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For Sale Mar 30, 2026 at 2:15 AM

How the hell was Prince so proficient on all these instruments?

Posted by Open_Address_2805

I'm sure most people on this sub know how amazing his guitar playing is as he's revered as one of the GOATs. He is truly an amazing guitar player, very underrated acoustic player too as he's got some very nice pieces. As a guitarist myself, I've followed, learn from and emulated a lot of his playing. However, I stumbled onto his piano playing and... man! How have I never heard anyone talk about it? Everyone raves about his guitar playing and singing (rightfully so!) but his jazz skills on the piano blew my mind. Then, I came across his bass playing! Mind blown again. He's phenomenal on the drums as well! He played every single instrument in his debut album at 19! Every single sound you hear in that album is from him. He was just as proficient on another 20+ instruments. How is this possible!? If he was only a guitar player, he would've been a legend. Hell, if he was only a singer, he'd be an all-time great vocalist. It's ridiculous.
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Adventurous_Cry_1370 Mar 30, 2026 +424
The thing about families of instruments is - once you get comfortable on one, the others in that family are easier to understand. Some folks can just figure it out.
424
oldmannew Mar 30, 2026 +137
In every band, there’s that one member that is darn good at every instrument.
137
hallanddopes Mar 30, 2026 +75
Beck. Just wild what that guy has done.
75
Omatzus Mar 30, 2026 +42
Thom York is the same
42
TheOmegaKid Mar 30, 2026 +20
Yeah, once you can play a few instruments you can get good at others much quicker. Took ages to elsrn guitar and sing but now most things come pretty easy.
20
Alternative_Art1415 Mar 30, 2026 +7
To be fair I think it took him 3 years to get the hang of a grand piano
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lebruf Mar 30, 2026 +5
And from what I’ve read he doesn’t read music. I should probably verify that.
5
phatelectribe Mar 30, 2026 +16
Tom Morello too. I was in a session with him, and we suddenly realized us giving him sheet music was useless. But my f****** god, you hummed, whistled or played the foundation of a melody to him - just once - and he f****** crushed it and did things you could fathom. Literal Genius with a guitar.
16
jonolavalstad Mar 30, 2026 +7
Reading music has absolutely nothing to do with technical proficiency.
7
ReverendLucas Mar 30, 2026 +9
Sure it does. Reading music is a technique, and the ability to do so is a technical proficiency. Not to say that it's a requirement in order to be "technically proficient", but it's not unrelated.
9
lebruf Mar 30, 2026 +2
Never said it does. Bing Crosby didn’t read music either.
2
hallanddopes Mar 30, 2026 +2
I wanted to insert a "Christmas Vacation" reference
2
williamsch Mar 30, 2026 +8
That loser?! /s (sarcasm to infinity and beyond)
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hallanddopes Mar 30, 2026 +3
Primus Sucks! Lol
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veryverythrowaway Mar 30, 2026 +15
In Prince’s band, you could say that about every single one of them. Seriously.
15
SailorsGraves Mar 30, 2026 +11
It's always the bassist!
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LHodge Mar 30, 2026 +8
The best band I was ever in was kind of like this, we could all play at least two of the three instruments we used, and half of us had solid vocal skills, so it made it really easy to refine our arrangements and songwriting when the drummer or myself (lead vocals) could go "Hey, let's try this song with this new riff here," or the bassist or one of the guitarists could go "Let's try a drum break with this groove right here". I miss that, not a lot of bands are *able* to do that, and even fewer have members without an inflated ego that would take offense to "being told how to play their instrument". Plus, it was fun as hell to end our rehearsals by having everyone switch to a different instrument and run through our setlist again.
8
Sync142 Mar 30, 2026 +3
Macca
3
nzdastardly Mar 30, 2026 +5
Flava Flav!
5
UrbanPugEsq Mar 30, 2026 +2
Pick up the phone.
2
toadfan64 Mar 30, 2026 +4
Dave Grohl and Paul McCartney are always the first to come to mind for talented multi-instrumentalists
4
partychu Mar 30, 2026 +4
This is why vulfpeck is the best band because everyone switches instruments except Joe dart who is so good at bass that it would be stupid to switch him out
4
JLb0498 Mar 30, 2026 +1
John Paul Jones
1
sophia3334- Mar 30, 2026 +16
Yeah and Prince took that to another level. It’s not just knowing the family, it’s having insane ear and feel. Some people can hop between instruments, but he made each one sound like his main. That’s the crazy part.
16
thatissomeBS Mar 30, 2026 +4
Yeah, Prince could play anything because he knew the music first. Whatever he made that music with was just the, well, instrument. When you know how the music works, the notes and scales, and with a good ear for it, you can kind of figure out any instrument fairly quickly.
4
Papa_Huggies Mar 30, 2026 +13
Yeah it blows some people away but if you really get deep into one instrument there's a lot of transfer to other instruments. Same with languages or coding languages.
13
augustannihilator Mar 30, 2026 +29
When I switched from guitar to bass I basically skipped the beginner stage and went straight to intermediate because they're fundamentally very similar. I imagine it was the same for him.
29
thedugong Mar 30, 2026 +2
Except he probably skipped the intermediate stage and went to almost god stage,
2
Timeformayo Mar 30, 2026 +6
Yeah, I have a nephew who started playing guitar nearly a decade ago as a teen. Now, he basically plays anything with strings. And piano. It's wild.
6
falloutisacoolseries Mar 30, 2026 +1
Piano is a stringed instrument
1
w0mbatina Mar 30, 2026 +8
Yes, and tomato is a fruit, but you dont see people putting it in a fruit salad.
8
Tarogato Mar 30, 2026 +4
The primary category for piano is "keyboard instrument", and by technical classification it can also be considered a percussion instrument (because hammers strike strings, so ... "percussive chordaphone.") It is "stringed", but the term "string instrument" is reserved for instruments where you manipulate the strings directly with your hands, via a fingerboard or fretboard, and plucking or bowing. So it is unwise to refer to piano as a stringed instrument, as that causes confusion — the skills for playing piano are entirely different and unrelated to the skills for playing violin, mandolin, guitar, harp, etc.
4
jrr2ok Mar 30, 2026 +1
The piano is considered to be both a stringed instrument (technically a chordophone, along with the harp and lyre) and a percussion instrument (because the musical sounds are made with strikes; in this case the hammers striking the strings after being activated by the piano keys). Source: https://www.britannica.com/story/is-the-piano-a-percussion-or-a-stringed-instrument
1
palinsafterbirth Mar 30, 2026 +12
I used to play in a band with a guy who was crazy good at everything. I asked how he could just learn a song after one listen and he taught me how to hone in on an instrument when listening to a track. It’s not super complicated when you get it but super tricky at first
12
TeTrodoToxin4 Mar 30, 2026 +3
Yep. Grew up learning trombone primarily and learned tuba later. Was just an octave lower and fingering/positions were pretty much the same. Made the conversion really easy.
3
SandysBurner Mar 30, 2026 +2
Did you play valve trombone?
2
TeTrodoToxin4 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Nope slide. Just learned the valves on tuba equaled 1, 2, 3 and 4. From there just needed to covert to slide total position. Also learning tuba helped with learning bass because they played a similar role.
1
Falonefal Mar 30, 2026 +3
Also, if you have an ear for music, you almost don't even need to know how to play an instrument to carry some tune. I have a friend who is a musical savant, when we were teens, he decided to start playing the piano as well (was a guitar player), even without basically ever touching one, he would manage to slowly but fairly accurately replicate tunes, and he was into freejazz, so not your regular typical music that you hear everywhere.
3
lurch1963 Mar 30, 2026 +2
Can confirm. In 4th grade I started playing cornet. By high school I had also played baritone, French horn, valved trombone, and trumpet. I don’t remember most of it now. But I can still play the b flat scale on every one of those instruments.
2
D1rtyH1ppy Mar 30, 2026 +1
I heard that he made good pancakes also 
1
Chappietime Mar 30, 2026 +1
It also helps if you’re a genius or savant, etc.
1
Tsk201409 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Jonas Brothers are apparently incredible musicians across tons of instruments
1
zdrums24 Mar 30, 2026 +589
People dont realize how much the internet has filled time we used to fill with building skills.
589
jollyllama Mar 30, 2026 +130
That hurt my dude But you’re 100% right
130
comox Mar 30, 2026 +17
I am proficient with multiple web browsers and social media platforms. Can scroll with the best of them.
17
Ivotedforher Mar 30, 2026 +1
My thumbs have abs
1
Kaiisim Mar 30, 2026 +44
OOF. It's true though. I used to play guitar for like 3 hours a day minimum and I've only ever become "good".
44
Accomplished_Put2608 Mar 30, 2026 +20
This hits way too close to home than I would like to admit. 
20
TomGerity Mar 30, 2026 +8
Sure, but Prince was considered an abnormally talented multinstrumentalist even by the standards of pre-internet life. If it were merely a function of the internet dominating our time, then there would be innumerable legions of 20th century musicians who could play 20 instruments. Instead, there are only a handful that were on Prince’s level. I realize your answer feels punchy and is the *exact* type of fodder that rakes in upvotes on Listnook, but it’s a very incomplete picture that downplays how anomalous Prince really is. /u/Open_Address_2805
8
shakycrae Mar 30, 2026 +7
Before the internet we were all as good as Prince at playing multiple instruments
7
tlollz52 Mar 30, 2026 +4
TV, radio, books. People have always complained about the way people spent their leisure time
4
fearlessfryingfrog Mar 30, 2026 +2
YES SIR. As a multi instrumentalist, I feel this. I'll end up down the rabbit hole and snap out of it, thinking "Im not learning anything reading a bunch of dipshit comments which actually mean nothing in the grand scheme". I turn around and try and spend those hours doing something I enjoy VS just passing the time. Listnook (which isn't technically social media, but if it was, is the only one I'm on) is mostly reserved for taking a shit or a random lazy day.  Outside of that I'm bettering myself and hanging out with friends. Try to make those two at least 6 times a week. Many times I don't have enough days in the week. The more you contact your friends, the more they contact you.  People are lazy, just the way it is. It's a very American thing I have noticed. They're easily the worst with it.  It's also why these AI "musicians" think they're actually "writing" music and accomplishing something. Wild times. People do nothing and act like they did something. 
2
RoyalCellist8252 Mar 30, 2026 +5
I dunno… I still see a lot of great talent out there and much of it younger people who are very online too.
5
rusted-nail Mar 30, 2026 +10
Theyre not saying that the internet means you can't be good at stuff tho And I think our modern world has made certain aspects of learninf music easier for people, namely rhote learning can be done by anyone for free pretty much. On the other hand I also feel the internet has become an impediment to "the old ways" of learning by ear because it was a shitload easier to sit there with a cd, record or tape and repeat the same phrase a billion times until you've got it without an amazing super computer in your pocket serving you dopamine hit distractions all day
10
kbospeak Mar 30, 2026 +6
Talent (potential) is one thing, building it into a skill through work is something else.
6
Bobbi_fettucini Mar 30, 2026 +3
Super true, I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, are any of us ever just bored anymore? It seems like there is always something to stimulate you now and there’s never that time of having to sit with yourself
3
Gaddydaddy9 Mar 30, 2026 +103
Combination of knowledge, practice, and talent. Stevie wonder was the same way. Steve Winwood as well.
103
_Wrecktangular Mar 30, 2026 +40
Add Paul McCartney and Todd Rundgren to the list.
40
Gaddydaddy9 Mar 30, 2026 +17
There are a lot of them out there. Dave Grohl is another one. Get into studio musicians and the list probably gets endless.
17
seaurchinthenet Mar 30, 2026 +10
Forgot Beck
10
Senators_1992 Mar 30, 2026 +4
He played all the instruments on the first Foo Fighters album if I’m not mistaken.
4
Gaddydaddy9 Mar 30, 2026 +3
I believe so. I know he went back a re recorded the drum tracks because it was a whole ordeal. I believe Stevie Wonder played all the instruments on superstition as well.
3
chuckluckles Mar 30, 2026 +3
Stevie didn't play any brass on any recordings that I'm aware of, but he played every other instrument on a ton of his songs.
3
jrr2ok Mar 30, 2026 +1
Grohl re-recorded the drum tracks on FF’s second album The Color & Shape (the one with “Everlong”) because he wasn’t happy with the tracks William Goldsmith (who he recruited to the band) was creating. The controversy arises from Dave doing it without telling Goldsmith. William got pissed and quit, saying he wasn’t given a chance to make it right. Dave disagreed.
1
_Wrecktangular Mar 30, 2026 +2
Yes indeed. The list is quite long when you dig into it. Plenty of main songwriters in bands are multi instrumentalists and quite good.
2
hallanddopes Mar 30, 2026 +3
Brian Wilson, Beck, and probably Pharell. Just how do you be so good at everything. Throw in Johnny Greenwood.
3
Entwife723 Mar 30, 2026 +8
Trent Reznor, too.
8
uncre8tv Mar 30, 2026 +2
We could name people all day, Including many known only/primarily as legendary guitarists - Roy Clark, EVH...
2
writesCommentsHigh Mar 30, 2026 +1
I don’t wanna work
1
Poison_the_Phil Mar 30, 2026 +5
Exactly. Sure some people will take to instruments than others, but ultimately nobody gets that good without consistent practice. Nobody *stays* that good without consistent practice.
5
Gaddydaddy9 Mar 30, 2026 +2
The people that get that good are obsessive over practicing. You hear stories about virtuosos playing every waking hour of the day. There's a picture out there of Hendrix making breakfast with a guitar around his neck.
2
A_Refill_of_Mr_Pibb Mar 30, 2026 +3
That's why his guitar sounds like a stream-of-consciousness with every one of his influences so fully integrated in a way you don't hear from players even now. Listen to Machine Gun. The guy could literally make whatever sound he wanted to make.
3
Gaddydaddy9 Mar 30, 2026 +1
He really was special. The drum solo leading into his guitar solo on Bold As Love is just 🤌. The panning from left to right on the drum solo to exploding into both sides when the guitar comes in is just audio brilliance.
1
adventurousintrovert Mar 30, 2026 +3
Some say those long Minnesota winters were a good reason to stay inside and hone his skill
3
moodswung Mar 30, 2026 +1
And practice. Don't forget about practice. Prince practically lived at the studio.
1
RainbowCrane Mar 30, 2026 +2
The flip side of this is that some of the most amazing multi-instrumentalists are pretty broken human beings when it comes to interacting with other people. Like you said, Prince infamously was an obsessive musician. Neil Young is also multitalented and infamous for being a bit of a misanthrope :-). It’s not like they got that talent for free, they gave up on being balanced human beings
2
beebs44 Mar 30, 2026 +51
Started very young Played different instruments Crazy work ethic https://youtu.be/Ou-Q2dUf6B8?si=drUK01hkSEcbOZtE
51
quitewrongly Mar 30, 2026 +40
His mother was a jazz singer and his dad was a pianist and songwriter. That's essentially being born into a musical education.
40
markshure Mar 30, 2026 +8
Maybe he's just like his mother.
8
thedugong Mar 30, 2026 +5
Well, she was never satisfied.
5
inkihh Mar 30, 2026 +1
Guys, why do you scream at each other?
1
cemaphonrd Mar 30, 2026 +40
Keep in mind that the 20+ instruments thing is a bit of marketing puffery. If you look at the list of credits on his early albums, every unique drum machine or synth is credited. From everything I’ve ever learned, Prince was proficient to virtuosic on the main rock band instruments (guitar, voice, keyboards, bass, and drums/percussion). I’ve also heard that he played sax in high school, and was passable at it, but that almost all of the saxophone in his professional recordings were pros. As for how, aside from native talent, the dude lived and breathed music from a young age, and achieved commercial success early, so he was able to devote most of his time to working on his music.
40
doorknob101 Mar 30, 2026 +32
Slept little practiced a lot
32
NeuHundred Mar 30, 2026 +13
Bed IN the studio.
13
eltedioso Mar 30, 2026 +7
That was about something else
7
sniggity_snax Mar 30, 2026 +6
The craziest part is that I heard he's also really good at basketball. Could beat down other dudes on the court wearing a blouse
6
Dr_Frank-N-Furter Mar 30, 2026 +2
Don't get me started on his pancakes 😲
2
Mitaslaksit Mar 30, 2026 +2
Or ping pong
2
Limo_Wreck77 Mar 30, 2026 +12
Prince was pretty much a one man band. Insanely talented.
12
Almostasleeprightnow Mar 30, 2026 +2
On his first few albums he played every instrument.
2
Limo_Wreck77 Mar 30, 2026 +1
The guy could play instruments and write songs with his eyes closed. Just a musical genius.
1
bioholc1967 Mar 30, 2026 +58
Musical genius. The man oozed talent.
58
downtownfreddybrown Mar 30, 2026 +23
Yeah when I found out he was the only credit on his first album my head nearly exploded lol
23
thederevolutions Mar 30, 2026 +3
https://preview.redd.it/yyhmaiguk3sg1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=179449b79aca5c60a30093403ee3353ddee7175e
3
TokiStark Mar 30, 2026 +13
Remember talent is applied practice. The man just loved playing music
13
Wuskers Mar 30, 2026 +2
yeah all you need to do is look at his full discography to see that, 39 albums over the course of a 37 year career. From the time when he started in 1978 all the way up to his death the world never went longer than 4 years without a new prince album and that was actually a rarity, until 2010 there was no more than 2 years between Prince albums. The only years that did not have a new Prince album were 1983, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2008, and then finally a big (for Prince) gap of 2011, 2012, and 2013. I don't really know of any artist that has as many albums with his level of frequency, you really don't do that unless you love what you do. The only other person I can think of on his level of just sheer output is Brian Eno.
2
TokiStark Mar 30, 2026 +1
And don't we all just love music? I'm terrible at every instrument but Ill be damned if I'm not trying hahaha
1
everybodydumb Mar 30, 2026 +15
Wait till you hear about Stevie Wonder
15
_Wrecktangular Mar 30, 2026 +1
And he was blind!
1
Pergod Mar 30, 2026 +9
He was ???
9
GrouchosMoustache Mar 30, 2026 +20
Still is, but he used to be, too
20
_Wrecktangular Mar 30, 2026 +4
Or maybe he was trolling us the whole time?
4
Pergod Mar 30, 2026 +1
The Shaq thinks so
1
Dr_Frank-N-Furter Mar 30, 2026 +1
I'll wait to hear Charles Barkleys take on that.
1
GenderlessC Mar 30, 2026 +2
”Looking back when I…” Yeah I’m sure you did Stevie
2
ThatsARatHat Mar 30, 2026 +10
Prodigy.
10
TheNewJasonBourne Mar 30, 2026 +14
RiP Keith Flint
14
Spidersland Mar 30, 2026 +10
So instruments are just tools. Musicians are musicians. Things you learn on one instrument are directly transferable to all the other ones. Just because they’re famous for one instrument doesn’t mean they don’t play the other ones too - but at a certain point unless you really wanna play them it just makes sense to get the best people you know to play the other ones. That is to say, it’s not just Prince, you’ll find most musicians at that level actually play a bunch of instruments to a really high level, just not as high as the people they themselves are comparing themselves to.
10
RightLegDave Mar 30, 2026 +5
Music teacher here. Learning piano first is always a bonus as the relationship of notes is mapped out in an easy to follow way on a traditional keyboard.
5
cuatrodemayo Mar 30, 2026 +3
Not to mention he could also produce, mix, arrange, and engineer, which is impressive enough but also like another type of instrumental knowledge in converging everything and knowing the board.
3
AnalogWalrus Mar 30, 2026 +4
Because he was Prince, and we are mere mortals.
4
deviltrombone Mar 30, 2026 +2
Some people have a knack for things that make them seem like a different species to people lacking the knack. Off the top of my head, Paul McCartney, John Fogerty, and Jon Anderson are known to have played every instrument on solo albums. Jon Anderson is not an instrumentalist by any stretch, but his solo album "Olias of Sunhillow" was easily the best of the Yes member solo albums in the mid-70's. Bruce Springsteen can also play multiple instruments well.
2
Jahooodie Mar 30, 2026 +2
I feel like it's one of the reasons that people want to believe the apocryphal quote from Lennon- "Ringo isn't even the best drummer in the Beatles,"
2
Sweet_Traffic4545 Mar 30, 2026 +2
I had the honor of seeing the purple rain tour with Sheila E and Morris Day and the time. And Jerome of course. His show was in my top 3 and although I was very familiar with his abilities I was just stunned by his raw talent! I have always admired the musicians who don't let that being just another performer define their quest for more. Brian May, rocket scientist, Bruce Dickinson commercial pilot and on and on.
2
Accomplished_Put2608 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Oh you gotta tell me more cuz I am jealous
1
Ryuchel Mar 30, 2026 +2
A lot of people have covered everything here but I think its also something to do with it was what truly made his heart beat and it was his passion. You can have all that talent naturally or other ways but if its not something you feel passionate about it wont come across. Outside of his musical ability I just never got over how many studio albums the man put out before he died.
2
Systemic_Chaos Mar 30, 2026 +2
The dude legit forgot more about music and musicianship than most of the nominees at the Grammys combined. It’s just absurd how talented he was.
2
trustme1maDR Mar 30, 2026 +2
My brother is not Prince-level talented, but he is one of those people who can play just about any instrument. He plays by ear. It comes naturally to him. He also has ADHD and has the hyper focus to practice things until he gets it down.  We started piano lessons at the same time. (My mom insisted that he learn how to read music.) He could play any song that you heard on the radio while I was plunking out Mary Had a Little Lamb.  I've also read that people with synesthesia have an easier time playing music. It's not just notes/sounds, but colors or shapes. Pretty cool.
2
scorpion_71 Mar 30, 2026 +3
I believe hs was a musical savant. There are people who can pick up an instrument and start playing and they have amazing muscle memorty that allows them to pick up stuff easily. Edward Van Halen never really learned to read sheet music but he would win piano competitions as a youth. [https://www.npr.org/2014/01/17/263364530/sudden-savant](https://www.npr.org/2014/01/17/263364530/sudden-savant)
3
krazykieffer Mar 30, 2026 +6
He was a genius the same way Eminem is a genius. Prince practiced and went to a well funded school but when people say he was proficient in 20 plus instruments that doesn't mean he was perfect. In fact that's why Sony didn't want to sign him because he wanted full control as a one man band basically but others could play better. I think he also had a perfect pitch which helps. I only say that because at a concert here in MN he said how worse singers have gotten and he played a few songs in the correct and corrected their range.
6
SandysBurner Mar 30, 2026 +1
I can't help but wonder what you think 'range' means. "Corrected their range" doesn't really make any sense.
1
Blacksh33p78 Mar 30, 2026 +2
Because there was no social media apps or cell phones to distract him
2
DerpyBoxer Mar 30, 2026 +2
Steve Winwood was a band in a box. Unreal talent.
2
meatspun Mar 30, 2026 +2
He must have a higher love of music than most people.
2
OneReportersOpinion Mar 30, 2026 +2
We also use to have something called music education in public schools. Why was MoTown so damn good? Pre-white flight Detroit Public School system.
2
fender123 Mar 30, 2026 +2
Piano is the root. I’m not trying to undermine your question, but this is the answer. Prince is a top 10 guitarist for many people, top 3 for me, but to paint him as just as a guitarist doesn’t do him justice. Dude wrote and produced his entire catalog. Unusually, playing every instrument. He was on a different level, and truly one of the greats. When Harrison died, and he did the concert for George, a lot of people understood his guitar ability. The video still goes viral.
2
MissSassifras1977 Mar 30, 2026 +1
I think it's something that a small number of people are gifted with. A name most of yall probably don't know... but Mac Miller was like this. He could play just about every instrument you could think of. Wrote beautiful, poignant music and lyrics easily. He started off as a fairly corny high school rapper and quickly blossomed into a phenom. IMO, he was the Jeff Buckley of rap and hip hop. I often wonder how far he'd have gone if he hadn't died. The kid was genuinely a musical genius.
1
geodebug Mar 30, 2026 +1
I’m sure a lot of people will talk about his genius, but what isn’t talked about is that he was a workhorse. Being gifted isn’t going to give you chops. You have to have hands on the keyboard, frets, drumsticks for hundreds of hours to develop the skill and muscle memory for each instrument. Listen to his old bandmates talk about how much rehearsing they did. From what I heard, he kept at it after sending them home.
1
Trouble-Every-Day Mar 30, 2026 +1
Every musician knows that one guy who is so unnaturally talented at everything he touches that it just makes you want to give up completely. Prince was that guy to those guys.
1
AnthonyCampbellMayer Mar 30, 2026 +1
Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones could/can play anything with strings.
1
Sean_Miller Mar 30, 2026 +1
Dude was known as a songwriter more than a musician during his early years, so that overshadowed it. He also got noticeably better at guitar over his entire career, which is unusual; usually, you are what you are at a certain point.
1
roosterjack77 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Practice is important but talent and drive can't be taught
1
rollingthestoned Mar 30, 2026 +1
After many years of being a music lover, I finally got a guitar and started messing around. It made me appreciate musicians so much more even if they are just the guys at the local dive bar. The level that someone like prince was at is god like to me. I just don’t get how it’s possible.
1
slicebucket Mar 30, 2026 +1
Talent and discipline.
1
someuniquename Mar 30, 2026 +1
Flava flav is also really good at a lot of instruments.
1
Clock6 Mar 30, 2026 +1
It’s like being a mechanic. You can specialize in one brand, but it’s all basically the same. Most people’s hold up is the basics of music. The scales are all the same, just in different patterns depending on tuning. Every bassist I have played with can play almost everything (except drums sometimes). It’s the nuances that keep everyone to “their” instrument.
1
anangrypudge Mar 30, 2026 +1
Sheer talent. But even for more ordinary people like us, it's possible. Once you get good at one instrument, you'll be surprised how fast you can learn the next instrument. Then the next, and so on. If you start with a theory-heavy instrument like classical piano or an orchestral instrument, the musical base that it gives you will make learning the next instrument much easier. E.g. if you want to learn guitar next, you only need to work on the physical and motor skills. Everything else like chord variations (2, sus, aug, 7, etc) and scales will all come instinctively, which speeds up the learning process immensely. Then once you know guitar, other stringed instruments like bass and even cello or violin will come more easily.
1
UseMoreHops Mar 30, 2026 +1
He was a genius.
1
Son_of_Kong Mar 30, 2026 +1
Some people are just like that. They understand music and they understand how each instrument makes music, so they can play pretty much anything they can get their hands on. I knew a guy like that in band in high school. You could put him in any chair in the orchestra and he could play that part better than the kid whose chair it actually was. He ended up becoming a band teacher himself.
1
AuxNimbus Mar 30, 2026 +1
He took a dip in the waters of Lake Minnetonka
1
greatbritt0n Mar 30, 2026 +1
GOD. GIVEN. TALENT.
1
Bopcatrazzle Mar 30, 2026 +1
His dad played jazz professionally, so I would bet he learned some of it from him and his band pretty early on. Plus, he had access to that variety of instruments at a very early age. He said when he first started learning his main goal was to just be better at it than his dad. He was also just incredibly driven, often producing at least a song a day, so when you’re doing it that much, you’re bound to get pretty good.
1
mrwaltwhiteguy Mar 30, 2026 +1
You think that’s crazy you should read about Flava Flav.
1
57thStilgar Mar 30, 2026 +1
Try Roy Clark - guitar, violin, banjo and amazing on each.
1
Raid-Z3r0 Mar 30, 2026 +1
First: Prince is a f****** genius. He is what people think Michael Jackson is. On his first record, he did not hire any session musicians, guy pulled up to the studio and recorded everything himself. Purple Rain is a song that he wrote, produced, played every instrument, mixed and took to somewhere else to master. Second: He practiced... a lot...
1
spinosaurs70 Mar 30, 2026 +1
From what I know as others note instruments become easier the more you know, because the first mental step is understanding rhythm, melody and harmony for chordal instruments. For something like guitar and bass guitar, there are obviously differences but skills do transfer far more than from guitar to saxophone.
1
garciaman Mar 30, 2026 +1
Practice and natural talent
1
MarcusReddits Mar 30, 2026 +1
Imagine wanting something so bad and then pouring all your time and focus into it. Prince did that. People called him weird and he had to do everything himself. He may have also sold his soul!/s
1
Individual-Eye3907 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Because he liked to groom underage girls.
1
BackgroundSmall3137 Mar 30, 2026 +1
He stayed off social media.
1
Maxwe4 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Practice.
1
Musicfan637 Mar 30, 2026 +1
A lot of guys have Am guitar chops. Don’t get too carried away.
1
rusted-nail Mar 30, 2026 +1
Hey OP when you're getting paid to do music learning how to do it more is pretty accessible
1
Bank-wagon Mar 30, 2026 +1
1) Crossover between instruments is a real thing. Once you learn one, learning others is noticeably easier. I remember getting advice back in the day that if you learn the piano first, learning every other instrument isn’t easy, but it makes sense. 2) This was back in the day. What else were you gonna fill your time with? We’re both on Listnook right now instead of doing other stuff.
1
feeboo Mar 30, 2026 +1
Lenny Kravitz too. He did his whole first album by himself if I'm not mistaken.
1
FairTax69 Mar 30, 2026 +1
different people are gifted with different things. the key is to find your own.
1
fotomoose Mar 30, 2026 +1
Not to downplay his skills at all, as he was amazing, but nearly every musician I know can play multiple instruments very well. Guitarists will be able to play just about any stringed instrument for example. As a guitarist I can even play violin to some degree, just my bow arm needs some practice but I can finger the notes easily and finding scales is simple once you learn the correct distance between notes. I can play quite a number of different instruments to an ok degree and that's without barely any practice.
1
mortenfriis Mar 30, 2026 +1
And first and foremost, he was an amazing entertainer. I hope you got to see him perform live at some point. I was lucky enough to see him a handful of times. His performance at Roskilde Festival in 2010 is my favourite concert experience ever...
1
52lespaul Mar 30, 2026 +1
As David Crosby said about Brian Wilson: If you stay inside and do one thing 16 hours a day, every day, you get pretty damn good at it. Sure, Prince had some innate talent, but he just outworked everyone else.
1
seanx50 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Unimaginable musical talent, access to instruments, musical education, access to music
1
Tarogato Mar 30, 2026 +1
As a multi-instrumentalist myself, I can tell you that the more instruments you learn, the more you start to lump instruments into groups. As far as I'm aware, Prince only played three instruments. Keyboards, drums, and frets. There's been spurious claims of him playing saxophone, but no evidence. I doubt he could play it, because he probably would have wanted to show off that skill indisputably, and the lack of indisputable evidence for it suggests to me that he couldn't. When people list all the instruments he can play, you'll find that they're all just variations on guitars, keyboards, and percussion. Especially when you consider he was a talented vocalist and producer, that's still impressive. Having production-level skills on three instrument families is amazing. But saying he played "20+ instruments" is disingenuous when half of them are just different model synths or guitars that are all played with one common skillset.
1
icecoldbobsicle Mar 30, 2026 +1
In the case of Prince, I believe the actual story is, he was a practicing multi instrument guy from a young age, had a flair for it though obviously.
1
Lythalion Mar 30, 2026 +1
In the words of Jessica Day. “I’m pretty sure Prince is magic. “
1
relaxok Mar 30, 2026 +1
the primary reason is talent.. same reason a 6 year old chinese girl can be better at the violin than someone who is 70 and studied and played it their entire life 
1
FederalSign4281 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Because it’s Prince lol.
1
rowsoflark Mar 30, 2026 +1
How did Charlie Parker nod out on heroupin on a stool, wake up just in time for the break in A Night in Tunisia and play the most incredible couple of bars recorded that nothing will ever come close to? A shit ton of practice and an indefinable unquantifiable °something° that only a few musicians ever had, Prince being one of them.
1
Soljah Mar 30, 2026 +1
His basketball was insane too
1
weenix3000 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Kate Bush is also like that. It’s raw talent and natural skill helped by focus and dedication.
1
Chopper3 Mar 30, 2026 +1
He loved it.
1
Smashinbunnies Mar 30, 2026 +1
He was also a great basketball player apparently.
1
f10101 Mar 30, 2026 +1
You can do a lot with deliberate, intelligent practice. Some people, like Prince, instinctively approach learning this way. But the rest of us waste the vast majority of our effort when practicing. It's sometimes easier to realise the power of efficient practice when you see it in a different field: https://youtu.be/BAYc2Oo6_pA?is=sEejaunrUY53WvOd
1
PandaXXL Mar 30, 2026 +1
A hell of a lot of knowledge and practice. Dude lived and breathed music every moment of his life.
1
PAXICHEN Mar 30, 2026 +1
Because he had raw talent. The man was a genius.
1
honkymotherfucker1 Mar 30, 2026 +1
He’s a great bass player too
1
EverettGT Mar 30, 2026 +1
He was also a really good dancer too, IIRC. Would be interested to know what his reputation is among professionals of each instrument he played as to how good he was at that instrument.
1
TonyHeaven Mar 30, 2026 +1
I have a multi instrumentalist friend , and more than once I've seen him play , for the first time , an instrument he's not played before. For an audience. Prince played everything , and played all the time.So he plays better than most.
1
superkow Mar 30, 2026 +1
I watched an old interview on Arsenio the other day and he asked Prince what he would have been doing if he didn't make it in music. Prince said when he was around 15 or so he was looking in the paper for a job and none of it vibed with him, but knowing he needed a way to make money he just put all his time and effort into his music instead.
1
neo_sporin Mar 30, 2026 +1
‘Some people can just play’ —(Good) Will Hunting
1
Evelyn-Bankhead Mar 30, 2026 +1
Because he’s dead. Dead musician automatically get catapulted to the greatest of all time and twice on Sunday.
1
filtersweep Mar 30, 2026 +1
I always thought Dez Dickerson was much better than Prince on guitar. I won’t argue about Prince being proficient, but he is mainly a flash player. Any mid-sized city has jazz cats that can play circles around Prince.
1
DefendTheStar88x Mar 30, 2026 +1
He was a virtuoso
1
JiveChicken00 Mar 30, 2026 +1
You should meet Stevie Wonder.
1
PrimeIntellect Mar 30, 2026 +1
He was a god tier drummer before he was 18
1
-tar0t- Mar 30, 2026 +1
Tism
1
A_Refill_of_Mr_Pibb Mar 30, 2026 +1
You're implying he had a touch of it?
1
goteamnick Mar 30, 2026 +1
The answer is always practice. Natural talent will only get you so far.
1
hallanddopes Mar 30, 2026 +1
Man they need to release all of his unreleased tracks. F*** the Epstein Files. I need 200 Prince recordings that would bring world peace.
1
221 Mar 30, 2026 +3
I bet that comment sounded a lot better in your head.
3
super-freak Mar 30, 2026 -2
Not denying Prince was an incredibly incredibly talented musician, but was he actually THAT good on guitar? Can anyone show an example other than the WMGGW cover? 
-2
megalodondon Mar 30, 2026 +4
[I mean, here's 28 minutes of it to judge for yourself.](https://youtu.be/e4QDvUwkHPI?si=WfWIrx3LgNfboYdS)
4
romanticynicist Mar 30, 2026 +3
Yes, he actually was that good at guitar. I actually don’t go for the classic rock style EPIC SOLOING stuff he did à la the WMGGW cover (just not my bag, though he was undoubtedly very good at it). He was an absolutely incredible, galaxy-class rhythm guitarist. He mixed together lots of different vibes masterfully - the chop chord style of Niles Rodgers from Chic, the chicken scratch of Jimmy Nolens (of James Brown’s band), Joni Mitchell’s weird open chord stuff, just a wide-ranging metric shit ton of stuff that he could alchemize into various wonderfully weird, beautifully precise and effortlessly funky parts. Some of my favorite rhythm guitar playing of his can be heard on: Wouldn’t you love to love me demo — https://youtu.be/D7U6pniM13s?si=2EmMWz51V7LWi5Q3 When You Were Mine might have the platonic ideal of a rhythm guitar part. I Wanna Be Your Lover is another banger via a vis rhythm guitar. The guitar part on Annie Christian is some crazy low fi psychedelic shit. Sounds like Cleaners from Venus or something. There’s sooo many. A lot of the stuff he recorded for The Time has great rhythm guitar too.
3
PhutuqKusi Mar 30, 2026 +3
[Joy in Repitition](https://youtu.be/RdQqxHW5F5c?si=W-VpH1dJMvusls0d) or even just [Purple Rain](https://youtu.be/TvnYmWpD_T8?si=IqvLmJM0Pvrhrd-I).
3
trouthunter8 Mar 30, 2026 +3
Check out Bambi from 1979. His solo at the end of the song rips as hard as anything Zach Wylde or Eddie Van Halen did... https://youtu.be/INduB7K6VWo?si=kt_9--36KVcRank8
3
romanticynicist Mar 30, 2026 +2
Ooh yeah that’s a good one
2
Open_Address_2805 Mar 30, 2026 +5
>Can anyone show an example other than the WMGGW cover?  Lol that is a great cover but he's got millions of epic guitar moments. Just type in 'prince guitar' into YouTube and enjoy. Everything he's put out is gold. I'll put a few links to some of my favourites but definitely worth some time investment of your own :) https://youtu.be/bm03wqLY3Nc?si=Qpah8-6fclaRQVtq https://youtu.be/kBRtZVp7A3Q?si=XJncdsx0gbODNn3X https://youtu.be/iBThX4o2_KI?si=fHbqdxF8nwV2zrzo https://youtu.be/LNrAFb3I2js?si=CgQk75-WrKImVXsx
5
Senators_1992 Mar 30, 2026 +5
The Purple Rain soundtrack would be a good starting point.
5
everybodydumb Mar 30, 2026 +1
He was good enough to do anything he wanted.
1
GilBang Mar 30, 2026
Everybody blathers about prince. McCartney was Prince 30 years earlier.
0
ludditeee Mar 30, 2026
It’s all math my friend the rest is muscle memory
0
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