Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate guitarist, you probably have a few guitar riffs and songs on your must-learn list. Well, it’s time to get to work!
No matter which type of music you’re into, when you learn guitar, you’re entering a new, sometimes cult-like world. Like any pursuit in life, the more you know about that skill, the more you have to say about it. The cult aspect of guitar is that you have to be able to talk the talk and walk the walk.
Electric guitar is what many people want to explore when they begin guitar lessons. For this reason, I have put together a road map of easy guitar riffs that will help you navigate this new world. Having a good supply of well-known guitar riffs is a right-of-passage into the rock guitar players world.
If you’re looking to learn how to play guitar riffs, learn these 10. I guarantee, you’ll be accepted into any and all rock ‘n’ roll circles.
Of course, don’t forget to tune up your guitar before getting started:
“Purple Haze” – Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix is one of my personal favorite rock guitar heroes. This opening line is one of the most well-known guitar riffs out there. Hendrix’s heavy use of the distorted guitar is a killer sound that makes this relatively simple guitar riff sounds awesome.
It seamlessly blends traditionally consonant sounds like the pentatonic scale the first half of the guitar riff is built around, with ideas no one had ever heard before. The dissonant dominant 7#9 chord that immediately follows is so famous and so universally associated with this song, many musicians simply refer to it as “The Hendrix chord.” It shouldn’t work, and yet somehow it does.
But that’s Hendrix in a nutshell, at once reverent of rock and roll’s roots, and willing to shatter convention in order to reinvent not just the genre but the guitar as an instrument.
Learn how to play this guitar riff, and you’ll be well on your way to learning the life and techniques of the rock guitarist.
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“Layla” – Eric Clapton
This iconic rock song ranks at number 27 on Rolling Stone’s top 500 rock songs. The song was actually dually written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, and first released by their band Derek and the Dominos. Clapton recorded it later in his career as an all-acoustic song.
Both versions are equally well-known in the rock world, but the original version has the awesome guitar riffs that make the song so incredible.
When you’re learning how to play guitar riffs, this one crops up as probably the most famous hammer-on-pull-off riff in history, Layla is not just an instantly recognizable piece of rock history, it is also a fantastic exercise for practicing one of the most important lead guitar techniques there is.
Plus, it’s just unbelievably fun to play. Crank the treble and wail!
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“Johnny B. Goode” – Chuck Berry
This song is a true classic and an excellent example of how blues music bridged the way for Rock “n” roll. The amazing bluesy intro gives this song an awesome start, and the fast vocals were a completely innovative way to sing the blues at the time.
The must-know guitar riff comes when Berry is shouting “Johnny B. Goode” in the chorus. This riff is an absolute staple for rock guitarists.
It is barely an exaggeration to say that Chuck Berry invented rock and roll. By “Johnny B. Goode’s” 1958 release he had already become a legend with hits like “Maybellene” and “Roll Over Beethoven.”
But it was this hit more than any other that would be most imitated in the decade that followed and would define the sound of rock lead guitar techniques and their sound for a generation.
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“Back In Black” – AC/DC
Speaking of amazing guitarists, while AC/DC’s guitarist is technically simple, he’s one of the most rockin’ guitarists known to man. This list would not be complete without an amazing guitar riff by the one-and-only, Angus Young.
It’s no-nonsense power-chord-and-fill structure would influence future artists ranging from hard rock to metal to punk, changing the sound of all three in ways that endure even to this day. This is the type of riff the electric guitar was made for. And it’s hard to think of a song with a higher effort to payoff ratio.
The song “Back in Black” is one of the most well-known rock songs in the rock guitar repertoire. It’s such an easy guitar riff to play, so why not learn it and show off your rock moves?
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“Stairway to Heaven” – Led Zeppelin
This guitar riff may not be as easy as the others, but it’s one you need to know! “Stairway to Heaven,” by the legendary Led Zeppelin, is at the top of several rock music charts. We have a lot to learn from the great Jimmy Page.
Few songs are more iconic, and with good reason. Learning the guitar part for the entire meandering 8-minute epic is a daunting proposition, but the well-known opening arpeggios are impressive enough.
While it’s not exactly easy, this lead guitar technique is not nearly as difficult as it sounds, and the skills you will learn, including chord shapes and picking hand precision are important tools to have in your toolbox.
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“Rebel Rebel” – David Bowie
David Bowie was a huge influence on the rock scene and he made some exceptionally awesome songs. This is a cool song for all guitarists to learn.
This one is as simple and catchy as it gets. Built around just 2 guitar chords (Dsus2 and Emaj), it’s a perfect example of how simply outlining the chords with a couple of basic flourishes can leave you with a memorable hook. And one simple hook can tie together an entire pop song.
“Rebel Rebel” is a masterclass in doing more with less. It takes 5 minutes to learn, 15 minutes to master, and it will be stuck in your head for a week.
Bowie uses this guitar riff through almost the entire song; which means, if you learn this riff, you have practically learned the whole thing!
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Love David Bowie? Learn to play another of his classic guitar songs, Space Oddity, in this helpful tutorial:
“You Really Got Me” – The Kinks
The Kinks are one of the classic bands from London that came onto the scene with greats like The Beatles. They were soon part of the “British invasion,” and were active in the music scene from 1963-1996.
Like both “Back in Black” and “Rebel Rebel,” “You Really Got Me” is extremely simple, but it’s also a great example of two key concepts that will help you wrap your brain around how to play guitar riffs, so you can make more interesting rock music. The first is the use of pickup notes to add momentum. Listen carefully. The riff always begins a half a beat before the start of the measure, giving it a sense of urgency and forward motion.
The second is the idea of sequence: taking a single pattern and repeating it at different places on the neck. The notes of the riff change, but the pattern stays the same.
This song was a Billboard hit, and to this day, still covered by many rock groups. The guitar riff is a true classic that every guitarist should learn. If you’re really ambitious, you can even learn the rocking guitar solo!
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“You Only Live Once” – The Strokes
Besides the fact that this song is accompanied by a cool music video, The Strokes are an awesome rock band with some really fantastic guitar licks for the modern rock guitarist.
Once again, this one is all about rhythm. It’s full of syncopation that makes it feel slightly off-beat. But this is of course an illusion, because it’s very carefully counted.
And that very off-kilter feel juxtaposed against very straightforward bass and drums is what makes “You Only Live Once” so irresistibly danceable.
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“Paranoid Android” – Radiohead
One of the most influential rock groups of the century, Radiohead formed in 1985 and the band members are some of the greatest musical innovators of our time. This song, from their album Ok Computer, was one of their most popular songs in 1997. To this day, this rock guitar riff is well-known among guitarists. It is one of the pivotal points that brings us into the true modern rock ’n’ roll of today.
It’s definitely on the more difficult side for guitar riffs in this list, and requires intense precision, especially as it shifts between several different time signatures.
The counting here can get complex, but the work you put in will be worth it. If you can count Radiohead, you can count anything.
The song begins with a harder fingerpicking pattern by Thom Yorke, however, this is the main guitar riff which appears in the second half of the song when it really starts to pick up. Learn this riff and watch other guitarists bow in awe of your skills.
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“I can’t Get No Satisfaction” – Rolling Stones
Last, but certainly not least, one of my favorite songs by one of the greatest rock groups of all time, the Rolling Stones. This song is a must-know rock classic.
“I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” is the perfect encapsulation of the swagger the Rolling Stones were known for. It’s straight-ahead, simple, and aggressive, yet totally danceable. There are few guitar riffs out there that compare on the basis of sheer fun. Absolutely must be played loud!
The band has been rocking since 1962, and they’re still at it! This band has been known to have a long rivalry between who is better, the Stones or The Beatles. People say that if The Beatles were the white knights of music, then the Stones are the black knights. For the time, they were extremely controversial; filled with rocking lyrics and a stage presence that you would not want your mother to see, this band stormed the billboards with hit song after hit song.
I suggest that you learn this easy guitar riff, it’s really not that difficult!
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Looking for More Lead Guitar Techniques?
Check out this helpful tutorial to start mastering the lead guitar techniques used by Prince:
Next, Develop Your Own Guitar Riffs!
Remember, while you can try to replicate and learn how to play guitar riffs by other artists, when it comes to guitar, the goal is to be yourself. Learn the songs and guitar riffs that you love, and develop your own way to play them, or make your own riffs and licks. Learn these 10 amazing riffs, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a great guitarist and artist!
Post Author: Christopher S.Christopher S. teaches bass guitar, guitar, and composition in Jamaica Plain, MA. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Humboldt State University and is currently attending New England Conservatory for his Master of Music degree. Christopher has been teaching students since 2004. Learn more about Christopher S. here!
Photo by Gabriel Pollard
Maile Proctor