“Study your whole life”: Tom Morello on the song no guitarist can figure out
Contrary to what certain teachers might tell you, there is a lot more to the art of playing guitar than simply playing along with a tab. Virtually anybody, given the time to practise, can learn to play along to a variety of iconic guitar riffs, but few people would be able to evoke the playing style of a figure like Jimi Hendrix. These artists did not play to a tab; they played with a deep sense of emotion and had enough musical talent to imbue their performances with a sense of improvisation. Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello is all too familiar with the emotional power of the guitar.
From their initial inception in 1991, Rage Against the Machine always set themselves apart from the rest of the American rock scene. Driven by the staunch anti-authoritarian politics of Morello and frontman Zack de la Rocha, the band blended styles of metal, punk, funk, and hip-hop to create a trailblazing new sound which came to define the rock scene of the 1990s. Although Morello and company are undeniably talented musicians, it was not the group’s technical ability that drew audiences in; it was the captivating and passionate performances Rage Against the Machine gave at every show and on every studio album.
Morello himself would probably agree with the idea that is not one of the greatest guitarists of all time, from a technical standpoint. However, few artists during the 1990s played the six-string with such force and intent as the Rage guitarist. The riffs he provided to tracks like ‘Bullet In The Head’ and, of course, ‘Killing In The Name’ were utterly iconic of the time period, despite being relatively simple compositions that most people would be able to follow if given the chance.
Only somebody looking to elicit shock and anger would compare the playing style of Tom Morello to that of Jimi Hendrix. The pair are worlds apart in terms of style, ability, and performance. However, it must be said that the basic appeal of both players comes from the emotion and passion they are both able to capture within their playing styles.
Hendrix, in particular, was a master of this, as can be seen through the various live recordings of the Seattle-born psychedelic master, which often see him descend into 10-minute improvisations differing greatly from the studio versions of his work.
Like any rock guitarist worth their salt, Tom Morello has always been a devotee of Hendrix. After all, the unparalleled player was essential in the development of rock guitar playing, exploring various avenues of performances which had never been heard before. Morello, like many, was captivated by Hendrix, particularly the 1967 composition ‘Little Wing’, from the album Axis: Bold as Love.
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2011, the Rage Against the Machine guitarist shared, “It’s just this gorgeous song that, as a guitar player, you can study your whole life and not get down, never get inside it the way that he does.”
Morello went on to explain: “He seamlessly weaves chords and single-note runs together and uses chord voicings that don’t appear in any music books.”
Seeing Hendrix adopt a calmer tempo, influenced largely by his early origins as an R&B guitarist for a variety of different groups in America, ‘Little Wing’ is something of a rarity in the repertoire of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. For one thing, the track is considerably shorter than many of the sprawling, improvisational pieces Hendrix constructed over the years. Nevertheless, it remains a favourite of Morello for its inventive structure and elusive playing style.
