![]() ![]() ![]() And some riffs live on to the detriment of others that never had a chance to shine in the spotlight.Īs you begin exploring the subject, you will probably find that most riffs are ranked based on 1) the influence they had on the direction of guitar or rock, 2) how popular the song was, and 3) the notoriety of the guitarist who wrote or played the riff. Music is highly subjective, and the same can be said for guitar riffs. “Beat It” by Michael Jackson (played by Steve Lukather and Eddie Van Halen).“Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne (played by Randy Rhodes).“The Boys Are Back In Town” by Thin Lizzy.“Rock You Like A Hurricane” by Scorpions.“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones.There’s simply no way to exhaust this list, as it continues to grow by the day.īut here are some other popular examples of riffs worth looking up on your own time: They exist across a wide range of musical styles, past and present. Obviously, guitar riffs are not confined to a specific genre, playing style, or even guitarist. The best riff in this song is the chorus riff, which alludes to their key influences. With a huge, dirty, heavy bass, a unique midrange enhanced guitar, expertly performed drums, and three-part harmonies, King’s X stuck out like a sore thumb. In 1990, they had this little ditty – “We Are Finding Who We Are,” off their album, Faith Hope Love, which featured quite a bit of similarly inspired work. King’s X 1994 release Dogman cemented their role as alt-rock and grunge influencers. That could be why King’s X didn’t quite find the mainstream popularity of a band like Poison, but their body of work is considerable, they continue to work today, and they’ve influenced the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pantera, Dream Theater, and others. But they owed more to Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and The Beatles than their peers, who seemed to play the same tired one-note of Van Halen (and not as well, we might add) mixed with teen-friendly pop. ![]() Sure, they still borrowed liberally from the past. In a world saturated with hair metal bands (especially in the 80s), King’s X took a decidedly different approach. Have a listen and see if you can differentiate between the two!Įxample #9: “We Are Finding Who We Are” by King’s X (Guitarist: Ty Tabor) #SMOKE ON THE WATER RIFFS SERIES#In the Dire Straits song “Sultans of Swing” guitarist Mark Knopfler moves fluidly between riffs (a repeating pattern) and licks (a series of notes that fill the holes between vocal lines). A “fill” is a good term to describe most licks. The terms “riff” and “lick” are sometimes used interchangeably to describe the same thing, but from a music theory standpoint, they are different.Ī lick can be a repeating phrase but is usually a short series of lead guitar notes to create melody, color, texture, flourishes of fancy, and sometimes accompaniment. What Is The Difference Between A “Riff” & A “Lick?” A song that features the guitar heavily will usually contain multiple guitar riffs to accommodate different sections of the song.Īs for the slang term “guitar riff,” it is usually used to describe a series of notes (often a sequence of single notes) that are repeated to create a cool, bad ass, memorable segment of music (examples to follow). So, a guitar riff is a chord progression or segment of music that’s repeated. The technical definition of a riff is a chord progression or refrain of music that repeats. ![]()
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