Guitar Habits of Jimi Hendrix 

Make sure to check out Guitar Super System at guitarsupersystem.com for a full breakdown of the magical chords known as triads. Also, comment and let me know which guitarist I should break down the habits of next!

my habits. bending the string off the neck and gettn that special sound. dropping my pick. hitting my head while leaning down to pick it up. stepping on my cable and snatching it out on the way back up. singing out of tune. tuning up my string while the lock nuts are locked and snapping the string before the nut. if any1 needs a video let me know.

On June 7 1970 in Tulsa Ok my first concert ever had the pleasure watching Jimi Hendrix perform. It was Fabulous.

Lots of guitar players imitate Hendrix and do it really well, but there's one thing about Hendrix that nobody can come close to: his ability to sing and play his incredible licks, at the same time. His playing is really vocal. Very, very few musicians have the ear and the dual ability that Jimi did. When you add his songwriting talents, you realize that you can spend a lifetime learning his licks but you're still at the bottom of the mountain.

I saw Jimi at a concert in Seattle in 68 or 69. He came out and opened solo with just a jaw dropping riff and said he was "just warming up." A real "wow" moment.

Tyler, your guitar is upside down

Drink a shot every time he says "triads".

#1 Jimi's *timing*. Very few emulate that essential aspect. His chordal work and sounds are one thing. But his *timing* is the most important and least understood aspect of his playing. You have to play along with him to understand this.

I just found your channel. I am pushing 60 and wish I had you and the internet to help me learn guitar. Back then I had to ruin KISS LPs, BTO, Led Zeppelin and had to buy them again till I figured out the Rhythms and solos. You are spot on with your tutorials, I'll be watching you to see if I have missed something throughout the years!! Thanks for your efforts, people like you make it so much easier for up and coming musicians.

Well done. - from a guitar player who was there (the 60s :)

If you listen to Axis: it is evident that this guy was a truly unique artist. On songs like "Castles", he starts the song with a oriental sounding intro that goes right into Jimi's signature melodic rhythm playing. In the verses Jimi super imposes beautifully written and poetic lyrics which he sings in almost a post urban rap style. The solo section he jumps back into reverse guitar psychedelia which is very intimate and almost like a violin or string instrument playing a sad melody. Just amazing.

Imagine one player, with: Hendrix' chords, SRV' phrasing and Mayers' tone...

This "habits of series" has helped me so much! The way you explain things and the pace, just clicks for me. Definitely one of the best guitar teachers on the internet. IMO I've been playing bass for over 30 years, just local gigs mostly. Alot of original and cover projects over the years. Playing guitar is sometimes more entertaining at home for fun. I've been stuck at intermediate level on guitar for a while though.

Not sure if they've been done before but I'd love to see habits of - Mark Knopfler, Dimebag Darrell, David Gilmour

The more I know about Hendrix the more I realise how much John Mayer and other people have taken from him...

I'm old, old enough to have seen Hendrix live. I can't tell you how much this gladdens my heart. Thank you

You're by far the best teacher on RU-vid, I can even begin to tell you how much I improved since I started watching your vids, thank you so very much.

Habits of David Gilmour, why not? Great video Tyler \m/

so maybe hendrix knew theory after all

your videos have to be amongst the best. I've seen a few but to me, yours are best. love them, I've learnt so much

Been watching your videos for a bit & want to thank you for posting them. Your new studio looks great!

Nice video but I think you missed an opportunity here. This might sound a bit weird, but I have listened to Hendrix since 1967 and often wondered about what made his playing so special. I think his number one habit was to listen intently, and to respond accordingly, to whatever sound he was ACTUALLY making (as opposed the notes he might have thought he was playing). It's a subtle point - but you can easily tell the difference when you listen to other players going through the motions, or playing to a formula. He played his amp just as much as his guitar and would do something unpredictable, listen to the result, then respond instinctively and fearlessly IN THAT EXACT MOMENT. When he was at his best, his whole being was focused on what was happening right in the moment - not on the sequence of some fancy lick or progression or what he was going to do next - or even what he might have thought he was doing. He got totally present and he listened really carefully, then he acted instinctively. This is why so many of his licks were one-off's. If you feel like copying Jimi, I suggest that you first focus on copying his mindset, rather than his notes. Then you can be your own genius. Oh, and his number two habit was to practice and/or play ALL the time.

One of the best guitar channels on RU-vid

I've watched your videos for a couple of years now, but not seen these habit videos before. This is awesome. Thank you for this. Next month im signing up for your lessons as I'm stuck in a rut with my playing, and although I've played on and off for 20 odd years, I still want to learn more.

Thanks Tyler, I've been watching your videos for a while. I apply allot of what I learn from you. Thank you so much.

Hey Tyler - thanks for the great video! FYI - The 7aug9 chord is common in Jazz. You'll find it in a lot of bee-bop from the 50s and I'm sure that's where Jimi got it. His voicing, without the 5th, is another example of his excellent rhythm guitar habits. He used a lot of triads (and, as in this case, 4-note voicing) because he learned as a sideman to stay out of the way of the vocals. Listen to his work with the Isley Brothers (e.g., Testify) and you'll hear the same chords (including the four-note 7#9). Thanks again for the great viddies!

I’m thinking a lot of these guitar legends didn’t even think of triads, scales, inversions or any theory or structure at all but it’s awesome you break it down from this point of view for learning purposes. I would say they just obsessed over their instruments and it became a part of their soul and life. It wasn’t an instrument to learn as a hobby for them but it was part of their soul and and another form of communication they learned just like speaking.

Major collector and fan of Jimi Hendrix ! You do the best I have have ever heard at achieving tones, textures and other nuances that Jimi applied to the Notes and Sounds he played with such grace and seemingly "NO" effort " Highway Child " "If 6 was 9""Axis Bold as Love " I used to play Tenor Sax but I sold it several years ago when a guy at my garage sale asked did I have any musical instruments. I've been wanting to play again for the past few years but I have not gotten another Sax yet. THANK YOU for showing me the right way to make those sounds he made with such freedom and abandon ! I never realized how much of his sound came from using thumb in the Bass range! Amazing !!

after 50 years you are one of the fortunate ones with the insight and respect to appreciate jimi`s work his flair and bring it into the present ,i take my hat off to you kid,, thanks for just this !!

Lil Wayne habits!

My biggest habit is recording myself without a metronome and seeing how off time I was.

Hey man, this is a really great video. It is the first that I see from your channel. When I started playing guitar I bought two books on how to play Jimi Hendrix and Guns N´Roses, I was 14 and playing Hendrix was a revelation to me. I didn´t realized how much you could do with a guitar. Since that time I learned that you could put a lot of detail in every part of the guitar. And I want to say that you really nailed this video, I agree with so many things that you said. Keep up the good work, I´ll definitely be checking the other videos.

You're one of the best people teaching guitar man. I highly appreciate your work. Keep it going

Funny how 50 years later still no one can take his place as the greatest!

Great Great video man!! You play with so much comfort like it's all easy to you, beautiful Fender Strat by the way!! Nice to see that such a great player is a Hendrix fan!

Excellent vid Tyler. Inspiring & luv all of them. Thx man !

I've listened to Jimi for fifty years. I learned to play drums listening to his records. there's always been a lot of young men that have understood exactly what he was doing musically. But a major part of music comes from the soul. Not just a set of chords on an instrument. Stevie tried and got close (God rest his soul). But the chords sound great but, it ain't Jimi Hendrix.

Oh and the " 7#9 Hendrix Chord" was stock and trade of Jazz musicians. He was the first to play it a lot outside of Jazz. It's like Blast Beats. Everyone thinks that's a metal thing, comes from Jazz. Oh and you need a vibe to do machine gun. It's not a wah at all.

Your videos are just wonderful. Thanks, always learn from them!

This is so well done. Love the close ups, the breakdowns and the content! Jimi was the Greatest. Paco de Lucia even had a big poster of him on the wall.

Love this days when its not all about the PRS

Nice video. One thing to think about when talking habits, is to consider his left hand and wrist placement. Playing an upside guitar, as a left handed player myself, is a challenge. If you hold your arm/wrist/hand in a normal playing position, you will hit your knobs and turn them down, messing your sound, tone, etc. as a way of fixing this, he held his arm either hovering over or behind the bridge. This game his tone a completely different feel, and made the guitar sound differently. In addition, a restrung righty has the pickup going across the strings in the opposite direction than it was designed. One thing you could try is to take a left handed squire, restring it, and then play with your right hand/wrist placement.

Great study. I admire the skill and hard work you've put into your guitar playing. Much respect

thanks for helping out us guitar players, great videos. peace and love

I understand he usually smoked a cigarette and took a dump first thing in the morning.

legend has it that if you learn all of the triads Tyler grants you one wish

Great video Tyler. Your instruction is awesome! Spurs me to practice. Thanks a lot.

this is so awesome! thanks! Best video in a long time!

The great thing about Hendrix is his ability to play as he feels it, self taught. You can try to pinpoint his style, but you'll only be second guessing.

do habits of rory gallagher next he needs more fans :)

+Music is Win All Habits videos are great! But you put your heart out in this one!! It shows !!!

VERY insightful! Really put together all the discrete bits that we hear in jimi's beautiful music but never quite put together ourselves. Just subscribed to mailing list!

9:09 “angry erotic vibrato” is an important Hendrix habit for those planning on getting married one day

Habits of PRINCE!!!

Great info, great performance! Thanks for sharing with us.

Brother, thanks for the time and the upload. Fantastic !!

Still waiting for Habits of Randy Rhoads 😔

"I have a picture of him hanging right there" it says a lot u know

I really like what you are doing man, your determination, your passion! As Long as it feels good within you keep it up! Much love! :)

The best presentation of the Hendrix style I have ever seen. I'm 50 and I've seen a few. Great job as always.

Habits of Dr.Brian May

This might sound kinda lame but it’s true... I also discovered that Hendrix chord independently. Just kinda happened upon it in my years of playing. I’m no guitar hero, and mostly self taught. The big difference is that Hendrix discovered it long before that style and sound was used prevalently. Whereas, when a player like me discovers it, we hear something familiar there. That counts for A LOT but it’s still cool that we can have a degree of shared experiences to even the greatest player to ever live.

Wow dude your super knowledgeable about the history of awesome guitars players and your an awesome guitar player! Love your videos man I just bought a guitar and I can’t wait to keep playing and learning how to play. Thanks again.

Love your channel. Thanks sooo much. I've always loved wind crys mary, and i never knew exactly how to play the end of the solo...now i do :)

Bro loved every second of it. Awesome keep those habits up. I would love to see Hammet or Hetfield habits next. Like if you agree!!

Mark Knopfler next?

Hey man stumbled across your channel,and you have a new sub..love it so far

Nice video. And man, such a BEAUTIFUL guitar

Well, this was superb. I thought: fifteen minutes watching someone play guitar? But it shot past in no time. Really informative, and makes the Hendrix sound feel attainable. I hope you've got plenty more Habit Of... videos in the pipeline. Three that I would really like to see, for very different reasons, are Ritchie Blackmore, Dave Gilmour and The Edge.

Habit one, being a badass legend

What beautiful tone. Amazing playing as always. Just brilliant.

so happy I found your videos!

"woah, getting a little carried away there" that's the line that'll get the girls

Watching this and I can bearly play smoke on the water.

this guitar habits series is the best thing about your channel. Pretty cool stuff, hope you do more of these more often. Suggestions: Harrison, Mark Knopfler, Paul Simon, Keith Richards, Josh Homme

Amazing guitar playing! Nice rug! Great video.

Angus Young next time :), great hendrix video !!

Habits of George Harrison.

You just got yourself a new sub and thumbs up on this one Brother, in my opinion NOBODY is better than Jimi.

Great video. I can see that you are inspired. The close ups are very instructive. Often people show fingerings in a way that you can hardly tell which finger is on the fret board and which ones are hovering above a string. I think that getting carried away is actually the point!

Now here's a guy who loves his triads

Habits of Jerry Cantrell and Ritchie Blackmore! Please!

That was a Superb exposition of Jimi's playing. I'm old enough to remember him the first time around and he astounded most guitarists here in London (and a lot of musicians started to focus on keyboards ;-) ) Anyway, at long last - on the 15th time of trying - I'm getting to understand more about playing guitar. I'm still rubbish but am now getting to grips with the minor pentatonic and scales. In short, beginning to unlock the fretboard. I'm still rubbish. My point being that your articulate and skilled explanation of Jimi's playing was both enthralling and inspirational. Many, Many thanks for sharing. It's still early days for me but I'll make more of an effort now. Thank you again.

That strat sounds amazing dude!

habits of Jimmy Page and Randy Rhoads!!

if we're doing classic guitarists, do david gilmour please

Very good - thank you for upload!

6 minutes into your video and I already learned a lot! Good Instruction skills there, Thanks, I'll keep watching.

Habits of a Nameless Ghoul or Mikael Åkerfeldt or Adam Jones next!!!

EXCUSE ME while I Subscribe this guy

I’m new to your channel. I’m a huge Hendrix fan the title got me to take a look. I have to tell you that you are a amazing player . You have loads of talent. I would love to hear your work

this was really great. Thank you, very much! Although you didn't wanted to exactly copy his sound, it was pretty close. One thing I want to mention is, that despite of almost 20 years of listening to his songs, that machine gun recording (Fillmore East) is really a consistent, stunning experience and it took really some years to understand this song.

Can you please do a habits of Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits!

Break down the habits of buddy holly

You're great thanks for your videos bro...Amazing Player and your teaching style works very good

Thanks for showing me the triads....! It was obvious, but you just hit me with on the head with them! Good job!

Habits of Dimebag Darrell next please!

"Going deep in depth"

So surprised when I first started watching this channel when I couldn't find a habits of hendrix vid knowing your love for triads. sooo happy it was finally made. Some other suggestions- David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Alex Lifeson, BB King, Jimmy Page, Eddie Hazel, Brian May, Prince

Yes , young man there are many more habits , but your doing a killer job ! Keep up the good work !