How To Play Rhythm Guitar Jimi Hendrix Style • Little Wing Variations • Part One
As a guitar instructor at Long & McQuade, I have taught countless students (beginners to advanced) how to play or improve their chops.
Little Wing • Progression
This is the basic chord progression to Jimi's monster tune, Little Wing.
Based in the key of G Major-Em, this song has been covered many times. Blues players such as Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn, even shredders Skid Row and Steve Vai, have had a go at it.
I have transcribed this with rhythm slashes, all downstrokes and a mixture of open chords and barre chords.
Once the chords have been worked out, try to create a full strumming pattern. Since the tempo is slow, try a mixture of eight and sixteenth note slashes:
Example of a strumming pattern
Little Wing Chord Progression
Little Wing • Chord Progression
The Genius Of Jimi Hendrix
Little Wing With Fills • Part One
I composed this version from the basic progression using ideas and techniques from the hub Rock Guitar • Jimi Hendrix Chord Fills
Em in measure one is based around the open Em chord. The last eighth note is an F sharp passing tone moving into the G Major barre shape at the third fret. The last two beats of measure two are single note fills from the G Major-Em Pentatonic Scale Box Pattern #3.
Measure three moves into an Am barre shape at the fifth position. The fills are taken from C Major-Am Pentatonic Box Pattern #1 (the second note of beat four is a B, taking the sound back into G Major-Em Pentatonic).
Measure four is a repeat of measure one without the F sharp passing tone.
Measure five moves into Bm9 at the seventh position. The minor 9th chord is a beautiful sounding chord, and the embellishment really adds to the overall sound. The last chord of measure five (A sharp minor seventh) acts as a chromatic passing chord into Am7. Once again, the fill is in C Major-Am Pentatonic Box Pattern #1, with the B and A of beat four moving into the G in measure seven. The fill on the G chord comes from G Major-Em Pentatonic Box Pattern #2.
The F Major in measure seven, has been re-harmonized to form F suspended 2. This is the chord that Jimi played in the intro. It is a true suspended chord, because the third (A) has been replaced by G. The fill is from F Major-Dm Pentatonic Box Pattern #2.
Measure eight is the C Major open shape with the fill coming from C Major-Am Pentatonic Box Pattern #1.
Finally, measure nine is a chord fragment from the D Major barre shape at the fifth position. The fills are played around D Major-Bm Pentatonic Box Pattern #1, with the last note (C sharp), leading into the single note D in measure ten. The trick with this style of playing is to make it sound like it is being improvised on the spot. Take these ideas and try creating your own. A slight change in the phrasing or note choice will make a huge difference.
| Major Pentatonic Scale | Relative Minor Pentatonic Scale |
|---|---|
C Major | A minor |
G Major | E minor |
D Major | B minor |
A Major | F sharp minor |
E Major | C sharp minor |
B Major | G sharp minor |
F Major | D minor |
B flat Major | G minor |
E flat Major | C minor |
A flat Major | F minor |
D flat Major | B flat minor |
Little Wing With Fills
Little Wing With Fills
A more robust version with fret hand muting and more chord stabs. The trick is to make it sound improvised.
Jimi's masterpiece.
Comments
Media Creeks on September 10, 2016:
Thank you for this Hub. this was very great full Hub.
