Guitar All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 3

Groovin’ on Riffs

IN THIS CHAPTER

Working out with riffs

Doing double-time with double-stops

Combining riffs and chords

Playing rhythm figures

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Riffs are often the most memorable component of a rock and roll song and can form the perfect bridge between a chord progression and a melodic lead phrase. Although technically a short, self-contained musical phrase, a riff is much, much more than that. A riff sticks in your head long after you forget the lyrics — and even the melody — and at a noisy party, it is the riff that makes a song instantly recognizable when you can’t quite make out the rest of the music. In many cases, the riff is the backbone of the song, and the rhythm, melody, and chords are all derived from the riff.

In this chapter, you venture deep into riff territory to see where rock and roll lives and discover why riffs themselves are such a vital and inextricable component of rock and roll. This chapter ...