Seated on a stool, with his feet dangling inches above the ground, 9-year-old Maituo Junxi Lu sat with his guitar in his lap.
With impressive skill beyond his years, Maituo played a blues-style improvisation, making the guitar sing as he played around the classic blues scale. Maituo not only played blues guitar to a standard that a professional adult would be proud of but also grooved to the music as he played, giving a heartfelt performance that Music Man fans will love.
It is safe to say that online viewers of the video, which has received over 900k views in only two months, were astonished by Maituo’s playing. Viewers couldn’t believe that someone so young could play the blues with so much heart. Many left humorous comments about his age, such as “Young master plays the blues because he remembers dropped ice cream and melted chocolates.” Others simply appreciated the power of music, one viewer commenting, “Music speaks to the soul, and the soul replies.”
As if all that wasn’t impressive enough, Maituo is known not only for his blues talent but also for playing many other styles of music on the guitar, showing a versatility we know our Music Man readers love to see. In videos posted on his YouTube channel, Maituo can be seen playing rock, classical, and jazz guitar styles and covering artists such as Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, and Steve Vai. At only nine years of age, it’s clear how much practice Maituo has put into becoming so proficient at the craft.
Of course, one of Maituo’s most impressive skills is his improvisational abilities, which he has also displayed over various genres. One popular video on his channel is of him playing shred metal guitar – something Music Man readers will not want to miss. With an Ibanez guitar that was almost as big as him seated in his lap, Maituo proved his rock guitar abilities, his fingers once again flying over the fretboard as he finished his performance with a perfect whammy.
Watching child prodigies like Maituo play can sometimes make musicians feel inadequate or as if they should be further along in their craft. One viewer even commented on one of his videos, “Yeah, I might give up on guitar and become an electrician instead.” However, there are also those who leave insightful comments such as “Never do anything to be the best because you’ll always lose. Play guitar to play music.”
In the end, most commenters noted Maituo’s emotional connection to the music rather than his technique itself. Perhaps, rather than feeling inadequate, Maituo’s virtuosity can remind us to reconnect with our inner child when we approach our craft, and that expressiveness through music can often be the most valuable skill we have.