Little Wing analysis

[neueliteratur]

Hi folks,

I'm trying to analyse the chords to Little Wing.

| Em | G | Am | Em |
| Bm | Am C | G F | C | D |

At first I thought it was in Eminor but,

1) there's no cadence (neither plagal nor perfect) in Em. (actually there's no cadence in any key)

2) there's no D# (the sensible) in the melody or the chords.

3) I wouldn't know how to analyze the F major chord.

So now I think it's in C major but I have no proof, except that the chords are the familiar diatonic chords of the C major key...

but then there's the Bm that sticks out...

Thanks for your help.

[neueliteratur]

And um... if you guys know any cool reharmonization that I could do to this piece, it would be greatly appreciated...

[freddemillio]

I am not a good source of information on the theory side, but I can say that the transcription in "Experience Hendrix, The Best of Jimi Hendrix" (Hal Leonard publisher) has it in Em. In this transcription, the F that you indicated is an Fadd9.

[Rellik]

You shouldn't expect a D# - the leading tone for the mode of Em in Little Wing (pretty much natural minor) is a D.

Anyway, if you're looking for a "tonal center", Em is definitely it. Hear how the C, D at the end of the progression lead back into the Em?

And until it goes to C, the progression is kind of an modified blues progression. The fact that it goes to C shouldn't bother you, it definitely starts and stops with Em. If you're the kind of guy that likes to solo based on a key signature (I've never gotten that myself), then you would need to change once you got to the C portion of the progression, since the F# would no longer fit.

By the way, the recordings I'm listening to are all a half-step lower than what you've listed... not important though.

[neueliteratur]

You shouldn't expect a D# - the leading tone for the mode of Em in Little Wing (pretty much natural minor) is a D.

Nice, that's what I was thinking but I wasn't sure.

And until it goes to C, the progression is kind of an modified blues progression. The fact that it goes to C shouldn't bother you,

The fact that it goes to C doesn't really bother me, because I analyzed it as vi in E natural minor. The chord that got me wondering was the F major chord. But then when you say this:

you would need to change once you got to the C portion of the progression, since the F# would no longer fit.

...it looks like I'm missing something. Why is it that things change at C?

By the way, the recordings I'm listening to are all a half-step lower than what you've listed... not important though.

Yes, you are right. The sheet that I have is for beginners who are afraid of sharps and flats, lol.

[DrawMusic]

You can analyze the F chord as a Modal Interchange chord: a chord borrowed from a different mode (E Phrygian in this case). At Berklee (at least Ancient Berklee where/when I went) they'd just call it bII since bII is a modal interchange chord.

[geroyannis]

By the way, the recordings I'm listening to are all a half-step lower than what you've listed... not important though.

Yes, you are right. The sheet that I have is for beginners who are afraid of sharps and flats, lol.

That happens because Hendrix used to tune his guitar a half step lower that standard. So, when he was fretting an Em chord on the guitar it actually sounded like an Ebm.

[neueliteratur]

By the way, the recordings I'm listening to are all a half-step lower than what you've listed... not important though.

Yes, you are right. The sheet that I have is for beginners who are afraid of sharps and flats, lol.

That happens because Hendrix used to tune his guitar a half step lower that standard. So, when he was fretting an Em chord on the guitar it actually sounded like an Ebm.

I've always wondered... Various rock bands often tune their guitars/basses to Eb, (all the time, or for certain songs) but why?? Does that make that much of a difference?? I can understand metal rockers tuning REALLY low like, C#, but how much of a difference does tuning one halfstep down make??

[geroyannis]

I can understand metal rockers tuning REALLY low like, C#, but how much of a difference does tuning one halfstep down make??

Not that much regarding the sound, but the strings feel much different in your hands. Because they have less tension when tuned lower, you can perform easier wide vibratos and string-bending.

[DrawMusic]

Various rock bands often tune their guitars/basses to Eb, (all the time, or for certain songs) but why??

Makes the strings a little looser, easier to bend. Makes the lowest E string (more noticeable on the bass guitar) a bit lower-sounding.

Also makes the same high notes in the key a bit easier for the singer to hit. Hard to argue this one objectively though, since at the same time it makes the low notes harder to belt strongly or less powerful.

Also nice for playing with keyboards and horns because they like flat keys.

[Nystul]

You have kind of a basic minor blues framework here. You would surely see this 8 bar blues as Em: Em | Em7 | Am | Em | Bm | Am | Em turnaround

G chord in second measure is not going to be a drastic change to the harmony, since it is like a rootless Em7. So that just leaves this interesting twist on the turnaround. Instead of going straight from Am to Em, we approach from below with the C and D chords. Still very much an E minor concept. But instead of going straight from Am to C, he circles around it (C to G to F to C). An F# wouldn't make sense there, because the chord you are resolving to at that point in time is C major. But in the big picture of things, the C is just a long way to get back to E.

[resonanceaudio]

It is more accurate to say that it based around the key of G Major or even E Aeolian.

[Nystul]

It is more accurate to say that it based around the key of G Major or even E Aeolian.

Apparently Jimi's guitar was tuned so flat that he could play in two keys at the same time.

[psenior]

If you must logically wrap your mind around how there can be an F and an F# in E minor, just consider the scale he is playing to be G bebop dominant. This freaking scale keeps popping up in several songs people ask about on here. Please learn it already folks! The world of music is best viewed through 8 note scales, not 7 note scales.

[liqih]

Hi there,

for fun I made these substitutions, but no guarantee that they work,
actully I didn't play them, just wrote down by "intuitive analysis", it would be grata to hear from you when you play then if they make sense.


Substitutions for this:

| Em | G | Am | Em |
| Bm | Am C | G F | C | D |

1) This should work as jazzy turnaround:
Em Blues:

| Em | E7 | Am | Em7 |
| Bm7 Bb7sus4| Am Am7 | Em Bm5b |Am7| Bm7 |

2) This could be a way to keep a E as Drone for the whole song,
if the melody doesn't conflict too much:
Droning:

| Em9 | Em7 | Esus4 | Em7 |
| Em9 Edim| C/E | G6/E G7/E | C/E | D/E |



Cheers

Luigi