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A riff is a repetitive musical phrase. This is the simple definition but the best way to really understand what a riff is, is to listen to, analyse and learn some riffs! We will be looking at rock, blues, funk and indie riffs to show you the difference between them. Here are some classic riffs and what defines them in each genre:
Rock riff: Whole Lotta Love
This Led Zeppelin riff is one of the most instantly recognisable riffs ever… and it’s so simple! As you can hear, it mainly consists of just two chords, a few pentatonic notes and great rhythm! The use of palm muting and dynamics really brings the riff to life.
Blues riff: Mannish Boy
This Muddy Waters riff is simple but incredibly powerful. The riff is made up of just 3 or 4 notes but is brought to life with the rhythm! Combine that with the amazing vocals of Muddy Waters, a solid drum beat and the occasional guitar fill and you have a truly classic track!
Funk riff: Le Freak
Nile Rogers is the master of funk guitar riffs, and this particular song is probably the most famous of them all! Le Freak utilises the the scale notes underneath a basic A minor chord and is played by strumming the notes rather than just picking. The strummed element adds to the groove and gives the songs it’s character and sound.
Indie riff: The Sun Goes Down
Like this awesome Arctic Monkeys tune, a lot of indie riffs are written with a combination of chords and lead parts. As is often the case with indie, the attitude is as important as the technique! This riff oozes indie rhythm as it is straight, aggressive and edgy!
Enjoy our ‘What Makes A Good Riff? Intermediate Lead Guitar Lesson’? Why not check out the website for the full course absolutely free!
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