Jimi Hendrix’s introduction of the overdriven sound and innovative playing techniques revolutionized the electric guitar. His daring stage performances and unique musical style had a profound impact on subsequent guitarists, and despite his later death, he is still revered as the ‘guitar god’.
Around the 12th century, the guitar first appeared on the scene. The electric guitar was developed in the early 1930s, using electromagnetic induction to convert the vibrations of the strings into electrical signals. Since then, many guitarists have adopted the electric guitar, making it a staple in many genres of music. Today, when we think of rock music, the guitar is the first instrument that comes to mind, and the person singing with it is considered the iconic image of a rock singer. So when people think of the sound of an electric guitar, they usually think of a shredding roar, but early electric guitars were intended to sound similar to a traditional or classical guitar. They were simply instruments designed to be plugged into an amplifier to make them louder. However, the first guitarist to really take advantage of the electric guitar’s ability to produce loud sounds was Jimi Hendrix.
Jimi Hendrix was born in Seattle, USA in 1942 and grew up listening to local blues guitarists as a child. This inspired him to start playing guitar at a young age, and he became a self-taught guitarist, playing in local bands in high school and eventually becoming famous. In 1966, he moved to England to form the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and in 1967, he began touring the U.S. He exploded in popularity over the next few years, but died of drug addiction in 1970 at the age of 27. Jimi Hendrix is still revered as the greatest of all time by many guitarists, and his early death only serves to further deify him. But most of all, he left his mark on the history of the electric guitar.
The most important of his achievements is the discovery of the ‘overdrive sound’. The invention of the electric guitar solved this problem, as early electric guitars had a low volume that made it difficult for them to be a dominant instrument in music. However, turning up the volume of the amplifier to full blast had a downside: the sound became muffled. This distorted sound is called “overdrive,” and most players dismissed it as an unpleasant noise and didn’t use it. Jimi Hendrix, however, took advantage of this distortion to create a new kind of music based on loud noises, which was later used in many genres. In rock music in particular, the overdriven sound has become an integral part of the genre.
Another revolution that Jimi Hendrix brought was a radicalized performance on stage. At the time, guitarists mostly played from a chair on stage or, in the case of rock ‘n’ roll, stood up and played the rhythm. Jimi Hendrix, however, played his guitar with his back to the audience, ripped the strings with his teeth, and set his guitar on fire. South Korean singer G-DRAGON once made a splash with his guitar-smashing performance, which was an homage to Jimi Hendrix’s frequent performances.
In addition to this, he made numerous other innovations, including the use of feedback sounds, wah-wah pedals, tremolo arms, and tension chords. His contemporaries include guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and BB King. Eddie Van Halen was also a pioneer of right-handed picking, and Yngwie J. Malmsteen had an amazingly fast picking technique. Guthrie Govan is also known as the guitarist who mastered all guitar techniques. Modern guitarists have better equipment and more advanced techniques that allow them to play even more amazingly. Nevertheless, why is Jimi Hendrix still referred to as the ‘guitar god’?
It’s because he was a pioneer. While many of the aforementioned guitarists contributed to the development of the guitar, their achievements were ultimately built on the foundation laid by Jimi Hendrix. In fact, it’s a testament to his greatness that many guitarists dedicate their albums to remakes of his songs. Jimi Hendrix had a unique playing style as a left-handed musician, and he was also unique as a black musician. His phrasing made him even more mythical. But when you look at his accomplishments, it’s no wonder he’s considered the “guitar god”.
The reason I’m so passionate about Jimi Hendrix is because I play guitar and have been greatly influenced by his music. My guitar, a Fender Stratocaster, is the same model that Jimi Hendrix used, and it’s still a favorite of many. I’ve used effects like wah pedals and fuzz to recreate his sound. There’s not a lot of documentation of Jimi Hendrix because he was active in the 1960s and 1970s, but even though I never got to see him play live, he’s still my favorite guitarist. Without him, I might not enjoy rock music as much as I do today.
Finally, I’d like to talk about the phrase I used in the title of this article: a musician for musicians. I think this phrase best describes Jimi Hendrix. Jimi Hendrix’s music can be esoteric for the average listener. I didn’t understand his music at first either, but after learning to play guitar and playing some of his songs, I began to understand his music. That’s why Jimi Hendrix has been called a “musician for musicians. You need a certain level of musicality to truly appreciate him. But because of him, a lot of musicians grew up, and because of them, music got better. I look forward to one day being able to fully understand and play his music.
