Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing Pt.3 - Solo - Guitar Lesson

About Little Wing Pt.3 - Solo

The solo section of "Little Wing" sits inside one of the most studied guitar performances Jimi Hendrix ever recorded. Playing it well means getting comfortable with his signature approach of blending melody and chord fragments together, where single-note lines blur into partial voicings and thumb-over-the-neck bass notes. In E minor, the lines have a vocal, almost conversational quality, and the real challenge is phrasing: every bend, slur, and release needs to breathe rather than rush. The slow ballad tempo is actually harder to play cleanly than something fast, because there is nowhere to hide sloppy finger movement. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop any phrase slowed down until the individual notes and their articulation are clear before bringing it back up to speed. Pay close attention to how notes are released, not just how they are fretted or bent, since that release is a huge part of what makes the tone sing. Getting the dynamics right, soft swells followed by sharp accents, is what separates a note-accurate run from one that actually sounds like this piece.

• The solo weaves single-note melody with embedded chord fragments, a Hendrix technique that requires your fretting hand to shift roles constantly within a single phrase.
• Playing in E minor at a slow ballad tempo demands precise left-hand muting and controlled bends, since every note is exposed with little rhythmic cover.
• Thumb-over-the-neck fretting appears throughout Hendrix's playing on this track, so practise that grip separately if it is new to you.