How Did Jimi Hendrix Use The Wah-Wah Pedal?
One of the most recognizable sounds across the entire planet originates with little more than a few technological and performance adaptations made to the traditional blues of the Southern United States. While the standard I-IV-V song structure, repeated lyrics often featuring call and answer techniques, and the ubiquitous use of the major and minor pentatonic scales for soloing and the creation of harmonies and melodies are all very familiar, the sound of Jimi Hendrix taking the blues and its established forms to previously unexplored heights has left a lasting impression on musicians and audiences across the globe. Essential to Hendrix’s impact and immediately discernible sound has been his use of the wah-wah pedal.
The wah-wah pedal is an electrical device included in the signal chain of an electric guitar or other musical instrument that alters the tone of the instrument to create a distinct and original effect, one that is often said to mimic the human voice considerably. The wah effect works by sweeping a filter’s peak response up and down across the spectrum of sound being produced by the instrument and its subsequent amplification and other effects to create a sound similar to that produced by a muted trumpet. The wah-wah pedal has enjoyed a very significant history in the rock and roll music, enlivening music produced by artists as disparate and diverse as Eric Clapton and Cream, Sly Stone, Prince, even world famous banjoist Bela Fleck and his group the Flecktones. Instantly recognizable, the wah-wah pedal is an awesome addition to any electric instrument player’s arsenal of effects and tools.
Jimi Hendrix used his wah-wah pedals in a variety of ways. While he certainly embraced the more common filter-sweep effects that distinguish the wah-wah pedal in so much popular music, Hendrix also made great use of the tone-altering effects of leaving the sweep of the wah-wah pedal in one particular place, creating a unique guitar tone that, unlike the sweeping effect, did not change. Discovering great and unique guitar tones is something every guitarist strives to achieve, and finding a great place in the sweep of the filter in which to leave the wah-wah pedal can produce great tones that do not sound either processed or as something that would come out of a wah-wah pedal.
When he did make use of the sweep effect of the wah-wah pedal, Hendrix achieved some great and very memorable results. The song “Voodoo Chile,” in particular, is instantly recognizable for the throaty, almost human tones he generates during the song’s extended introduction. Then, as the song moves into the louder verses and chorus, the sweeping filter of the wah-wah pedal is exacerbated, manipulating his distorted Fender stratocaster and Marshall amps a great deal, and cranking out awesome, high-gain guitar tones that accentuated his blues-based rythm and solo playing.
Jimi Hendrix made a number of great contributions to pop music, perhaps not least of which was opening doors to other African American musicians to play in the rock genre, but he will forever be known and remembered, at least in part, for using the wah-wah pedal to great effect.