Applying a Jimi Hendrix Approach to Improvising on “Rollin’ Stone” with Andy Aledort
In Deep by Andy Aledort.
DEEP WATERS
Over the course of the last few columns, we’ve been exploring different ways to improvise around the main themes and melodies played by Muddy Waters on his classic track, “Rollin’ Stone.” Jimi Hendrix recorded a few incredible versions of this song, under the title “Catfish Blues.” Three great versions can be heard on The BBC Sessions, Blues and the Jimi Hendrix Experience box set. Andy Aledort looks at some ways to add Jimi-like ideas to interpreting and improvising on this song.
DEEP WATERS
Over the course of the last few columns, we’ve been exploring different ways to improvise around the main themes and melodies played by Muddy Waters on his classic track, “Rollin’ Stone.” Jimi Hendrix recorded a few incredible versions of this song, under the title “Catfish Blues.” Three great versions can be heard on The BBC Sessions, Blues and the Jimi Hendrix Experience box set. Andy Aledort looks at some ways to add Jimi-like ideas to interpreting and improvising on this song.
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MusicTranscript
00:00 [music]
00:07 Hey, I'm Andy Oludar in this edition of Indeed. We're going to continue looking at ways to
00:19 improvise on the Muddy Waters Blues Classic, "Rolling Stone." Last time we were looking
00:24 at different ways to use thirds, combinations of two notes. This time we're going to expand
00:29 that to the use of sixths. Another thing you do on that, I'd have all you pretty young
00:35 women. So let's say we're going to play the melody.
00:42 [music]
00:54 That's nice. But then instead of this, you could go...
01:00 Kind of like "Voodoo Child."
01:01 [music]
01:08 So that's nice too.
01:11 [music]
01:19 So, these double stops...
01:26 Very useful. Hendrix did that stuff all the time. If you wanted to play that whole sequence,
01:41 you'd have... It's all on the A and the G string. Second fret first, fourth second,
01:48 fifth fourth, seventh sixth, ninth seventh, eleventh ninth, twelve eleven, fourteen thirteen,
01:55 sixteen fourteen, seventeen sixteen, nineteen eighteen, twenty one nineteen.
02:09 And I like doing those where you go like...
02:12 So what I did there was if I play this one...
02:21 I'll do a hammer pull on the G string.
02:25 [music]
02:41 And when I get to that one, it's fun to make it minor.
02:45 It's like A minor.
02:51 [music]