David Garrett Sets World Record For “Flight of the Bumblebee” on Violin

Probably best (infamously) known for being the violinist to fall down the stairs and break his $1 million Guadagnini Violin (often mistakingly reported as a Stradivarius), David Garrett plays some familiar tunes and then goes on to break the world record for playing the popular piece, “The Flight of the Bumblebee.” The piece normally takes approximately 80 seconds to perform at tempo, David performs it in just 66 seconds! As a warm-up he also performs bits of Madonna’s Four Minute, Mika’s Grace Kelly, and Estelle’s American Boy. (The second video below also has a bit of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal)

David Garrett began playing at age 4 and attributes much of his ability from many years of “slow practice.”