Learning Machine Gun

[Armotron]

HeY all! Heres the deal, for school, my teacher, in a chance to help us overcome apathy, has given us a choice to instead of doing Reading Projects, an assignment called What Drives You. In this assignment we choose something that we would really really like to accomplish, by the end of he school year, in our own lives. Since I really like to play guitar, i have chosen to learn how to play Machine Gun - By Jimi Hendrix.(filmore east version) Im almost positive i can accomplish this. But first i need to know.....



-What effects he used, i know vibrato, and a wah wah are two.(whats a good vibrato pedal, i might get a fender amp tho.)
-What he tuned to.
-Where I can find good sheet music that is precise( Filmore East Version or Close)
-What techniques do i need to look out for.
- Is there a video of him playing filmore east with machine gun in it, or am i going to have to look at Isle of Wight or Berkely.

Alright, whatever anyone can tell me id apreciate.

Thanks-
Alex

 

[Armotron]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

Bump!

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

That sounds like quite the accomplishment. I've never heard Machine gun, but I'm sure you'll have tons of fun. Practice!!

 

[Armotron]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

Thanks, i know i can do it, not a problem. just need to know the effects and junk!!! Anyone!?!?!?!

 

[Kac]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

Hmmm good luck, very good song, I havn't seen a transcription or anything for the fimore eat versioin. The isle of Wright video is pretty good, if you don't have it, check it out. I havn't looked closely but I'm sure you can see some of his pedals and what not. I'm guessing he tuned standard for that song, sorry I couldn't be of more help, I may look into it more. That is definetly a rockin' song.
Rock On :13:

 

[Armotron]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

Ya, i have Isle of Wight and i saw his pedals, it looks like a big board with a big knob when he turned on the vibrato, the vibrato was pretty quick too. i dont THINK he tuned standard tho, but well see... anyone else?

 

[Clone Funk]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

Check out the Band of Gypsys video when they played Madison Square Garden. He plays it on there.

 

[Zeppelinfan8790]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

There was a Guitar Legends: Jimi Hendrix presented by Guitar World that had a tab of Machine Gun and I am 99% sure it's the Band of Gypsies version. Look for that one. Oh and a good but not too expensive vibe pedal is the Voodoo Labs Micro Vibe. I've only had it a few days but its pretty awesome. I have been using it to play the parts of Machine Gun that I know.

 

[Armotron]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

There was a Guitar Legends: Jimi Hendrix presented by Guitar World that had a tab of Machine Gun and I am 99% sure it's the Band of Gypsies version. Look for that one. Oh and a good but not too expensive vibe pedal is the Voodoo Labs Micro Vibe. I've only had it a few days but its pretty awesome. I have been using it to play the parts of Machine Gun that I know.

Thanks!!! Very helpful.

 

[Twitch]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

He was probably either tuned 1/2 a step down.

 

[stevie ray]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

Machine Gun can realllly go on for a while. I have heard versions he did with the Band of Gypsys and the one he did at the iIsle of Wight... Both versions are *i believe* over 10 minutes long.

That could take you a while for sure, but since you obviously have the dedication, drive and time, i think you could very well accomplish it.

I'll listen to the Band of Gypsys version a couple times and see what i infer and what i could help you with... if anythin at all. :lol:

 

[stevie ray]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

Hmmm...

Basically, you as far as techniques and tone, you should keep to using the neck pickup or the neck/middle combo *if you have a strat*... Roll down the volume a bit, play with the tone knob. Also, when you are playing, you could improvise a bit with the lead fills for sure! Try doing that and see where it goes, especially if you can't get the tabs. Go from ear, figure the out what key he is hovering around, combine effects, experiment.

I really think its good to experiment and improvise even if its a little. Machine gun has some parts that are a bit hard to hear (or rather, pick apart note for note). It has sooo much more potential for improvisation than playing it note for note, which could end up sounding 'sterile'. Don't get so caught up in getting every note right, just loosen up and go nuts. Liberate yourself!

Good luck, i wish you the best! post some clips of the song if you ever can!

 

[Gamera]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

Happy New Year first of all...

I hope we'll have about a million...or two million more of 'em...

...if we can get over this summer...he...he...he.

I'd like to dedicate this one to the draggin' scene that's goin' on...all the soldiers that are fightin' in Chicago, Milwaukee and New York.

Oh yes...and all the soldiers fightin' in Vietnam.

Like to do a thing called "Machine Gun."

I remember the first time I discovered this song and heard that intro and thought "man...it's a good thing that crap is behind us now."

Surprise! Vietnam 2.0 = Iraq.

This song is perhaps more relevant now than it has been since it was first played back in '69. And when Jimi played it he was pissed. Pissed, saddened and confused. I mean WTF? Is this really the only way civilized people can settle disputes? What the hell are we doing there? Good? Haven't we learned anything? Will we ever? This is 1969! I'm sorry...2005. 2005!

Sorry. I really don't want to get into a political, off-topic conversation here. This isn't the place for it and I apologize. But I do want to attempt to demonstrate what is in that song. I don't mean effects, gear, technique, or anything that can be cataloged and visually identified. Get pissed. Have something to say. Play your viewpoint. Your feelings. If you approach this song in a purely technical way you will fail. This song is not about technique. It is about giving your soul a voice. Like my friend Stevie Ray said, "Liberate yourself!"

"I think I'll actually fight like a farmer, y'know what I mean?!?"

 

[stevie ray]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

I remember the first time I discovered this song and heard that intro and thought "man...it's a good thing that crap is behind us now."

Surprise! Vietnam 2.0 = Iraq.

This song is perhaps more relevant now than it has been since it was first played back in '69. And when Jimi played it he was pissed. Pissed, saddened and confused. I mean WTF? Is this really the only way civilized people can settle disputes? What the hell are we doing there? Good? Haven't we learned anything? Will we ever? This is 1969! I'm sorry...2005. 2005!

. But I do want to attempt to demonstrate what is in that song. I don't mean effects, gear, technique, or anything that can be cataloged and visually identified. Get pissed. Have something to say. Play your viewpoint. Your feelings. If you approach this song in a purely technical way you will fail. This song is not about technique. It is about giving your soul a voice. Like my friend Stevie Ray said, "Liberate yourself!"

"I think I'll actually fight like a farmer, y'know what I mean?!?"

Well said! With the political side dropped off, the most important thing for me while i play is just to really "liberate yourself" from any bonds that hold me back. I never write down what i play, i almost 100% of time improvise and go where the wind takes me.

Though i do get lessons and learn songs through note for note, i only do so for practice.... When i DO play it, i mean really play by myself or wherever, i go off and let go, and, as i say, wherever the wind may take me.

Basically when i teach myself a song or learn one, i find the key and improvise off of it. Man, it is REALLY FUN to do if you just let go and play with it. Express yourself! Yesterday i had sooo much fun when i turned on the classic rock radio and listened to songs, figured out what key its in or whatever sounded best, and made up stuff to go with it! its very fun.

So, Armotron, try it and see wat u think. When i listened to it the first way thru, i was thinkin "How are you gonna learn this song note for note?" You really can't, like i said, without sounding sterile. This style of music, this BLUES based music, requires feel, and ability to express oneself using the guitar as his mode of expression.

Listen to the song a several times, and get a good feel for it, get your groove going, and go off from there. You can grab some licks from him here and there, and some of the things he does with fx.

Don't try makin a mirror image of the song, its not gonna sound right, especially cuz its live. IF you think you can do it note for note anyway, by all means, go for it.

hope that helped, best of luck as well!

 

[flank]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

he would have been using a Uni-Vibe and a fuzz face.........you have the univibe (Voodoo Labs Microvibe sounds superb, and doesnt break the bank as most vibe pedals do)...... then you would have the fuzz pedal set to whatever you would need for full tilt when he starts wailing........then you roll the guitar volume down and it will clean up for the intro, and his rhythm parts........at which point you get to the solo, and you turn the guitar volume back to 10, and the fuzz is now full on and screams

as for a transcription, i have no idea...........rather, i would just learn some of the few licks and phrases he uses for the solo, and incorporate them back and forth, as well as just improvising.........hes probably just waillin on the 12th-15th fret E Pentatonic for the most part for that

and tuning, sometimes he was in standard.....other times he was in E Flat.......i think he might have been tuned down for the fillmore east

also, if you want to see it......... get this Hendrix DVD:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...66174/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/104-1857447-3367955

i have it, it has footage of all of machine gun from that concert as well as 6 or 7 other songs.........and a very cool hour long documentary about jimi and the people around him in the Band Of Gypsys

anyways, hope any of this helped heh......just remember, it may be cool to learn machine gun frontwards and backwards, but be sure to throw in a little of your own thing into it.....

 

[stevie ray]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

he would have been using a Uni-Vibe and a fuzz face.........you have the univibe (Voodoo Labs Microvibe sounds superb, and doesnt break the bank as most vibe pedals do)...... then you would have the fuzz pedal set to whatever you would need for full tilt when he starts wailing........then you roll the guitar volume down and it will clean up for the intro, and his rhythm parts........at which point you get to the solo, and you turn the guitar volume back to 10, and the fuzz is now full on and screams

as for a transcription, i have no idea...........rather, i would just learn some of the few licks and phrases he uses for the solo, and incorporate them back and forth, as well as just improvising.........hes probably just waillin on the 12th-15th fret E Pentatonic for the most part for that

and tuning, sometimes he was in standard.....other times he was in E Flat.......i think he might have been tuned down for the fillmore east

also, if you want to see it......... get this Hendrix DVD:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...66174/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/104-1857447-3367955

i have it, it has footage of all of machine gun from that concert as well as 6 or 7 other songs.........and a very cool hour long documentary about jimi and the people around him in the Band Of Gypsys

anyways, hope any of this helped heh......just remember, it may be cool to learn machine gun frontwards and backwards, but be sure to throw in a little of your own thing into it.....

well said!

 

[AcidBurn]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

In Guitar World presents Quitar Legends #57 there is the tab that you want(Filmore East 12/31/69). It says that he tuned down almost one whole step, DGCFAD, slightly sharp.

He used a vox wah, fuzz face, octavia and uni-vibe according to them.

If you can wait a couple of days I can scan it for you. It's 13 pages!

 

[TheLizardKing]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

Listen to these guys, they've got good pointers. Machine is a really improvised song as you know, with an arsenal of effects but more importantly lots of feeling. It'd be hard to play a song like that, without feeling. But as for a tab, Guitarport has the entire song tabbed out, I suggest you get it, it has lots of different tabs. Good luck, though I'd love to see the look on you're peer's faces when you guitar is screeching and they're thinking, "Wtf Mate?" haha I'm not discouraging you, but if I were you I would play Purple Haze, Hey Joe, or especially Little Wing. I think Machine Gun is more of a song you'd like to fool around playing, but then again man if your mind is set on it go for it!

 

[TheLizardKing]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

And that's correct, he tuned down a half-whole step to -20 I believe..that's what it says on guitarport and it sounds good too.

 

[brianwenz]

Re: Learning Machine Gun

Hello Hello---
Hendrix was using Mayer's Axis Fuzz circuit on all of the Isle of Wight and B.O.G. The circuit was installed in Fuzz Face shells for all live shows. Anything in '69 - '70 was the Axis. [Much different fuzz then the FF....]
Brian