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Joel Hoekstra Teaches Hendrix-Style Rhythm Guitar Lesson

By Morgan Brunner

June 30, 2016

Guitar World’s latest installment of School of Rock features a lesson from guitarist Joel Hoekstra, who instructs viewers on how to play rhythm guitar like legend Jimi Hendrix.

“Jimi Hendrix was nothing less than a complete guitarist,” said Hoekstra. “He was a brilliant and seemingly effortless performer, improviser, songwriter and innovator, and an equally brilliant rhythm player, which is an aspect of his musicianship that is sometimes overlooked.”

Wielding a Phil Collen PC1, Hoekstra begins his lesson with a “fifth-string-root” barre chord, and explains how Hendrix liked to embellish his chords by using his pinkie to access higher notes on each of the strings, creating melodic fills that make the rhythm parts more interesting. He also demonstrates both hammer-on and pull-offs to add extra notes to classic chord shapes for that unique-sounding Hendrix flair.

Watch the lesson in full below: