Jimi Hendrix, How To Play His Material Your Way

Jimi Hendrix  How to Play his Material your way



By Mark Grove

Most Guitar players gravitate toward Hendrix material like the proverbial plague. Nothing wrong with that  it's just that both beginners and advanced players always choose his most popular material. Want to be a better player who can just kill Hendrix material, be a contrarian and pick out some of Jimi's more obscure material, and the blues material he did in
The Band Of Gypsies with his friend and bass player Billy Cox. As well, get down his material he did before he started his own band.


But it's always best for your playing ability to learn how to play Hendrix material your way, not just copy it and think you're getting it down like a bastard.






How can you Play Jimi's material yet put your own spin on it. Most Blues and Rock players copy Hendrix material lick for lick, and note for note. Then if they get it down they think they're just killin' it!

Think again!

I've had many conversations with fellow Canadian Guitar Player writer, and bluesman Dee Curtis. We talked about Detroit blues artists who play his material like a bastard but don't do it in a way that says--ORIGINAL.

First of all don't use a white Fender and Marshall Stack thinking that will turn the tide to playing Hendrix material like a freight train. Also, don't string and tune your guitar like he did either.

Nor do You Need stomps and effects pedals.

In the last hour before I started writing this piece, I was looking at how to videos on playing Hendrix tracks. All of it, I mean all of it focused on copying his material and playing tunes like "Hey Joe", "All Along The Watch Tower" and "Purple Bloody Haze".Be an original even when picking out Jimi's material. If Jimi were here he'd be pissed and bored that you picked those tunes to play at Blues jams, Gigs and Practices--all the while playing it note or note.

Look at some of his more obscure material like "One Rainy Wish" which is one of my favorite Hendrix tunes. As well he has some purely instrumental material which I have on cassette tape. Some other material was with the Isley Brothers when Hendrix was a sideman, as well as with Little Richard. Just go on line and pick something out and learn it until You Can play it your way. Learn one Hendrix tune play part of the song and change up some of the chords and notes. You may have to go over the parts more than once to to change a Hendrix tune and play it your way.

You could take some tracks from The Band Of Gypsies tracks with Jimi and Bass axeman Billy Cox. Just record the bass and Lead Guitar parts and change up these parts and if you have very creative drummer and bass player in your band, they'll be able to change up their parts of Hendrix material.

There is a good way or device to record your original Hendrix tunes.Tascam has a portable digital recorder called GT--R1 to record guitar and bass parts. You can also slow down the playing of a track to learn and Play Along as well as recording to a different device.

http:www.tascam.com

The Tascam GT--R1 is a great unit for learning set lists and recording. You can make instant MP3's you can transfer to your band website for your fans to listen to. The Tascam is an incredible unit to use in combination with an Analog device, which is a Tascam 4 track tape deck to get more of a late 60's early 70's warmth and feel for Hendrix material.

You can pick up a Tascam 4 track on E-Bay and get a good deal.

Using both analog and digital will help you learn new material and play and record your way, not be a copier. This way you don't have to use any Hendrix equipment like Fender and Marshall.

To be more creative I would suggest using the Tascam 4 track. Too many players learn and play material using digital units and effects, which ruin Hendrix material and having any original artistic integrity.

Learn and play Hendrix material your way, not Jimi's. Jimi would be proud if you played it your way, not his.

Peace and Success to all Players.

Mark G

About the Author

My name is Mark Grove and I write how to articles with guitar and gear tips,music business posts and artist profiles and interviews