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.