Guitar Players-Suggest notable riffs

gjm · Post by **gjm** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:00 am

Hi. I am looking for small/compact notable riffs to teach to my beginner electric guitar students. I want to provide some simple backing tracks to play the riffs to as well.
Although learning whole songs is important, there are lots of cool little techniques and skills to learn from small simple passages. You don't have to post the tab, but some names and links to vids etc would be enough.

An example would AC-DC's Back in Black

E-------------------------------------
B--------------3-3-3----------------
G--------------2-2-2------2-2-2-----
D-----2--------0-0-0------2-2-2-----
A-----2--------------------0-0-0-----
E-----0-----------------------------

E---3-0-----------------------------
B-----3-0-----------3-3-3-----------
G--------2^2-0-----2-2-2---2-2-2---
D-----------------2--0-0-0----2-2-2---
A-----------------2------------0-0-0---
E-----------------0------------------

E-----------------------------------
B-----------------------------------
G-----------------------------------
D-----------------------------------
A-----------------------------------
E----7--4---7--5---7--6--7--7/------

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXaZmY52gHM

There are SOOOOoooo many songs out there. I would love to have your suggestions, I might even hear some new-to-me music

Thanks. G.

Homebelly · Post by **Homebelly** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:15 am

stairway to heaven...

I'm sorry,,
i just wanted to get in there before every one else...

gjm · Post by **gjm** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:47 am

Homebelly wrote:stairway to heaven...

I'm sorry,,
i just wanted to get in there before every one else...

Don't be sorry. Its always a contender.
However, I was thinking shorter/smaller pieces.
Easier to get a result for those entry level guitar players.
Would be a bonus if it could be looped as a backing track.

Thanks.

roby · Post by **roby** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:54 am

the first riff i ever learned was Snowbling by Sabbath.
it's easy but it keeps you busy, so it's a good piece to learn IMO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MoRaSkGVKs

pepezabala · Post by **pepezabala** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:15 am

some epic riffs to annoy your neighbours after your first guitar lesson:

pink floyd - interstellar overdrive
stooges - I wanna be your dog
kinks - you really got me
troggs - wild thing
sonics - psycho

today I would want to learn 7 nation army

xherv · Post by **xherv** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:26 am

Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb

The chords for rhythm guitar on this one are pretty simple too if I remember correctly, so there's some potential there for people to play together.

chrisedmo · Post by **chrisedmo** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:52 am

Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
Man who sold the world - David Bowie

Plug in Baby - Muse

Warminstrel · Post by **Warminstrel** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:23 am

first riff I learnt was prolly James Bond followed by Satisfation and Smoke on the Water, all on the bottom E string back in 1977/78.

Think the best riff though, for any novice is one thats one of thier own favourites; Nothing beter than being able to play your favourite riff 'off the bat', even if it is only a one string wonder!!

mdk · Post by **mdk** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:47 am

Warminstrel wrote:Think the best riff though, for any novice is one thats one of thier own favourites; Nothing beter than being able to play your favourite riff 'off the bat', even if it is only a one string wonder!!

thats definitely the best idea, ask them some stuff they like and teach em the simple ones, or even simple versions and as long as no-one just wants to play Necrophagist you'll be ok

gjm · Post by **gjm** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:15 am

mdk wrote:
Warminstrel wrote:Think the best riff though, for any novice is one thats one of thier own favourites; Nothing beter than being able to play your favourite riff 'off the bat', even if it is only a one string wonder!!
thats definitely the best idea, ask them some stuff they like and teach em the simple ones, or even simple versions and as long as no-one just wants to play Necrophagist you'll be ok

Very good advice. Interesting though, I find myself in the position of introducing kids to music as well. I've got to be a bit careful (parents pay the bills) but generally parents haven't exposed their kids to music of their generation. I get quite a lot of Jonas Bros and Hannah Montana, which is fine if they want it.

I have recently found that Sing Star has introduced 8-10 yr old kids to Blondie and Alice Cooper. They want to learn "The Tide is High" and "Poison". While I give them full songs to learn with chords, Lyrics and Youtube vids, there is this tendency I have noticed for the electric guitar students to want to learn signature riffs apart from the whole song.

Another example is Rolling Stones - Jumping Jack Flash......gas, gas, gas

mdk · Post by **mdk** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:23 am

I guess for young kids its not quite so straightforward, in that case you cant beat smoke on the water

its not like they're jaded by years of over-exposure to the rock classics.

e.g. Cream - Sunshine of your love, its really simple but its a killer.

then once they're happy with the Cream version you can go to dropped D and do the Fudge Tunnel version

Big V · Post by **Big V** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:18 am

Jimi Hendrix - Manic Depression

Killer riff!

ollyb303 · Post by **ollyb303** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:17 pm

Sweet child o mine - kept me amused for months when I was learning guitar!

UKRuss · Post by **UKRuss** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:37 pm

TBH, I think it is always best to relate the riff to a theoretical point about scales, chords and keys.

Back in Black is a perfect example of a little hook based on the Em pentatonic scale.

So I would get there having gone through Cmajor scale, Aminor scale as the relative minor of Cmaj, then moving up a fifth from C to Gmajor scale and Emin being the relative minor of Gmaj.

Then how to arrive at Emin pentatonic from the full 7note Emin scale.

Then, when they are bored to tears with the theory and cannot understand why they need to learn it, you can then put Em pent in to practice by teaching them the riff from Back in Black.

You have then taught them:

C major scale (open position)
A minor scale (open position)
G major scale (open position)
Eminor scale (open position)
Eminor pentatonic (open position)
How to construct a minor pentatonic scale by removing the 2nd and 6th notes of the 7 note parent minor scale.
Introduction to the cycle of fifths (by moving from C major to G major)
Amin pentatonic (by extension, using the new theory of constructing the Emin pent and applying it to Amin)
The chords and hook to a song

You can the move on to why those chords appear in the key of Eminor, and by using the power chords (E5, A5, D5 as denoted in your tab) you allow the rock/blues guitarist to employ the major pentatonic and minor pentatonic (removal of the major/minor 3rd from the chords)

This then leads you on to teaching them the construction of the major pentatonic scale.

You can then follow with adding in the b5/#4 into the minor pentatonic to get the blues scale.

Now that will keep you both busy for a few weeks, and they will have learnt a shedload more than just a riff.

My 2c

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:25 pm

Ministry - Just One Fix