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

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Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing Pt.1 - Intro guitar lesson video
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About Little Wing Pt.1 - Intro

"Little Wing Pt.1 - Intro" by Jimi Hendrix is an iconic entry point into one of his most beloved compositions, "Little Wing." Originally appearing on the 1967 album Axis: Bold as Love, the song showcases Hendrix's signature chord-melody style, blending rhythm and lead playing into a single, flowing guitar part. For electric guitarists, learning this intro is a foundational exercise in expressive chord voicings, subtle thumb-over-the-neck technique, and the kind of melodic phrasing that defined Hendrix's unique approach to the instrument.

  • Hendrix famously used his thumb to fret bass notes on the low E string, freeing his fingers for melody and chord work simultaneously.
  • The intro combines clean-toned chord stabs with gentle hammer-ons, making it an excellent study in dynamics and touch sensitivity.
  • "Little Wing" is widely considered one of the most important pieces for intermediate electric guitarists to learn for its melodic chord technique.

How to Play Little Wing Pt.1 - Intro

Key: E minor · Tempo: 115 BPM

The intro to "Little Wing" is built around Hendrix's signature chord-melody technique in E minor, where the thumb wraps over the neck to fret bass notes on the low E string while the fingers voice chord fragments and melodic lines simultaneously. This thumb-over grip is the central challenge: without it, the voicings either fall apart or require awkward reframing, so isolate that hand position before attempting the full passage at 115 bpm. The most common pitfall is rushing the hammer-ons between chord stabs, which collapses the spacious, conversational feel the intro depends on. Use the section loop to isolate the opening bars and focus on matching Hendrix's light, dynamic touch rather than digging in with pick attack.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 115 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.

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