Guitarist Shreds GNR’s ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ + More With His Feet
Brazilian guitarist Johnatha Bastos has no arms, yet he can effortlessly shred awe-inspiring guitar solos, perfectly perform the entirety of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine" and do much more with the instrument. That's because he does so with his feet.
This week, Bastos' playing was highlighted on Instagram by Masters of Shred, bringing the musicians' talent to many across social media. Two months earlier, the rocker shared to YouTube a clip of him crushing the classic Appetite for Destruction tune. In it, Bastos doesn't just hammer out Slash's unmistakable intro and call it a day; he fluidly performs the whole song.
Watch the video down toward the bottom of this post.
"Give it up for Brazil's Super Human Shred Extraordinaire, the Mighty @jbastosoficial," Masters of Shred shared on Thursday (June 10) alongside a different video of the musician performing. The guitar-focused outpost raved how Bastos is "proving that NOTHING is impossible as he makes his [guitar] SING with a jaw-droppingly shred-sational solo … with his FEET! This guy achieves more vibrato with his feet than many players do with their fingers!"
Playing guitar with one's feet, especially for those without arms, isn't a new phenomenon — however, it's still pretty unusual to see. In the past, musicians such as Nicaraugaun Christian artist Tony Meléndez, who also has no arms, have built careers based on their feet guitar-playing talent.
But no matter who's doing the performing, taking a talent one might usually accomplish with their hands and adapting for the feet is a formidable achievement on its own. For those with no hands or arms, mastering such a technique is truly a remarkable display of spirit.
See more of Bastos' shredding on his YouTube page.