Guitar Control presents instructor Darrin Goodman, aka Uncle D, with another installment in his series on pentatonic licks. This time Uncle D tackles some licks in the style of Jimi Hendrix. So be sure to get the free tabs to go along with the video instruction and you will be rockin’ these classic Hendrix licks tonight!
Introduction
How’s it going everybody? This is Darrin with GuitarControl.com bringing you this video lesson and today I’ve got three fun and easy pentatonic licks in the style of Jimi Hendrix.
So right now, Guitar Control is giving away this really awesome daily practice routine to improve your lead guitar chops. This was put together by our very own Silvio Gazquez, a two-time Guitar Idle finalist. This routine covers the four main concepts that are necessary for lead guitar; alternate picking, legato, sweep picking and tapping. All the tabs and exercises are all included in this free ebook and there’s a link in the description where you can get yours.
So be sure to click on the link in the description for the tabs and let’s get close up and take a look at these Hendrix licks.
Hendrix Licks
All right, so the first thing as you’re playing through these is you’re probably going to notice that there are tons of similarities between these sequences of notes that were in some of the other ones we’ve looked at; Billy Gibbons, Jimmy Page and stuff. So a lot of this is just out of that regular minor pentatonic box pattern that you already know. But what makes Hendrix different is the choice of the notes, the sequence. He’ll do like a lick that’s very similar to the other ones, but it’s the note choice and it’s his phrasing that makes a difference. So these are some really good examples and as you’re working your way up through, you know being able to solo and improvise, that the melody that you create is what’s going to make it stand out and is going to make it sound different than something else.
Hendrix Lick-1 – Hey Joe
So the first Hendrix lick to look at is from the beginning of the solo for Hey Joe and it’s just in E minor pentatonic. I don’t recall, I meant to write this down when I did these, but some of them are tuned down a half step and I don’t remember which ones. It doesn’t seem like this one was tuned down a half step, but the other two are for sure. So it’s possible that this could be tuned down a half step.
So as I said we’re just in this box pattern of minor pentatonic number one. So we’re going to start off we’re going to bend the 15th fret here on the B string we’re going to bend up a full step with some vibrato. Now we’re going to do that, it’s a quarter note so it takes care of beat number one and then we’re going to follow that with this little sequence here. So we’re just going to start on the 12th fret of the high E and we’re just going to descend the scale. So from the 12th fret to the 15th fret on the B string to the 12th and then to the 14th fret on the G string. Now when we get to that 14th fret on the G string we’re going to bend that up a full step and then we’re going to release it and pull-off to the 12th fret and then we’re going to follow that with the 14th fret on the D string and then back to the 12th fret of the G string with some vibrato… okay, so that was our first measure. So the second measure starts off the same way, we’re going to start off with that 15th fret on the B string bend and then we’re going to follow that with the 12th fret on the high E to the 15th and the B to the 12th and then to 14 on the G string just like we did before with the bend, but this time instead of bending and releasing we’re going to bend and hold and then go right to the 12th fret on the B string, back to 14 on the G string… Then to 12 on the G string and then back to 14 and pull to 12 and then we’re going to put a little slight bend, that’s a Hendrix kind of sound right there. And then there to the 14th fret on the D string and that’s in the third measure. So the whole sequence is basically the meat potatoes; it’s what’s in the first two measures…
Hendrix Lick-2 – Little Wing
So the next Hendrix lick we’re going to look at is from the solo for Little Wing. So this is actually played from the same scale and it’s in the same the same key and it starts off the same. We’re going to bend that 15th fret on the B string up a full step, this time it’s a half note.
So this solo is slower and it’s more melodic, but it uses just a whole bunch of the same notes. So this is a really good example of how you can have two things that you have similar notes and a similar sequence, but by your timing and your phrasing can completely make it sound different.
So we’re going to start off, we’re going to bend that, so that’s a half note and that takes care of the first two beats; one, two. And then starting on beat three we’re gonna bend it again and we’re going to release it and then to 12. And then we’re gonna pick 12 and hammer to 15 and then back to 12. So that’s our first measure, plus the first beat of the second measure… So like I said we hit that 12 there and that’s on the down beat of one and it’s tied to the downbeat of beat of two; so it’s like one, two. And then on the and of two we’re gonna bend the 15 and release to the 12th fret on the G string… Then we’re going to go to the 14th fret on the G string and bend that and then grab the 15th fret of the B string. So I’m using my pinky to grab that 15th fret of the B strings and some bending with my third finger. Then we’re gonna go back to the 14th fret on the B string and we’re already in that bend… we release… Then we’re gonna go to the 14th fret on the D string, back to the 12th fret on the G string. To the 14th fret and we’re going to bend and release twice, back to 12 on the G string and then finally resolving on 14 on the D string. So it’s just like the first the first lick, it’s very, very similar, but the timing is different and the phrasing and that’s what makes it sound different and more unique. A lot of these little things in here, these little nuances, is how Hendrix really got a big part of his sound…
Hendrix Lick-3 – All Along The Watchtower
All right, and then the last Hendrix lick to look at is the little opening lead on All Along the Watchtower. So this one is different, we’re in different keys, sort of like a different position. And it doesn’t just primarily stay in that one box pattern, it kind of moves a little more horizontally. So we’re going to start off we’ve got to slide from nowhere to the 13th fret on the G string and you’re going to want to use your middle finger to do this reason because the next note is 12 on the B string and then 14… So we do that slide from nowhere and it’s coming in on the and of three; so one, two, three and, four and. Now when we go to the 14th fret we bend that up full step and it’s just an eighth note on the and of four. And then if you look at the second measure it does it again on the downbeat of one, the and of one plus all of beat two. So you got this… Okay so after we do that last one, you know it’s one and two, and then on the downbeat of three it’s actually just a real quick rest and then we’re gonna bend that 14 and release it and then go to 12. And then we’re going to do a slide starting at about at the 11th fret, but it’s like a slide from nowhere, it’s one of those slurred slides and we’re gonna slide back to the 13th fret on the G string. Now when we slide back to that and then we’re gonna go to the 11th fret on the G string. So how I do it is I just move my middle finger from there down to the 11th fret and we’ve got one and, two, three and. Now on the and of three we’re gonna go to the 11th fret on the D string, but he actually does a slide from nowhere. So that third measure. Do that slide to 11 and then we’re gonna go to nine on the G string and then 11. So this is and four and now we’re gonna go one and two. So what’s happening here is it’s the same timing as like on the first one, it’s just in a different position. So now we’re on 11 on the G string and we’ve got one and, two, three and, four. And then on the and of four we go to 11 on the G string and back to 11 on the D string… Okay and then the last measure and this is the part that I have the hardest time with because it’s one of these things I’ve talked about before where he’s playing the same scales, the same sequences and things that I do, but just the way he does it is so different than how I play It’s kind of awkward for me. So what happens here is we’re going to come up to the ninth fret on the B string and we’re going to pick that and do a hammer on to 11 and pull back off to nine and then to the ninth fret on the G string. So the best way to do it is to put your first finger, just kind of barre it so it’s picking up the ninth fret of the G and the B string and then we’re going to pick that, hammer & pull and then we’re gonna go to the 12th fret on the B string and do a full step bend with some vibrato for the rest of the measure… So doing that part isn’t where I have the issue, it’s getting set up to it… making that transition is just really challenging for me… So when I when I try to play it more up to tempo I try not to think too much about it and just let my hand kind of figure out what needs to happen there…
Conclusion
Alright, so there have it, three pentatonic lick sequence ideas in the style of Jimi Hendrix. So if you like this lesson be sure to give me a thumbs up and leave a comment down below if you have any questions about this or other guitar related topics. If you’ve not already done so please subscribe to the channel and hit that notification bell so you don’t miss any of the content we upload throughout the week. Well that is all I have for you today. Thanks for watching and have a great day.
