About This Piece
Michael Hedges' live arrangement of Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower (made famous by Jimi Hendrix) is one of the most astonishing guitar performances ever recorded. Hedges transforms the electric rock classic into a solo acoustic tour de force using Open D tuning and his signature two-hand tapping approach.
The performance has been viewed over 800,000 times and consistently appears on lists of the greatest guitar performances ever filmed.
Technical Overview
In Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D), Hedges creates the full band sound entirely alone:
- Two-hand tapping: Both hands work the fretboard simultaneously — left hand frets chord shapes while right hand taps melody lines above
- Bass / melody independence: The bass riff and melody run simultaneously, an arrangement challenge as much as a technical one
- Open D voicings: The open tuning allows chord shapes impossible in standard tuning
Learning Path
This is a complex arrangement. Study the harmonic framework of the original song first, then work through Hedges' bass riff in isolation before attempting to combine it with the tapped melody. The final effect should sound inevitable — like it could be no other way.