Learn Songs On Guitar - Spotlight On Jimi Hendrix

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was actually born Johnny Allen Hendrix on November 27th in 1942. Jimi is generally accepted as one of, if not THE, most influential exponent of the electric guitar that there ever was.

Jimi Hendrix found international fame with The Jimi Hendrix Experience, the band which he formed with the help of his new manager, Chas Chandler, the former bassist with The Animals. The Jimi Hendrix Experience also included two English musicians, bassist Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell on drums.

In 1966, Hendrix had been introduced to Chas Chandler by Linda Keith, the then girlfriend of legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. She had first tried to get the Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham to sign Hendrix but he wasn't impressed when he heard Hendrix.

Hendrix's inspiration, like all guitar legends, came from listening to his own childhood guitar heroes which included B.B. King, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Albert King and Howlin' Wolf - all of whom you would be well advised to study in depth if you are looking to learn blues guitar.

Chandler then introduced Hendrix to a young Eric Clapton who had just formed Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Chandler convinced Cream to let Hendrix join them on stage during the set for a memorable version of the Howlin' Wolf classic, Killing Floor.

Following this, Clapton remained firm friends with Hendrix, the pair often hanging out in blues clubs in America where the two would listen to the local bands and then enjoy jamming with them into the early morning hours once the bar's customers had left.

Hendrix was famous for using the Fender Stratocaster guitars on stage although he did use other guitars occasionally such as Fender Jassmasters and also a range of Gibson guitars including Flying Vs, Les Pauls and SGs.

Hendrix was left handed and unusually, his favoured setup was actually a right-handed Strat turned upside down and restrung for left-handed playing. This had the effect of producing a unique sound due to the angle of the Strat's bridge pickup changing the tonality of the strings.

Probably the most iconic live moment was when Hendrix set fire to his Stratocaster on stage at the Astoria Club in Finsbury Park, London, way back in March 1967. Although Hendrix subsequently became famous for setting fire to his guitars on stage, the original burnt Strat was found in 2007, having lain forgotten in the garage of his old press officer, Tony Garland, for almost 40 years. It sold at auction the following year in London for £280,000 (around $400,000)

Learn Guitar Songs - Top 10 Jimi Hendrix tracks to learn
1. Purple Haze
2. Red House
3. Voodoo Chile
4. Little Wing
5. Foxey Lady
6. Hey Joe
7. Crosstown Traffic
8. All Along The Watchtower
9. The Wind Cries Mary
10. Night Bird Flying

On September 18th 1970, Hendrix was found dead in London surrounded by unsubstantiated rumours of foul play and murder. There have been many covers recorded of his songs, often by very established and famous guitarists, but somehow, they never seem to capture the full magic of the Hendrix originals.

If you're looking to learn to play some classic guitar songs, then learning to play some of the Hendrix classics will bring with an immense amount of personal satisfaction.