Voodoo Child – Guitar Lesson – Jimi Hendrix

Learn the iconic Voodoo Child intro riff — one of Jimi Hendrix’s most recognizable guitar moments. This lesson covers the Eaug9 chord shapes, E pentatonic minor licks, and the string bending and pull-off techniques you’ll need to nail Hendrix’s sound.

The song is built around the key of E, using the E pentatonic minor scale as the basis for the lead sections. The chord shapes might look complicated on paper, but they’re more manageable than you’d expect once you break them down.

Voodoo Child – Guitar Lesson – Jimi Hendrix:

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Why Eb Tuning Matters

Hendrix recorded Voodoo Child in Eb standard tuning — that means tuning every string down a half step:

• E → Eb
• B → Bb
• G → Gb
• D → Db
• A → Ab
• E → Eb

Why tune down? It gives the song that slightly darker, heavier tone that’s signature to Hendrix’s sound. The lower tension also makes those big string bends easier to execute with the right feel.

Can you play it in standard tuning? Yes, but you’ll be playing in a different key (F instead of E) and won’t match the original recording. If you want to play along with Hendrix or nail that authentic tone, tune down that half step.

Breaking Down the Main Riff

Colin breaks this into two essential moves:

1. The Minor Third Lick (E to G)

The foundation of the riff moves between E and G notes — a minor third interval. This creates that bluesy, tension-filled sound that drives the whole intro.

2. The String Stretch Technique

This is where the magic happens:

• Start with your first finger on the A note (3rd string, 2nd fret)
• Bend it up a whole tone to B (same pitch as 3rd string, 4th fret)
• Let the string snap back down to A
• Pull off to the open G string

Colin’s tip: “Pick, stretch, let it come back, pull off.” The pull-off happens with your second finger as the bend releases. It’s a smooth motion: pick → stretch → release → pull-off.

You’re treating this as three distinct notes even though you only pick once: A (picked) → B (bent) → A (released) → G (pull-off).

The Eaug9 Chord Shapes

Colin shows two ways to play the E augmented ninth chord that punctuates the riff:

Cheater’s Way: Just play the bottom two strings (1st and 2nd) with the E bass note on the 6th string. This simulates the Eaug9 sound without the full chord stretch.

Colin’s Way: Play the full Eaug9 chord shape. It’s a harder reach, but gives you that complete, authentic Hendrix sound. Colin mentions he got this from watching Stevie Ray Vaughan’s version.

The riff alternates: minor third lick → string stretch → minor third lick → Eaug9 chord.

The E Pentatonic Minor Scale

While the chords use E major and E augmented ninth, all the soloing and lead work comes from E pentatonic minor. This is what gives Voodoo Child its blues-rock character — using a minor scale over major chords creates that signature tension.

If you’re not comfortable with the E pentatonic minor pattern yet, check out our chromatic scale lesson to build your fretboard knowledge and finger strength.

Nailing the Hendrix Feel

The notes are one thing — the feel is everything:

• String bending: Don’t just push the string up mechanically. Bend it with intention and control the pitch
• Vibrato: Add subtle vibrato to sustained notes (especially that bent B note)
• Timing: The riff has a loose, almost lazy feel. Don’t rush it
• Wah pedal: Optional, but Hendrix used it extensively on the intro for that vocal-like quality

Historical Context

Colin mentions that Hendrix said this riff came from old field holler traditions — songs that enslaved people in North America used to communicate between fields. Whether or not that’s the direct origin, the group of notes Hendrix uses is deeply rooted in traditional blues vocabulary.

What Hendrix did was take those traditional blues phrases and reimagine them on electric guitar with his signature tone, bending, and feel. That’s why the riff sounds both ancient and completely revolutionary at the same time.

Different Versions

As Colin notes, there’s no single “correct” way to play Voodoo Child. Hendrix himself played it differently in various live performances. Stevie Ray Vaughan had his own take on it. Other guitar players have interpreted it in their own ways.

The version Colin teaches gives you the essential notes and techniques. Once you’ve got those down, you can start adding your own feel and variations — just like the masters did.