Jimi Hendrix - Vodoo Child guitar tab
Voodoo Child (slight return)
As tabbed by Stuart Winchester of Wales,UK.
OK, I think that this is possibly hendrix's best, although purple
haze and all along the watchtower come pretty close. This tune is all
based around the pentatonic scale, for those who aren't in the know
here it is...
E ||-----|-----|--O--|-----|-----|--O--|-----|
B ||-----|-----|--O--|-----|-----|--O--|-----|
G ||-----|-----|--O--|-----|--O--|-----|-----|
D ||-----|-----|--O--|-----|--O--|-----|-----|
A ||-----|-----|--O--|-----|--O--|-----|-----|
E ||-----|-----|--O--|-----|-----|--O--|-----|
Right for a start, whip out that wah wah pedal, if
its dusty you should be given a slap for the wah wah pedal is
the most gorgeous guitar effect in the world. Get
wahka wahing. The timing isn't tabbed out, but i have put the time
index of the CD in certain positions above tab, just in case you
get lost.
Tuning happens to be in Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb
the ebgdae thing in the tab just mean the string, not its tuning.
But go ahead and play it in standard tuning if you do so wish,
although jimi may frown on it from his place on high. To add extra effect
when holding bends try flicking the pickup switch around a bit, and shake
the tremolo bar from time to time, just for the hell of it.
Intro
e-------------------------------------------------------------------
b---7h9-7--------------7h9-9-7-9---------------------12----12----12-
g---------9-5-5-5h7---------------repeat-3-----then--14b16-(hold)12-
d-------------------h9----------------times-------------------------
a---------------------------------------main riff-------------------
e------------------------------------------------------------------12/
Main riff
(bend up to 4 then bend down to 2 and pull off)
e----------------------------------------------------------
b----------------------------------------------------------
g------------2b4b2p0------------2b4b2p0--------------------
d---2-2-2-2-----------2-2-2-2-2----------------------------
a---2-2-2-2-----------2-2-2-2-2----------------------------
e---0-0-3-0-----------0-0-0-3-0-------------12/0-----------
If you are using a distored wah then its best just to hit the
low E notes, i.e. 0 0 0 3 rather than the e minor type chord
thing otherwise it'll sound far too distorted and cruddy, unless
you like that sort of sound.
Main riff variation
e----------------3-3-3-------------------------------------
b----------------3-3-3-------------------------------------
g----------------------------------------------------------
d----2-2-2-2-2---------------------------------------------
a----2-2-2-2-2---------------------------------------------
e----0-0-0-3-0---------------------------------------------
at 0:43
a----------------------------------------------------------
d----------------------------------------------------------
e---2b4 (hold and use wah)---------------------------------
d------------(since it goes wah wah wah wah wah)-----------
a----------------------------------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------
{main riff}
solo at 00:49
e----------------------------------------------------------
b-15b17-15-15b17-15-12-15----------------------------------
g------------------------14------12h14--14b16-------12h14--
d---------------------------12h14-------------12h14--------
a----------------------------------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------
hold bend 00:55
e----------------------------------------------------------
b----------------------------------------------------------
g--14b16-b16---14-12--/2-----------------------------------
d----------------------------------------------------------
a----------------------------------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------
{main riff}
e----------------------------------------------------------
b----------------------------------------------------------
g----------------------------------------------------------
d-------------0--2-----------------------------------------
a--------0--2----------------------------------------------
e---0--3--------------0-3-0--------------------------------
Well I stand up next to a mountain
e------------3--0-----0----------------------------------
b---0--3--0--------3-------------------------------------
g--------------------------------------------------------
d--------------------------------------------------------
a------------------------------2--2--2-------------------
e------------------------------0--3--0-------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------
b---0--h3p0--h3p0 h3p--------------------------------------
g---------------------0h2p0--------------------------------
d----------------------------------------------------------
a-----------------------------2--2--2--2-------------------
e-----------------------------0--0--3--0-------------------
chopit down with the edge of my hand
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----------------------------------------------------------
pick up all the pieces and make an island,
?bite the grains up into sand?
{main riff}
e----------------------------------------------------------
b----------------------------------------------------------
g-----3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-5-5-5------------------------
d-----2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-4-4-4-4-4-4-4------------------------
a-----3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-5-5-5------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------
coz i'm a voodoo chile, lord knows i'm a voodoo chile
e-----------------3333---------------------3---------------
b-----------------3333---------------------3---------------
g----------------------------------------------------------
d--2--2--2--2--2--------2--2--2--2--2----------------------
a--2--2--2--2--2--------2--2--2--2--2----------------------
e--0--0--0--3--0--------0--0--0--3--0---0------------------
solo at
1:55
e---------------------------------------------------------------
b--15b17-15b17-15-12-15-15b17-----------------------------------
g--------------------------------12h14-12--14b16b14p12----------
d----------------------------12h14---------------------12--14---
a---------------------------------------------------------------
e---------------------------------------------------------------
2:05
a----------------------------------------------12h15-15b17-(hold)-
d----------------------------------------12h15--------------------
e---------------------------------12--14--------------------------
d--14-12-------------14--12--14-----------------------------------
a--------14-12----------------------------------------------------
e--------------15-12----------------------------------------------
e-15b17-15-12----------------------------------------------------
b-------------15-12----------------------------------------------
g-----------------------12-----12-----12-----12--14b16-14-12-----
d-------------------12h14--12h14--12h14--12h14---------------14--
a----------------------------------------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------
b----------------------------------------------------------
g---------------2b4b2p0------------------------------------
d------------------------2p0---------2-2-0-2---------------
a----------------------------2p0---------------------------
e---0-0-0-3-0--------------------3p0-----------------------
2:16 2:26
e------12----12-----12----------15b17------------------------------------
b--12h15-12h15--12h15--12h15---------------------------------------------
g------------------------------------------------------------------------
d--------(repeat lots,getting--------------------------------------------
a---------faster and faster with-----------------------------------------
e----------wah up to begin, down in the middle, up at last bend)---------
and continuing.......
e----------------------------------------------------------
b----------------------------------------------------------
g------------2b4b2p0------------2b4b2p0--------------------
d---2-2-2-2-----------2-2-2-2-2----------------------------
a---2-2-2-2-----------2-2-2-2-2----------------------------
e---0-0-3-0-----------0-0-0-3-0----------------------------
2:35
e----------------------------------------------------------
b----------------------------------------------------------
g--------------------------------------------2b4b2p0-------
a---2-2-2-2-------x-x-x-x-x--0h2p0h2p0h2p0-----------------
d---2-2-2-2-------x-x-x-x-x--------------------------------
e---0-0-3-0-------x-x-x-x-x--------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------
b----------------------------------------------------------
g----------------------------------------------------------
d---x-x-x-x-x-------0h2p0h2p0h2p0--------------------------
a---x-x-x-x-x----------------------------------------------
e---x-x-x-x-x----------------------------------------------
2:45
e-------------------12x-mute-at-12-------------------------
b-------------------12x------------------------------------
g---2x-slide-to 12--12x-----------------do this twice------
d---2x--while muted----------------------------------------
a---2x-----------------------------------------------------
e---2x-mute-at-2-------------------------------------------
{repeat main riff a few times and use the hammer on pull off
on the a string, this is when jimi is singing
'i didn't mean to take up all your sweet time'
and start using the main riff when he says
'i'll give it right back one of these days ha ha'}
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----------------------------------------------------------
'If i don't mean you no more in this world...I'll meet you in the next
one and don't be late'
{main riff}
e----------------------------------------------------------
b----------------------------------------------------------
g-----3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-5-5-5------------------------
d-----2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-4-4-4-4-4-4-4------------------------
a-----3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-5-5-5------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------
'coz i'm a voodoo chile, voodoo child, lord knows i'm a voodoo child'
solo at 3:38 3:42
e----------------------------------------------------------
b--15b17b15p12-15b17-12------------------------------------
g----------------------14b16-14-12---------14-14b16--------
d---------------------------------14--12h14----------------
a----------------------------------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------
e-------12----12--15b17-15-12------------------------------
b--12h15--12h15---------------15b17-15-12------------------
g-----------------------------------------14b16-14-12------
d-----------------------------------------------------14---
a----------------------------------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------
e-------------------------------------------------------------
b-------------------------------12-15-15b17-12----------------
g-----12h14-14b16----12h14-14b16---------------14b16b14p12----
d-12h14----------12h14-------------------------------------14-
a-------------------------------------------------------------
e-------------------------------------------------------------
3:58 (wah wah wah) trem picking
e------------x---x------------33333-/-14141414-121212--------
b------------12--12-----------33333-/-14141414-121212--------
g------------12--12-------------------------------------------
d------------12--12-------------------------------------------
a-------------------------------------------------------------
e-12-15-12----------------------------------------------------
main riff and variations.......
Solo at 4:21
e------------------------------------------------------------
b--15-17-15-17b19b17-17-15-17-15-12-15------15---------------
g-------------------------------------14b16(hold)14-12-14----
d--------------------------------------------------------14--
a------------------------------------------------------------
e------------------------------------------------------------
Finish off with main riff and variations.
Well, thats the way i see it, or hear it. Hope it was as good for
you as it was for me. Of course, its not perfect, i don't think it
should be, let the music flow through your fingers, its a pretty good
base for the tune tho. Most of all, enjoy it!
