Watch Miguel Rivera’s Fingerstyle Cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” — Video Finds

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Here’s a masterful take on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” from acoustic guitarist Miguel Rivera that was uploaded today, June 22.

We’ll let Rivera explain the background of his percussive/fingerstyle cover:

“I decided to start working [on] this arrangement because it was a great challenge. When you listen to the chorus of the original song, you can hear the main riff (recorded by Steve Lukather) together with the Michael's vocal melody and, of course, drums, bass and other instruments.”

”My objective was to play all [of these parts] together: the main riff, the vocal melody and the percussion part. I had to find the proper tuning and make good use of the harmonics, but in the end I got it.”

It’s an impressive arrangement right down to the Eddie Van Halen-inspired solo.

Check out the video below, and follow Rivera on Facebook here.

Acoustic Nation
Acoustic Nation

Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.