Caprice No. 5 (Paganini)

Caprice No. 5 is one of 24 pieces composed by virtuoso violinist Niccolò Paganini in the late 18th century. The piece is known for its speed and technical difficulty.

Influence on Contemporary Music

Though written for the violin, the piece has also become known amongst guitarists, particularly because of its appeal to the technical proficiency of the shred guitar genre, as seen from virtuoso Jason Becker's version of the piece, re-arranged for electric guitar (see External Links). The following are examples of the piece in modern music:

• A variation of the piece, played by Steve Vai, was featured in the climax of the film Crossroads.
• The piece has also inspired rapper Busdriver for the intermission part of his song "Imaginary Places".
• The title track of Michael Angelo Batio's No Boundaries contains an arrangement of the piece.
• Finnish neo-classical metal band Virtuocity used a variation in the song Eye for an Eye on their debut album Secret Visions.

External Links

• Jason Becker playing the Fifth Caprice
• Guitar tablature - an arrangement by Yngwie Malmsteen.