Six extended Hendrix-style phrases — full-length statements, not two-bar fragments. Thumb-over rhythm-lead hybrid, the E7♯9 vocabulary, double-stop slides, and the way he blurred the line between chord and melody until there wasn't one. In E, where Hendrix lived. The Broadcast at noon and the Drybel are the tone.
Every long lick below is built from these four moves, combined and extended. Learn the devices and the licks assemble themselves.
The thumb frets the low E while the fingers work chord fragments and melody above. This is why Hendrix could play bass, chords, and lead simultaneously — the thumb held the root down while everything happened on top.
Hammer-ons and pull-offs decorate a held chord shape until you can't tell where the rhythm stops and the lead starts. Little Wing, The Wind Cries Mary, Castles Made of Sand — all this device, extended.
Two notes at once — usually a 4th or 6th — slid up and down the neck. The "Voodoo Child" / "Wait Until Tomorrow" sound. Vocal, thick, and impossible to play politely.
Bend one string up to match a note fretted on another, so two strings ring the same pitch with a shimmer between them. The "Machine Gun" device — one note that sounds like two guitars arguing.
The signature Hendrix ballad device: an Em chord shape decorated with hammer-ons and grace notes on top, the thumb holding the bass, the melody emerging from inside the chord. Play it slow and let every note bleed into the next. The chord and the melody are the same thing — that's the whole trick.
(let everything ring throughout — rubato)
e|-----------------3--0-------------------0--3--0------------------|
B|--------0--3--3-------3--0-----0--3--3--------------3--0---------|
G|-----0h2-------------------2-------------------------------2--0--|
D|--2--------------------------2-----2--------------------------2--|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--T3-------------(T3 held)-----T3--------------(T3)-------------|
G the melody walks out of the Em chord and back in
TARGET · the thumb bass note never stops · the top-line melody is singable · rubato, no click
The "Voodoo Child" / "Wait Until Tomorrow" device stretched into a full descending statement. Double-stops (two notes, mostly 4ths) sliding down the neck from the 12th fret to open position, with the open E ringing underneath as a drone. Each double-stop is slid into, not picked cleanly — the slides are the sound.
(open low E droning · each double-stop slid into · swung) e|--12/14~~-12--10--/12~-10--8--/10~-8--7--/8~-7--5--/7~-5--3--/5~-3--0-| B|--12/14~~-12--10--/12~-10--8--/10~-8--7--/8~-7--5--/7~-5--3--/5~-3--0-| G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| E|--0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| double-stops walk DOWN the neck over a droning open ETARGET · every double-stop slid into with vibrato · the open E never dies · lands on open strings
The Hendrix chord (E7♯9) contains both the major 3rd (G♯) and the ♯9 (G) — the major/minor rub built into one shape. This lick exploits it: a long run that toggles between E minor pentatonic and E major pentatonic, exactly the tension the chord implies. Start high, work down, and hit the G→G♯ rub as often as possible. The whole thing is one breath.
(over E7♯9 · blend minor and major pent · aggressive) e|--12b14~-12--15--12----------------------------------------------| B|-------------------15--12b13~-12-------12--15b17~---------------| G|-----------------------------------14------------14--12-13----| ← G→G♯ rub D|--------------------------------------------------------14--12--| A|---------------------------------------------------------------14| E|----------------------------------------------------------------| then continue down into open position: e|----------------------------------------------------------------| B|--12--10--8-----------------------------------------------------| G|-----------9--7--4-5---4--3-4---3--0----------------------------| D|--------------------------------------------2--0----------------| E|--0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-------------------| the G/G♯ rub happens EVERY time you pass the 3rdTARGET · one continuous phrase top to bottom · the G→G♯ rub audible at least 4 times · no gaps
The "Machine Gun" device: bend a note on the G string up to match the same pitch fretted on the B string, so two strings ring the same note with a shimmer. Then release. Then do it again a step higher. This is one note that sounds like two guitars — the beating between the slightly-off unison is the whole effect. Milk each one for full sustain before moving.
(each pair = bend G string up to match B string · let them scream) e|----------------------------------------------------------------| B|--15-------------15-------------17-------------15----------------| G|--14b(15)~~~~~~~-14b(15)~~~~~~~-16b(17)~~~~~~~-14b(15)~~~~~~~-----| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| both ring release+again up a step back down the SHIMMER between the two strings is the sound — hold each 4+ beatsTARGET · the bent note matches the fretted note EXACTLY at the top of each bend · 4+ beats each
The other side of Hendrix — the lyrical major-key ballad solo. Built from major pentatonic with chromatic passing notes, phrased like a vocal, with bends that arrive slowly and vibrato that's wide and patient. This is the Mayer connection — the restraint, the space, the singing tone all trace back here. Play it like you're telling someone something difficult.
(E major, lyrical, let bends arrive slowly) e|-----------------------------------------------------------------| B|--------12b14~~~-12--9-------------9b11~~~-9-------------------- | G|--11--------------------11--9--11---------11--9--11~~~~~~~~-------| D|-----------------------------------------------------11--9-------| A|-----------------------------------------------------------------| E|--T-------------------------------------------------------------| continues, resolving down: e|-----------------------------------------------------------------| B|--9--7--9--7--5-------------------------------------------------| G|--------------6--4-----4--/11~~~~~~(let ring, vibrato, fade)-----| D|-----------------6--4-------------------------------------------| E|----------------------------------------------------------------| singing, patient, every bend a sentenceTARGET · phrase like a singer — breathe between sub-phrases · the final slide up rings and fades naturally
The combination lick — all four devices in a single extended statement over the length of a blues chorus. Thumb-over chord-melody opening, into a double-stop slide, into the E7♯9 pentatonic storm, landing on a bent unison scream. This is the whole vocabulary as one continuous idea. Learn it in four pieces, then join the seams until they disappear.
PIECE 1 — chord-melody open (bars 1-3): e|--------3--0------------------0--3--0---------------------------| B|--0--3-------3--0-----0--3--3---------3--0---------------------| G|-0h2----------------2--------------------------2--0-----------| E|--T3----------(T3)---------T3-----------------(T3)------------| PIECE 2 — double-stop slide down (bars 4-6): e|--10/12~-10--8--/10~-8--7--/8~-7--5--/7~-5------------------------| B|--10/12~-10--8--/10~-8--7--/8~-7--5--/7~-5------------------------| E|--0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| PIECE 3 — the pentatonic storm (bars 7-9): e|--12b14~-12--15--12--------------------------------------------| B|-------------------15--12b13~-12----12--15b17~----------------| G|---------------------------------14------------14-13-12------| ← rub D|-------------------------------------------------------14--12--| PIECE 4 — the bent-unison scream (bars 10-12): e|----------------------------------------------------------------| B|--15-------------17-------------15~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| G|--14b(15)~~~~~~~-16b(17)~~~~~~~-14b(15)~~~~~~(hold, fade)-------| the whole chorus resolves on one screaming held unisonTARGET · all four pieces joined into one continuous chorus · the seams between devices inaudible · record it
Broadcast at noon for the storm and the double-stops (Licks 2, 3, 6) — enough grit to sing but cleans up with the volume knob. Broadcast at 9 o'clock or high-gain mode depending on the lick: 9 o'clock for the ballads (Licks 1, 5), high-gain or the Thornicus for the Machine Gun screams (Lick 4). Hendrix rode his volume knob constantly — set the pedal hot and back off the guitar for the clean bits.
Drybel on slow for the ballads (Licks 1, 5) — the classic Uni-Vibe underneath a clean-ish tone is the "Machine Gun" / "Villanova Junction" atmosphere. Off for the storm licks — the aggressive stuff wants clarity, not wobble. The vibe is a ballad tool here, not a rocker.
This is exactly what the front of your rig was built for: Wah → Thornicus → Drybel → Broadcast is the Hendrix signal path with better parts than he had. For the storm licks, kick the wah in and park it for the tone-shaping (the Henderson trick applied to Hendrix material). For the ballads, wah off, vibe on, Broadcast low.
The ballads (Licks 1, 5) want the wet side up — BigSky on hall, the dry Badger carrying the chord-melody attack and the wet Mesa carrying the bloom. The storm and scream licks (3, 4, 6) want the dry side dominant — the aggression lives in the Badger's attack, with the wet Mesa adding just enough room. Blend per lick, which is exactly what the splitter and separate recording channels let you do.