Easy Guitar Riffs

10 Great Riffs You Must Know

guitar player plays guitar riff

In this world there are plenty of Top Ten lists for the greatest guitar songs , scales , solos , and of course riffs.

There are no gold standards and music is always subjective.

In this article we will attempt a Top Ten riffs list, at least with some exceptions!

First off our list is no particular order, we pick a couple great riffs from each era and we focus on repeated riffs.

For example, Chuck Berry’s famous riff on Johnny B Goode is amazing, historical, and well deserving of the title of greatness.

However, that is more of an intro riff, we are picking mostly simple riffs that play throughout most of the verse or chorus, if not the whole song.

Which is also why I haven’t included Jimi Hendrix below, his riffs are fantastic but embellished as you would expect from one of the greatest guitar players ever.

Is our list perfect? No, there are a ton of great riffs and classics left out.

We have simply tried our best to give guitar students 10 phenomenal riffs that are fun to play and even educational . In fact, the word ostinato describes what we are looking for in each song.

Ostinato is a musical term for a repeated phrase in the same voice and pitch throughout a composition. But it sounds so much cooler to just say riff!

Rumble by Link Wray and His Ray Men

This 1958 instrumental was an early example of distortion, feedback, and power chords all making a simple repeated riff that made history.

The word rumble was a slang term for gang fights back then so this song had the displeasure of being banned on the radio.

This is an easy riff to learn with very simple tablature, the key is to get the right distortion that gives the song that raw power.

This song has some serious endurance often popping up in commercials and famous movies like Pulp Fiction .

Summertime Blues by Eddie Cochrane

Eddie Cochrane was not around very long, but he made a big impression on the world of rock especially for young British musicians like George Harrison.

Many young guitar players at the time found his simple riff in Summertime Blues to be an easy song to learn.

The well known riff is only a matter of switching from E to A and B to E , some folks like to use a B7 (either way use the B bar chord).

As you practice this on the guitar it is easy to imagine all the famous 60’s guitarists that once played the same riff !

Crossroads by Cream

This song has the wonderful history of originally being written by the legendary Robert Johnson as Cross Road Blues .

It is often assumed that this song is about selling one’s soul to the devil in exchange for astounding guitar skills, yet this is never even mentioned at all in the lyrics.

Eric Clapton took the song and infused it into driving rock with a repetitive riff.

Playing Clapton’s version is not as easy as the last two riffs, but with a little practice it will soon fall into place.

It is the rest of the song beyond the riff that is more difficult.

In A Gadda Da Vida by Iron Butterfly

Here is another example of a very simple repeated riff that makes a memorable song.

This song released in 1968 is regarded as one of the firsts in the heavy metal genre . It is known for being very long and this guitar riff fills out the extended jam.

Easy to play and always fun to sing!

Rebel Rebel by David Bowie

It was a sad day when Bowie died, the world lost a songwriter that was a genius.

In 1974 he released Rebel Rebel and to this day it is his most covered song. Bowie himself played the lead riff in this song in all his glam rock style and glory.

This song has a habit of getting stuck in your head, the riff just doesn’t want to leave!

Can’t You Hear Me Knocking by The Rolling Stones

Now many lists of great riffs will include “ I Can’t Get No Satisfaction ” by The Rolling Stones, which is understandable because it is a fantastic guitar riff.

However, I would make the claim that Can’t You Hear Me Knocking is just as great!

When that song starts off it just screams Rock N Roll and the riff remains a powerful bluesy sound throughout the whole piece. Notice that this song has a different guitar tuning , instead of standard tuning we are in open G (DGDGBD) . This is a great tuning to have in your guitar repertoire!

Highway to Hell by AC/DC

Again many lists may choose Back in Black as a greater riff than Highway to Hell, but where folks like to zig, we like to zag!

In all fairness both songs are killer guitar riffs. This was the last album of the lead singer Bon Scott, after he died Brian Johnson took over (the song Back in Black being dedicated to Bon Scott).

The song is rather easy to learn and is a staple riff when trying out a new guitar.

Money for Nothing by Dire Straits

When picking the best riffs of the 80s it is hard not to always go directly to heavy metal.

That entire decade is filled with an array of awesome and hard rocking guitar licks, but here we decided to pick a historical riff. Money for Nothing will always be associated with MTV and how much the music video changed the entire industry.

This song is not too difficult to learn, the key is finding the right pedals and slight delay to get the sound just right.

Interestingly, Mark Knopfler wrote the lyrics after overhearing an exchange by workers in an appliance store.

Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

This is another riff that sparked a whole new era of music. Grunge had been around for awhile when this song was released 1991, but with huge success alternative and grunge rock became more mainstream.

At first the fellow members of Nirvana didn’t think much of this riff, but after playing it over an over for a half hour they realized they were onto something.

The riff is simply four power chords played through heavy distortion (don’t forget to tune your guitar a half step down ), as usual not complicated but powerful.

It also sounds great on an acoustic guitar!

Seven Nation Army by White Stripes

The biggest hit of the White Stripes, released in 2003 it has become a song known the world over.

It won a Grammy award and proves that even after all these years very simple and catchy riffs are still possible as a guitar player.

You would think after nearly 90 years of great musicians playing the electric guitar that all the simple melodies and licks are taken, but of course not. While many people think this was played on a bass it is actually played on guitar using a pedal to lower the octave .

Greatest Guitar Riffs: conclusions and further resources

Hopefully, this list has inspired you to take a deeper look at songs with catchy and clever guitar riffs.

We left out so many , including lots of riffs more suited for the acoustic guitar! In the comments below tell us what you think are some great riff driven songs!

That's all, to stay updated please subscribe here!

#1 Playing David Bowie on the Guitar: Moonage Daydream Analysis

Playing David Bowie on the Guitar: Moonage Daydream Analysis

David Bowie's songs are great to play for guitarists, as you'll discover many new chords. Here's an analysis of the song Moonage Daydream. Read article

#2 Killing Moon Song Analysis For Guitar

guitar tutorial thumbnail image

This is a song analysis on The Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen. Learn the chords used, the rhythm and effects used to get the New Wave vibe. Read article

#3 7 Italian Rock Progressive Bands You Should Know

italian progressive band

In this post you'll discover 7 Italian Rock Progressive bands that made the history of this epic and dreamy musical genre.. Read article

#4 Blues Guitar Riff | How To Create Your Own Riffs

blues guitar riff

This video lesson will show you a Blues guitar riff in the style of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the creative process to create your own blues riffs.. Read article

#5 Riff Built On Guitar Triads

guitar tutorial thumbnail image

This video will show you how to turn a common progression into something more interesting. Modulation to other keys included!. Read article

#6 12 Bars Guitar Blues - Video Lessons and History of the Blues

12 bar blues guitar

This video lesson will show you an easy 12 bars blues on guitar in the key of A. You'll also learn about the origin of the Blues and its many styles.. Read article

#7 Gypsy Jazz Guitar Chords, History and Techniques

Gypsy Jazz Guitar Chords

Gypsy jazz is an exciting genre, in this article we're going to see how to play it on guitar like Django: chord voicings, progressions and techniques. Read article

#8 Fingerpicking Basics | Easy Songs To Play with Fingerstyle

fingerpicking basic

This tutorial will show you the basic of fingerstyle and some easy songs that you can try to play without a pick (tabs included). Read article

#9 Heavy Riff built on the B Minor Blues Pentatonic Scale

guitar tutorial thumbnail image

This video shows you how to create a riff using the notes of the B Minor Blues Pentatonic Scale. Read article

#10 Christmas Guitar Songs: An Evergreen List

Christmas Songs: another list article icon

Find 10 great Christmas songs to play on guitar that will entertain your family and friends. Let’s have fun all together!. Read article

#11 Rockabilly guitar: history, style and technique

Rockabilly guitar: story and style article icon

Let’s talk about Rockabilly guitar: learn the famous 3 chords changes, the travis picking and the right attitude for playing rockabilly songs. Read article

#13 How To Play Funk Guitar | Beginner Tutorial

how to play funk guitar

Learn the basics of funk guitar. This tutorial shows you how to play funky chord progressions on guitar, with tabs, rhythm and syncopation to use.. Read article

#14 Introduction to Ragtime Guitar

guitar tutorial thumbnail image

In this tutorial, we're going to learn the basics of ragtime on guitar, a unique American, syncopated musical style.. Read article

#15 50 Easy Guitar Songs | A List For Beginner Guitarists

Easy songs on guitar

Learn 50 easy songs that you can play with only a bunch of basic chords. Starts with only C and G easy chords, then adds one new chord at a time. Read article

#16 Bluegrass Guitar | Introduction, Tips and Tricks

guitar tutorial thumbnail image

Learn the foundation techniques of Bluegrass guitar, a syncopated style driven by nostalgia and a love for old-time music.. Read article

#17 How To Play Slide Guitar | Introduction Tutorial

how to play slide guitar

Find tips, tricks, and essential pointers for applying slide guitar technique to your music.. Read article

#18 Learn Flamenco Guitar | Basic Introduction

Learn Flamenco Guitar Online article icon

Learn the basics of flamenco spanish guitar online: most common scales, chord progressions, and a bit of flamenco history.. Read article

#19 Learn The Basics Of Country Guitar

guitar tutorial thumbnail image

Playing country on guitar gives an awesome feeling: learn the most common chord progressions used in this traditional genre.. Read article

#20 Fingerstyle guitar lessons | Learn fingerpicking basics

Introduction To Finger-Picking article icon

This lesson is all about guitar fingerstyle basics. Beginners will learn an easy four steps pattern, very fun to play.. Read article

#21 Blue Suede Shoes Song Analysis

Blue Suede Shoes Song Analysis

In this article we're going to analyze this popular song and discover what makes it great.. Read article

#22 Tell Me Something Good | Song Analysis

Tell Me Something Good About Funk Guitar

In this article, we'll analyze the popular funk hit "Tell Me Something Good". It's a great song for practicing barre chords!. Read article