You NEED These Top 12 Beginner Guitar Riffs – Part 3 (With Tab)

You NEED These Top 12 Beginner Guitar Riffs – Part 3 (With Tab)

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This is the write-up of my YouTube lesson with 12 (plus a bonus) of the most fun beginner riffs so you can start feeling like a rockstar instead of looping the same three chords.

If you caught part 1 or 2 of this series, tell me which riff was your favorite.

I put all of these in a PDF with tab. Grab it here so you can follow along: simpleguitar.com/top12riffspart3

How to Practice These (Read This First)

If any part gives you trouble: slow it down, isolate it, and repeat it. Most people underestimate how many times they need to repeat things — especially adults. Kids can get it with fewer reps. Adults need about double. Double the repetitions you think you need. That's the "secret" everybody talks about and nobody wants to hear.

1. One – Metallica

Starts with a B power chord on the A string: first finger on the second fret of the A string (fifth string), third finger on the fourth fret. Pick back and forth: fifth string, fourth string, fifth string, then fourth string open.

Then change: third fret on the sixth string, and I use my pinky to keep the fourth fret on the fourth string. Alternate the same way. The second time you hit that fourth string, play it open.

Back to the first measure, then the second measure. Then hit the open third string. Back to the first measure, then open A string, then the second measure again.

Then an E power chord, then a double-stop on the second fret of the fifth and sixth strings — lay your finger flat on both.

If a piece of that is messy, isolate it. Then put it all together. It repeats from there.

2. 25 or 6 to 4 – Chicago

One string: the sixth string.

• Fifth fret, play it five times, then slide out (that phrasing dresses it up)
• Third fret, same thing
• Second fret, same idea
• First fret: play it four times
• Open: four times

Straight eighth notes: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. That's the whole riff. Repeat it.

3. Brain Stew – Green Day

Same fret idea as the Chicago riff, but with power chords. To play with the record, tune the guitar down a half step. I'm not doing that in the video.

Shortcut if you don't want to retune the whole guitar: drop D. Then play 6, then 4, then 3, 2, 1.

4. Today – Smashing Pumpkins

Double-stop with your first finger. Lay it flat on the 11th fret of the first two strings and alternate those two strings.

Then play 13 on the first string, back to 11. Then with your pinky, play 15 and pull off to 11, then play the second string.

5. Hells Bells – AC/DC

Start with a power chord: first finger on the seventh fret of the fourth string, third finger on the ninth fret of the third string. Lay the first finger flat because you're going to double-stop those two strings.

Play that with the open A string. Let go and play 7, then down to 5, back up to 7.

Then come down and play a C power chord, a B power chord, and an A power chord.

6. Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton

This is the lead part at the beginning. It follows the melody, and you can do it with one finger.

• Open sixth string
• Second fret, then open fifth string
• Second fret, slide into 4
• Back to 2, do that again
• Back to 2, play open
• Slide back up and back down to 2 (it feels like you're saying "Tennessee whiskey")
• Double slide: 2 to 4 twice
• Hit 4, slide down to 2
• Hit 2, slide up to 4, back down to 2
• Open A

Slow it down. Repeat. Fun little lead part.

7. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Three chords, and you can be a little sloppy with it. It was the 70s.

Partial D: third finger on the third fret of the second string, first finger on the second fret of the third string, open fourth string. Don't play the first string — mute it. Play the fourth string twice, then the second and third strings.

Ring finger stays put the entire time. Put your second finger on the third fret of the fifth string for a Cadd9. You'll get a C, then open, then C really quick.

Move that same idea down to the sixth string for G. Rather than just twice, it's also 3, open, 3.

Palm mute the bass note (the lowest note of each chord). Use the edge of your palm on the bridge saddle right over that note.

There's an upstroke into the C hitting the fourth string one more time as you go there.

Lick 1 (all one finger): hammer-on from open to 2 on the fifth string, hammer-on and pull-off with 2 on the fourth string, hit 2 on the fifth string again, jump to the third string, hit 2 and pull off to open.

Lick 2 (third string the whole time): open, pull off from 2 to open, hit open again, hit 4 and pull off to open, hit the fourth string, then fifth fret on the third string and bend up.

Get the D–C–G groove sounding good first. That's the most important part. Then add the licks. You can play pretty much the rest of the song just doing D, C, and G.

8. Island in the Sun – Weezer

This is based on triads — a chord with only three notes. We're only playing the first three strings.

• E minor: take an open D minor shape and slide it up two frets. First finger on the third fret of the first string, third finger on the fifth fret of the second string, second finger on the fourth fret of the third string.
• A minor: lay your third finger flat across the fifth fret on all three strings.
• D: regular D shape on those three strings.
• G: bar the third fret with your first finger on all three strings, add your second finger to the third string on the fourth fret.

Biggest thing is the rhythm. Learn each chord with chord squeezes, then isolate the hard changes (Em to Am, D to G, Am to D, G back to Em). I set a timer for one minute with students and we work one change as many times as we can.

9. My Sharona – The Knack

Based on an octave pattern.

• G on the sixth string, third fret
• G on the fourth string, fifth fret
• Jump back and forth
• Drop down two frets to F and slide up to G
• Power chords on C (3 and 5, A-string root), slide down to 1 and 3, then back

Fun one. Have at it.

10. (Don't Fear) The Reaper – Blue Öyster Cult

Three chords. Bust out the cowbell if you've got one.

A: just the third and fourth strings plus the open fifth string. Play the second fret of the third and fourth string with one finger, pick down through those, then lift up and play the third string open. That gives you time to get to G.

G (low part): third finger on the third fret, sixth string; second finger on the second fret of the fifth string. Pick down through those.

F power chord: first finger on the first fret of the sixth string, third finger on the third fret of the fifth string. Next two strings stay open. Pick down through those.

Then back up to G. Repeat.

11. Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison

Bonus points if you can growl it.

Intro:

• Open E string twice
• Fourth fret then second fret on the fifth string
• Open fourth string
• Repeat that two times

Then same thing: open, open, 4, 2, open — then on the fourth string 4, 2, open. That repeats until the first chord, which is an A.

It's a brain workout for those two fingers. Slow it down and repeat.

12. Slither – Velvet Revolver

Tune to drop D (sixth string down a whole step to D). That makes the low three strings a power chord. Distortion helps. I'm using downstrokes.

Open, then frets 3 and 4 (one finger sliding, or first and second fingers). Open, then 6 and 7. Open, then 10 (I usually throw the third finger down). Open, 6 and 7 again. Open and 5. Open, 3 and 4.

Slowly: open, 3-4, open, 6-7, open, 10, open, 6-7, open, 5, open, 3-4.

Bonus: Sweet Child O' Mine – Guns N' Roses

Since we were on Slash… tune back to standard. The record is tuned down a half step. For the video I did not tune down, so if you play along with the recording in standard, it will sound off. The fingering is the same.

Use the neck pickup if you've got one. Bridge pickup doesn't sound like Slash on this.

You're basically playing around a D chord at 14, 15, and 14, with the root at 12 on the fourth string. Slash plays this with three fingers. You can use four if you want.

First four notes:

• 12 on the fourth string (first finger)
• 15 on the second string (third finger)
• 14 on the third string (second finger)
• 12 on the third string (first finger)

Get those four down slow.

Next four notes:

• 15 on the first string (third finger)
• 14 on the third string (second finger)
• 14 on the first string (third finger)
• 14 on the third string (second finger)

Put those two groups together and repeat until it's steady. Play that twice.

Then change one note: start with 14 on the fourth string (second finger). Everything else stays the same.

Then do it again starting with 12 on the third string. That's the only note that changes. Then back to 12 on the fourth string.

Great workout for finger independence.

Wrap-Up

That's 13 riffs. Slow it down. Isolate the sticky spots. Double the reps. You can do this. I believe in you.

Grab the tab: simpleguitar.com/top12riffspart3

If you want a simple place to start, grab my free Top 10 Things to Learn on Guitar First at http://simpleguitar.com/top10.

And hang out with other adult guitar players in the Simple Guitar Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/simpleguitar.

---

About the Author
Brad from Simple Guitar helps adult learners play the songs they love without the frustration. Visit simpleguitar.com for more free resources and lessons.