Guitarists Influenced by Hendrix

Michael Johnson >> Guitarists Influenced by Hendrix >>

Lesson Subject:
Guitarists Influenced By Hendrix II

What you learn: Eric Gales Style

Teacher: Michael Johnson

Michael: Welcome class! We have some very cool licks and riffs you'll learn in this lesson series on Guitarists Influenced by Hendrix. This lesson features in the style of Eric Gales (Eric Gales Band)! If you haven't heard of Eric before and a big Hendrix fan, you must check him out! Eric was a child prot‚g‚, wailing on Hendrix licks when he was recognized for his talents at the age of 14. You can hear how Eric takes the Hendrix sound and creates his own version of the Hendrix sound. Eric has played on occasions with Billy Cox and Buddy Miles as a tribute to Hendrix. Check out the lesson sample of what you'll learn in this lesson:

Stratman: Is the first of the sample an acoustic?

Michael: Yes, it is Stratman, but you can use electric as well. Eric plays a right-handed Fender Strat inverted like Hendrix, but he doesn't re-string the guitar, it's very unique to see somebody play with the strings upside down. Let's get started, our first section starts with the acoustic Hendrix type riffs.

Michael: First notice the chord structure; F#, A, B then D, Db, C Maj7 and Bm7. You are basically playing around each chord throughout the progression. Notice the "flowery" type Hendrix Major Pentatonic licks that fill up each chord. Here's the jam track:

Michael: You can hear the Major Pentatonic chord/scale techniques often used by Hendrix. Here's an example of how the scale pattern works.

Stratman: Do you use the thumb on the sixth string?

Michael: Yes you do, in fact Hendrix picked up this technique from the old blues players and passed on to rock guitarists. In this tab I play the F# Major Chord and F# Major Pentatonic scale pattern, now when you play A in the last riff you use the A9 chord to slide. Here's the next section:

Michael: You might notice the chord structure in this section A, Bm7, C Maj7, D then F#, it's the same basic concept we covered in Part 1. Here's the jam track:

Michael: Extra notes are added to each chord to fill the sound of the chords, for example here's the pattern C Maj7:

Michael: This should help give you an idea of how each chord works. OK, let's get to the funky jam section:

Michael: In this section we're using the E Minor Pentatonic scale with 6th note added in one section. You later use octaves towards the end of the lick. Here's the jam track:

Michael: Here's the E Minor Pentatonic scale pattern, notice I highlighted the 6th note.

Michael: OK, keep the jam track loaded, because we have several licks you're going to learn to play over this rhythm pattern. All of these licks will use the E Minor Pentatonic scale on the 12th fret. You'll also jump into the surrounding boxes at times that I'll highlight for you.

Michael: Try playing these patterns, first over the jam track and then we'll cover the licks, notice I highlighted in the main E Min Pentatonic box pattern on the 12th. Here's our first lick:

Michael: You might notice I use the b5 note for the blues scale.

Michael: I highlighted the b5 or other wise known as the blues note .

Ralph: Michael do you tune down a half step when you do your Hendrix thing, to get a fatter tone?

Michael: Not in this lesson Ralph, I'm using an envelope filter to help fatten up the tone.

paul: What's an envelope filter?

Michael: Paul, it's kind of like a Wah Wah pedal, it sweeps the tone automatically without using your foot to control the tone shift back and forth from low to high frequency.

Michael: Notice the second half of the lick jumps into box 2 of the E Minor Pen. Here's lick 2:

Michael: You might notice there is a 9th note (F#) added to the lick. Here's our next lick:

Michael: This lick uses some of the licks you've already learned but is altered a little. Here's our next lick:

Michael: Now this lick uses the lower strings of the scale patterns and jumps into the E Min Pentatonic box just in front of the 12th fret position. Here's the last lick:

Michael: Notice you start in box 1 of the E Minor Pentatonic, jump to Box 2, and then descending using the blues note back into box 1 again. Well class any questions before I go?

Ralph: no, Thanks for the real deal.

Michael: Keep practicing and see you next lesson! Bye!

Zook: great lesson....

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