Easy Guitar Riffs to Learn

Every guitarist has to start somewhere. The worst thing you can do is to start off with songs that are beyond a beginner’s skill level. This can cause you to learn bad habits of sloppy playing, incorrect technique, and straining.

Today we are going to talk about some of the easy guitar riffs that will help you on your way to achieving great playing.

First off, we need to go over a few things; a few pointers that will help you get the best out of every riff. The biggest mistake that many guitarists tend to make is that of starting off too fast. Just because a riff is considered easy, doesn’t mean that it should be approached recklessly.

Riffs for beginners are deemed easy based upon the opinions of experienced musicians. That being said, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the riffs will be a one try fly. When learning any riff, regardless of your skill level, be sure to start off slowly. For beginners, it is important to use a metronome to help develop a steady rhythm. Each click of the rhythm should fall on a quarter note.

Take for instance the time signature 4/4, which is the time signature which all of the recommended easy guitar riffs will fall under. For a single 4/4 bar to complete, you must hear four clicks on your metronome. You should have enough time to say and in between each note. This doesn’t mean make the tempo so fast that your and is rushed though; start at a tempo in which you can drag the word out.

The first guitar riff, and one of the most popular guitar riffs for new guitarists, is from the song Smoke on the Water by the legendary band Deep Purple. This riff is heavy metal in and of itself. This is one of the most famous riffs of our generation, and it is known far and wide.

Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water

E-------------------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------------------
G------3------5-------------3-----6-----5-----------3----5--3----
D--5---3------5--------5----3-----6-----5------5----3----5--3--5
A--5-------------------5-----------------------5---------------5--
E-------------------------------------------------------------------

This riff is extremely easy, but remember to take your time to properly establish your rhythm. You want all of your note values to be the correct length. To play along to the track, search either YouTube or Google for the song. If you are a beginner guitar player, tabs are the easiest way to go, which is why I provided it. Later on when you learn more about your instrument, you may want to learn to sight read, as it will vastly improve your playing.

This next riff is another of the most popular rock and roll riffs of all time. Black Sabbath’s Iron Man is another great place to begin when learning the guitar, as it is simple and catchy.

E-----------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------
D----7--7/9-9--12\11-12\11-12\11--7-7/9-9--
A-9--5--5/7-7--10\9--10\9--10\9---5-5/7-7--
E-7--------------------------------------------

This riff uses power chords, and while they aren’t technically chords, they are the most commonly used shapes in rock and roll. The slashes in this piece refer to slides, so when you see them, you slide into the next note.

Now that you know some easy guitar riffs, practice. The more hours you put in, the further you will develop. Good luck!

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