Chord Noodling “Little Wing” Style…
If you’ve ever been into a music store to try out a new guitar and wondered, “what the heck do I play?” I have the answer today.
I remember so well the first time I heard Hendrix play “Little Wing,” it just blew me away. I had never heard anything like it before and I absolutely knew that was going to be the coolest thing to learn.
But in “the good old days” there was no tab for the tune… I had to figure out the approach, not just the notes.
And that’s the most important thing about this style of playing – concentrate on choosing a chord progression and playing around it using pentatonic shapes. Do NOT concentrate on memorizing it note-for-note.
Heck, Jimi never played it the same way twice and there’s no reason you should either 
Downloads
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The TAB for the example.This is the TAB for the example in the middle of the video
something to keep doodeling for hours
I love this style gonna learn this lesson fegarmless of the tip of my ring finger is gone (accident ) but not going to stop Me. Thanks
Grif, That guitar is just plain homely looking my friend!
as always thanks Griff i can see me noodling with this for hours cheers
Say Griff. Like this. Only song by Jim is hey joe
You sure make it look so easy Wow I some times wonder if I will ever get this together.
I love your videos. You have taught me so much over the past three years. This lesson connects so well the the CAGED system. I recognized that you started out playing a “D” chord in the “C” position and at that point, I am finally beginning to see the connected root note location for each chord. This lesson triggered an Aha moment. Thank you.
This was a great lesson. I’m kinda seeing the music theory I’m learning in BGU. Thank you.
Your website is. Ery helpful, Iook forward to receiving your videos every day. It helps a lot.
Thank You!
I really like to learn this technique, I would like to have it
Just wanted to say thanks for these awesome lessons. I don’t know of another musician of your caliber who takes the time to make teaching videos like these. So, THANK YOU! You are a talented guitarist and an excellent teacher!
wao! awesome griff all thanks to you man….you are God sent
Get the CD and Tab readings ,very inlighting,Thanks Griff
Get CD and Tab,very helpful
Great teach.
Greatness…good teach…maestro…
Good teach
These lessons I find so very helpful in the understanding and learning on such things as the uses of my finger coordination on strings and fret locations with string plucking and strumming.
Apex Capstone, Ur not alone. everyone starts at the same place, at the beginning! Even the best, just like Hendrix did, at the start. Let me be perfectly clear from a musician that never wanted to be a guitarist, Griff and I go back to the beginning, 08 or 09. I quickly realized, is a gift as a teacher and in doing so it was overwhelmingly obvious he had to be sponsored i.e. so I purchased BGU to do my part!
If you notice I’ve text beginning at least three times which is the cornerstone and the cornerstone of everything is the first that you lay, no matter what your building. Therefore, the best advice I can give you is stop thinking with words and only use thoughts this will also have a cornerstone but it is where you have to start, at the beginning.
Furthermore, read as many replies as possible and you will see at least 50% ask for free advice. Instead, purchase one of Griff Hellman’s courses which will give you a map to follow and in doing so you will be able to understand more and build on your own cornerstone.
Kind regards
Capt. Thomas /T a h 2
TYPO > Griff Hamlin !
Either I am the worst guitar player ever or your lessons are designed for people with a lot more experience than myself. It is one month since I have been receiving your email videos and there is no way I would walk into a music store and try to play that. There was a point where I looked forward to receiving your emails but I find I can’t learn the lessons as fast as they come nor do I understand half of the things you are trying to explain. I find it very frustrating when you talk like this should be easy and I can’t play. I find your lessons make me feel more of a failure than a success and I don’t think I am alone.
. this stuff he’s teaching is so terribly basic, if you can play at all, you can do this. All you need to do is practice a lot. If you’re having trouble with this, obviously you are more of a beginner than you would like to admit and you need to go back and really learn the rudiments. These little double stops and fills are very easy and really tasty. He does a nice job on this. I already learned a bunch of it today. Get a really basic lesson and start practicing. You can Do it
. this stuff he’s teaching is so terribly basic, if you can play at all, you can do this. All you need to do is practice a lot. If you’re having trouble with this, obviously you are more of a beginner than you would like to admit and you need to go back and really learn the rudiments. These little double stops, hammer ons and fills are very easy and really tasty. He does a nice job on this. I already learned a bunch of it today. Get a really basic lesson and start practicing. You can Do it
I’d like to add, that if you have a passion for wanting to learn to play, take one of these lessons, and practice little bits like 3 or 4 notes at a time; play them over and over again until you can play them, move onto the next 3 or 4 notes, and practice them the the same way. You may have to practice it a hundred times before you get. We all are on a journey of continually learning all the time. It never stops. Practice everyday over and over again until it’s like second nature. Good luck and remember that it’s fun to get it!
Just relax and take your time!Grif this is amazing stuff and it is free thanks for showing us much Love.
Hey Griff, as a beginner/intermediate with little music theory knowledge I was wandering if you could straighten something out for me? I’ve been following a 1,4,5 format so I was expecting the chord progression to go from G to C and D, not Am and F. Can you help me out with that? I know it’s not always the case but since it is a blues/rock genre I thought it would. Thanks. Awesome tutorial. From the UK
This isn’t your typical blues progression, of which there are several. It’s just a song with more than 3 chords. A minor is the two chord in G, and the F chord is what we used to call a borrowed chord from another key. In this case probably C.
I may be wrong, but I believe the song is in C, with an emphasis on the V chord (G): G-Am-F-C-G is a V-vi-IV-I-V progression. In other words, the song is in C, but has a Mixolydian sound, as it centers around the V chord. One way to figure this out is to looks for two major chords a whole step apart — those will be your IV and V chords.
One way to figure this out is to looks for two major chords a whole step apart — those will be your IV and V chords….
Light bulb moment 💡
Thanks!
Very good lesson…this is something I do every single day which is to embellish chord progressions and sometimes even come up with a theme and put together and instrumental song around that theme, which to really make it sound good and complete takes some time, and serious frustration….lol
Very good lesson Griff. I am a beginner + guitarist and was very interested when you indicted second minor pentatonic position goes with major chords. You also indicted position 5 minor pentatonic could have been played with that A
shape C chord you played.
Could you give us a lesson outlining preferred lead scales that go with particular chords and chord progressions? I am having trouble knowing where my lead should go when chords and/or key of the song changes.
Thank you
Griff get great stuff you teach I love the hammer-ons little wings I’ve been watching you for a year and a half or so all your videos thanks for all your hard work we appreciate everything you do this Budweiser’s for you..¶¶
This blew my mind! There it IS…exactly what I’ve wanted, and what I have wanted to do since I picked up the guitar. Learning & playing songs is cool and all, and I enjoy it, and I can noodle about a bit within scales, but this showed me how to string them together so they sound good in endless combinations. Thank you.
Thanks, this lesson made a difference in playing. Enjoyed it immensely.
Good lesson – I sort of know how to do this… but had no idea of the structure or concepts… Thanks!
Love it !! Now if my fingers will obey? At 69 my want to is ahead of my ability! will sure try it though.
The tips just keep coming! I just need to find more leisure time.
This site is the my favorite, I tell budding guitarists “For clear and varied instruction this is the essential >go-to site< A veritable wellspring of guitar know-how.
I don’t know a Guitar Chord from a Lamp Chord. Should I even bother buying this ? Had a 25 yr. old neice who played “Lil Wing” at her wake last year and I would love to play this for her parents some day. I have purchased your 5 easy blues solos lesson but have not put in the time needed to learn. Thank you.
The thing is this. Ask yourself why do you want to play guitar in the first place. Do you want to play or do you want to learn to play. To play guitar, you first have to know that you have to put in the time to practice every day. Now be honest with yourself, do you have a fiery PASSION in your heart do do that, because if you say I do, then you get that guitar and you begin at the beginning, practice, practice and practice more on top of that. Do it every day. Make it like nothing else matters because you have a passionate Drive in your heart to do just that.
If you think you can commit to do this, or you don’t, be very honest with yourself. Press on and good luck.
I dont know why you say there was no tab for hendrix back in the day but my brother had one and i was just 14. Your just a bit younger than I so. what a mean . even if you had one would it be accurate cause alot of stuff is in piano cord format anywho. it someone rendering any how . just go back to basics and figure it out. if you cannot then its maybe too hard for you right now do it later thats it .
I like this lesson I’ll learn it and thank you.
Griff thanks!
It’s complicated, take along time to master that lick! To memorize it, is another thing! It might be out of box 1 & box 2, but when your trying to play this, the last thing your thinking is what box your in. The notes are all over the place!
Sometimes when I watch these, it kinda makes sense but, I get lost.
This one made perfect sense to me and I was able to follow along with easy.
Either, you’re becoming a better instructor or I’m becoming a better student.
What brand of guitar are you playing?
Thanks for all your hard work putting all these videos together, the only word that comes to mind is wonderful 😎
That’s really good man, you remind me of my childhood buddy who taught me how to play, I still have a way to go with my lessons. Thanks, Griff
OH MAN, this is very cool! I have always been so impressed with this from both Jimi and Stevie. THANX VERY MUCH!!!!
Always great to get your emails, this one could fit in nicely in a jam!
I have found a lot of chords that can finger great. I’m not going to be on stage anytime soon, but I am doing good as you say playing around with the different boxes. Circle of 1/5 really opened my eyes. I really liked music theory.
There is so much you can learn. If you can’t finger a chord find it some where else. Great teacher.
Teacher of the year!!!!
Bob L, 64, practice 3-4 hrs/day
Hey Giff, a picture is worth your MILLION words. I love your courses, but most of us are adults. Maybe more show and less chat.
Hi. Griff.
I have not been in contact with for some time it’s because I have a bit
of health problem but I well to fight another day aha for I had a bit of a listen to the Little Wing Style Lick you played and it sound great Mate and I do have a problem that is with the crooks who had stolen my Bush fire & Drought Architect plans
for I was hoping to attend Dan Kennedy Info-Summit in October-2018 so I have to have to do up another Architect and now I just can’t get myself motivated but I well inn time and I well listen to the rest of that music maybe to-morrow Griff and you just keep that great Music. Neil J Fraser. 28th-June-2018.
Video would not play.
I’m going crazy here. For some reason I cannot view this video that Grif sent about Hendrix.
Lovely stuff Griff. Thank you I’ll try when my Right Hand gets better. Shingles, need I say more.
Excellent noodling exercise. This type of playing is a real handicap for me but I think that with enough time and patience it will definitely help me. Thank you for sharing another great exercise.
Search YouTube for “John Mayer City Love Crossroads”. From the first Crossroads festival in Texas, 3mins 56secs of just this kind of playing. Excellent.
ChrisG.
What a cool sound to add to my beginners tool box! Having fun with it! Closest I’ve got to Hendrix yet! Thank you for the lesson Mr. Griff!
First song that crossed my mind hearing this was ‘I shall be released'(Finale) from the Last Waltz album.
Thank you Griff!
Thanks, Griff. I see this stuff also translates directly to The Wind Cries Mary.
Just love this style of playing.
Brilliant…thanks Griff
Brilliant lesson. No further comment necessary.
Lovely addition to the repertoire. As for Apex who complained , he needs to be patient. This will take time….
Absolutely loving the music theory – it’s giving me the freedom to make stuff up and make it sound like music! I’ve taken to arpeggiating chords into a looper and playing over top and really enjoying how nice it sounds – Keep it up Griff – I recommend to any intermediate/ beginner proper lessons and learning the theory – In 7 years I’ve gone from novice to playing open mic and gigs (playing blues/ classical and spanish too on my Godin grand concert guitar (classical strings on an electric guitar)!) – Get into the theory and it pays bacck many fold!
Griff I so enjoy all ur vids, etc,etc.
And ur lesson on little wings.
Has really opened a new chapter in guitar noodling for me.
I’ve purchased many of ur lessons over the past couple years Griff.
And have learned so much..
Ur one heck of a guitar teacher Griff.
The only instructor for this guy.
I see the enjoyment u get from instructing the advanced to the beginner.
Ur the best Griff!!!
Funny Im just reviewing that course
for a second time now. I really enjoy it.
Really liked this lesson…lots of fun just going through the progression and improvising based on the chord template. Thanks!