Mr. Fastfinger

Mika Tyyskä (born November 5, 1976^[1]), better known by his stage name Mr. Fastfinger,^[2] is a Finnish virtuoso guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist who encompasses several genres of music. Originally, Mr. Fastfinger was an imaginary character, created and animated in Flash, to be "host" of the website GuitarShredShow.com, an award-winning combination of further animation and an online guitar school. The online guitar school opened 2005. The better the website was known, the more Mika Tyyskä was asked to share and to teach in clinics and guitar camps in Europe and Japan.

Mr. Fastfinger's debut album The Way of the Exploding Guitar was released in 2009. Guests appearances on the album include Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Mattias Eklundh (Freak Kitchen), Christophe Godin (Möglbl), and Niko Tsonev. Mr. Fastfinger's second album In Motion was released in 2012, featuring such guests as Thomas Blug, Timo Kämäräinen and Jordan Rudess.

In 2012, Mika Tyyskä joined the high class of guitar players on JamTrackCentral.com.^[3] Mika is featured along side with some of the most respected and successful guitarists in the world – Guthrie Govan, Andy James, Marco Sfogli and more.

In 2013, Mr. Fastfinger released a mini-album Stringweaver – which is also an extended soundtrack to a Mr. Fastfinger level of the online game GuitarBots.com.^[4]

In 2015, to celebrate Mr. Fastfinger's 10 years of existence, Mika Tyyskä released a 30 minutes long movie. The Spirit of the Guitar Hunt. The movie is a collaboration between Mika Tyyskä and custom guitar maker Juha Ruokangas ^[5] Also Mr. Fastfinger's 4th release Spirit Rising was released. Album is a soundtrack to the movie and features many guest appearances from musicians such as Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater),^[6] Michael Angelo Batio, Kai Hahto (Nightwish, Wintersun), Jan-Olof Strandberg, Kristoffer Gildenlöw (ex Pain of Salvation), Kalle Katz and more.

Along the years, Mika Tyyskä has also brought Mr. Fastfinger to live gigs. Sometimes the music is performed with videobackingtracks sometimes there's a full band. The musicians in Mr. Fastfinger's live band are: Mika Tyyskä (guitar), Thomas Törnroos (drums), Lasse Rantanen (bass) and Kalle Katz (keyboards).

Band

• Mr. Fastfinger – imaginary guitar
• Mika Tyyskä – guitar
• Lasse Rantanen – bass
• Thomas Törnroos – drums and percussions
• Kalle Katz – keyboards

Discography

Mr. Fastfinger

• The Way of the Exploding Guitar (Elektrik Pyjamas 2009)
• in Motion (Elektrik Pyjamas 2012)
• Stringweaver (Elektrik Pyjamas 2013)^[7]
• Spirit Rising (Elektrik Pyjamas 2015)

Guest appearances

• Pepe Deluxé – Queen of the Wave (Catskills Records 2012)
• Sauruxet – Saurusplaneetta (Leka Productions 2011)
• Guitar Addiction – a Tribut to Modern Guitar^[8] (Guitar Euro Media 2011)
• Timo Kämäräinen – Pulpae (Texicalli Records, 2010)
• Niko Tsonev – Black Feather (Stunted records, 2008)
• Pepe Deluxé – Spare Time Machine (Catskills records, 2007)

Compilations

• Melodic Soloists (Mad Guitar Records 2010)

Gear and endorsements

• Ruokangas Guitars (guitars)
• Hughes & Kettner: Grandmeister, Triamp and Switchblade (amplifiers)
• TC Electronic (effects)
• Rotosound (strings)
• Guitar Pro 6 (software)

References