Anyone who subscribes to Ichika Nito on YouTube knows the sheer insanity of the content he produces. From his knockout jams with the likes of Polyphia's Tim Henson and Covet's Yvette Young, to his killer sub-one-minute meme-like soundbites, he sets a personal bar every time.
Now, you might be under the illusion that for a guitar to be playable, it needs six strings. Well, as Ichika proves in one of his latest videos, such a notion is nonsense.
The video – entitled 'When you need to do an audition, but have only 1 string' – sees the Japanese virtuoso deliver an exhibition of clean shred using only the high E string, following a challenge from one of his fans.
In only 30 seconds, he implements almost everything in his math-rock-meets-neo-soul playbook, from rhythmic, time-signature-shifting picking lines to jaw-dropping two-handed tapping passages.
As Seven Nation Army proves, single-string guitar riffs remain an excellent entry point for aspiring guitarists. Yet as Ichika shows, there's boundless potential for experienced players on one string, too.
To check out more from Ichika Nito, head over to his YouTube channel.
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