Johnny B Goode – Chuck Berry (simply one of the best classic riffs on gutiar) Go through this list of the best guitar riffs for beginners in order starting at number one, learn them and check each one off until you can play them all. For more on this, check out our guide: Guitar Effects: The Ultimate Guide. This is one of the best guitar riffs of all time. Because it makes you want to dance? There are tons of guitar riffs out there, but only a few have become deeply ingrained and ubiquitous in pop culture. The year’s most anticipated record, Fear Inoculum is a typically challenging long-form exercise in the careful evolution of Tool’s sound. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Next, jump over to the fourth fret of the next string - the A string. All rights reserved. Learn the guitar riff from “Rebel Rebel” on Fender Play. Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHzgRmwElOY?rel=0. It’s the string bend that pulls the audience out of its comfort zone. Power chords are commonly used in rock music to give the music more depth and weight. When you have David Bowie joining Freddie Mercury on the track, you need something special, and it comes via another John Deacon riff that would be as recognisable to bass guitar as Smoke On The Water is to guitar playing. Guitar riffs are melodic phrases that are played on guitar and are catchy and memorable. Photo by Bigstock photo There’s something about playing guitar riffs. The guitar in this track is tuned down a whole step. It uses 3rds intervals in the main guitar riff, one of the most popular harmonies used in all music. His style is super-kinetic, employing pedal points, harmonic squawks and little conversational asides, and She’s the Woman is just so... Eddie Van Halen. ‘You Really Got Me’ is a fantastic song famously written by Ray Davies and The Kinks. This is a riff, sure, but it’s one you’d be hard-pressed to hum. The delay time and blend is crucial to both guitar parts. Here is an easy lesson on how to tune to "open G" which is required for this song. In fact some of the greatest guitar riffs are so memorable that they become the defining characteristic or idea in a song, despite not being played throughout the entire piece. It gained most of its popularity through the TV show ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ where it was played in the season finale of season 2. We don't just make guitars. Play that note twice before sliding your finger back over to the seventh fret of the Low E string and playing that note once. Finally, slide your fingers from the fourth fret to the sixth fret of the A string. In some cases, a riff can provide a melodic background that the entire song is based around. That’s what riffs do; they talk to us. You can learn more about this cool technique here: Palm Muting: The Essential Guide. This is one of the best examples of using guitar riffs in pop music. The riff starts with an open powerchord on the lowest two strings, followed by a melody on frets 5, 3 and 7 of the fourth string. Eric’s guitar is tuned to drop C#, but we’ve recorded the video in drop D, so you can simply tune your sixth string down a tone rather than retuning your whole guitar. The idea for this song comes from a time back in 1990 when lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong was having trouble maintaining a long distance relationship with his then girlfriend Adrienne Nesser at the age of 18. Literally nothing! To listen to G.O.A.T. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, The rise, fall and rediscovery of the Fender Jaguar, How to set up a Les Paul: 7 essential tips, (Image credit: Matthew Baker/Getty Images).