Stevens is a multi-instrumentalist , a person who can play many musical instruments . He is well known for his use of the banjo , but also plays guitar , piano , drums , and several other instruments , often playing all of these on his albums by using multitrack recording . A multi-instrumentalist , Stevens is known for his use of the banjo , but also plays guitar , piano , drums , and several other instruments , often playing all of these on his albums through the use of multitrack recording .