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I've been trying to learn this classic for a while now but tonight I've really sat down and tried to go through it.
Such a hard song to play! Spent a couple of hours listening and playing and only managed to get to the end of the first verse... The little improvisations around the chords that Jimi does are really tricky to play clean, not helped by my short fingers not being able to reach some of the notes.
Funny thing is I usually breeze through the rhythm sections of songs and spend a long time on the solo. For this song I can improvise a solo easily enough, but I'm really struggling to improvise anything over the chords. So, I'm reduced to trying to learn what Jimi is doing on the verses pretty much note for note.
And this is just remembering the notes... to get anywhere near the feel and the dynamics that are essential to Jimi's playing I fear will take a lot longer...
Anyone feel the same or got any tidbits of advice for playing this song?
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Comments
But the verses are different and I'd be inclined to learn first a simpler version of what he does, and once you're happy with that it will make learning an exact version of the verses easier. Trying to learn the notes without an idea of the patterns would be a mare of a job.
Basically, learn the basic "Hendrix-isms" of how he embellishes major chords and minor chords and it will take you a long way into understanding what he's doing on "Little Wing" in particular (where's there are so many of 'em.) Check out YT for upteen number of "how to play like Hendrix" ideas rather than exact transcriptions of the song. Once you've got those down it'll be easier.
(And you'll have pretty much the entire RHCP catalogue in your pocket
Definitely worth seeing it through though, as it has really given me a glimpse into a completely new way of playing which hopefully, like BahHumbug says, will be absorbed into my own palette.
That's just the sort of playing I like - essentially fairly easy to play (no flashy technique or shredding), just an attempt at melodic perfection. Will have a crack at nicking that, definitely.
Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21)