Wong Notes Wong Notes Live! with Matteo Mancuso
Dec 10, 2025
Matteo Mancuso, an Italian guitar virtuoso known for his electric fingerstyle technique, shares his journey from learning guitar at age ten to blending rock, jazz, and classical influences. He discusses the unique challenges and joys of playing with his father's finger-picking style while emphasizing a goal-oriented approach to practice. The duo dives into topics like band leadership, creative songwriting, and touring realities, while offering practical warm-up exercises and insights on navigating the fretboard effectively. It's a deep and inspiring conversation for aspiring musicians!
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Electric Roots And Fingerstyle Origin
- Matteo started on electric guitar at age ten influenced by Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Hendrix while copying his father's fingerstyle approach.
- He kept fingerstyle on electric because he was "too lazy to restart" with a pick and it shaped his unique vocabulary.
Nails As A Tone Strategy
- Playing electric guitar with fingers demands technical solutions like growing fingernails to add attack and clarity.
- Fingerstyle brings trade-offs: tone benefits versus fragility and nail maintenance challenges.
Start Inspired, Finish With Discipline
- Start compositions with inspiration and finish them with discipline to complete ideas and ship music.
- Use structure and persistence to turn fresh ideas into finished songs rather than leaving voice memos unfinished.
