‘Jimi
Hendrix’ Style Lesson (Part 2)
By
David M. McLean
Blues-based
Licks
Here are
some burning blues runs similar to what Jimi utilized in songs
like "Purple Haze" and "Foxey Lady". They
are all based on the pentatonic minor and these sorts of blues-rock
licks set the pace for guitar players to follow.
Example one
uses a rapid-fire bend & pull simile followed by some quick
descnding pull-offs. Notice the "blue note" (flatted
5 in bars 3 & 4) and the quick shift from the 12th position
to the 5th position at the end of bar 3. Finally, be sure to play
the opening licks freely, rather than perfectly as written.
Example
1 Audio (midi file)
Example
two: The beginning of this example is notated to imply the speed
changes Hendrix was noted for. That is, he’d play in free-time
over the band, then jet back in and play in perfect time. Don’t
play bar one as notated, then, but with a free feel. Just be sure
to hit bar #2 right in the pocket. Bar 4 can be played either
as written or freely, depending on how close you want the call
& response effect. Note in the final bar that you can almost
hear how Jimi would start calling up the feedback and bashing
on the whammy bar!
Example
2 Audio (midi file)
Have
fun with these licks and then apply some of the free-time concepts
to your own playing within – or outside of – the blues framework
and see what you come up with.
