little wing: my nemisis

scot88 · April 2007

i cannot play this fucking song. i've been playing guitar for a handful of years, and i've been trying to learn this damn song for the same amount. i get better and better at guitar, but yet i still cannot play little wing. it's frustrating like you couldn't imagine.

so, can anyone play it? how did you learn it? care to pass some knowledge on to me?

i get so frustrated that i feel like never playing again. even the intro i have problems with. i can never get a decent feeling to the part right after you hit the up/down mutted stroke (in the first seconds of the song.)

i think a big problem is i never learned music theory. does anyone have a tabbed out version of the 10 chords used (i know the srv version of the song is 10 bars repeated 10 times)

anything to help me in my epic battle with little wing will be immensely appreciated.

armanHammer · April 2007

I feel the same way. I'm comfortable with so many things on guitar, but little wing kicks my ass. I think part of it could be not having a decent tab.

FinsburyParkCarrots · April 2007

Use your thumb for barre chords, Jimi-style (the thumb over the two lowest strings, and the index over the other four), if you follow. It's easier to arpeggiate too, and fall into little pentatonic licks with the other fingers.

lucylespian · April 2007

Depends on which version.
I learnt the version Kirk Hammet plays in the Live Shit bibge adn Prge in Seattle set, whihc is simplified.
I have teh formla SRV tab and it is much harder, lots and lots of aggresive hammer-ons, and that swing feel that is hard to cop. I have'nt tried to play a Hendrix tab, I think it is somewhere in between.

harrisonmerwin · April 2007

Try the clapton version.....

saw it in edmonton last weekend....quite stellar, different, but does justice to the song (and his friend)

Harrison.

Pearl Jam and toast · April 2007

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

Use your thumb for barre chords, Jimi-style (the thumb over the two lowest strings, and the index over the other four), if you follow. It's easier to arpeggiate too, and fall into little pentatonic licks with the other fingers.

Great advice.

You think Little Wing is tricky try Castles Made Of Sand.

keeponrockin · April 2007

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

Great advice.

You think Little Wing is tricky try Castles Made Of Sand.

I found Castles easier than Little Wing.

DaytimeDilemma · April 2007

I always play the Mike version of this song.

Pearl Jam and toast · April 2007

keeponrockin wrote:

I found Castles easier than Little Wing.

Really? The intro is the tricky bit.. the rest of the song is easy. In both cases you use the same technique and once you have it you shouldn't have any problems (like riding a bike). Don't give up scot

pouch15 · April 2007

I dont play guitarso I have a question for you guys, or 2.

1) I heard once Mike said that In hiding was a very difficult song to play for him, why?

2) In your opinion whats the toughest Pearl Jam songs to play in:
a) Lead Guitar
b) Rythym guitar
c) Bass
d) Drums

Pearl Jam and toast · April 2007

pouch15 wrote:

I dont play guitarso I have a question for you guys, or 2.

1) I heard once Mike said that In hiding was a very difficult song to play for him, why?

2) In your opinion whats the toughest Pearl Jam songs to play in:
a) Lead Guitar
b) Rythym guitar
c) Bass
d) Drums

1) The song has a lot of little changes in the arrangement that make it a bit tricky to keep strait.

2)

a) Probably "Go"... If I don't end that blistering solo on juuuust the right note to my liking my OCD kicks in and I have to do it over and over again till I get it right.

b) There are hard pearl jam songs on ryhthm guitar?.... I guess I'd say Parachutes for the dinished chords and fun time signature.

c) ...
d) ...

pouch15 · April 2007

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

1) The song has a lot of little changes in the arrangement that make it a bit tricky to keep strait.

2)

a) Probably "Go"... If I don't end that blistering solo on juuuust the right note to my liking my OCD kicks in and I have to do it over and over again till I get it right.

b) There are hard pearl jam songs on ryhthm guitar?.... I guess I'd say Parachutes for the dinished chords and fun time signature.

c) ...
d) ...

thanks, wow, I thought Parachutes and In hidong were easy songs, but Im no trained in music so its fun to hear this things.

ianvomsaal · April 2007

too many corrections - i'll post again

hendrix78 · April 2007

DaytimeDilemma wrote:

I always play the Mike version of this song.

You mean Yellow Ledbetter?

Pearl Jam and toast · April 2007

hendrix78 wrote:

You mean Yellow Ledbetter?

zing

scot88 · April 2007

can anyone just tab out the chord progression? like i said before i know it is a series of 10 chords, repeated 10 times.

if i get the chords, i can improvise a little bit....

speaking of that, what key is it in? maybe i could work some petatonic magic.

ianvomsaal · April 2007

scot88 wrote:

can anyone just tab out the chord progression? like i said before i know it is a series of 10 chords, repeated 10 times.
if i get the chords, i can improvise a little bit....
speaking of that, what key is it in? maybe i could work some petatonic magic.

Remember, Hendrix down tuned a 1/2 step on most songs.
The basic chord progression here is in standard tuning (Key is E-minor or G-major):

Em - G - Am7 - Em - Bm7 - Bb - Am7 - C - G - F - C - D (Dsus4 - D - Dsus2 - D - D)

The sus chord progression in ( ) is just the alternating ending of the progression (gives you a nice ending transition).
Cheers . ..

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

lucylespian · April 2007

scot88 wrote:

can anyone just tab out the chord progression? like i said before i know it is a series of 10 chords, repeated 10 times.

if i get the chords, i can improvise a little bit....

speaking of that, what key is it in? maybe i could work some petatonic magic.

I'm thinking it is in G major/Em, but I am happy to be corrected also. I've nevere really found the chords to be too relevant to what is going on as far as the sound goes. The solo is based arouf the Em pentatonic at teh 12th position, but the intro and the verse are not. They are kind of modal riffs which loosely follow the chords.
Look here.............
http://www.sheetmusicdirect.us/search/search.do?keywords=little+wing

and you can buy either the Hendrix or the SRV version for 4 bucks, can't beat that for a bargain. I have a few tabs from that site and they are very good. You will need to have Sibelius Scorch to see them.

enharmonic · April 2007

break it down into little parts...say...4 measures at a time. Lots of technique in that song.

ianvomsaal · April 2007

armanHammer wrote:

I feel the same way. I'm comfortable with so many things on guitar, but little wing kicks my ass. I think part of it could be not having a decent tab.

From the looks of it, everything on here seems to be in Times New Roman FONT (which doesn't work well for tab).
However, if you take this and copy it into a single spaced mono format like (COURIER) everything will line up correctly.
This is the Jimmy Hendrix Recorded Intro (I personally like the SRV version better, but this is the original).
Remember to tune down a 1/2 step (Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb) for accuracy when playing with the CD.
This is the recorded Intro - taken right out of a Jimi Hendrix book (SO IT'S ACCURATE).
Have fun - Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

Jimmy Hendrix (4/4 time at 54 bpm - KEY of E-minor - relative major is G-Major)

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12\-||

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3h5p3-3

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12\-||

12(12)----12

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3

3--3

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12\-||

12-12h14

12

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4h5p--4-5-p4-5--4-4

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||

x

12

12(12)\-|

5(5)

5----|
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||

x

12h14

12h14-\-|

5-5

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|----12

||--0---x---0

|-\3--3

3-3

0-|

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|

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5h8p5

5

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8h10p8

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5----5

5---5

5h7p5-5-5

(5)\|

7

(7)--7--7h7--7

7---|
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7

7(7)--7

5-5

5h7-(7)\|

7--7---7--7h9--7---7

7---|
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5--7

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9

7--10

10----7---|
|-5---5

|-0

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7

(7)

8-p-6----|
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7h10p7h(10)---7

10-/-12-\-10

6

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7

7-/--9-\--7

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9

8

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(9)

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|-7

7

7--6

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5-h-6-p-5---(5)

6/8---8\5

5

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5

5--5--5

5

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7-(7)

9----7--5--5

5---5

5-h-7---7/9---9\7

5---5

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5h7

5-h-7

7-\-5--|
|---5

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5/7

5

5-\-3

3---3

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3-\-1

1---1

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5

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5/7

7

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5

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5-\-3

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5--5

5

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3

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3

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|---3

3---3-\(1)

1--3-/-5

5--|

3----|

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||
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WELL,-SHE'S--||
|---(5)-/-(7)

7

0--7

7

|-7--(7)

||
|----5--/--7

7

7h9----7

7

|-7---7

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|----3--/--5

5

10

7

|-7---9

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amit · April 2007

I can't go a day without playing Little Wing. I remember when I was struggling with that song, seriosuly thought for a while it was impossible with all those chord changes and all. I took me months and months of practice until I could play it well.

Just take your time and look at all the different chords that the intro goes through and figure out the best way to finger those. If you do that right, then you will realise that you don't really have to muck your fingers around as much as it seems. Most of the time it's simply just barring with your index finger, and then hammering on and pulling off with the other fingers. It is pretty much essential to pay all the notes on the low E string with your thumb. Then play it really slowly, as in at a speed where you can play it perfectly, then build up the speed over time.

After the intro I pretty much just improvise the rest, because I don't know who on earth would want to memorise the entire tab! It is officially (in my books atleast) the greatest song to play on guitar.

Yeah my Pearl Jam cover band surprisingly had the most trouble with
'In Hiding', even more than songs like Evenflow and Animal. It has heaps of changes so it's easy for one person to forget the next part etc. The bridge in Light Years is pretty annoying as well. I suppose when you are as good as Mike McCready, shredding in songs like 'Go' isn't a problem at all.

little wing: my nemisis

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