Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing Pt.1 - Intro - Guitar Lesson

About Little Wing Pt.1 - Intro

Few guitar intros demand as much from a single hand position as this one. Jimi Hendrix built the "Little Wing" intro around a technique that has become its own lesson: chord fragments voiced on the middle strings, with the thumb wrapping over the neck to fret the low E, while the fingers simultaneously pluck open strings above. The result is a flowing, harp-like wash where melody, bass, and inner voices move together rather than in sequence. Playing it in E minor, you need to think horizontally across strings rather than up and down the fretboard, letting open strings ring through each chord shape change. The tempo is slow and the feel is behind the beat, so rushing is the main trap for most players. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop just the first two or three chord movements slowed right down, watching carefully which strings ring free and which are fretted. Getting the sustain and the subtle hammer-ons between shapes is what separates a recognisable attempt from something that actually feels right.

• The intro relies on Hendrix's thumb-over-the-neck technique, fretting bass notes on the low E while fingers voice chord fragments and catch open strings above.
• Playing in E minor allows several open strings to ring sympathetically through each chord move, which is central to the harp-like sound of the part.
• Small hammer-ons and pull-offs connect the chord shapes throughout the intro, so practising each transition in isolation with the Practice Toolbar is the most efficient approach.