Poll: Be honest, who else cheats at playing Little Wing?

[muttonbuster]

Recently decided to really nail it as much as I could, and ended up being fun in developing creative ways to get it to sound as accurate as possible without using any thumb. Just not interested in messing up my hands any more than need be.

 

[guitarchaeologist]

I've found that thumb over minor chords can be a bit tough with my thicker necks. I tend to mute the high E, so use a barre.
But major chords, man I greatly prefer the thumb over position. I now hate using root 6 barre chords & always use thumb over for major chords.

 

[Mouse]

I never learned this one but I “cheat” all the time when learning songs. Doing that used to irk me quite a bit but these days I want to get from A to B with as little stress as possible. More often than not, no one but myself would be able to tell that I’m not playing exactly as the artist did. Even if they could, I can fall back on the old trope that I’m putting my own spin on it.

 

[eoms]

I do! I just love playing that song, and really don't care about any 'mistakes'. IORR.

 

[Cerb]

What constitutes cheating?

 

[McFeet]

Well if you’re asking for honesty, I can’t even play little wing

 

[WhiteWabbit]

I have no troubles with using my thumb over but the riff to Foxy Lady took me a bit before it felt natural. Now I couldn’t go back to playing it awkwardly with the index.

 

[The Strat Dude]

Did JH play it the same every time?

 

[AncientAx]

If it wasn’t for cheating I couldn’t play at all ...

 

[Ebidis]

I “cheat” on every song I play.

My philosophy is “Whatever works”.

 

[HighwayStar106]

There are plenty of bits in Little Wing that I struggle to play properly, but I’ve never had a problem with the thumb-over chords. It’s a technique I use quite a lot, and did before I learnt Little Wing.

 

[Murphcaster]

There is no cheating when it comes to playing the guitar. Only what works for you.

 

[davidKOS]

I haven't played "Little Wing" in decades. It's not on my current playlist.

Nor is tuning down a half step.

 

[tap4154]

Who considers thumb over cheating? I thought this was the Strat Talk, not Classical Conversations

 

[Forpie]

It’s music, not cardiology

 

[Mouse]

Who considers thumb over cheating? I thought this was the Strat Talk, not Classical Conversations

I think the "cheating" was meant to mean NOT using your thumb as Hendrix did.

 

[D7alt]

Let's check this out again

 

[NobodyReally]

Truthfully I never seen Jimi play it the same way twice, so as far as I'm concerned, it's however I feel like doing it. Lol

 

[Believer7713]

Growing up taking piano lessons I always tried to play everything note for note exactly as I heard it on the recording. My teachers would fill it into me that if I didn't nail EVERY note, rest and/or phrase or play with proper technique correct, I didn't play it correctly. Then when I auditioned for the last 2 P+W bands I was in, I got tired of "not sounding right". I started doing like @Mouse said... putting my own spin on it. I don't think I've tried to play 99% of everything I've learned in the last 17 years without "cheating" because I can get close enough that most wouldn't tell.

 

[Believer7713]

Truthfully I never seen Jimi play it the same way twice, so as far as I'm concerned, it's however I feel like doing it. Lol

Then watch the same video twice.