Boys and girls, I’ve been teaching guitar for over 45 years, and I’ve got to tell you—when Jimi Hendrix played “Voodoo Child,” he tapped into something that folks have been playing since the blues was born. That bass riff? It’s pure blues genius, and today we’re gonna break it down so you can get it under your fingers.
The beauty of this lick is that it’s simple enough for you to learn, but it’s got that swagger that made Jimi unforgettable. We’re working in E pentatonic minor, and I’m gonna walk you through it step by step.
The E Pentatonic Foundation
Here’s where it starts. Your open low E string is your anchor—that’s the heart of this riff. From there, you’re gonna fret the 3rd fret on that same 6th string. That gives you the G note. Now comes the fun part: jump to the 4th string and hit the 2nd fret. That’s another E, one octave up. That E-G-E pattern is the meat of the bass riff.
The picking here is down-up, down-up. Nice and clean. You’re not slapping it—you’re letting the pick do the work. Down on the open E, up on the 3rd fret G, down on that 2nd fret E. Simple, right? But when you put it together with the groove, it’s got teeth.
The E7#9 Chord—Jimi’s Secret Weapon
Now here’s where Jimi gets interesting. That E7#9 chord—sometimes folks call it the “Hendrix chord”—is just an E major shape with your pinky kinking across the 2nd and 1st strings on the 3rd fret. It’s not pretty, but it sounds mean. That augmented 9th interval is what gives it that spicy, slightly off flavor.
What makes this transition work is that bass note on the low E string. That’s your “buying time” moment. You play that low E, let it ring just long enough, and then boom—you hit that E7#9 chord. The listener’s ear follows that bass note like a bread crumb trail.
Wah-Wah Makes It Special
Jimi didn’t invent the wah-wah pedal, but he sure made folks understand what it was for. If you’ve got a wah pedal, sweep it slowly while you’re playing that riff. Start with it toe-down, sweep it toe-up, and let it wail. It’s not mandatory—the riff works fine without it—but it adds that Hendrix magic we all hear in our heads.
Here’s something I want you to understand, boys and girls. This riff didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s rooted in old blues patterns that cats have been playing for decades. Jimi just grabbed it, made it his own, and dressed it up with that E7#9 and the wah pedal. That’s how you become a master—you learn what came before, and then you add your own flavor.
Want to go deeper with rock and metal guitar riffs? Check out our full collection to see how the greats built their sound.
What’s Next?
This is just the beginning. In Part 2, we’re gonna look at how Jimi creates those one-string scale runs that’ll make your fingers fly. And in Part 3, we’ll tackle the string stretches that really show off his technique. Keep your guitar handy and your wah pedal ready. We’re just getting started.
