Erik Mongrain is a Canadian guitarist from Montreal who carved out an entirely unique space in the fingerstyle world through his development of the "AirTap!" technique — a method of playing guitar while it lies flat across the lap, with both hands tapping the strings simultaneously from above and below the fretboard.
Largely self-taught before studying at Berklee College of Music, Mongrain developed his lap-tap approach by exploring what the guitar could do when freed from conventional playing position. The result is a style that feels more like a hammered dulcimer or piano than any traditional guitar idiom, yet retains the instrument's warmth and resonance.
His 2006 viral video for "AirTap!" brought him to international attention and remains one of the most viewed fingerstyle guitar videos ever. Subsequent albums including Fates (2007) and Sum (2013) expanded his harmonic and compositional range.
Mongrain's influence on a generation of experimental guitarists cannot be overstated. He proved that fingerstyle technique had not yet found its ceiling. His playing sits at the intersection of percussion, melody, and pure sonic experimentation.