Micro Lesson 176: "E Minor" Rhythm & Blues Riff


Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 176"
 

This Micro Lesson runs through a classic Rhythm and Blues Guitar Riff in the key of "E Minor." 

This "shuffle-feel" riff applies a nice blend of quarter-note "single scale tone" ideas mixed against power-chords as well as, octave double-stops. 

The parts target the; Tonic, VIIth and IIIrd chord harmonies. In measure one we kick in with some quarter-note single-tone lines that are highlighting the chord tones from the "E Minor" chord. 

Measure two applies a pick-up phrase walking through, "B, C# and D." This sets up the strong arrival of the harmony for the VII chord of our key (D). 

Measure three is really interesting, with octave double-stops punching through the, "G, Em,  and D" chords. Our fourth measure wraps up with a nice turnaround phrase playing across the "B, C#, D and G" tones to take us back to the top and establish a solid repeat of the phrase. 

This is a straight-forward phrase that is not just a lot of fun to play but it's also a fun riff to learn as well. With a little bit of practice effort you should be jamming this one out in no time flat. 

Remember to always commit the phrases to memory and use a metronome or drum machine to build speed. Enjoy!

Micro Lesson 176: "E Minor" Rhythm & Blues Riff