Jimi Hendrix

I'm new here and this is my first post. I'm a big fan of Jimi Hendrix and there are a few questions I have about him that I haven't been able to find answers for. They are:

1) Did he ever take guitar lessons?
2) Did he know how to read music?
3) Could he play straight covers of songs without any embellishments?
4) Just how good was he?
5) What is it he could do that no one else could do guitar-wise?
6) Is there any part of guitar playing that he wasn't good at?
7) Has anyone ever said anything critical of his guitar playing?

I am anxious to hear from anyone in the know on this subject. Thanks!!

http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jimihendrix/biography

Originally Posted by: DockStoneI'm new here and this is my first post. I'm a big fan of Jimi Hendrix and there are a few questions I have about him that I haven't been able to find answers for. They are:

1) Did he ever take guitar lessons?
2) Did he know how to read music?
3) Could he play straight covers of songs without any embellishments?
4) Just how good was he?
5) What is it he could do that no one else could do guitar-wise?
6) Is there any part of guitar playing that he wasn't good at?
7) Has anyone ever said anything critical of his guitar playing?

I am anxious to hear from anyone in the know on this subject. Thanks!!

I'm not trying to be rude or anything when I say this, so please don't take it the wrong way.

Any time you have a question for this forum, it would be worth your while to try the "search" tool. You'd be AMAZED at how much information is on this forum.

Just a FYI.

Welcome to the site!

I enjoyed the RS bio which I've read previously, Grambo. Thanks.

Raskolnikov: I hadn't thought about using the Search function until you referenced it. I found some Jimi Hendrix stuff immediately! I can't wait to listen to it all.

In my initial post, I asked if there was ever any criticism of his playing, but after listening to just 3 Hendrix-lessons, I don't believe there could be.

I know I'm gonna be super busy in this place!!

You know, I get the impression that Jimi never had any formal muscial education. I don't think he was unfamiliar with written music but that wasn't his priority or his preferred method of learning guitar stuff.

He obviously had a very good ear, a "phonographic" memory and a system for inwardly cataloguing all the chords and effects he needed. I think he was the proverbial genius who could lay his hands on his instrument and make it sing without thinking about it too deeply.

I used to wish that could happen for me, that I could just start strumming and the music would manifest without much conscious effort. I think there are some musicians who can do that (particularly older experienced types). But then there's the category of geniuses from whose gifted fingers music (effortlessly) forth flows!!

If I could critique Jimi in some way, I'd say he sang too much and should have played the gee-tar much more, but I'm biased toward instrumentation anyway. He was a good singer; I don't think I've ever noted him to be vocally off pitch.

Now ... I'd really like to have heard Jimi "unplugged" on acoustic. What would that have been like? Inspiring or disappointing?

And what would "1st rays of the rising sun" been like had he been able to complete it? What else would he have accomplished were he still alive today?

Originally Posted by: DockStone
1) Did he ever take guitar lessons?
2) Did he know how to read music?
3) Could he play straight covers of songs without any embellishments?
4) Just how good was he?
5) What is it he could do that no one else could do guitar-wise?
6) Is there any part of guitar playing that he wasn't good at?
7) Has anyone ever said anything critical of his guitar playing?

1) Not really, he learned by nearly perma-constant playing, and watching/picking up tips from other guitarists in his neighborhood, he also picked up alot on the road while he was touring as a chorus/ backup guitar with other bands. If your interested in his life i strongly suggest reading "Room Full of Mirrors", it is by far the best book I've seen and i couldnt put it down till I finished it (many parts twice).
2) I wouldnt be surprised, but he probably learned from tab, and is noted for referencing different types of music with certain colors(i.e. "that sounds really purple, man"), this is shown in many of his songs one being "Bold as Love"
3)Everyone has to walk before they run, Everyone
4)Good is subjective, if you want to talk technical skill, well heres a link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT8sJn_GlHU , all that being improv, while tripping on (allegedly) 3 hits of some of the strongest LSD ever made.
5)Everyone can do anything guitar wise with enough practice and diligence, and me sitting here typing out what I think is the best part of his music and playing would only rob me of time, this forum of bandwidth, and you of the wonderful experience of fully listening and hearing jimi
6)I would suggest grabbing a hot copy of "Are you Experienced" and telling me yourself
7) As stated above, good is subjective, so yeah some people dont like him, but some people dont like christmas, it doesnt mean you should miss out too, the trick is to listen and decide, if you want a quick list try these songs, they are what pulled me in

-All along the watchtower
-purple haze
-Voodoo Chile (slight return)
-Little wing
-Red house
-Castles made of Sand
-Spanish castle magic

or if you like the deep heavy blues
-Voodoo Chile
-Hey Joe

Just a quick list, but that should give you an idea, also you might wanna try listening to alot of his live stuff, he just runs off the handle and blows your mind (the Sgt. Peppers cover comes to thought, i think i may have cryed the first time i heard that)

Also to your third post: your right he hated his own voice but the record companies really pushed him to sing, and if you want a great jimi acoustic check "I hear my train a comin" he has a few versions with electric, acoustic and acoustic 12 string , and none of those dissapoint in any way i assure you

That was an excellent (scholarly) response to my post. I watched the Woodstock improv. Funny, but last night I was trying to do some really fast stuff and in this video, Jimi was doing exactly that but with complete control and with knowing exactly what sound he wanted.

Part of his improv is real ad hoc stuff but other parts seem to come from stored memories of other songs. I detected something recognizable in that - it seems it had a spanish quality to it. I wish I could identify it more exactly. It's like an older song/theme from the early 60s.

Anyway, yeah, I know there's people who don't like Jimi. And I wonder how many of those Woodstock hippes "really" liked him or where just there to be cool. And another thing - there's all these Simon Cowell wannabees around - they'd probably find something to knock Jimi about.

I think a lot of people wouldn't be convinced he was a "true genius" unless he played some traditional conservative music, like five-fingered classical maybe. Incidentally, I wonder what Jimi would have done with a pop-classical number like Mason Williams' Classical Gas.

Again, I really appreciate your comments and references, JoRO. A post like yours really makes this website totally worthwhile to belong to. I'll be re-reading it and exploring your suggested references.

Originally Posted by: DockStone Funny, but last night I was trying to do some really fast stuff and in this video, Jimi was doing exactly that but with complete control and with knowing exactly what sound he wanted.

Control comes from practice. As Jor0 said, Jimi played all the time and by that he means all the time! Jimi was almost never not playing. That kind of dedication gives you the ability to be confident in what you play. I remember a guy I knew at the local store I would go to years ago, he had been in the LA scene and knew a pretty good number of well known guitarists. He said all of those guys with unlimited power to play just practiced and dedicated themselves to playing.

The ability to execute what's in your head is from being able to know what you're doing without really thinking about it. Sense memory, in a manner of speaking. With your ability to play with confidence in hand, your creativity is far more open/broad.

I think that's what set Jimi apart. Not that their weren't great guitarist of the of the day since many were the greatest. But to have Clapton and Townsend have the exchange in passing about this new Hendrix kid at the entry of a club with one leaving as the other enters in saying: "That bad?"..."No, that good." To be seen that way was because he had few limits on his ability to play and could let his creativity flow. Some say drugs. I don't agree so much. His dedication opened far more doors than drugs did.

Originally Posted by: DockStone
A) I watched the Woodstock improv. Funny, but last night I was trying to do some really fast stuff and in this video, Jimi was doing exactly that but with complete control and with knowing exactly what sound he wanted.

B)Part of his improv is real ad hoc stuff but other parts seem to come from stored memories of other songs.

C)I wonder how many of those Woodstock hippes "really" like him.

D)I think a lot of people wouldn't be convinced he was a "true genius" unless he played some traditional conservative music, like five-fingered classical maybe. Incidentally, I wonder what Jimi would have done with a pop-classical number like Mason Williams' Classical Gas.

E)Again, I really appreciate your comments and references, JoRO. A post like yours really makes this website totally worthwhile to belong to. I'll be re-reading it and exploring your suggested references.

A)practice, practice, practice, if you could just "do" it, it wouldnt be as special or as interesting a skill, + i think it is more worthwhile once you can after all the practice (I still need more practice too, ALOT)

B)Lol, yeah, he probably through a few loops in from memory, but as you play youll find almost nothing is truly original, its all about the personal spin you put on what you like, and how you make it yours. Thats not to say steal riffs from everyone, but I think what you play is a summation of what you learned, your experiences, and just channeling how the moment feels

C)Check his videos from Monterrey Pop festival, nobody from there had ever heard of him before, but i think there were just as many dropped mouths in the crowd.

D) even if he did play conservative classical, someone that play a smooth funk guitar might still look at him and say something negative, trust me when i say you cant make everyone happy

E)thanks I appreciate being appreciated, if you have any questions or want any more suggested songs just pm me, Im usually on at least every few days

I just got done reading Jimi Hendrix by Sharon Lawrence. It's a good book but is focused on Jimi's psychological makeup, alleged drug use, and legal battles after he died. I'd like to read more about the guitar stuff. Seems like whenever people write biographies, they always want to dissect the person's psyche and do some psychoanalysis on them.

She refers to a song tribute Jimi did after Dr. King was murdered. I wonder if a copy of that exists anywhere. She said the audience was reduced to tears by it.

i love jimi's music. he is my hero. :)