Trying To Learn To Improv, hendrix style rhythm Options

[AdamB]

Hi,

My playing so far has been very much either rhythm (strumming chords) or lead (playing monophonic solos), and it's getting a bit boring. So I'm trying to learn to be able to improvise in that cool Hendrix rhythm/lead style where he kind of blends the two together instead of playing static chords.

I saw a Guthrie Govan video where he was explaining that in order to learn to do this you need to understand the CAGED system, where each chord position has an accompanying pentation scale shape. So I went and learnt that as best I can, I think I understand it. I already knew the CAGED system sort of, as I know all the chord shapes and I already knew the pentatonic shapes but had never really tied the two together.

So what I'm doing now, is trying to learn to take the chords to a song and understand which shapes to use and when.

I started by using a simple G->D->C->D pattern, which went fine and I got that sounding quite good. So I decided to try something a bit harder.

I took the chord progression from little wing and am trying to use the approach over that (rather than copying the original note for note, I'm trying to learn to do what Jimi would of done and just improv the rhythm part over the bass).

So, I started with the first few chords on loop; Em->G->Am->Em and repeat. That went fine. Then, it got confusing;

So the next bass notes go Bm, Bb, Am. So, what's with the Bb there, is that just a chromatic passing note played by the bass, what do I do rhythm wise there? How do I harmonise that?

Then, moving on, it ends up going C->F->G->F->D. F isn't in the key (which is Em or G major right?), so how come F is in there? Then I can't figure out how to harmoise that or where to move in my rhythm part during that, any help on understanding this would be appretiated!

Thanks,
-Adam

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