Doing This Will Make Your Blues Rock Riffs Twice as Good!
In this lesson, I mention one of the world's most legendary riffs out there as an example, the opening riff from Lynyrd Skynyrd's, "Sweet Home Alabama." That riff, (and other classics like it), employ a collection of intervals that are used consistently to create great riffs.
WHAT IS BEHIND THE BLUES-ROCK RIFF:
The problem with why players have trouble with these riffs is that they tend to have a limited understanding of musical intervals and keys. This makes it difficult for them to understand (and spot), the formulas that are being used to establish note set-up's in a classic Blues-Rock riff.
Blues Rock riffs are one of the main reasons behind why so many people pick up the guitar! And, one of the most historic riffs out there has to be, “Sweet Home Alabama,” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
This 1974 classic riff has all of the elements that make up the reason why this riff (and other classic riffs like it), have become not only so popular to the general public, but also popular as riffs to learn for those of us who already play guitar.
The hook used to build riffs like “Sweet Home Alabama,” is genius and can serve as a catalyst for inspiration onto other riffs. And so, in this lesson we’re going to learn about how the structure of classic riffs will apply a common musical phrasing within the intervals that can be duplicated and used again and again to both learn more of the other classic riffs out there and also compose your own riffs as well.
THE FOUR MAIN RIFF PRINCIPLES:
Classic Blues and Rock Riffs like “Sweet Home Alabama,” or Ozzy Osborne’s, “Crazy Train,” or Angus Young’s “Back in Black” they all apply four main principles.
These are:
1). the use of, Root notes into Octaves and Perfect 5th's in order to either start (or possibly to drone), off of the key centers’ naming note.
2). the common push that’s typically applied from the Minor 7th interval used for the riff’s turnaround.
3). the riffs breakdown or the full-stop that often applies the use of a Perfect 4th interval for a break in the groove of the riff.
4). the application of the Perfect 5th and Minor 7th used during resolutions to produce more impact when the riff is headed for its turnaround - back to its starting point.
Now that you know the four principles that can create a historic / genius Blue Rock guitar riff, let’s zoom in on the neck, and actually apply these ideas in some riff examples that target each one of these four principles.
LEARNING THE INTERVALS:
Example 1).
ROOTS - OCTAVES - PERFECT 5th’s
The use of, Root notes into Octaves and Perfect 5th's in order to either start (or possibly to drone), off the key centers’ naming note.
Example 2).
THE PUSH OF THE MINOR 7th
The common push that is typically applied from the Minor 7th interval used for the riff’s turnaround.
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With any donation over $5, or any merchandise purchase from my Tee-Spring store, I’ll send you free copies of THREE of my most popular digital handouts.
One is called, “Harmonized Arpeggio Drills” (it’ll train you on developing your diatonic arpeggios).
Another one is my “Barre Chord” Handout which includes a page showing all the key signatures along with a chord progression that applies barre chords.
Plus, you’ll get my Notation Pack! It has 8 pages of important guitar worksheets for notating anything related to; music charts, guitar chord diagrams, and TAB.
As a BONUS, (from my "Over 40 and Still Can't Play a Scale" video), I'll also throw in a breakdown of all of the chords that are diatonic to the "F Major" scale.
As an EXTRA BONUS for my Phrygian Dominant video, I'll also throw in a breakdown featuring all of the chords that are diatonic to the Phrygian Dominant scale.
Just send me an email off of the contact page of CreativeGuitarStudio.com to let me know about either your donation or your Merchandise purchase and I’ll email you those digital handouts within 24 hrs.
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Example 3).
BREAKS and FULL STOPS WITH THE PERFECT 4th
The rhythmic breakdown, or the full-stop that applies the use of a Perfect 4th interval for a “break in the groove” of the riff.
Example 4).
RESOLUTIONS WITH MINOR 7th and PERFECT 5th
The application of the Perfect 5th and the Minor 7th used into or during the riffs resolutions to produce more impact when the riff is headed for its turnaround - back to its starting point.
CONCLUSION:
If you enjoy the way that these riffs sound, and you want to continue experimenting with composing more of your own original Blues-Rock or Southern Rock riffs, keep the ideas that we’ve gone over in this lesson at the forefront.
The notes that are involved with the; resolutions, the breaks, the punches, and those intervals that get used off of the start of these riffs will all tend to follow a common direction.
In other words, classic riffs follow a ‘RIFF’ formula – a formula that works, (and it works consistently), to create memorable riffs from popular scales, like the; “Minor and Major Pentatonic,” the Natural Minor and the Mixolydian Mode (along with the notes of the traditional Blues Scale).
With some time spent practicing, you’ll be able to apply these principles and create some excellent sounding Blues Rock riffs of your own in no time.
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