Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower Pt.3 - Solos Two & Three - Guitar Lesson

South Saturn Delta

1968 4:01

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About All Along The Watchtower Pt.3 - Solos Two & Three

Solos two and three from Jimi Hendrix's take on "All Along The Watchtower" are where the real fingerwork demands your attention. Both solos lean hard on expressive string bending, vibrato control, and the kind of phrasing that sits slightly behind the beat to give each note room to breathe. In C# minor, every position shift and blues-phrased lick needs to feel relaxed even when the speed picks up, which is harder than it sounds. The temptation is to rush through the faster runs, so isolate each solo in the Practice Toolbar, slow it right down, and work on matching the pitch and width of every bend before you worry about tempo. Pay particular attention to how the phrases end: the release of a bend or the tail of a vibrato tells you as much about the style as the notes themselves. Clean up those details slowly before pushing back to full speed.

• Both solos are rooted in C# minor pentatonic, so knowing that box shape cold before tackling the bends will save you a lot of frustration.
• Hendrix's vibrato here is wide and slow rather than fast and narrow, making wrist technique and finger strength the main things to practise.
• Looping each solo phrase slowed down is the most reliable way to nail the precise bend pitches, which are the defining detail of this style.