Why Jimi Hendrix is the electric guitar G.O.A.T.

His sound is unmistakable: Jimi Hendrix wrote rock history, revolutionized the electric guitar and changed music forever. The Hendrix story is the stuff of legend: Discovered in New York, he was brought to London in 1966 and became an overnight sensation. Over the next 4 years he reached the pinnacle of success and became the world’s highest-paid rock musician. His performances, including at Woodstock, are legendary and his songs (‘Hey Joe’, ‘Purple Haze’, ‘Voodoo Chile’) timeless classics. He died tragically at the age of just 27 in 1970.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame says Hendrix is "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music’. As the music world celebrates what would have been his 80th birthday, on this episode of Arts Unveiled, we investigate ‘Why Hendrix is the G.O.A.T.’ (Greatest Of All Time).

Along the way we’ll meet Hendrix fan and The Strokes producer Gordon Raphael, sound engineer Roger Mayer, friend of Hendrix and creator of the Octavia effects pedal, young guitarists and YouTubers @mikecole4489 and @jasminestarmusic6573 and guitarist Randy Hansen who has dedicated his life to keeping the music of Hendrix alive on stage. Nina Hagen Band guitarist Warner Poland shows us how to create the Hendrix sound.

00:00 Intro

00:58 Jimi plays with teeth on German TV

01:39 The Hendrix Sound

02:50 The Passion Hendrix Inspires

06:23 Improvisation & Spontaneity

06:54 Right Time, Right Place

07:53 Roger Mayer, Friend of Hendrix / Creator, Octavia Effects Pedal

09:37 Politics & Counterculture

10:55 Showmanship

11:51 Tragic Early Death

13:35 Legendary performance on German TV 1967

Thumbnail: Imago

#JimiHendrix #electricguitar #rockmusic #explained #music #dwhistoryandculture #rockstar

[niteriderband]

Jimi was the most original rock-blues guitar player. He could touch your soul with a sustained note. Yes he is the G.O.A.T.

[TheStarcruiser]

I saw Jimi at the Monterey Pop Festival 1967 --- Magic! I Feel honoured to have seen him perform 3 times🎵🎸🎶

[hangten]

Yes Jimi Hendrix is the goat. 58 years later and I'm still a fan.

[TAM-gztc]

I started on the shadows, eric clapton cream, then heard jimmy. I studied his playing for 3 years. His playing is deep covering all styles jazz, funk, rock, fusion, and compleat freedom of structure. For example create a groove over 3 chords, loop it, turn off the light so you play in the dark, pitch black, then play any note anywhere on the neck, now bring that note back into the groove. You hear your path, you hear your note, before it registers in your mind. Jimmy the greatest guitarist ever.

[jeffmason]

When it comes to the electric guitar there is Pre Jimi Hendrix and Post Jimi Hendrix, he changed to way people listen and played the guitar, no other guitar artist is even in the Building 1. He was incredibly creative 2. His technique was superb 3. He was a great songwriter 4. He was a great singer 5. He was a great frontman. He didn’t need to play fast alternate picking runs or sweep picking or tapping tricks, he was above that. No one even comes close to him He invented a whole new style of playing. He by himself changed the way people thought about the electric guitar.

[ericsherman]

Jimi Hendrix is the Alpha and Omega of Guitarist. Before Hendrix commercial success you never heard a guitar played the way he played his. Many people have tore from his shroud but nobody has really matched him in his brilliance.

[buckwheatINtheCity]

It was his ability to distort the sounds that made him the legend he became, but his picking style and flamboyance made him unique. He was making it up as he went along.

[chizorama]

To me Hendrix is the best ever. I was into VH before Hendrix in my youth, Eddie made me want to play. I didn't find Hendrix till years later, but when I did it changed how I listened to music & how I played it. Nobody touched my soul like Jimi, there are better technical guitarist, but nobody squeezed the essence of a guitar like Jimi did. Most of the guitar legends grew from listening to the old blues legends, but Jimi lived it when he was touring the Chitlin circuit, & even though some of the old blues legends would say that Jimi wasn't a blues player, his music says otherwise. He broke from the roots while still being rooted, creating a sound that was past, present(back then) & future. He was raw, yet pure, I wouldn't call him a virtuoso, hard not to make mistakes when you're pushing things beyond the limit, but he made his mistakes work. & that's just it, he pushed his playing to a limitless brink, unfortunately we can only speculate how far it would've went. What we do know is that he gave his everything in a very short amount of time, & there's still so much of his material that hasn't seen the light of day since he played it. Not only was he a great guitarist, but he was a beautiful soul as well, hoping to heal with power of music, the power of love & the power of soul.

[scottwatson]

What makes Jimi the GOAT ultimately is his creativity-in the art of playing electric guitar, song writing and guitar technology for players. He was the ultimate innovator who changed the game, so to speak. He transcended being a great player. He created a paradigm shift in music. That's what's GOAT- worthy!

[laman]

What set Jimi apart from everybody else is that there was no guitar in the sense of a music instrument. The guitar was an integral part of Jimi just like our limbs are an integral part of our body. The sounds coming out of his guitar were an expression of his being. That's why he never had to learn notes. The licks flowed in the same way we have thoughts, effortless, uninterrupted, natural. This is what set him apart; there were no barriers between mind and expression through the guitar. Just a superfluid process.

[Tune-O-matic]

He opened the door to everyone to the endless possibilities of what a guitar could sound like..

[dereksupernaut]

Band Of Gypsys is the greatest Rock Album ever, at first i found the rhythm section too simple having grown up on The Who and Cream; but overtime i find it to be more Soul-Funk in a way no other Rock Band can pull off while still rocking as hard as anyone... the lyrics and singing are also top notch, truly righteous...

[courylanders]

Jeff Beck said the first time he heard Jimi Hendrix live, he started thinking about doing something else in life. Once he found out He inspired Hendrix, he got inspired.

[harryjohnson]

Jimi. #1. He is the Goat. If he was still around today. He would say what all the fuss about. A humble guy

[garenmcvay]

I agree, he’s the first to play like that. I never heard it, till Jimi played it, I pulled my car over to listen, I believe in 67. He was playing Purple Haze.

[jamminjoe]

My older sister who was 10 years older then me, got me into Jimi Hendrix. I was just learning how to play the guitar, and my sister suggested I give Jimi a listen. Well, once I followed her advice, that changed everything for me. As a teenager, my whole bedroom became like a shrine to Jimi Hendrix, with wall to wall posters of him in action.

I lived, and breathed his music. It was back in the early 80`s, that I saved up enough money, and purchased a white Fender Stratocaster. Of course, I had to had to have a Marshall Amp, and effects as well. The funniest thing that ever happened to me, is when I tried to play with my teeth. Bear in mind I was wearing braces at the time. I wanted to show off in front of my friends girlfriend. Well, my guitar string got stuck in my braces, and oh my how embarrassing lol.

All that being said, I never sought out to try and copy Jimi note for note. That would have been a very difficult task to try and achieve! Randy Hansen has made his life's work on emulating Jimi Hendrix, and that`s fine. However, he will never be considered one of the all time greats.

In closing, Eddie Van Halen changed how the electric guitar could be played in the 70`s. Most notably his guitar solo "Eruption" However, He never gave me the adrenaline rush that Jimi`s guitar playing did, not ever. Jimi Hendrix played with fire, and so much passion, that no one can match till this day!! Yes, in my book Jimi Hendrix is the GOAT!!

[redlander]

Jimi Hendrix is like blues, jazz and rock had a baby.

[Sensimentality]

Jimi was more than just a guitarist; he was a phenomenal performer period. His musicality demands your attention to this day. He has got to be top 5 in history up with the likes of Sinatra and Elvis. If you could view 10 of the best rock acts on separate stages playing at the same time; lets include Dave Lee Roth era Van Halen, Prince and the Revolution, Cream, Led Zep and 5 more of your favs, the chances are high that it would be Hendrix that you would be paying the most attention to. That was the power of his presence.

[javierlomeli]

Yes Jimi Hendrix is the goat there is no comparison with other guitar players I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t think so. If you can’t hear every note in his songs you are deaf. Nobody has that many melodies and riffs and flourishes in a song. He is the master of all guitar players they can try to imitate but they can’t invent like Jimi. I’m sorry to all guitarists but it’s a fact not an opinion

[dandelion]

Jimi is by far the greatest ever, he was much more than a guitar player, he created sound and wrote some beautiful songs. He played guitar and sang as well. How many guitar players have been influenced by Jimi? They worked him to the bone, with 3 albums, 1 a double in 4 years. I could go on forever, but I think real people know what I am saying. I was at Newport 69, and left the day before Jimi came on, regret this almost every day. He has been dead for 53 years, can you imagine all the GREAT HENDRIX music we have missed?Stay cool and be well, Jim.