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The Academy of Contemporary Music Presents Voodoo Vibe
Almost 4 decades after his death, Jimi Hendrix still has more guitar magazine coverage than almost any other player. Much of this attention has been gained from Jimi being a showman and lead guitarist but his rhythm playing is equally as interesting and innovative. In this lesson ACM’s Jon Bishop explores Jimi’s use of the fretting hand thumb to play bass notes, allowing the little finger to create add 9, add6 and sus 4 chord voicings.
Jon also looks at the pentatonic scale as an accompaniment concept and any Hendrix rhythm study wouldn’t be complete without the infamous Dom7 sharp 9 chord.
This lesson and its accompanying audio and notation take’s a look at two very different sides of Jimi’s rhythm style. The first section focuses on Jimi’s ‘clean’ style of playing in which he embellishes chords with notes from the relative pentatonic scale (Little wing, Castles made of sand etc). For an E minor chord, the E minor pentatonic is used. Similarly for an E major chord use the E major pentatonic. This is very effective as all the notes of the pentatonic are ‘safe’. I have written this lesson's piece with a view to demonstrating some of Jimi’s favourite fingering positions. It is important to learn which shapes go with which chords so you can use these ideas in other keys and in other songs.
The second section is inspired by Jimi’s use of overdrive and the dominant 7 sharp 9 chord (Purple Haze, Voodoo Chile, Foxy lady et al). Like so many good accompanists, Jimi combined chords and rhythms with lead fills to make one exiting part. Some fills inspired by his style have been included in this end section. As ever create some of your own ideas over the backing track and have fun.
Jon Bishop’s debut instrumental album entitled ‘Acoustic Sketches’ is available from www.jonbishopguitar.com
Transcription and Notes
Full Track
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Use your thumb to play the bass notes of major triad bare chords on the low E string. This concept provides two advantages. The first one is that it frees up the little finger to play melody notes. Imagine you are playing A major in the fifth position. This means the thumb hooks over the top of the neck and frets the low E string at fret 5. The first finger bares the E and B strings on the fifth fret. The second finger is placed on fret 6 of the G string and finger three on fret 7 of the D string. The A string remains muted. Now your little finger is free to play the 9th (seventh fret of the top E string) The 13th (seventh fret of B string) or the 4th (seventh fret of the G string). Fingering these notes with the little finger in addition to playing the major triad results in the following chords, Add 9, Add 6 and Sus 4. The second advantage is that you have an octave at the bottom of the chord due to the A string being muted. This sounds really good with overdrive and adds definition to the bottom end.
Jon Bishop ‘Voodoo Vibe’ Track 1. Performance notes
Bars 1-3
These ideas use the E major pentatonic scale over the E chord. Many of you will recognize this pentatonic shape as box one of the minor pentatonic. It also can be used as box 5 of the major pentatonic.
Bars 4-5
This section moves up to box 1 of the E major pentatonic scale.
Bars 6-7
The chord changes to A and an A major arpeggio is utilised. Use the tremolo arm to add some interest to the chord at the end of the phrase.
Bars 8-12
When the progression moves to B use your thumb for the bass note (see technique focus)
Bar 13
Hit the harmonic on the 12th fret of the top two strings and slowly dive the bar down. When the bar is depressed mute the top two strings and strike the low E. Let the bar return to pitch.
Bar 14-15
Turn on the Overdrive! This section uses the Dom 7 sharp 9 chord with simple pentatonic fills.
Bar 16-17
Many guitar players confuse this effect with the Wah Wah pedal. You can get a wah sound with a strat style guitar by turning the neck pick-up tone control right down and toggling backwards and forwards on the pick-up selector.
Bar 18-19
Jimi used octaves to embellish and thicken up melodies and these bars reflect this concept.
Bar 20 to end
Jimi also used fast two note trills on open strings. Simply hammer on and pull off.
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