10 Best Guitar Riffs for Beginners (You Can Try By Yourself!)

Three elements make up the bare bones of a song, the lyrics or chorus, the singer, and a catchy guitar riff. Of course, that’s not entirely true as there are drummers and other musicians in the mix too. But guitar riffs play a big role in making a song go from great to iconic.

So what is a guitar riff? It is just a sequence of notes that repeat throughout the songs with some variation from time to time. It can be a very simple one like that from ‘Sweet Child o Mine’ by Guns N Roses or complex like ‘The Glass Prison’ by Dream Theatre. A good guitar riff keeps a song alive and relevant for years to come!

Our Top 10 Guitar Riffs For Beginners In Different Styles Are

In Pentatonic Scale: 

• Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple
• Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes 
• Back in Black by AC/DC

Open Chords

• I Can’t Get No Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones
• Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Guns N’ Roses 
• Patience by Guns N’ Roses

Rhythm and Picking 

• Blitzkrieg Bop by Ramones
• Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix 
• Superstition by Stevie Wonder
• I Shot The Sheriff by Bob Marley And The Wailers 

10 Guitar Riffs For Beginners

If you’re ready to dive into the world of everything guitar riffs then check out these easy-to-learn ones below. These songs range from rock anthems to reggae hits!

Power Up With Easy Pentatonics

The pentatonic scale gets its name from the Greek words “Penta” and “Tonic”. Penta is the number 5 and tonic means tone, which means a five-note scale. Essentially these songs have two major scale notes leaving out semitone intervals.

1. Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple)

Smoke On The Water is a cult classic from the rock band Deep Purple. It was written in the early 70s is is very popular among budding beginner guitarists. It is easy to play and powerful at the same time which has turned it into a rock sensation.

To play this riff you need to start with one note at a time as a beginner. Start at the low E string and get accustomed to the basic notes with the rest of your fingers. Once you get a grasp of that you can the full-barred version of it. 

Primarily, the riff is played on two strings the D and the G. Master the 0-3-5-0-3-6-5-0-3-5-3-0 pattern on these strings until all the notes sound clear. Try to be comfortable with the two-string technique by using your hand stable for proper control. 

Place your fingers flat across the frets behind the third, fifth, and sixth frets on the D and G strings. This way the sound produced will be sound clean and free of any buzz. Once you regularly practice this 

Combining fretting and picking, beginners should lay their fingers flat across the frets behind the third, fifth, and sixth frets on the D and G strings to produce clean, clear notes. Regular practice should free your hand of any discomfort so that you can up the tempo eventually. You can even use your pinky to fret notes which will help you build dexterity in your fretting hand. With the help of a compressor pedal, you can add distortion to your sound to recreate this iconic rock classic in no time!

2. Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)

“Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes is another great song for beginner guitarists to pick up. This rif mainly has repeated power chords. In standard tuning, this riff is easy to master and is a great one to pick up if you want to practice power chords. 

Start at the 12th fret of the low E string and repeat the following pattern to complete the riff. Move to the 3rd and 5th fret adds depth to the sound to add depth to your sound.  You can play this as sliding power chords too. The riff follows the pattern 9,9,12,14,12,12,12/14,12,11. Play this on the G string of a bass guitar.

3. Back in Black (AC/DC)

When we talk about iconic riffs, Back in Black must not be left out of this list. This AC/DC hit still captures the attention of youngsters and elderly rock fans alike. This song emphasizes the use of power chords that make up the entirety of the song. The chords used are E, D, and A major. Make sure you have clear notes in each strum as clarity is crucial.

In between this, the riff incorporates a lick in the E minor pentatonic scale that will have you testing your alternate picking skills. You have the liberty to use pull-offs to add character to your play style too. 

Start with a power chord on the low E string while playing the open E string. You need to frett the A and D strings on the second fret. To play the lick start with the third fret, open, and second fret on the high E string. This is then followed by a bend half-step down and a release on the second fret of the G string.

After that, there’s a variation where you’ll be reaching up the fretboard. You’ll play the second fret on the A string, then the fourth fret on the low E string, back to the second fret on the A string, and so on, replacing each note on the low E string as you go up the fretboard.

Dive into Open Chords 

1. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones)

This cult classic by The Rolling Stones starts from the second fret of the A string. You need to use all four fingers effectively for this riff so you need to be fluid on the fretboard for starters. It is a combination of fretting and pull-offs that give this song a raw appeal in the original recording. You can also use overdrive pedals to add depth to this song.

To play this riff, you need to start on the second fret of the A string. The main progression is based on a blues scale in E and A major. This is followed up by a sequence of notes on the string, 2, 4, 5. To complete the riff, slide down to the 4th  and back to then back to the second.

You can add depth to the riff by using slides and pull-offs if you want to play like Keith Richards, additionally, you can even use a fuzz pedal to achieve the song’s signature gritty. This isn’t too difficult of a riff to pick up and you’ll be able to master the riff with enough practice.

2. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Guns N’ Roses)

To master Guns N’ Roses’ remake of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,”  you need to start with your guitar tuned half step down. The song is played in an arpeggio-picking style with base chords in G, D, and C.

To play the guitar riff begins with a G power chord, formed by placing your middle finger on the third fret of the sixth string and strumming across. Transition to a D chord by lifting your second finger and strumming again, then back to the G chord. Next, move to a C chord, beginning with a strum without your middle finger on the fretboard, then hammering it down onto the second fret of the D string and repeat. 

3. Patience (Guns N’ Roses)

Patience also requires your guitar to be tuned half-step down. It begins with a C major chord, with a third fret on the low E string for added depth. The riff involves pulling off and hammering onto notes within the chord shape.

Next comes the G major chord where you have to glide across the strings while accenting notes to bring out the melody. With the next A major chord you need to slide onto the B, D, and high E strings. After mastering the intro riff, you can learn a lick that transitions back to the verse. 

Explore Rhythm and Picking Techniques

1. Blitzkrieg Bop (Ramones)

To play the riff of “Blitzkrieg Bop” by the Ramones, you’ll only need two simple chord shapes that make the entire song enjoyable to play. Starting with an A bar chord on the fifth fret, resembling an E major shape, and then barring across the fifth fret playing the top strings.

Next comes the A major shape for which you can use a pinky to add in a higher note. The best way to play this is by playing power chords with a root note on the A string and using the ring finger to bar across the fifth fret, creating a D major chord shape.

With these two shapes in hand, you can move them around to play the main part of the song. Starting on the A chord, then shifting to D, and finally up a whole step to E. This sequence forms the backbone of the song’s riff.

The song loops back to the beginning after the E chord following the same chord progression. One variation in the second part of the song is that the sequence starts from D, followed by A, then back to D, and sliding down to B. 

2. Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix)

‘Hey Joe’ is played by the famous Jimi Hendrix in the key of E. Hendrix used to play in half-step down for most of his songs. But this is an exception. 

The song starts with a blues-inspired lick starting on the third fret of the second string. Play the first one open and slide up to the fifth fret. After this play, the play the fourth fret third string, slide down to the second fret, and pull off to open. Then comes the fourth string in open and hammer on to the second fret before strumming an open E chord.

Hendrix often played this progression using open-position chords like C, G, D, A, and E. Each chord is played for two beats. The E chord is held for four beats. Adding some strumming patterns, such as emphasizing the bass note and strumming down-up, brings the progression to life.

You can play the chords as barre chords if you want a fuller sound. It is not ideal if you have small hands playing then this way mimics Hendrix’s style closely. 

Throughout the song, you’ll find bluesy fills and variations. These fills often involve sliding into notes and playing double stops. Hendrix used to do this to add texture and depth to his music. 

3. Superstition – Stevie Wonder

For old man Stevie’s Superstition, start with the foundation groove, which doubles as the main riff throughout the song. It begins with an open E string, played aggressively with picking. Ensure that your other fingers are resting on the strings to keep them quiet. 

The riff follows this play on the seventh fret of the fifth string, followed by the fifth fret, back to the seventh fret, and continues with the fifth fret on the fourth string. Next, play the fifth fret on the fifth string, followed by three muted clicks to complete the first bar of the riff. Remember, this riff is played with downpicks except for the up-pick on the last sixteenth note of beat three.

For the second bar, play the fifth fret and seventh fret on the thickest string, followed by the fifth fret and seventh fret on the fifth string. Finally, end the bar with a muted strumming pattern.

To make the guitar sound like Stevie’s clavinet part, keep notes short and staccato. Use a technique called “pumping the chords”. This is where you press your fingers down, play the notes, and lift them while maintaining contact with the strings to mute them.

4. I Shot The Sheriff Bob Marley And The Wailers

To play the riff of “I Shot the Sheriff,” start with the chords. The song primarily uses barre chords, including G minor, C minor, D minor, and E flat major. It is best to maintain pressure on the fretting hand to cut the chords short for that authentic reggae sound.

Now, onto the riff. It’s played on the bass strings, typically starting at the fifth fret on the D string for the G note. This is then quickly followed up by hammering onto the third fret, the fifth fret on the A string, and so on. Practice articulating each note clearly for that signature sound.

After playing the riff for two bars, there’s an extra two beats before returning to the chorus. Remember to add those in to keep the rhythm flowing smoothly. When strumming, whether following Bob Marley’s style or Eric Clapton’s, focus on the 16th note pattern. It helps emphasize the upbeat for that characteristic reggae groove. You can also add extra strums for a fuller sound, especially on the two and four beats.

For a more Clapton-esque rhythm, use your thumb for the bass notes and follow it with a squeezed strum. This adds depth to the sound and allows for a bit of improvisation, especially if you’re playing solo.

Which Beginner Guitar Riff Is Your Favorite?

So there you have it! These are the top 10 best guitar riffs you can learn when starting. They range from easy to medium difficulty so get a hold of as many videos and cheat sheets as you can. Remember the key to sounding good mimicking how the song is played by the artist or teacher. However, the key to sounding great is to understand the literature behind it and truly enjoy the wonders of a guitar!