First things first… this is not a “How to play Red House” lesson (I don’t want the Hendrix estate beating down my door!)

However, I’ve recently heard a LOT of guitar players try to start this tune with a band… and many of them did not work out well. But the reason probably ain’t what you’re thinking…

You see, the intro to Red House isn’t really an Intro at all, it’s simply the first 4 bars of a 12 bar blues in Bb, but with no band. The band just doesn’t play most of the time, but that doesn’t change the form or the chords or anything else.

But when you add to that hiccup the fact that Hendrix plays all over the place beat-wise… this can be a tricky thing for most people. So here’s an option that is much easier to play and will work every time:

Downloads

  • icon
    TAB

    This is the basic form of what I played

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    The Video

    Download the video using this link.


    31 replies to "How To Start Red House"

    • Art . V

      Hey Griff, I been learning really well with my First Blues Guitar for Beginners. Totally learning Tab and other New things. Hope to Graduate to the Next Level 🤘🏽😎

    • Terry Armstrong

      Oh y’ell…..Aug, 69 Woodstocker here. Carlos Santana taught Alex on GuitarForce.com the full play through as half step down from standard tuning as Jimmie played.

    • Vic Soboleski

      @ around the 7:300 mark when you say “with he original …” and you play that example . I don’t know why but that riff really gave me more of a srv vibe than Hendrix….I know Stevie used Jimmys technics and covered his music but usually with his style / flair to make it different …srv played with a lil more “swing” i think is the term .?.? When oh played that I had to go listen to Jimmys redhouse and see how I missed the srv – jimmy connection…but ,though it’s same notes ( more / less) to me red house doesn hav the heavy dissonant note Standing out like in srv song(s)…. Very cool way of making It your own ,which is I guess the point lol.

    • William

      Wow- not a fan of Hendrix? You play guitar do you* – what are you a fan of because you must be in a Haze!!

    • Craig

      Red House as performed by Hendrix has no equal. He made it his own. Original lines etc it doesn’t get any better.

    • Michael Chappell

      Hey Griff,
      I have saved your lesson here for another time..I’m not a great fan of Jimmy H I only like Purple Haze.. but very good lesson from you and worth having a go .
      Happy New Year to you and your family and all the BGUers for an awsome 2020 from Griff.
      Cheers

      Michael -Sydney Australia Dec 28 2019.

      • TSGordon

        Sure, Michael, and the Wind Cries Mary!

    • Craig Webb

      This to me is the ultimate blues song the way Jimi played it. Thank you for showing the basics it will help me immensely.

    • Darryl Manire

      Hi.. great song,In my top 10

    • Chris CLEMANS

      That was a great lesson Griff time to fire up the looper

    • Greg

      Could you do a video on the 4 note scale pattern using the 3rd and 4th strings?

    • Anne Marie

      Nice lesson and is that a new guitar?

    • 360musicng

      Love this, will love to play

    • Songsinstrumental

      Will learn how to play the guitar

    • Charlie Durham

      Fascinating! So easy but sounds yummy, Thanks again for all you do 😎

    • Tom

      Great lesson Griff. One of my favorite Hendrix tunes.

    • Dave James

      I have always contended that much blues and ethnic music does ‘not’ have to adhere to rigid western music conforms… I tried an experiment years ago with some band members; I challenged them to play a blues style tune with no chord change structure (i.e. 8bar, 12bar or 16bar etc). Some of the guys ‘sort’ of got the hang of it… others were totally lost once you took the structure or skeleton frame away. It is a kind of musical freedom to play without structure and go totally loose (or slippery if you want). Hooker, Hendrix and Winter could do it… John Lee would quite often play a 13bar blues… some of the pickup bands he used would throw a comeplete tantrum LOL, so, it may be worth considering this as a musical form, which it is in some avantgard music. I suppose it is safe to stay within the musical guidelines and it does enable you to ‘safely’ play with anyone who knows the ‘music rules’ But hey, should blues be safe? It can be fun (and risky)to step outside of the box sometimes! 🙂

      • Bruno Madsen

        Well said! It’s blues… not classical music…

    • tony

      Hey I got this and as a great fill use Steves Hendrix inspired lic that was shown not long ago. I really lkie this tune a lot . I have worked one it but somehow got lost somewhere. This lesson clairfied what I got confussed with. Who does not like this one anywho. late !

    • ChrisGSP

      Nice interpretation Griff, kudos for making it simple. I used to have a cassette tape that I think was called “The Jimi Hendrix Red House Project” and it contained SEVEN different versions of Red House – six by Jimi and one by someone else (maybe Johnny Winter, I’m not sure). The cassette was not a major-label release, I think it came from Guitar Player magazine or someplace like that. Sadly the cassette tape died a loooong time ago and I never got the chance to copy it, so it’s just a memory. I think I’ve currently got four different versions on various CDs and maybe another (different) one on an LP. And they all “seem” to start the same, but are just a little bit different. Jimi was slippery for sure, sometimes he just played from a different place that we mere mortals can only imagine.
      Cheers from Australia. Chris G.

    • Johnny

      Another great lesson Griff Thanks for what you do!
      great guitar by the way
      johnny

    • Tim

      Great lesson Griff!!!
      Thanks for sharing this!!
      Tim H.

    • Wal

      More than fifty years old, that number- good old ephemeral pop music, eh? Griff, a blinder as usual- thanks so much for all the help!

    • Jim

      Great lesson, Griff! I think I heard this tune played a couple of times and the intro caught my ear as being “off.” I wasn’t sure what they were attempting to play, but I’m sure this is the fix! Nice!

    • Steve

      Thanks Griff,
      Nicely put together. I really enjoyed this……now it’s time to have fingers and fret board meet.
      Cheers

    • Richard UK

      I think I’m right in saying that Jimi used this intro to Red House on the version featured on ‘Hendrix in the West.’
      I used it myself in the pubs around Birmingham 25 years ago!

    • mike z.

      Griff , this is a cool lesson . I have heard Hendrix many times , once in person in Atlanta Pop Festival . It was very hard to see what he was doing . You give us a very playable way to do it . Thank you , Mike Z.

    • Tom Hopsicker

      Very timely. I’m learning this intro for a potential band. This is easier than what I was attempting to do. Thanks!

    • Kevin O'Sullivan

      Really well explained – and brilliantly played too!
      Just goes to show how Hendrix was a complete one off – never be another

    • cowboy

      sweet explanation…thanks Griff…later.

      cowboy

    • Mark Wales uk

      Cheers Griff
      For the lesson new guitar how many do you have 😎🎶

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