Hendrix Jimi - Voodoo Chile Slight Return guitar tab
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From patch@nicoh.com Thu May 8 13:51:00 1997
Voodoo Chile (Slight Return), by Jimi Hendrix
I'm going by the Woodstock CD because I'm too lazy to tune my guitar down
a half step for how it was on the Ultimate Experience!
"Tabbed" by the great Patty Robison, patch@nicoh.com
Intro
USING: The amazing, all powerful Vox Wah.
At first he's just strumming muted and wah-ing
I'm not sure, but it might sound better if you do this strumming with an E
chord like the dude who tabbed this before me did. Since Jimi's in an E
minor pentatonic, anyhow.
That is just a second position barre chord:
e--7-----
B--9-----
G--9-----
D--9-----
A--7-----
E--------
So, just figure out some hypnotic muted rhythm while holding your fingers
OVER that position, that is don't press the frets. It produces this barely
audible E sound that you can only hear if you're insane. Trust me...
Here's the intro
E-|----------------------------------------------------|
B-|----------------------------------------------------|
G-|-7--7h9p7h9p7---7------------7h9p7h9p7---9~~--------|
D-|-------------9---5-5-5h7p5-------------9--------2---|
A-|---------------------------7--------------------2---|
E-|------------------------------------------------0---|
HEY, make sure that when you hit that e minor chord at the end, you only
let it ring for a second before you mute it out with your palm
Since you don't want to sit and read the exact same phrase four times in a
row, I'll just tell you the secret: You repeat that EXaCT phrase three times,
then on the fourth time it does this:
E-|--------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------12----12---------|
G-|-7--7h9p7h9p7---7------------7h9p7h9p7---7---14b16----14--12~-|
D-|-------------9----5-5-5h7p5------------9----------------------|
A-|---------------------------7----------------------------------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------------------|
Alright, maybe not exactly, but the little oscillation caused by the combining
of the bended note with the note on the next string that it's being bended to
being played at the same time sound pretty darn neat.
After this you do a quick slide down on the low E string, if you want,
and hit the main riff
Em
e-|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|------------------------------------------12----12---12----12-------------|
G-|-----------0-2b3b2p0----------------------14b16(hold)14b16----12~~--------|
D-|-2-2--2--2-----------2-2-2-2-2--2-0h2p0h2--------------------------2-2-2-2|
A-|-2-2--2--2-----------2-2-2-2-2-------------------------------------2-2-2-2|
E-|-0-0--3--------------0-0-0-3-0-------------------------------------0-0-3-0|
You have to kinda get a little strum pattern going. The two quick strikes
of the e minor up there are like, down, up real fast, etc.
Most of the song's main riff is like this, just like Chris said, but if you
need any help, here's the scale you can use, very basically
Most people who know a bit of theory can figure out how to improvise on this
very easily....in other words, I don't mean to be overly explanative!
e|--------------------------------0---3--|
B|--------------------------0---3--------|
G|--------------------0---2--------------|
D|--------------0---2--------------------|
A|--------0---2--------------------------|
E|-0---3---------------------------------|
So you can use any combination of these notes in that riff (and much much
more, yes i know)
There's another cool high part in the first main riff somewhere, and it's
in this range. Fuck around with it, make it beautiful
e|------------------------------------------------------|
B|-15b17--15b17--15-12----------------------------------|
G|---------------------14-12--14b16b14-12---------------|
D|----------------------------------------14-12-12h14---|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------|
Seems like the stand up next to a mountain verse part is pretty close to how
chris did it. Except for one thing, I suppose. I suspect Jimi's using the
e minor pentatonic in the next octave when he says "WELL I STAND UP NEXT TO
A MOUNTAIN!" and the guitar sounds really high. Therefore, you may just have
to go up and use the positions above, but the zeros will now be 12th fret
notes and the others will be corresponding to that (The 3 will now be on the
15th fret, and so on...)
Or else you can try using a second, third, or fourth position minor pentatonic
instead. That might be easier. Who knows, I haven't been at this too long
He does use this thing below for the bridge (This is what Chris wrote
before)...and just so you know, these note combinations are used extensively
in COUNTRY music, so for once there's some country method that doesn't suck.
Hee hee
E-|---------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------|
G-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
D-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
A-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
E-|---------------------------------|
I pick up all the pieces and make an island ...
E-|---------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------|
G-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
D-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
A-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
E-|---------------------------------|
Cos i'm a voodoo chile ...
Hendrix of course goes totally freak out during the extended five minute long
solo in which he switches to another song and does thing previously thought
to be impossible in the world of guitar. Could you do this? Probably, just
hit the high notes and stick to the e minor pentatonic. Oh yes, make sure
you play with your teeth, behind your head, with your toes, do some fretting
with your elbows, butt, etc. It's all up to you.
And if this just really sucks, go learn something from the guys who KNOW
what they're talking about at http://www.jimi-hendrix.com
They're real good at explaining this stuff....
Keep on frettin'
