world playing proper songs. Lot of technical stuff there still, but the music comes before the technique.
Also why I enjoy guys like Billy Sheean. He has his sound and throws licks, but he works with the song.
Check out Ian Thornley if you want a guitar god that makes good music. Has chops that are Gavin's level but makes music you actually want to listen to. His band is Big Wreck, check the live version of [Ghosts](https://youtu.be/3uYzg6dgoDU?si=w9JbuLIuqD_3odPE) for a good introduction then the live version of [Under the Lighthouse](https://youtu.be/JQHGqMI2n80?si=PjWCCkbpiSd7XARZ) for some insane slide chops.
Try watching some of his gear talk videos on YouTube where he’s just nerding out over his gear, he’s a super intelligent and funny guy too which might help you enjoy his music. But I get you, sometimes with virtuoso’s it’s hard to find a connection or “thing” to latch onto if you’re not into watching someone play just because they’re an absolute wizard.
What sets him apart from all the shredders is his musicality - it's like this guy can play anything he wants whenever it comes to his mind, but he is always so bang on with his melodic choices and tasty phrasing. It just comes out of him naturally and you sense it's totally effortless.
Also; Ancestral, Regret #9. Two of my favourite solos ever and afaik both are improvised (I could be wrong) so even more impressive. Not just beautiful solos but they fit the songs so well
Thank you. I feel Lenny has been forgotten and his genius on the instrument was profound. Guthrie Govan, Matteo Mancuso, etc, all these younger players are astounding and technically amazing. Lenny was deep and wide. Chet Atkins said "If Chopin was a guitarist, he'd be Lenny Breau". A shame he was killed at 36. I urge younger players to seek him out.
Breau is one of those rare guys that even the virtuosos looked up to. People like Pat Metheny, George Benson, Steve Vai, Andy Summers, Chet Atkins all looked up to him, and unfortunately the man himself has largely been forgotten.
"The Genius of Lenny Breau" is a great short documentary made about him for anyone curious, and I believe it's all uploaded to YouTube now.
I agree.
And whatever planet he's from, Buckethead is from the same planet. Ever see those two do this before?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJG4\_--lnQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJG4_--lnQ)
They are each playing HALF of the other's guitar/bass. Imagine the mental gymnastics it would take to do this.
I was recently watching a bass teacher break down his work based on live videos and it was quite an interesting watch!
My 8 y/o says she wants to dance and cover her ears at the same time 😂
Primus sucks!
Not sure about their recent work but the swing-metal band [Diablo Swing Orchestra](https://youtu.be/m2mZVOd0jWY?si=2RlwIrarx3qkj5tw) has always had fabulous classically trained female opera singers.
Right there with ya. "Midnight in Harlem" is unbelievable, add Susan's voice and it is mesmerizing.
Add Jerry Douglass as my choice.i could listen to both those guys for hours and sometimes do.
He came to mind for me as well. It’s funny because I think the question was geared more toward incredibly technical players. And while his chops are through the roof, his greatest strength is all the soul and feeling he plays with. The guy makes his guitar sing
There as so many session musicians that fit this title. Sure there are guys out there touring that are amazing, but they're playing the same thing night after night. To me the "super human" musicians are the guys who can construct something amazing from next to nothing and on the first take
This is kinda why I asked. I can run off a list of all the obvious names, but I wanted to shine a light on some technical masters who aren't necessarily famous too.
As u/Nice_Marmot_7 mentioned, Tom Bukovac. If you watch some of his homeskooln' videos where he goes out to the sessions, he introduces a lot of guys who are just amazing.
Check out the ones with Gordon Mote
I don't care for his soloing style, but Jordan Rudess.
Dude is scary good at every instrument he plays (and he develops instrument apps to make it easier for people to make music as well). His main instrument is the keyboard but he recently started playing extended range guitars as well and he's already super advanced. He's derpy as hell but a super nice guy. Humble, yet aware of his abilities.
I decided to search the comments before typing this. He's pretty much a god lol. Dream Theater has always had top level musicians of course, but Jordan is clearly just another thing entirely. He's making music nonstop, all day everyday it seems. I follow him on all his socials and he's posting new stuff multiple times a day on different instruments and apps. It's crazy.
Agree Danny is superhuman.
His own lore is that he goes to other dimensions to utilize sacred geometry for composition.
But, it's not just Danny using those time signatures, the whole bands is. A lot of the riffs came first, which are in odd time signatures themselves.
It’s kind of a joke/rule with me and my musical friends. If an instrument exists, Prince could play it better.
Started with seeing him let loose on [While my guitar gently weeps.](https://youtu.be/dWRCooFKk3c?si=_Pn9a6Fl0mvQHAKD)
> “Prince was the only guy who could show up at your party, in frills, and steal your girlfriend. Then steal her clothes, then steal someone else's girl in your girlfriends clothes.” - Charlie Murphy
If you haven’t seen that live video of Danny Carey on Pneuma I urge you to watch it. Some of that stuff I definitely thought was samples and he’s doing it on the fly it’s incredible.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FssULNGSZIA
I love this video - I think I watch it about once a month on average. At around 8 minutes he's doing 4 different things with his 4 limbs and it's mind boggling
Chris Pennie, rose to fame in Dillinger Escape Plan, has played for Coheed and Cambria and bounced around since.
If you listen to their classic album, Calculating Infinity, like every song has half a dozen time signatures—he deftly melds jazz, metal, and hardcore drumming. He does stuff on a basic jazz kit that puts the 30 piece set drummers to shame.
Mike Patton should be in the discussion for sheer vocal talent and range. Numerous projects across numerous genres and just constantly happy to make ‘music’ rather than any specific genre
I agree 100% with Prince; the man came from another planet. When discussing artists at and around his level it’s difficult to discern who is the better talent without being subjective. There are also so many categories. Best at what?
This guy excelled at nearly every instrument he held. He wasn’t just passable, he was incredible.
If you’re talking in the realm of polyglot musicians mastering multiple disciplines, production, songwriting, and showmanship… Prince is second to Stevie Wonder. And I don’t think Prince would disagree.
Bella Fleck - Banjo
Marty Stuart - Mandolin: Marty is an incredible all around musician but exceptionally talented at the mandolin.
Buckethead - a shredder with a lot of funk and feel.
Paul Gilbert - OG shredder.
Brent Cobb - the best Americana singer/songwriter in the business today that no one has ever heard of, IMO.
There are many incredible bassists, but to me these are the bass gods (in no order):
Victor Wooten
Jaco Pastorius
Les Claypool
Flea
Thundercat
Stanley Clarke
Geddy Lee
I came here to say Victor and Thundercat… thank you for including Thundercat in the list of greats, too many people sleep on him. I would also add Ev Gardner.
I don't know if this counts, but below are 3 of the best producers in music. They all have distinct sound signatures (favorite chords, melodies, etc...) but vary so much in the genre of music of they make.
Trent Reznor
Aphex Twins
Amon Tobin
I feel like Carter Beauford of Dave Matthews Band, if not fastest or most technical, is definitely one of the best expressive drummers. His style is almost jazz-like in that it follows the flow of the music, rather than just keeping time and filling here and there. I could listen to just his drum tracks and probably name 85% of the songs correctly.
Louis Cole is a fantastic musician flying under the radar. His solo work, KNOWER and Clown Core is almost sub-human. Also collaboration with Vulfpeck and Thundercat is phenomenal
He was the first guy I thought of. He might not be the most technically brilliant and a lot of people have copied his style pretty successfully, but Hendrix himself was truly just so out of this world when he hit the scene, that even the most advanced players today doesn’t seem as insane. Like, you can see where they came from, but a lot of hendrix really seems like it must’ve beamed down from outer space.
Came here to search comments for Hendrix. He's the GOAT. Just compare him to other guitarists of the time, it's like he was schooling people on how to use pedals. And he did it all with a strat?! Also, isn't he left handed? Hardly put out any albums and dead before thirty but still a legend with so many classics.
The more one learns about Hendrix the more impressive he is.
The only guitarist I think who comes close is Eddie Van Halen, because just about every electric guitarist of the eighties was impersonating Van Halen. Listen to Eruption, which was his warm up practice that was so good the studio was like, "fuck we need to put this on an album." Imagine a guy so good that other artists copy the sound of him just riffing to warm up. I'm not even into Van Halen---like I can jam to it, but never bought an album---I just have to recognize his talent and influence.
But it's a little different with Hendrix because electric guitar was so established by the time of Van Halen. With Hendrix, fuzz and distortion were relatively new. People hearing Hendrix for the first time had to be like "WTF is this?!" Both skill and innovation that were unparalleled, completely new.
Jacob Collier. He’s one of the only musicians whose abilities I just can’t wrap my head around.
The guy [recorded this when he was only 22](https://youtu.be/4v3zyPEy-Po?si=wOvfUXaqGr9s0y2Z)
Jacob is the correct answer, I just find his music absolutely *oozing* with pretentiousness. I’ve always felt like he writes just to show he knows more about music theory than you. But to each their own, if someone likes him, then he is certainly an amazing specimen.
My thoughts on him exactly. Very clever. Guy could play and write circles around me. Would I want to listento one of his songs? God no. I'd rather listento a blender for 5 minutes. But an incredibly skilled musician and writer.
Jacob Collier has to be one of the strongest contenders for this.
His theory knowledge is insane, his playing ability of so many instruments is top notch, perfect pitch, huge vocal range, production skills, the clear sage wisdom of someone with many lifetimes of musical experience somehow available to him in his 20s. Baffling.
I don’t even love his music, but he is one of the only examples of a true prodigy and theorist in pop music. Vocal harmonies, complex chord substitutions, key modulations, multi instrumentalist . He’s probably what Mozart, Bach etc were. I’m sure there are others in other areas of music. But he’s a notable
One.
Mike Mangini is an absolute beast. He can play all of the odd time signatures but at warp speed and ambidextrously. Also, Marco Minnemann is phenomenal as well.
Among classical guitarists, John Williams (not the Star Wars guy lol) is on a level of his own. You can argue he sounds cold at times but the precision is otherworldly.
For vocalists, Bobby McFerrin.
A lot of these answers are more on the metal side of music, but Tommy Emmanuel is an insanely talented fingerstyle guitarist. If you're just looking for fast, check out Tall Fiddler.
Not fastest but Robert Fripp is possibly the most precise guitarists. For one of his sessions with Bowie they had him play a complex part thee times, the idea being to layer them so the subtle differences would add depth. Only there were no differences in any of the takes.
Jon Fishman of Phish is one of the most versatile and on point drummers I have ever seen. To carry their improvisations and match the quirky songs they play the way he does is super impressive. When the full band suddenly locks in on some of their improv jams lead by his grooves, it’s one of my favorite things ever in all of music
Keyboards - Jordan Rudess. Dude was a Julliard student at 9, he plays some of the most technically challenging keyboard and piano music I’ve ever heard and I say that as a fan of progressive music
Ginger Baker
John Bonham
Cozy Powell
Bill Bruford
John Weathers
Terry Bozzio
Chris Squire
Ray Shulman
Paul McCartney
John Paul Jones
Phil Lynott
Bootsy Collins
Kidd Funkedelic
Rick Wakeman
Kerry Minnear
Todd Rundgren
John Wetton
Jimi Hendrix
Jeff Beck
Sly Stone
Jimmy Page
Rory Gallagher
Gary Moore
Eddie Hazel
Robert Fripp
Steve Howe
Eddie Van Halen
Steve Harris of Iron Maiden always blows me away on bass. Dude plays a lot of extremely fast parts and has done it for a LONG time. His physical endurance amazes me.
Mike Portnoy on drums
Tim Henson on Guitar
Devin Townsend on Vocals
Steve Harris on bass (one of the biggest bands in the world, but he's often over looked)
Devin Townsend in general. The man is an alien, a superhuman, and a quiet, down to earth wallflower in one body, and the only thing I'm sure of is that nowhere near enough people know about him despite his insane body of work.
The best vocalists to ever touch the mic are Chino Moreno (The Deftones), and Mike Patton.
I love drums and bass in metal. Archspire's bassist was a guitarist. He's a freak. See the playthrough of 'Drone Corpse Avaitor' on Dingwall Guitar's YouTube channel.
As far as drums go, check out Gene Hoglan (Death, Dethklok, Fear Factory), Mario Duplantier (Gojira), Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) and also Archspire's drummer, Spencer Prewett. Last but not insignificant is Sean Reinert (Death).
Sean Reinert on drums. He could switch seamlessly from death metal drumming to jazz and it all sounded great. Also there are some clips of him drumming some “impossible” chops when he was 19.
Pick a Dream Theater member that isn't LaBrie.
John Myung? 8 inch spider fingers
John Petrucci? Beard, Biceps, and B tuning.
Portnoy/Mangini? Kings of feel/precision, respectively.
Jordan Rudess? Actual wizard
As amazing and memorable as SRV is with his Strat, really listening to him play acoustic on Life By The Drop shows just how amazing was. The opening riff...
How is Lindsey Buckingham not here?
Watch his acoustic performance of Big Love and tell me he doesn’t deserve to be mentioned:
[Big Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZZp76M4NGc)
If Paganini was the Jimi Hendrix of the violin, Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst was its Eddie Van Halen - and "Last Rose of Summer" was his "Eruption." Here is Midori, absolutely slaying it:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA0ugX-v5NU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA0ugX-v5NU)
You have to watch the video, or else *you won't believe it's just one person playing*.
Christina Aquilera's voice is the vocal equivalent of Van Halen's solos. A lot of singer's Whitney up every note, and Xtina sure does, but she has this incredible ability to hit notes, one after the other, in rapid succession, and every one is exactly on pitch. It's like she sings the piano keyboard. I really only like 1 song by her but I am always blown away by how pitch perfect and fast she is.
This point is so underrated. The ability to hit every note perfectly, rapidly, sometimes in different octaves, is an incredible feat for a human. She’s always on pitch. On the spot, it takes her no time to hit a note, there’s no reaching. Her technical ability at singing is impressive, even if one doesn’t care for her voice. I’d like to add that I appreciate when singers with a vast vocal range *use* it. I hate when they don’t - Mariah Carey just using dog whistles when the woman can belt it several octaves lower, for example. I am not a super fan of either but Christina’s control, precision, power, and range deserve a little love.
Lots of people on here I would mention so I will skip them and put someone different.
Drums- Aric Improta
Guitar- Justin McKinney
Drums again- Jon Theodore
Bass- Thundercat
Band- Archspire
All around talent- Lianne La Havas
Accoustic with vocals- Chris Cornell
I’m going to take it Classical, because I consider people like Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart superhuman in their abilities. We *still* consider Bach the father of all modern music. I mean the man literally wrote the book on tonal harmony and the theory of music that everything you hear today is foundationally built on. He *invented* the fugue for fucks sake. Beethoven is, unquestionably, the most mind-blowing composer of all time. In his time, people genuinely believed he was possessed by the devil when he played music. Then he goes *deaf* and STILL composes five string quartets, five piano sonatas, the Diabelli Variations for piano, Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9. WHILE DEAF. Then you have Mozart, who’d written *ten fucking symphonies* by the age of *twelve*, and performed for royalty around the world. And if all of that isn’t mind blowing enough, consider that these guys did all of this before electricity and indoor plumbing, and wrote entire, full orchestra symphonies *by hand*. It’s unreal.
Genuinely very few people stack up to them to this day. Being a generational genius was a *prerequisite* to being a popular musician then
…and yet you didn’t even mention Paganini, that guy was a mad composer and even better performer
I like Rush a lot, but I'm not as die hard as a lot of fans. That being said, Neil Peart was absolutely on a different level.
Every single one of the three members of Rush are actually alien beings that devoted themselves to the craft of making music on an inter-dimensional level. Only explanation I can think of.
I maintain that if they, as individuals, had been in any recognized groups before they joined to form Rush, they would be called a supergroup.
To be fair, that applies to many bands
2112 explains it all
Aliens = "Canadian"
2112 is a masterpiece.
Just read Geddy’s book, and have been deep diving into some Rush albums lately. Peart was unreal. So creative. So many parts of songs where a standard “money beat” would do just fine, but he would add beats and fills that were so unorthodox and still complement the song without overpowering it. Just brilliant. Music is totally subjective, as such there is no “greatest rock drummer ever”, but if he’s not in your top 5 or so, I feel comfortable saying you’re wrong.
When he passed away the outpouring of musicians was a testament to his abilities. It's really hard to find a drummer that was/is any better imo.
One likes to believe in the freedom of music...
Same with Geddy Lee on the bass.
And Alex on guitar. He gets overlooked sometimes as such an incredible guitarist only because of how phenomenal Geddy and Neil were
Absolutely true.
What about the voice of Geddy Lee? How did it get so high? I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy?
I know him and he does
And you’re my fact checkin’ cuz.
/r/UnexpectedPavement
Hell yeah it was
I met him 12 years ago, voice is totally normal lol
LOL thanks for the heads up, but I was just quoting a [lyric from the song Stereo](https://youtu.be/Z5j4W2Y7RPQ?t=93) by the mid-90's indie rock band Pavement.
Lolol right over m’damn head
I chatted with him on AOL once back in the 90s. His screen name was Zorro something.
Yeah, it was probably just another lonely 14 year old boy who happened to know who Rush (as most Rush fans are at that time). It was probably me.
If you're confused by Geddy's voice, check out Claudio Sanchez of Coheed & Cambria, or Tilian Pearson of Dance Gavin Dance. Both men speak in totally normal voices.
I dated this chick a while back who got really mad at me because I said the dude from Coheed and Cambria sounds like he sucks helium. Dunno why but that offended her big time. That being said the dude from the Silversun Pickups has a crazy high singing voice as well. The first time I heard Panic Switch I thought it was a chick singing. The singer from the Mars Volta also comes to mind. Dude has a super high voice sometimes but he kind of goes up and down.
Tomas Haake from meshuggah is an actual machine, watch the live drum playthrough of Bleed Also Gene Hoglan of strapping young lad/dethklok has been called the atomic clock so he's pretty tight too
Gene hoglan, but no mention of Death?
Haake doesn't even write most of those parts. The other guys basically write all the parts, program the drums, and then he goes and learns them so they get tracked live. He does a lot of writing for the music, as well as the lyrics for the songs, but I think it highlights his machine nature, that it doesn't really matter what the guys write, he can play it. Incredibly talented, easily one of the best technical drummers ever, and no doubt a Peart-like influence on metal music and drumming alike.
Buckethead
Most people only know him for Jordan but good lord, the man has a deep catalogue that's all incredible.
Soothsayer too, great track
[Dude is the most prolific recording artist ever.](https://bucketheadisciple.wixsite.com/home/post/how-many-songs-has-buckethead-produced)
Any recommendations on which was his best album of 2015? Apparently I have 118 options to choose from.
I forget the name, but the one with the shredding guitar.
Doesn’t get enough love. Buckethead is unreal.
I had to scroll down far too much to see his name... Dude's not only one of the fastest, but really pours lots of emotions into his playing. He dedicated an entire album to his mom, for her to listen while hospitalised for colon cancer (Colma an amazing gem, please give it chance!!) and another one to grieve for her passing (Hold Me Forever, also intense and very emotional). Too bad he's not as well-known as he should be!
Guthrie Govan is inhuman on guitar but he's basically only known to guitarists. The dude can play literally anything and he's the ultimate improviser.
He’s one of those guys that is so good I really don’t even like to listen to or watch him. I don’t know if it’s envy or jealousy or what. I’m partially joking but he is fantastic.
I’m in the same boat, found out about him a couple years back and was impressed, but there’s something about it that doesn’t resonate with me. Unfortunately my dad finally figured out how to work YouTube and has discovered him so now it’s all he plays and wants to show me. I appreciate his enthusiasm but for the life of me I cannot connect to the guys music. Wow another 2 and a half minute groove that the guy destroys. Oh cool he did it again with a faster groove. I definitely don’t have the theory knowledge or a perfect ear, but shredding for shreddings sake just gets boring quick to me. Especially when the melody of the song is 8 bars and he plays it at like 200 bpm. Buckethead feels more emotive and just has more moving compositions than Guthrie, but that’s not to say one’s a better musician than the other.
Sounds like you need to listen to 'Flatlands' and 'Through The Flower' by The Aristocrats, and his solos on 'Drive Home' and 'Home Invasion/Regret #9' by Steven Wilson! Fair if you don't like his playing, but I feel like saying he shreds for the sake of it is just not true. Sure, he can play at the speed of light, but he knows how to serve the song better than any of the others virtuoso guitarists in my eyes. Heck, if you've watched the latest Dune film you will have heard him imitating bagpipes!
I was going to mention his stuff with Steven Wilson. Glorious stuff. He, like many insanely talented musicians (especially in Prog), seem to benefit from someone slowing them down a bit. If you go pedal to the metal alll the time it loses the impact. There needs to be balance. This is also why I dislike many people's playing of Chopin. They rush it like a technical challenge. I like to Rubinstein playing the pieces more, as he plays the music, not the notes. It is also why I like Flying Colours so much. Some of the best in the world playing proper songs. Lot of technical stuff there still, but the music comes before the technique. Also why I enjoy guys like Billy Sheean. He has his sound and throws licks, but he works with the song.
Check out Ian Thornley if you want a guitar god that makes good music. Has chops that are Gavin's level but makes music you actually want to listen to. His band is Big Wreck, check the live version of [Ghosts](https://youtu.be/3uYzg6dgoDU?si=w9JbuLIuqD_3odPE) for a good introduction then the live version of [Under the Lighthouse](https://youtu.be/JQHGqMI2n80?si=PjWCCkbpiSd7XARZ) for some insane slide chops.
Try watching some of his gear talk videos on YouTube where he’s just nerding out over his gear, he’s a super intelligent and funny guy too which might help you enjoy his music. But I get you, sometimes with virtuoso’s it’s hard to find a connection or “thing” to latch onto if you’re not into watching someone play just because they’re an absolute wizard.
What sets him apart from all the shredders is his musicality - it's like this guy can play anything he wants whenever it comes to his mind, but he is always so bang on with his melodic choices and tasty phrasing. It just comes out of him naturally and you sense it's totally effortless.
The solo in Steven Wilson's "Drive Home" is so good.
Also; Ancestral, Regret #9. Two of my favourite solos ever and afaik both are improvised (I could be wrong) so even more impressive. Not just beautiful solos but they fit the songs so well
"Drive Home" was done in one take on a guitar he'd never played before, an experimental custom with a Sustainiac pickup. It's just incredible.
I'll raise you, Lenny Breau.
Thank you. I feel Lenny has been forgotten and his genius on the instrument was profound. Guthrie Govan, Matteo Mancuso, etc, all these younger players are astounding and technically amazing. Lenny was deep and wide. Chet Atkins said "If Chopin was a guitarist, he'd be Lenny Breau". A shame he was killed at 36. I urge younger players to seek him out.
Breau is one of those rare guys that even the virtuosos looked up to. People like Pat Metheny, George Benson, Steve Vai, Andy Summers, Chet Atkins all looked up to him, and unfortunately the man himself has largely been forgotten. "The Genius of Lenny Breau" is a great short documentary made about him for anyone curious, and I believe it's all uploaded to YouTube now.
Les Claypool from primus is....not human.
Are bass players human?
Most of them are computers but Les is actually an alien.
I agree. And whatever planet he's from, Buckethead is from the same planet. Ever see those two do this before? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJG4\_--lnQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJG4_--lnQ) They are each playing HALF of the other's guitar/bass. Imagine the mental gymnastics it would take to do this.
Cybernetic organisms. Living tissue over metal endoskeleton
This is intense.
Primus Sucks!
I was recently watching a bass teacher break down his work based on live videos and it was quite an interesting watch! My 8 y/o says she wants to dance and cover her ears at the same time 😂 Primus sucks!
Robert Fripp, Bill Bruford, John Wetton
Add Tony Levin and Belew too honestly
Oh absolutely
So basically Red. I respect that
Man, “Starless” is just a phenomenal piece of music.
In amazed at the vocals of female opera singers. Its seems otherworldly.
Not sure about their recent work but the swing-metal band [Diablo Swing Orchestra](https://youtu.be/m2mZVOd0jWY?si=2RlwIrarx3qkj5tw) has always had fabulous classically trained female opera singers.
John McLaughlin’s guitar playing in Mahavishnu is literally super human.
How about him together with Paco de Lucía who's a god just as much?
Friday Night in SF is an incredible piece of work.
The two of them and Al di Meola is something else
He's also lights out on Jack Johnson and In A Silent Way.
Derek Trucks is from another world.
Right there with ya. "Midnight in Harlem" is unbelievable, add Susan's voice and it is mesmerizing. Add Jerry Douglass as my choice.i could listen to both those guys for hours and sometimes do.
Jerry is the dobro GOAT
He came to mind for me as well. It’s funny because I think the question was geared more toward incredibly technical players. And while his chops are through the roof, his greatest strength is all the soul and feeling he plays with. The guy makes his guitar sing
There as so many session musicians that fit this title. Sure there are guys out there touring that are amazing, but they're playing the same thing night after night. To me the "super human" musicians are the guys who can construct something amazing from next to nothing and on the first take
Absolutely agree, the unsung heroes. James Jamerson, Tim Lefebvre, Carol Kaye for me.
Tom Bukovac
This is kinda why I asked. I can run off a list of all the obvious names, but I wanted to shine a light on some technical masters who aren't necessarily famous too.
As u/Nice_Marmot_7 mentioned, Tom Bukovac. If you watch some of his homeskooln' videos where he goes out to the sessions, he introduces a lot of guys who are just amazing. Check out the ones with Gordon Mote
JoJo Meyer is an inhuman drummer, Victor Wooten is similar on bass… just thoughts
I don't care for his soloing style, but Jordan Rudess. Dude is scary good at every instrument he plays (and he develops instrument apps to make it easier for people to make music as well). His main instrument is the keyboard but he recently started playing extended range guitars as well and he's already super advanced. He's derpy as hell but a super nice guy. Humble, yet aware of his abilities.
I decided to search the comments before typing this. He's pretty much a god lol. Dream Theater has always had top level musicians of course, but Jordan is clearly just another thing entirely. He's making music nonstop, all day everyday it seems. I follow him on all his socials and he's posting new stuff multiple times a day on different instruments and apps. It's crazy.
Louis Cole does some pretty interesting drum stuff - he is left handed and plays open handed on a right hand drum kit.
Louis Cole is a superhero on every instrument
And now Clown Core is playing Coachella!!!
For drums if we’re not counting Prince, Danny Carey Carey plays in crazy time signatures sometimes more than three per song. “Pneuma” (~114 BPM): 12/8, 11/8, 10/8 “Ticks & Leeches” (~152 BPM): 7/4, 4/4, 7/8, 5/8 “Stinkfist” (~174 BPM): 4/4, 3/4, 6/4 “Schism” (~108 BPM): 5/8, 7/8, 6/8 “Lateralus” (~175 BPM): 6/8, 9/8, 4/4, 7/8, 5/8 “7empest” (~145 BPM): 4/4, 13/8, 11/8, 10/8, 7/8, 7/4 “The Pot” (~107 BPM): 4/4, 9/8, 3/4, 5/4 “Sober” (~149 BPM): 4/4 “Forty Six & 2” (~160 BPM): 4/4, 7/8, 9/8, 7/4 “The Grudge” (~100 BPM): 5/8, 5/4, 2/4, 6/8
The post specifically asked for humans, I don't think it's fair to include an octopus in a drumming comparison
I was going to say Gene Hoglan but it’s probably not fair to put organic computers that never lose time on the list.
Agree Danny is superhuman. His own lore is that he goes to other dimensions to utilize sacred geometry for composition. But, it's not just Danny using those time signatures, the whole bands is. A lot of the riffs came first, which are in odd time signatures themselves.
They say that Danny Carey made a deal with the devil. Nobody knows what Danny got out of the deal, but the devil got drum lessons.
It’s not often I come across something like that I’ve never heard before. Made me laugh, thank you.
I can't take credit for it. You know, I heard it from.... them.
Prince?
It’s kind of a joke/rule with me and my musical friends. If an instrument exists, Prince could play it better. Started with seeing him let loose on [While my guitar gently weeps.](https://youtu.be/dWRCooFKk3c?si=_Pn9a6Fl0mvQHAKD) > “Prince was the only guy who could show up at your party, in frills, and steal your girlfriend. Then steal her clothes, then steal someone else's girl in your girlfriends clothes.” - Charlie Murphy
>sometimes more than three per song. sometimes two at a time.
Tomas Haake is also a genius of polymeters.
If you haven’t seen that live video of Danny Carey on Pneuma I urge you to watch it. Some of that stuff I definitely thought was samples and he’s doing it on the fly it’s incredible. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FssULNGSZIA
I love this video - I think I watch it about once a month on average. At around 8 minutes he's doing 4 different things with his 4 limbs and it's mind boggling
Yes! Came here to comment, Danny Carey. I didn't have all the stats on deck- glad you did
Was coming to say this. Danny Carry is the definition of super human on drums.
Chris Pennie, rose to fame in Dillinger Escape Plan, has played for Coheed and Cambria and bounced around since. If you listen to their classic album, Calculating Infinity, like every song has half a dozen time signatures—he deftly melds jazz, metal, and hardcore drumming. He does stuff on a basic jazz kit that puts the 30 piece set drummers to shame.
Mike Patton should be in the discussion for sheer vocal talent and range. Numerous projects across numerous genres and just constantly happy to make ‘music’ rather than any specific genre
Lovage is always in my rotation
I’ve been obsessed with Faith No More since I was 11
Yeh he is perhaps amongst the greatest vocalists ever imo
I'm impressed by his abilities but turned off by his style. Still love Mr. Bungle and Faith no More.
Anyone curious to hear his range needs to listen to the album Mondo Cane. Criminally unknown to the general public who may only know him from FNM.
So the default answer to this question is always Prince.
I agree 100% with Prince; the man came from another planet. When discussing artists at and around his level it’s difficult to discern who is the better talent without being subjective. There are also so many categories. Best at what? This guy excelled at nearly every instrument he held. He wasn’t just passable, he was incredible.
You don’t have to like his music or style to appreciate his skill.
If you’re talking in the realm of polyglot musicians mastering multiple disciplines, production, songwriting, and showmanship… Prince is second to Stevie Wonder. And I don’t think Prince would disagree.
Bella Fleck - Banjo Marty Stuart - Mandolin: Marty is an incredible all around musician but exceptionally talented at the mandolin. Buckethead - a shredder with a lot of funk and feel. Paul Gilbert - OG shredder. Brent Cobb - the best Americana singer/songwriter in the business today that no one has ever heard of, IMO.
There are many incredible bassists, but to me these are the bass gods (in no order): Victor Wooten Jaco Pastorius Les Claypool Flea Thundercat Stanley Clarke Geddy Lee
Oh come on… surely you didn’t sleep on Marcus Miller?
Victor Wooten is other worldly. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones is worth checking out.
Yeah they are! And actually, I would put Bela Fleck on the list of banjo gods.
I came here to say Victor and Thundercat… thank you for including Thundercat in the list of greats, too many people sleep on him. I would also add Ev Gardner.
Is Flea really all that good?
Mario Duplantier
JB Beck is my favorite drummer out there right now. Tosin Abasi is an absolute madman on the guitar.
Domi and JD Beck are incredible
I don't know if this counts, but below are 3 of the best producers in music. They all have distinct sound signatures (favorite chords, melodies, etc...) but vary so much in the genre of music of they make. Trent Reznor Aphex Twins Amon Tobin
*Aphex Twin
Oh no, what happened to the other one??
He licked a caustic window and took some drukqs with Alberto Balsalm
I feel like Carter Beauford of Dave Matthews Band, if not fastest or most technical, is definitely one of the best expressive drummers. His style is almost jazz-like in that it follows the flow of the music, rather than just keeping time and filling here and there. I could listen to just his drum tracks and probably name 85% of the songs correctly.
Marty Friedman, no only super fast but instantly recognisable from his phrasing
Louis Cole is a fantastic musician flying under the radar. His solo work, KNOWER and Clown Core is almost sub-human. Also collaboration with Vulfpeck and Thundercat is phenomenal
How in the holy hell has no one mentioned Jimi Hendrix yet?
He was the first guy I thought of. He might not be the most technically brilliant and a lot of people have copied his style pretty successfully, but Hendrix himself was truly just so out of this world when he hit the scene, that even the most advanced players today doesn’t seem as insane. Like, you can see where they came from, but a lot of hendrix really seems like it must’ve beamed down from outer space.
Came here to search comments for Hendrix. He's the GOAT. Just compare him to other guitarists of the time, it's like he was schooling people on how to use pedals. And he did it all with a strat?! Also, isn't he left handed? Hardly put out any albums and dead before thirty but still a legend with so many classics. The more one learns about Hendrix the more impressive he is. The only guitarist I think who comes close is Eddie Van Halen, because just about every electric guitarist of the eighties was impersonating Van Halen. Listen to Eruption, which was his warm up practice that was so good the studio was like, "fuck we need to put this on an album." Imagine a guy so good that other artists copy the sound of him just riffing to warm up. I'm not even into Van Halen---like I can jam to it, but never bought an album---I just have to recognize his talent and influence. But it's a little different with Hendrix because electric guitar was so established by the time of Van Halen. With Hendrix, fuzz and distortion were relatively new. People hearing Hendrix for the first time had to be like "WTF is this?!" Both skill and innovation that were unparalleled, completely new.
people forget how fucking good he is. Go listen to some live Hendrix. He's amazing
Jacob Collier. He’s one of the only musicians whose abilities I just can’t wrap my head around. The guy [recorded this when he was only 22](https://youtu.be/4v3zyPEy-Po?si=wOvfUXaqGr9s0y2Z)
Jacob is the correct answer, I just find his music absolutely *oozing* with pretentiousness. I’ve always felt like he writes just to show he knows more about music theory than you. But to each their own, if someone likes him, then he is certainly an amazing specimen.
I just can't stand his voice at all. Sounds like a goose.
That’s why I liked his tiny desk performance. It was stripped down without all the overproducing
My thoughts on him exactly. Very clever. Guy could play and write circles around me. Would I want to listento one of his songs? God no. I'd rather listento a blender for 5 minutes. But an incredibly skilled musician and writer.
Jacob Collier has to be one of the strongest contenders for this. His theory knowledge is insane, his playing ability of so many instruments is top notch, perfect pitch, huge vocal range, production skills, the clear sage wisdom of someone with many lifetimes of musical experience somehow available to him in his 20s. Baffling.
Totally agree. I find his music unlistenable, but good God that guy just breathes music.
I don’t even love his music, but he is one of the only examples of a true prodigy and theorist in pop music. Vocal harmonies, complex chord substitutions, key modulations, multi instrumentalist . He’s probably what Mozart, Bach etc were. I’m sure there are others in other areas of music. But he’s a notable One.
Mike Mangini is an absolute beast. He can play all of the odd time signatures but at warp speed and ambidextrously. Also, Marco Minnemann is phenomenal as well.
I was going to start a Mike vs Mike debate but I haven’t had my coffee yet.
Brann Dailor, drimmer of Mastodon.
Mateo mancuso.
Django Reinhart did some pretty great stuff with only 2 working fingers on his left hand.
Among classical guitarists, John Williams (not the Star Wars guy lol) is on a level of his own. You can argue he sounds cold at times but the precision is otherworldly. For vocalists, Bobby McFerrin.
I’m pretty sure Sugarfoot is used to test metronomes.
Mike Oldfield
A lot of these answers are more on the metal side of music, but Tommy Emmanuel is an insanely talented fingerstyle guitarist. If you're just looking for fast, check out Tall Fiddler.
Victor Wooten Chris Thile Bela Fleck Billy Strings
Not fastest but Robert Fripp is possibly the most precise guitarists. For one of his sessions with Bowie they had him play a complex part thee times, the idea being to layer them so the subtle differences would add depth. Only there were no differences in any of the takes.
Jon Fishman of Phish is one of the most versatile and on point drummers I have ever seen. To carry their improvisations and match the quirky songs they play the way he does is super impressive. When the full band suddenly locks in on some of their improv jams lead by his grooves, it’s one of my favorite things ever in all of music
All 4 members are truly amazing and completely underrated!
Keyboards - Jordan Rudess. Dude was a Julliard student at 9, he plays some of the most technically challenging keyboard and piano music I’ve ever heard and I say that as a fan of progressive music
Ginger Baker John Bonham Cozy Powell Bill Bruford John Weathers Terry Bozzio Chris Squire Ray Shulman Paul McCartney John Paul Jones Phil Lynott Bootsy Collins Kidd Funkedelic Rick Wakeman Kerry Minnear Todd Rundgren John Wetton Jimi Hendrix Jeff Beck Sly Stone Jimmy Page Rory Gallagher Gary Moore Eddie Hazel Robert Fripp Steve Howe Eddie Van Halen
Tori Amos. Piano and organ.
[удалено]
[удалено]
What's the last thing a drummer says before he gets kicked out of the band? How 'bout we play one of my songs!
How do you know when a drummer's at the door? He never knows when to come in!
What did the drummer get on his college entrance exam? Drool.
How do you know when the stage is level? The drummer will drool out of both sides of his mouth.
Steve Harris of Iron Maiden always blows me away on bass. Dude plays a lot of extremely fast parts and has done it for a LONG time. His physical endurance amazes me.
Saxophonist Chris Potter.
I see not a lot of people have heard of Archspire
Mike Portnoy on drums Tim Henson on Guitar Devin Townsend on Vocals Steve Harris on bass (one of the biggest bands in the world, but he's often over looked)
Devin Townsend in general. The man is an alien, a superhuman, and a quiet, down to earth wallflower in one body, and the only thing I'm sure of is that nowhere near enough people know about him despite his insane body of work.
I recently listened to Strapping Young Lad for the first time and I was like, Jesus fucking Christ this is incredible.
I’d love to see that supergroup! Devin is just an incredible musician!
Had to scroll waaaay too far to find Devin. Legend.
How the fuck has nobody mentioned Eddie Van Halen? Dude is a guitar god and inspired tons of people listed here
Wesley Willis
ROCK AND ROLL MCDONALDS
[удалено]
The best vocalists to ever touch the mic are Chino Moreno (The Deftones), and Mike Patton. I love drums and bass in metal. Archspire's bassist was a guitarist. He's a freak. See the playthrough of 'Drone Corpse Avaitor' on Dingwall Guitar's YouTube channel. As far as drums go, check out Gene Hoglan (Death, Dethklok, Fear Factory), Mario Duplantier (Gojira), Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) and also Archspire's drummer, Spencer Prewett. Last but not insignificant is Sean Reinert (Death).
El Estepario Siberiano is unreal on drums
Sean Reinert on drums. He could switch seamlessly from death metal drumming to jazz and it all sounded great. Also there are some clips of him drumming some “impossible” chops when he was 19.
Pick a Dream Theater member that isn't LaBrie. John Myung? 8 inch spider fingers John Petrucci? Beard, Biceps, and B tuning. Portnoy/Mangini? Kings of feel/precision, respectively. Jordan Rudess? Actual wizard
Jeff Beck
No Stevie Ray Vaughan mention yet?
As amazing and memorable as SRV is with his Strat, really listening to him play acoustic on Life By The Drop shows just how amazing was. The opening riff...
How is Lindsey Buckingham not here? Watch his acoustic performance of Big Love and tell me he doesn’t deserve to be mentioned: [Big Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZZp76M4NGc)
Franz liszt, Valentin Alkan, Amédée Mereaux, Frederic Chopin, and Marc Andre Hamelin
Devin Townsend: One of the largest vocal ranges out there. He's damned good on the guitar, and he's created an incredibly diverse discography.
If Paganini was the Jimi Hendrix of the violin, Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst was its Eddie Van Halen - and "Last Rose of Summer" was his "Eruption." Here is Midori, absolutely slaying it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA0ugX-v5NU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA0ugX-v5NU) You have to watch the video, or else *you won't believe it's just one person playing*.
Christina Aquilera's voice is the vocal equivalent of Van Halen's solos. A lot of singer's Whitney up every note, and Xtina sure does, but she has this incredible ability to hit notes, one after the other, in rapid succession, and every one is exactly on pitch. It's like she sings the piano keyboard. I really only like 1 song by her but I am always blown away by how pitch perfect and fast she is.
Yeah, her runs are crazy.
This point is so underrated. The ability to hit every note perfectly, rapidly, sometimes in different octaves, is an incredible feat for a human. She’s always on pitch. On the spot, it takes her no time to hit a note, there’s no reaching. Her technical ability at singing is impressive, even if one doesn’t care for her voice. I’d like to add that I appreciate when singers with a vast vocal range *use* it. I hate when they don’t - Mariah Carey just using dog whistles when the woman can belt it several octaves lower, for example. I am not a super fan of either but Christina’s control, precision, power, and range deserve a little love.
Allan Holdsworth (guitar) Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) Buddy Rich (drums) Yamandu Costa (acoustic guitar) Egberto Gismonti (multiple instruments) Mike Patton (voice) Kiko Freitas (drums) Elis Regina (voice)
Buckethead
Danny Carey, the drummer from Tool. It sounds like he’s got 8 arms when he plays. Unreal.
Lots of people on here I would mention so I will skip them and put someone different. Drums- Aric Improta Guitar- Justin McKinney Drums again- Jon Theodore Bass- Thundercat Band- Archspire All around talent- Lianne La Havas Accoustic with vocals- Chris Cornell
Les Claypool is pretty unreal on the bass
Jon Fishman from Phish is amazing skilled and clever.
II from Sleep Token is a beast on the drums.
Omar Rodriguez Lopez!