Practice Studio

Jimi Hendrix - Angel - Guitar Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

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Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.

The Cry of Love album cover
The Cry of Love
1971 4:26
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Angel


Few Hendrix songs reward slow, careful practice as generously as "Angel." Released posthumously on The Cry of Love in 1971, it sits in Eb Standard tuning, which means you need to drop every string a half step before you play a single note. That shift softens the overall tension and gives the chords a slightly warmer, looser feel that suits the gentle, floating quality of the song. The key of E minor at 120 BPM keeps things unhurried, but the chord voicings Hendrix uses are not beginner material: expect wide stretches, thumb-over-the-neck bass notes, and smooth voice leading between shapes that can trip up your fretting hand. The fingerpicking and hybrid picking textures woven through the arrangement deserve close attention, and looping a short passage slowed down with the Practice Toolbar is the most efficient way to lock in the transitions before bringing them back up to tempo. Jimi Hendrix wrote the song in a style that blends tender Blues Rock balladry with lush, orchestral chord movement, making clean left-hand muting just as important as nailing the right voicings.

  • The song requires Eb Standard tuning, so drop all six strings a half step before playing to match the recorded key.
  • Wide chord voicings with thumb-over-the-neck bass notes are central to the arrangement and will stretch your fretting hand significantly.
  • Use the Practice Toolbar to loop and slow down the chord transition passages, where smooth voice leading is the main technical challenge.

How to Play Angel

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Hendrix's reversed left-handed Strats with stock single-coils delivered bright, articulate tone with pronounced string separation that sang when driven through cranked tubes. The in-between pickup positions created his signature quack tones, while the volume knob let him dynamically shape fuzz in real time.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

Hendrix pushed the Marshall 1959's power tubes to natural saturation, generating thick, harmonically rich overdrive that became his signature sound. The amp's aggressive breakup complemented his single-coils perfectly, delivering singing sustain without compressing his dynamic touch.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

In the studio, Hendrix used the Twin Reverb's cleaner headroom to capture sparkling, articulate tones and explore different breakup characteristics than the Marshall. Its built-in reverb added spaciousness to tracks like 'Little Wing' without relying on external effects.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Hendrix treated the Cry Baby as an expressive tone-shaping tool, rocking it rhythmically mid-riff on 'Voodoo Child' rather than just switching it on and off. The pedal's resonant sweep perfectly complemented his fuzz textures and added vocal-like expressiveness to his soloing.

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)