Amanda Seyfried’s musical pedigree has never been in doubt – anyone who has watched her belt out ABBA in either of the Mamma Mia movies can attest to that – but while her stellar vocal chops are common knowledge, her skills with stringed instruments are less so.
That no longer seems to be the case, though, after the Hollywood star appeared on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon to cover a Joni Mitchell classic while strumming away on a dulcimer.
When asked if she played any instruments to go along with her voice, Seyfried reveals she plays both the guitar and the dulcimer – an acoustic lap-style string instrument that she learned during the pandemic.
Of course, show business being show business, Fallon is able to produce an actual, mic’d up, headstock tuner-equipped mountain dulcimer from underneath his desk, which Seyfried uses to play California by Joni Mitchell.
As Seyfried notes, the cover is rather fitting: Mitchell is famously a dulcimer player herself, and used the instrument to write and play a number tracks from Blue, including California.
Indeed, Mitchell’s use of the dulcimer on that hugely influential record was something of a big deal, and introduced many listeners to its ethereal tones for the first time.
That album – and by extension that instrument – has directly influenced generations of musicians, with the dulcimer’s feathery character and jangly charm serving as a bedrock for Blue.
Unsurprisingly, Seyfried nails the cover and makes light work of the dulcimer, alternating between full chord strums via the open tuning, and thumb-picked arpeggiated lines. Fallon, naturally, is full of praise: “Are you kidding me? That was amazing.”
Now we just need to see Seyfried shred a guitar solo over a glam pop anthem in Mamma Mia 3 and we can all go home happy.
Fallon’s show is something of a stomping ground when it comes to high-profile celebrities showing off their instrumental chops. Back in 2019, Cara Delevigne revealed she could play guitar… by ripping on a Gibson SG behind her head.
Later on, comedian Fred Armisen showed off his acoustic nous when he demonstrated the strumming styles of the world.
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