Hendrix Rythm Spice

Ok first. I'm actually 13 so I'm pretty young and fiddle about with my guitar a lot and been watching a heck of a lot of hendrix vids to realise what he does, lets start.

If you look at the way hendrix plays his chords, there not barre chords but he does play them up the frets, what he does is uses less fingers to cover a chord and have the remaining fingers to "spice" up the rythm with little touches.

Normal A barre

e|--5--
B|--5--
G|--6--
D|--7--
A|--7--
E|--5--

But Hendrix tries to make the same chord but use less fingers the (number) shows the finger to use


A chord (Hendrix Style)

e|--5-(1)-
B|--5-(1)-
G|--6-(2)-
D|--7-(3)-
A|-------
E|-------

If done correctly, your pinky shall be free, woo! This allows you to improvise with your little pinky in many ways and all that.

For example (ok not really a good one but still)

e|--8p5-5-----5-5---5-
B|--5---8/7p5-5-5---5-
G|--6---6-----6-6h7-6-
D|--7---7-----7-7---7-
A|--------------------
E|--------------------

Of course that's pretty cool and simple, I'm pretty mince at it myself but I'm sure all you good players will have no problem jamming and inprovising with this shape (can obviously be moved around just like a barre chord). If your wondering, a minor just takes your 3rd finger away making it 5,5,5,7 (if you get what i mean). After looking at that, you could be wondering how to do a A shaped barre. Or perhaps looking at the first you may have figured the first but here it is anyways.


D barre chord

E|----
B|--7-(barre with just your first finger)
G|--7-
D|--7-
A|----
E|----

Now of course the barre with the first finger doesn't mean you are limited to only 7 and above. You can use the notes on the 5th fret, you can use that to build this jazzy/blues kind of technique... it's hard to explain, look here.

e|------------------
B|------7-----7h8-7-
G|------7-----7---7-
D|------7-----7h9-7-
A|--5-5---7/9-------
E|------------------

You may notice a shape from "wind cries mary" and correct, that is the shape and its a brilliant technique I love to do often.

The minor for this may "seem" obvious now I've explained the aboves but in fact what I do to play the minor is do this.

(D minor hendrix style)
e|-----
B|--10-
G|--10-
D|--12-
A|-----
E|-----

I've moved it up 3 frets and added my 3rd finger on the D string 2 frets up.


I've pretty much coverd what I wanted to share so I hope some of this stuff was somewhat useful and I hope to get feedback.


author :author: neo14085