Why is hendrix the best

Eventually, he learned to play Elvis songs on a ukulele he found in a bin, upgrading to an acoustic guitar of his own when he was 15 , at which he quickly excelled. His tenure in the army — chosen over going to prison after he was busted riding in a stolen car when he was 18 — was noted by his superiors for his casual attitude to discipline and dereliction of duties, but also for the guitar being the only thing he had any real interest in.

As Mark Morton says, on every level, Jimi Hendrix outplayed, outclassed and outcooled everyone else. Every shot of him is Pictures You Can Hear — the thrilling howl of a silk-shirted, paisley-bandana demon with a flipped, white Stratocaster almost clinging to him for dear life; the smooth resonance of a gently-strummed acoustic guitar on a barstool; a purring chuckle as he sits smoking on a sofa like a smile in flares.

He was a cat, man. The passing of time and crystallisation of the legend has obviously helped, but the truth is that the man simply had this stuff coming out of him.

But in this, Hendrix was something of a paradox. He even has a chord named after him — the Hendrix chord! And he spaces it in a way that sounds beautiful, not dissonant, just totally fucking cool. It was here, onstage, where Hendrix truly came alive.

He was killer, pure energy, reaching deep into the well of the blues, while performing it with pure, raw excitement. So visceral and magnetic to watch was he, in fact, that Chris Robertson rightly makes the point that, in a time when filming bands was a costly and logistically demanding thing to do, there is a truly staggering amount of performance film to watch. Fifty years on, this is a large part of the reason Hendrix remains just an astonishing talent: he was both the first and the best, and the magic of his playing, the thrill of seeing him almost pulling the neck off his instrument as he did… stuff to it remains spellbinding because nobody else has ever figured it out.

Even now, the opportunity to experience Hendrix in some way is truly special. Chris Robertson knows. And I got to play one of his guitars on a different occasion. It was the Flying V. I remember leaving, and going around the corner, and just burst into tears like a baby, man. It was the most overwhelming thing, that I got to put my hands on a guitar that Hendrix had played, that everybody saw him play.

That was one of the most surreal, awesome experiences of my whole life. He spoke in a musical language that others can hear, but none can speak, and recut the canvas for what can be done on a guitar forever. Maybe, or perhaps even further…. In honour of Friday the 13 th , here are 13 songs about when fortune frowns on you. They all cite Jimi Hendrix as a major influence. James Marshall Hendrix died on September 18th at the age of just 27, ending an active performance and recording career that had lasted a mere three years as a solo artist and band leader.

This ridiculously narrow timeframe makes his musical accomplishments and legacy, particularly with regard to rock guitar, all the more spectacular. But why? But Hendrix, newly arrived in England in , had noticed a number of guitarists using Marshall equipment, and picked up a selection of amps and speakers from this indigenous British manufacturer.

But acting as both frontman and sole guitarist in a rock trio is a serious test of musicianship, and one that Hendrix conquered magnificently. Long-time friend Eric Clapton first witnessed this when he allowed Jimi onto the stage for one song at a Cream gig in London, subsequently recalling that " He played just about every style you could think of, and not in a flashy way.

I mean he did a few of his tricks, like playing with his teeth and behind his back, but it wasn't in an upstaging sense at all, and that was it This word can mean many different things to many different people. So, a peer review is probably appropriate here. Robert Smith agrees, saying that " Hendrix was the first person I had come across who seemed completely free, and when you're nine or 10, your life is entirely dominated by adults.

So he represented this thing that I wanted to be. If he wanted his guitar to sound like it was underwater, he could do that. He's bringing out aspects of sound we didn't know were there ". Pete Townsend provides perhaps the perfect instrumental analysis; " He managed to build this bridge between true blues guitar And we quote Yngwie Malmsteen with the perfect conclusion; " Hendrix created modern electric playing, without question He was the first. He started it all. The rest is history.

By now you know the kind of legacy that Jimi Hendrix has left behind, his style and the influence he has had on many guitarists. He had extremely long fingers which must have enhanced his abilities.

He did a great Voodoo Child live. Nothing like it! They are all gone. He turned me on to jimmy page , Santana and said this next one is my favorite, Jimi Hendrix Are u experienced album!

He had tickets to see him at Madison square garden in October, I loved all 3 guitarist with Hendrix the major stand out , on September 18 the day the music died again! Jimi was gone but his music is very alive in my soul. March 13, This is a guitar blog. The Man James Marshall Hendrix died on September 18th at the age of just 27, ending an active performance and recording career that had lasted a mere three years as a solo artist and band leader.

The Freedom This word can mean many different things to many different people. Well, how about you actually learn how to play in the style of Jimi Hendrix? Recent Articles. August 23, 10 Best Overdrive Pedals for Blues. Editor's Picks.