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