Rock Riffs

A great rock riff is short, catchy and heavy enough to carry a whole song. This chapter shows you how to play rock riffs on guitar, from simple single-note lines on the low strings to driving power chord riffs, with most of the work in E minor so every new idea lands somewhere familiar.

You'll start with single-note riffs from the E minor pentatonic in open position, picked with downstrokes and with clean, silent rests. Then come power chords for beginners: the two-finger root-and-fifth shape that slides anywhere on the neck and sounds huge through distortion. You'll learn palm muting, finding the spot by the bridge where the low E chugs tight but still has pitch, and the contrast between muted chugs and ringing chords. Next you'll use open strings for hammer-ons and drones that make a riff sound bigger than your fingers alone.

The chapter ends with a riff library of original riffs from beginner to advanced, including a low-string bend and a sixteenth-note riff with alternate picking.