guitar school - jimi_hendrix - solos (dave whitehill)

CONTENTSlntroduction o 2

AtL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER o 5

CASTTES MADE OF SAND o I

COME ON (PART ll o r2

CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC o 22

FIRE o 17

FOXY IADY o 37

HEY JOE o 28

IITTLE MISS STRANGE o 32

tlTTtE WING o 43

IOVE OR CONFUSION o 40

MANIC DEPRESSION o 47

PURPLE HAZE o 50

SPANISH CASTLE MAGIC o 53

ALLALONG THEMTCHTOWER

l*aIo)NWhen Jimi treated the solo section of a song as a mini-composition, his keen intuitive

sense for such things as musical form, theme development, and orchestration wouldalways shine through. In other words, his deftness on the fretboard became secondary towhat he actually felt would fit the song. In his version of this Bob Dylan composition hesubdivided the solo section into four distinct 8-measure segments by having each partfeature a different shade of his unique spectrum of guitar sounds. Besides the previoussolo guitar sound, the other segments consist of the sonorities of an electric l2-stringplayed with a slide and going through an Echoplex (a tape echo effect based on LesPaul's original invention), wah-wahed 6-string and a slightly out-of-phase 6-string withchord-melody style comping.

The first segment is based primarily on the Cf minor pentatonic scale (Cfi E Fil Gf B)and the only deviation is when he plays Df, the second degree of the Cf Aeolian (Cf D#E Ff G# A B) in the last two measures by bending a Cfi note up a whole tone. This modeis the harmonic source for this song's i-bVII-bVI-bVII chord progression, one which hasbecome extremely popular in contemporary heavy metal. The phrasing here has a bluestinged vocal-like quality to it which is contrasted by the ethereal ambience of the 12-string solo that follows.

The next 8 measures, as stated earlier, are all played on an electric l2-string with aslide, and the mellow tone here is characteristic of the neck or rhythm pickup. Jimiopted for a Fender, of course, but other bands using the electric l2-string at that time,such as The Who, The Beatles, The Hollies, and The Byrds, wanted more of a 'Jangly"

sound and relied on Rickenbackers as a means to that end. The gain on the echo signal isalmost equal to the original sound, and length of delay is a bit longer than most analogelectronic delay pedals are capable of. so obviously you'll need to use a digital delay ortape echo.

Jimi segues into the third segment of the solo by playing octaves a la WesMontgomery on a wah-wahed 6-string, as if to imitate its l2-string counterpart. As inthe first part, he relies on the Cfi minor pentatonic scale, but there is more extensive useof Dfi, the second degree of the Cfi Aeolian. I actually interpret his soloing here as beingbased on what I call the "minor hexatonic scale", a scale that works over either a Dorianor Aeolian progression as the sixth degree is omitted.

The last segment or "chorus" features a funky chordal interlude in the first 6 measuresthat adds a little spice to the Cfm-B-A-B progression by sprinkling in some addg anddominant seventh substitutions. The solo climaxes in the last 2 measures with unisonbends that ascend the Cfi "minor hexatonic scale" (Cil Dil E Fil Gil B).

Tune down ll2 stepModerate Rock

A

Segment IRhy. Gtr.

Guitar Solo

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWERWords and Music by BOB DYLAN

- l

tf. If f t f f

fu l l ho lc i hend

Cfm

Rhythm cont. s im

Copyright O 1968 Dwarf MusicInternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved Used by Permission

Played with slide on l2 string (normal tuning.)

C f i m B A

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CASTTES MDE OFSAND

*ano)NIn this poignant piece, the irony of the lyrics is presaged by the series of unresolved

suspended second chords (NOTE: all their root notes are fretted with the thumb, as in"Little Wing") whose parallel movement along a portion of the G minor pentatonic scale(G Bb C D F) suggests that the modality of the song is to be minor. Actually, the key is Gmajor, but that's not really established until the start of measure 5 when Hendrix slidesinto B, the major third of the tonii chord, G major (G B D). Also, during beat 2 he getsinto its harmonic extensions: the major seventh (Ff) and ninth (A).

For the last three measures of the intro he weaves minor mode strands into theharmonic tapestry through riffs that are based on the harmonic structure of several"borrowed chords", which are members of a chord classification in music theory thatwas also discussed in the lesson to "Hey Joe". As the name implies, the chords are"borrowed" and the source of this "loan" is the parallel minor key. Here, the chords inquestion, F (F A C) and Bb major (Bb D F), are from the G minor harmonized scale (GmA' Bb Cm Dm Eb F). Their numerical designations in a harmonic analysis would be bVIIand LIII, respectively.

The main riff (see measures 1-2) briefly builds up the song's rhythmic momentum, notby rushing and accelerating the tempo, but as a result of a different chord occuring oneach beat. The manner in which Jimi voices them is superb, too, as he inverts theirharmonic structure to create a bass line on the 6th and 5th strings. First there's G majorin root position; followed by Bb and C major in the first inversion, that is with each oftheir thirds as the lowest note and then, on beat 4, he infers Cl (C E G Bb) in the thirdinversion by playing Bb, its seventh, on the 6th string.

An eerie "backwards guitar", sl ightly resembling a sitar, is heard in the intro,continues through the verses and then takes the bridge solo. Its phenomqnal sound is theresult of recording a guitar onto one of the tracks of the master tape with the spoolsreversed, so, that when the tape is returned to its normal position, the playback of thatguitar track is actually backwards. The notes fade in because the decay of each is nowheard before the actual pick attack. This same bit of sonically intriguing Eddie Kramerstudio magic was used for the previous song on Axis: Bold as Love, "You Got MeFloatin"', and the title cut from Are You Experienced?

The source of most of the scalar material for the melodies played by the "backwards

guitar" in the bridge solo is the G "blues" pentatonic. The exceptions are in the firstmeasure when the Ffi, the leading tone of the G major scale (G A B C D E Ff), is playedand in the last measure when the placid G major pentatonic (G A B D E) is used, thusgiving the conclusion a momentary calming effect.

CASTLESMADEOFS \NDWords and Music by JlMt HENDRTX

Fsus2 Gsus2 Bb sus2 Bb sus2 Gsus2 Fsus2 Gsus2Fig. 3 lntro

Guitar I

Freely

rall phrases fadein due to nature of effect

)3

Copyright o 1968 by BELLA GODTVA MUS|C, tNC.All Rights Control led and Administered by Don Wil l iams Music Group Inc.

Al l Rights Reserved International Copyright Secured

1 0

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coME oN (PART l)

Jimi's eclectic stylings shake the foundation of this solo e\cur\ion': traditronal 12-bar

blues progression in E. He kicks in his wah-wah pedal and staflr oul rn the first two

measures by careening in and out of the rhythmic structure * ith an E "blu.'r" pentatonic(E G A B D) based polyrhythmic figure that could be erpres:c-d tn e retio t'ri 3:-1 (see

lesson to "Foxey Lady" for more detai ls on polyrhvthmr). L-stng crghth notes as a

common denominator, note how all the phrasing. despitc' thc r enatttrn: thal include

sixteenth notes, is distributed over an area equal to -3 c-ighth ot)lcr t)r I I 'l b--et:. The IV

chord, A major (A Cf E) is anticipated on the last beat oi mcarurc -l br bcndrnt tL) it\

third, C$, by pushing the 2nd string up with his lst trnger. From that Frrtnt. rrn intt.r lhc'

next two measures, the A Mixolydian (A B C; D E F: G r becorner F\Ifl oi thc 'calar

picture as its third and sixth degrees. Cd and F: . are empharizcd TIre V chtrrd. B mltor(B Dil F$ ) is anticipated in the same manner. b1 bendine tc'r tt: thtrd. Dl. on thc' la.t r-L'at

of measure 8. This opens the door for the inclusion oi the tartl B maJor p--ntatonic :cale(B Ct D! F; Gl ) in the next measure for that p learant . doun home. "Long Hot

Summer Night" country ' f lavor (1um. )um).The intensity' level increases in the second choru: eri tlre rolo r ra rc'peated E "blues"

pentatonic-based op€n string pull-offs in measures l-l-l-<. O*rr hrghlights include some

doublestop bends. reminiscent of "T Bone" \\alker and Chuc\ B.'n).in measure 19; a

bend to Fg , t he f i f t h o f t he V cho rd tB ma . ;o r r I n measurc l l and the exc i t i ng

chromaticism of measure 12. That sanre "slidrng si-rths" rdea di:l-u:sr'd in the lesson for"Long Hot Summer Night" is used as a transitional der ice into thc' third chorus. Note

how he ascends chromatically at the end of rrcasure l-l ro rlr fiirh and third of the tonic

chord, E major (E G$ B). and continues srrumming them rrrth *hirluind terociousness

throughout the next three measures.The most challenging segment of this solo consists of the last tuo choruses because

Jimi, always an innovator, masterfully breaks dou n the barriers established by the

stereotypical lead and rhythm guitar format of 6Os rock bands. For the most part, what

he does is fret the corresponding third and flatted seventh for each of the dominant

seventh forms of the I, IV and V chords (E7. ,A7 and 87) and strum them while

simultaneously going and superimposing a melody over them by interspersing other

notes. To help accomplish this amazing feat he takes advantage of the open strings and

the fact that the partial chords he requires can be played within the 5th-7th positions.

o

12

Moderate Rock89 C9 cfe D9 Ebg

r-J -------

COMEON(Part 1)

Words and Music by EARL KING

Guitar Solo8 r ' a - - . - - - -

wah-wah on

*prebent as 2nd string is bent

@ 1960 Renewed 1988 by UNART MUSIC CORPORATIONFights Assigned to EMI CATALOGUE PARTNERSHIP

All Rights Controlled and Administered by EMI UNART CATALOG lNC.All Rights Reserved International Copyright Secured Used by Permission

1 3

not actually ghost beqds

unison bend

fu l l

*Prebent in parallel fashion

! ring finger catching

Q during previous bend.

FIRE

The bridge solo to "Fire" consists of two guitars playing similar motifs versus actually

doubling the same melody line. This fact isn't really noticable until the section in

measures 5-6 because all of the "variations on a theme" that preceded it were, for the

most part, slight deviations in rhythm. In this section, though, guitar 1 is bending to a Bnote while guitar 2 is holding a double-stop bend consisting of an E and G note. Ifyou're a stickler for authenticity, but will be playing this solo without the aid of a

second guitarist you could bend the Znd and 3rd strings up a whole tone in parallel

fashion with the 2nd and 3rd fingers, respectively. This would leave your 4th finger free

to fret the lst string and the end result would be the same: an E minor chord (E G B).

Another thing you could do to create the impression of two guitars is to substitute singlenote bends with unison bends whenever possible. For example. commence your version

of this solo with the same whole tone bend of D to E on the 2nd string, but play it in

conjunction with the E note on the I2th fret of the lst string. As you've probably

already guessed, the E minor/"blues" pentatonic (E G A B D) is the only scale used

here.The outro solo modulates back and forth between the keys of E and D, so the D

minorf'blues" pentatonic (D F G A C) is used as well. Note that he anticipates themodulation back to E in measures 8 and 16 by doing a whole tone bend from D, which

is now the tonic, to an E note on the 2nd string. In relation to the key of D, E would be

the second degree of its related scale.

o

FIREBy JlMl HENDRIX

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Moderately Up RockJ =156N.C.(E)

Guitar Solo , |.-.^- A- A^4

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21

cRossTomTRAFFIC

Even though the actual bridge solo to "Crosstown Traffic" is in itself only fourmeasures long, it seemed that it and the outro chorus should be included in thisanthology since they amply demonstrate the dramatic effect of scat singing in unisonwith an instrument. Hendrix is cited as being the first to use scatting (an improvisationalvocal style which was developed by jazz singers to imitate horn players) in conjunctionwith the guitar. If you are a singer, as well as a guitarist, then this song can be anexcellent vehicle in which to learn this art. It's a gratifying experience when you finallyget your scatting chops down to the point where you can do it along with your ownimprovised lines on the guitar, plus it's a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

There seems to be a modulation going into the bridge solo as it is played primarilyover Gf7, the V7 (dominant seventh) chord in this song's key of C{ major. Jimi alsoreinforces this deception by relying on the Gfi "blues" pentatonic scale (G# B Cf Df FD.He resumes playing the Cf "blues" pentatonic (Cfi E F$ G$ B) in the outro chorus atmeasure 5, thus reestablishing the tonic.

Jimi's bluesy unison scat/guitar lines that appear throughout this entire excerpt arecomplimented by some modem chord voicings associated with jazz and the quartalharmonies (chords buil t of "stacked fourths") of twentieth-century music. Alteredchords come from the former, and the one he uses here is a dominant seventh chord witha raised or augmented ninth (1 3 5 b7 *9). The major/minor ambiguity of blues is imbuedin its harmonies because it contains a major third and a minor third's enharmonicequivalent, the raised or augmented ninth. This voicing is used for both the I and IVchords, C#7#9 (Cf E# Gfi D double sharp) and Ffi7f9 (Fil Ail Cil E G double sharp). Duringthe verse (not shown here) there are two other altered chords: Gt7 $ (Gil Bf D FD, whichhas the fifth lowered, and 87b9, which has the ninth lowered. These chords are all basedon traditional tertiary harmony, that is "stacked thirds". while the Esus2 (E Ffi B) andeven Bsus4 (B E FD could be considered quartal harmonies since the particular voicingsused here contain a series of perfect fourths.

o

22

CROSSTOWN TR/AFFICWords and Music by JlMl HENDRIX

Tune down ll2 stepModerate Rock

Esus2do do do do do do do - do.

c#t#eCross -town traf - fic

do do do do do

Ffl f 'e

do do

d o d o -

do do do

d o - d o d o

a . lc /

Yeah yeah

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Fil7#edo do do do do do

27

HEYJOEl*ano N

The bVI-bIII-bVII-IV-I (C-G-D-A-E) chord progression of this song is a perfectexample of retrograde motion or what is commonly called "backcycling". Its sequenceof descending fourths is the reverse of the often heard cycle of fourths, which can befound throughout such popular jazz standards as "All The Things You Are" and"Autumn Leaves". Since the Roman numerals indicate the scale degree of each chord'sroot, the flat signs preceding the first three chords means that they are all foreign to thekey of E major. However, they are part of E minor's harmonized scale (Em Ffl' G AmBm C D) and, as such, are referred to as "borrowed chords".

It was already stated in the lesson to "Purple Haze" that the E minor/"blues"pentatonic scale (E G A B D) will work in both minor and major settings, so it should beno suprise that Jimi uses it as a basis for most of his soloing here. There are two points,though, where he digresses and acknowledges that the tonic chord, represented by aRoman numeral one in the harmonic analysis, is E major (E Gf B). Going to the end ofmeasure 2, you'll note that he bends the G note up a semitone to Gg as if in anticipationof the I chord. Later, he briefly switches to the tonal calm of the E major pentatonicscale (E F# G# B CD on beat 4 of measure 7.

If you plan to play this solo in a power trio format, like the E.rperienc'e was, I suggestfollowing Jimi's lead and follow the bass in measures 9-10. All kidding aside, when heplayed the song live he'd go to the part played by guitar I on the recording, thusdoubling what Noel Redding played on the bass guitar. The melody itself is a common"walking" bass line that works well in this bVIJIII-bVII-N-I progression. Note how itmoves chromatically to the root of each chord in half steps, thus explaining the term"walking".

28

HEYJOEWords and Music by BILLY ROBERTS

I

Moderately Slow RockJ =88

C Gadd9 E N.C.

Joe!

Guitar Solo ;!

Shoot her one moreOo.

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o 1962 (Renewed) by THIRD STORY MUSIC, lNC.All Rights Reserved International Copyright Secured

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31

tITTtE MISSSTRANGE

laano N

In this composition by bassist Noel Redding, Jimi approaches the solo section much inthe same manner as you saw done in "All Along the Watchtower". There is one thing,however, that distinguishes it from the latter and that is the inclusion of harmony guitarparts. The outstanding feature of this section here is that instead of just going for thecommon practice of simply taking a melody and overdubbing a harmony a third aboveit, he takes a true orchestral approach to the entire instrumental interlude and includessuch things as harmonic theme development.

The f i rs t par t o f the so lo (measures l -4) could actual lv just be considered acontinuation of the verse. This extended fill contains some inreresting counterpoint thatis the result of the f irst solo guitar relying on the D "blues scale" (D F G G# A C)throughout while the the second guitar plays the D Mixoll'dian aeainst it in measure 2.

Going into the next segment (measures 5-12), the tonal center becomes A and Jimilays down a foundation on which the other guitar can build hannonies. Basically, herepeats a two-measure motif three times that centers around the root of an A majorchord (A Cil E). The other guitar enters the second time, flrst hamronizin-e a major thirdabove the motif and then a perfect fifth above it. The dissonant harmonies in the last twomeasures are sounded against the A major chord of the rhythm guitar. consequentlyinferring some rather bizane altered dominant chords. I could tell r ou. for example, thatthe overall harmonic analysis of measure is l2 is A7 (add [13). but in reality it appearsto me that Jimi was experimenting, perhaps by accident, with polvtonality. He couldhave been just having a giggle and trying to be as strange as the eirl Noel was singingabout, but it's obvious that the two notes in question, F and C. u'ere taken from the D"blues scale". A less janing example of polytonality occurs in ntcasures 22-27. At thispoint the rhythm part indicates that the piece is still in the key of D major. but the solo isbased on the the E minor/"blues" pentatonic scale (E G A B D). Onc e rplanation for thisturn of events is that maybe he was in effect anticipating the modulation to E major thatis firmly established at the beginning of the third verse. No ntatter r,r'hat Jimi wasactually thinking about when he created this solo, it definitely works and should inspireus all to not fear breakins the rules once in awhile.

32

LITTLE MIS STRANGEWords and Music by NOEL REDDING

ModeratelyFast RockTune down l/2 stepGuitar solo

lll gu11 -----l/2

full

Copyright O 1968 by Joint Music Co.All Rights Administered by Chappell & Co.

International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

33

112 full full

i

I

I

FOXY IADYl*aIo)N

You'll discover that several aspects of the bridge solo to "Foxy Lady" are similar toones discussed earl ier in the lesson to "Fire". As in the latter, The minor/"blues"pentatonic ( l ?3 15 r7) supplies most of the basic needs for scalar material in buildingthe solo, but since the tonal center this t ime is Fi. the notes are Ffi AB CE. The Fil"blues scale" (Ff, A B Bf, Ct E) also makes an appearance, however it is only used forthe walking bass and guitar line at the end of the second measure of the repeated twomeasure accompaniment pattern. Bending the tonic up to the second degree was amove we witnessed in the outro solo to "Fire" and Jimi follows suit here in measure 3when he bends Ffi on the llth fret of the 3rd string up to Gi. The ninth is the same asthe second degree, but the former is used when speaking of harmonic extensions, forexample, in the analysis of the ascending unison bends in the beginning of the bridgesolo to "Manic Depression". Since chords are almost always composed of stackedthirds, the second degree wouldn't become part of a chord's harmonic structure untilthe series ofextensions reached an interval ofa ninth (an octave and a second).

After using that ambiguous Gil note again in measure 6. Hendrix immediately takesflight with a polyrhythmic figure consisting of 3 sixteenth notes: B bent Cf,, an unbentC f, and E. Polyrhythms are expressed in terms of ratios and, since sixteenth notessubdivide a beat into four equal parts, this rhythmic figure is 3:4 (three against four).After repeating this polyrhythmic figure four times, he concludes his solo in measure 8with a descending melodic sequence. starting on beat 2, in the "root position" (seelesson to "Love or Confusion" solo) of the F$ minor/"blues" pentatonic scale. The ideahere is simple but eff-ective: take a one beat riff and move it across the "box pattern" (acolloquialism for this particular scale's shape) one string at a time.

37

FOXY LADYWords and Music by JlMl HENDRIX

Moderate Rock J =100N.C.

Guitar Solo

Here I

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Copyright o 1967 by BELLA GODIVA MUSIC, lNc.Al l Rights Control led and Administered by Don Wil l iams Music Group Inc.


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gon - na take you home, -

(end of Ctr. solo)

39

rovE oRCONFUSION

laano I

One noteworthy feature of this solo is that its tonal center is A minor while the rest ofthe song is in the key of G, or more accurately G Mixolydian (G A B C D E F), as the I-bVII progression would indicate. This change of keys is known as a modulation and is anexcellent compositional device for creating drama within the piece. The modulation canbe abrupt, as it is here, or carefully dovetailed into the song's structure via a "pivot

chord". The word "pivot" is an apt description of a pivot chord's function and relation tothe two keys in question because it 's the turning point. in regards to the actualmodulation, and is part of both key's harmonized scales. This is exemplified in the lastfour measures of this solo where the inferred D5, which is based on the subdominant orIV chord in A minor, also functions as the dominant or V chord since. after the solo, thepiece then returns back to the original key of G.

As you leam this solo you'll find that four of the five possible positions for the Aminorl'blues" pentatonic scale (A C D Df E G) are demonstrated and this scale is usedfor the first 12 measures of the solo. Jimi starts out in what I call the "root position", sonamed because the root of the tonic chord is the lowest note of this beloved pattern, andthen shifts up to the next position with a slurred slide, preferably done with the 2ndfinger (remember, Jimi had massive hands), on beat 2 of the second measure from a Dto an E note. Going into the next beat, he slides once more to a third position. Using the2nd finger earlier will set you up for sliding this time with the I st finger fiom a G to anA note. He remains in this position up until beat 3 of measure 3. at which point he againuses the G and A notes as a vehicle for shifting, but now the 2nd tinger is used, and hewinds up in the fourth position for the A minor/"blues" pentatonic scale. Hendrixrefums to "root position" in measure 5, however, he is now exactl\ one octave abovewhere he started.

In the last four measures, D is treated as a temporary tonal center. thus explaining whythe D minor pentatonic (D F G A C) was his scalar selection. Althou-sh the incidental Enote in measure 15 is part of a related mode, the D Donan (D E F G A B C), I view itmore as a consequence of all the sliding taking place here.

40

Moderate Rock J =112Guitar gsls N.C. (A5)

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LOVEORCONFUSIONWords and Music by JlMl HENDRIX

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Copyright @ 1967 by BELLA GODIVA MUSIC, lNC.All Rights Control led and Administered by Don Wil l iams Music Group lnc.


41

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TITTLE W|NGlAano T

In the next two lessons we'll also be examining some of the many facets of Jimi'salmost pianistic approach to the guitar in his highly stylized chordal introductions tothese beautiful ballads from Axis: Bold as Love. As far as technique goes, his thumboften functions like a pianist's left hand by fretting sustained bass notes, thereby freeingup his fingers to play melodies in the upper registers in the manner of a keyboardist'sright hand.

The first example of this modus operandi is in measure 2. Here he starts off byfretting the root of the G major chord (G B D) with his thumb and then plays a legatomelody with his fingers. The chord melodies primarily consist of strumming two notesof the chord and slurring (i.e. hammering and/or pulling off) on just one the strings. Hemay also pick each of the double-stops that are produced as a result playing chord tonesin conjunction with the various nonharmonic tones (notes not found in the chordstructure, but part of the chord's related scale), as on beats 2 and 3 of measure 6. Sinceone of the pitches remains stationary, this kind of movement is known as obliquemotion.

Most of the partial chords used as a vehicle for the melodies are played in positionscorresponding to common barre chords that, if you aren't already, you should becomefamiliar with. These movable chord forms can easily be related to the basic "open

chords" in the first position. For example, in this song's intro, the Am and Bm positionsused are based on an "open" Em. However, Hendrix also had his own unique voicingsthat helped to give him his characteristic sound, such as the sus2, that is a suspendedsecond chord (l 2 5) form in measure 7.

In the first five measures of the guitar solo, the E minor pentatonic scale (E G A B D)provides sufficient scalar material to play beautifully through the changes: Em (E G B),G, Am (A C E), Em7 (E G B D), Bm (B D FD. Notice how he intermeshes the melodyinto the harmonic structure of the piece by continually placing emphasis on chord tones;for example, he starts on the root of each chord in measures 1, 3 and 4.In measure 2,you could refer to the E minor pentatonic in terms of its relative major scale, the Gmajor pentatonic scale (G A B D E). but G is only a temporary tonal center here. At onepoint, though, there is a temporary modulation from E minor to the key of G major. Ifyou listen to the section in measures 7-9 of the solo, or anywhere this portion of theprogression occurs in the song, you'll see how G major feels more like "home" than Eminor.

During the first two beats of measure 6, a C note appropriately enters the picture as itis the third of the A minor chord. In the next two measures Jimi expresses himselfmelodically with the major pentatonic scale, shifting along with the temporary tonalcenters. That means that G and F major pentatonics (F G A C D) are being used inmeasure J and the C major pentatonic (C D E G A) in measure 8. At first glance, it mayappear that he's solely using the D major pentatonic (D E F# A B) in measure 9, but onthe second half of beat 2 he throws in a G note to infer a Dsus4 chord (D G A). Asmentioned earlier, a temporary modulation has taken place to the key of G major. Thekey of E minor is restablished in measure 10 when he plays an Em7 with the naturalharmonics at the l2th fret.

43

LITTLEWINGWords and Music by JlMl HENDRIX

Intro ISlow rockJ =70

V

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Copyright O 1968 by BELLA GODIVA MUSIC, lNC.All Rights Control led and Administered by Don Wil l iams Music Group Inc.


(D)(Drum fill)

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Li t - t le Wing. -

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46

mNrcDEPRESSION

Unlike all the other solos in this anthology and rock music in general, this one has atime signature of 314. Triple meter is rarely used for uptempo rock music and isnormally associated with slow ballads and waltzes, you know, "skating rink music".Since a swing feel is present, thus subdividing each beat by 3, it would be correct tosay that "Manic Depression" is in a compound time of 9/8, but Andy Aledort opted forthe more easily read time signature of 314. For a comparative study of 314 with aswing feel and 918, aIl you have to do is check out my transcription of this solo in theMarch 1988 issue of Guitar World. Rhythmically speaking, mine might be a bit moredifficult to read, however I selected 9/8 as I believed it was a better vehicle for graphicrepresentation of the time frame the Experience was working in here and also therewould be less chance for readers to misinterpret the rhythm of any of the phrases.

From a harmonic perspective, things are a little simpler. The first 8 measures consistof unison bends that ascend through the harmonic extensions of the tonic chord fromthe fifth to the eleventh: E-G-B-D. The remainder of the solo is based on the A "blues

scale": A C D Dil E G, an ambigious entity that can appear in conjunction with a majoror minor mode. The mode here is minor, but the verses are decidedly major as theaccompanying guitar part commences in the first measure by outlining an A majorchord (A C$ E).

The only deviations from the "blues scale" are when he plays B, the ninth, inmeasure 8 on beat 2; when incideirtal chromaticism occurs as the result of graduallybending notes. in measures 9, 13 and 18, and the "outside" double-stop bend Jimi doesin measure 7. purely for effect. An extraneous Bb note occurs in the guise of harmonicfeedback at the end of the solo (see measures 18 and 20), probably unintentionally,because of the overbending of the 3rd string. What in fact happens here is that as hepushes the 3rd string up an additional semitone he catches the 4th string at the 17thfret, pushes it up a semitone from A to Bb and the resulting shift in placement of thestring over the pickup turns out to be perfect for causing the fundamental tone tofeedback. Remembering that Hendrix was left-handed and used backwards strungright-handed 60s Stratocasters. which had staggered polepieces on their pickups (theoriginal purpose for having polepieces of different heights was to balance out thevolume of the strings in relation to each other because of their different gauges), thiswould mean that as he did the aforementioned bend the 4th string would be over thetallest polepiece and the subsequent increase in gain caused it to feedback.

What may seem like a minor point, that is how Jimi's guitars were strung, is inreali ty a major factor in his unique sound. For example, the bass response wasincreased, as can be heard in the opening chords to "The Wind Cries Mary". This alsogave more punch to his ubiquitous intro slides on the 6th string. If you really want toreplicate Jimi's sound, I suggest getting a left-handed Strat, if you're right-handed, andstring it backwards. The only modification you'll need done is the replacement of thenut, which is a simple task and very inexpensive.

o

47

MANIC DEPRESSIONWords and Music by JlMl HENDRIX

Moderate Rock ) =152Triplet Feel

N.C.Guitar SoloI ^ ^/,/\ ---\,^.

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Copyright o 1967 by BELLA GODIVA MUSIC, lNC.All Rights Controlled and Administered by Don Will iams Music Group Inc.

All Rights Reserved International Copyright Secured

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PURPTE HAZEl*ano)I

Learning the solo to "Purple Haze" just might expand your mind as much as thesubject of this song's theme and is certainly much safer. Experimentation withpsychedelics was rampant in the 60s and left such casualties as Pink Floyd's Syd Barretin its wake. Hendrix, like some of his other creative brethren, fused rock with othermusical idioms, such as avante garde (i.e. "atonal music"), blues and jazz. His interest inthe latter helped to spark his creative genius to dabble with various scales and modesassociated with jazz.

While the intro was based solely on the limited vocabulary of the E minor/"blues"pentatonic scale (E G A B D), the bridge solo is a virtual lexicon for altemate scales andmodes. In the first measure the temporary tonal center is A and the repeated 4 note riffby guitar 1 can be traced to the A major pentatonic scale (A B C# E Ffi). Measure 2 findshim playing a similar pattem, but now he's returned to the E minor/"blues" pentatonicscale and continues doing so in the next measure. Guitar 1 divebombs into oblivion atmeasure 4 and guitar 2 enters, playing a melody derived from the E Mixolydian mode(E Ff G# A B C# D) through an Octavia, a prototype octave-doubling device invented byelectronics maven Roger Mayer.

Going from a minor to a major modality here creates an uplifting experience for thelistener. However such shifts in mode are possible only when a chordal instrument iseither not present, as in this solo, or the rhythm accompaniment consists of diads (alsocalled "power chords") that omit the third, the note of a chord's harmonic structure thatdetermines whether it is major or minor. At the end of measure 5 he goes to the EDorian mode (E F* G A B C# D), which differs from the Mixolydian in that the thirddegree is lowered, thus making it minor as opposed to major. The remainder of the solois based on the E Dorian and, as you'll see, most of the positions used are the same asones commonly relied on to play the E minor/"blues" pentatonic scale.

These four scales and modes are the primary ones that Hendrix used for the solosappearing in this anthology, so I suggest becoming familiar with them in other keys. Inorder to gain a deeper understanding into the scalar composition of each let's see howthey compare to the major scale. The major pentatonic scale is simply the major scalewith the 4th and 7th degrees omitted. thus the scale formula: | 2 3 5 6. The Mixolydianmode differs from the major scale in that the 7th de-eree is lowered and its formulareflects this fact: | 2 3 4 5 6 17. The minor/"blues" pentatonic scale and Dorian modehave a b7 as well as the characteristic lowered third of minor chords and scales. Theirrespec t i ve fo rmu lasa re 1b3 45b1 and l 2b3456 lT . In thenex tso lo , theb r idgeso lo to"Manic Depression," you'll get acquainted with another scale Jimi often used called the"blues scale". Basically, it's the minor/"blues" pentatonic with the addition of an alterednote, either a flatted fifth 05) or its enharmonic equivalent, the augmented fourth (+4).

These altered notes, the b7 and the b3 (when used in a major key) are knowncollectively as "blue notes", but the actual founders of blues didn't speak in terms ofscales as such. Furthermore, the inferences made by my use of quotation marks whenspeaking in regards to blues are purely unintentional. Their purpose is to make youaware of the fact that the notes used in this Afro-American music can't be properlyrepresented by the terminology of traditional European music theory. The beauty of thetones in blues comes from the fact that they are not actually notes from a written page,but pitches from the performer's heart and soul. Such emotion causes slight shifts inmicrotonal increments that are too complex for standard notation, much to the chagrinof the stuffed-shirt theorists whose hearts can't be touched by the blues.

50

PURPLE HA-EWords and Music by JlMl HENDRIX

Moderate posk J =ttZ

Help mc l

+Chord names derived from bass Dattem

Guitar Solo(voca l ad l ib w/ ad l ib t rem. b l r t r l l '

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51

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Pur-ple Haze - a l l in n r \

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SPANISH CASTTEmclc

aa10 I

You better look out, because Jimi gets a serious case of the bends in this solo!Hopefully, you've got sufficient amount of callus formation on the tips of your frettingfingers from playing the previous lead breaks in this book. Calluses will. of course,prevent the strings from digging into your fingers when you must exert the additionalpressure necessary for wide interval bends.

Another important factor is the location of the fietting hand's thumb. Contrary to therules of classical guitar technique, in this case the thurnb SHOULD always be wrappedaround the neck when bending str ings. This wil l -eive 1'ou increased leverage andstrength, plus minimize muscle strain. The fingers behind the one that is fretting the noteyou intend to bend can also help assist you in attainin-u these same ends. Since the 3rdfinger is usually used for single note bends in rock and blues, that would mean the lstand 2nd ones would be available for assistance. Be sure to keep all the fingers closetogether because this will distribute all the pressure )'ou exert to the proper point in thestring's length.

The first wide interval bend (bendin-e a distance sreater than a whole tone) in this solois on beat 4 of measure I and spans a distance of a minor third or I and ll2 steps. Thefact that this bend is on the 4th strin-e means that you should pull it down or else youcould slip off the fretboard. Noting from the key signature that this solo is in Cfl minor,Jimi is, in fact, bending from a Cr note. the tonic. to E, the flatted third (b3). In measures10-11 he also does a minor third bend from E to G, the characteristic flatted fifth (b5) ofthe "blues scale". In this same section you'll note that Jimi even goes as far as to pushthe 2nd string a bit farther (ouchl) so that he can go up a major third (2 whole tones orsteps) to Gfi. which is the fifih of the inferred C#m7 chord (Cf E Gf B), thus resolvingthe tension created by the '5.

There are two rather unusual double-stop bends here that will require a partial baffewith the 3rd finger. The flrst one is on beat 3 of measure 4 and consists of fourths inparallel motion. The scale degrees involved are 1 (the tonic) and 4, which are then bothraised up a whole tone to 2 and 5. You will probably prefer to pull down on the 3rd and4th strings as there is less possibility of losing your grip. The next one is at beat 3 ofmeasure 12 and, needless to say, the strings will be pushed up this time. The movementis again in parallel fourths, but the 2nd string is only raised by a semitone, going from Ffto G (4 to b5), while the 1st string is bent up a whole tone to C{ the tonic.

53

SPANISH CASTLE MAGICWords and Music by JlMl HENDRIX

Moderate Po"l J =100

tF j : , ' . N .C. Cf m

Yeah,- O. K. babe,

; ? . t . t t . t a

flll fu.ll ful.l fullfull ,zV\,2\A fullfull full

Copyright o 1968 by BELLA GODIVA MUSIC, lNC.All Rights Control led and Administered by Don Wil l iams Music Group Inc'-


y l F i B . 2 c o n t

55

guitar school - jimi_hendrix - solos (dave whitehill)

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