It will interest you to know that millions of Michael Jackson’s diehard fans all over the world are asking the same question: could Michael Jackson play the Guitar? This is a mystery to a lot of people. Why don’t you keep reading to find out if our beloved MJ was just a vocalist or could do so much more including play the guitar!

In a nutshell, MJ couldn’t play the guitar. Michael Jackson had a rudimentary knowledge of some musical instruments! On the web, there are photos of MJ with musical instruments, that is not to say he could play them. Of course, MJ could play around with instruments, but he wasn’t great at playing them – the guitar included.

You may be wondering, if MJ couldn’t play the guitar, are there other instruments he could play? The answer is definitely yes!

He wasn’t an instrumentalist, but he could play other instruments

MJ could play percussion and the drums, but he couldn’t play the piano and the guitar. In a Livestream with Taj Jackson, MJ’s nephew, that was held on March 18, 2020, Taj said “This has been a mystery to a lot of people. He would sing a song and its parts to the musicians. He wasn’t very good at playing the instruments to the songs. He could tap on the keyboards and get around, just like anyone could, but he didn’t know how to play the piano or a guitar.

He didn’t need to because the music was all in his head. He would sing it and the musicians would get it right away and create it”. Although MJ may have a cursory knowledge of a few instruments, however, he was always the singer and songwriter to beat.

MJ’s Voice

Michael Jackson’s voice was his unique instrument; producing different pitches, percussive capacity, rhythmic melodies, and beautiful tonality. He sure wasn’t the greatest vocalist of all time; without a doubt, many singers in the world can literally out-sing Michael Jackson. But we cannot deny the fact that he had fantastic ranges and could make the top percentile. He sang with intense passion and incredible phonation. Many fans, haters and not-so-much-a-fan have collectively stated that MJ sings with his soul; you can feel it when you listen to him. His songs and singing were timeless, it transcended and appealed to different races, geography, culture, ages, and sexual orientation.

He may just be the greatest entertainer ever!

He may not have been able to play musical instruments like Prince, or Sinatra, but MJ did so much more. Michael Jackson did more than just write lyrics, make melodies and sing; he danced like his life depended on it, he sang with his heart in his mouth and he connected with his fans with his stage performances. He was the KING OF POP! His performances were electrifying, almost supernatural! Whether he was talking about love, nature, race, and sexuality, he always brought his audience to his level. Singers can sing great, entertainers can perform well, however, only a skilful artist can carefully master the art of singing and performing the way Michael Jackson did. He was a performer extraordinaire! 

His versatility was almost unrivalled

Michael Jackson was a person that epitomized everything. He was loved and ridiculed, he was reserved, yet charismatic, he was shy but dripped of sexual energy and ecstasy, he was old with a child’s heart, he was black yet white, he was good but troubled. His influence has slowly seeped into art, fashion, dance, film, and music. He had amazing dance moves that dazzled mankind; from crotch grab to moonwalk, the kick, side-slide, circle-slide, Toe stand, spin, robot, and the super lean move of a 45-degree bend that defied gravity. He embodied Music, he was intelligent, charitable, he was a hero, an artist, entertainer, and lovable!

He painted emotions with words

Michael Jackson was an artist. He was a singer and songwriter who had his way with words. It is not news that MJ didn’t write all his songs himself. His best-selling song Thriller was written by Rod Temperton. It didn’t matter whether MJ wrote the songs himself or not. When he sang them, you could feel the actions and scene leap of the lyrics of the song. He used his energy to make it into something more beautiful than it already was. He could portray different emotions with his voice: He could sing a romantic song softly, like Speechless. He could be rough like Dirty Diana, Beat It or Given to Me, and he could get his super sexy groove on like In the Closet. His creativity and passion could make any piece of music resonate with his audience. Anyone can pull off a great performance, but what sets a great artist like Michael Jackson apart is how his performances make you feel. Once the lyrics come out of his mouth, they transcend the ordinary and become something extraordinary.

You recognize a great artist by how their work makes you feel

At the core of art or an artist’s capability is how their work makes you feel. What other reason is there to create art? This is the deciding difference between artists that remain relevant and artists that do not.

There is no gainsaying that Michael Jackson had an inexplicable mesmerizing ‘je ne sais quoi’ about him. He had a sheer force that pulled fans to his works whether or not he had the proficient ability to play musical instruments. It is a plus to know how to play percussion, string or wind musical instruments. However, you don’t need to be a great instrumentalist to be a great artist. MJ was proof!

He has shown that being a great artist has a lot to do with making your audience feel and aspire for the unexpected, setting new trends and connecting strongly with anyone that comes in contact with your work. Our beloved MJ wasn’t just a great artist, he was art itself.

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