How to Write a Riff

Co-authored by Tomas Michaud

Last Updated: May 11, 2023 References

The guitar riff is the lifeblood of rock music. It provides the song with a rhythmic theme, and gives listeners something catchy and memorable to draw them in. Writing a solid rock riff requires creativity, originality and a dash of technical understanding, but with the right references it's something that any musician can eventually master.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Coming Up With a Riff

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1
Determine what sort of riff you want to write. Consider your musical goals and think about the kind of riff you aim to create. Are you in a melodic rock band, or would you rather craft a heavy, thrashing metal riff? Musical styles are diverse and often overlapping, so don't be afraid to get totally original.
- A riff can be almost anything. Some of the most memorable rock and metal riffs of all time are simply repetitions of one bar, like "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns 'n' Roses, or they can be elaborate runs that last for four or more bars, such as AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" or "She-Wolf" by Megadeth. You should feel no constraints when setting out to compose a rock guitar riff.
2
Listen to your favorite riffs for inspiration. Sit down with some of your music and play through your favorite riffs and lines. Note what stands out to you about their rhythm, composition and sound. These will become the stylistic techniques you will use to start inventing your own riffs.
- Listen to lots of different guitarists and study their approach to riff-writing. Bands like Black Sabbath that are known for the structural strength and catchiness of their riffs often employed simple methodologies, yet their writing styles distilled into a one-of-a-kind, instantly identifiable sound.
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3
Zone in on your sound. It will help to have an idea what type of sound you're going for so that you can utilize the right tuning and playing methods once you actually start writing. Narrow down your desired sound to heavy or playful, uptempo or slow and grinding, melodious or chugging. It may also be worth thinking about how your idea for a riff might sound in a style you wouldn't ordinarily choose.
- Rock and metal riffs for guitar are generally written using the Natural Minor or Harmonic Minor scale, although other scales can be used. Try to make something of a "storyline" out of the notes on the scale; just a simple little piece of music that you think sounds good (try playing through the scale a few times and see if inspiration strikes.)^{[1]
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- Classic metal tuning was often played in standard 'D' or 'E,' while heavier forms of music like death and sludge metal make use of a "drop" (lower) tuning.^{[2]
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4
Start composing the riff mentally. Begin laying the groundwork for the riff musically in your head. Hum your riff out loud or else play around on the guitar until you lock into something concrete. You'll work on the details later; this is your first opportunity to hear how the notes come together and can clue you in to what guitar tone might work best for playing the riff. Let your creativity flow and take the riff where it will. Make minor adjustments as you go and watch your riff take shape.^{[3]
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- Run through different scales and get a sense of how the notes sound. There are often very simple yet structurally-solid riffs just waiting to be picked out of basic scales—think of scales as a kind of "database" of raw sounds.
- Humming along with your riff is one form of "audiation," or mental listening, and can be an invaluable skill in helping you keep track of the music you're composing.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Writing the Riff

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1
Play around with the riff. Now that you've got a direction for your riff, grab your guitar and give it an initial trial run. Play around with the basic melody you've thought up to lay the foundation for the notes of the riff. Try to faithfully capture the sound you conceived of in your head. Hearing it played out loud will give you a better idea of what works about it and what doesn't.
- If you find yourself stuck or your riff sounds lifeless, try adding stylistic embellishments, such as hammer-ons, palm-muting and pinch harmonics. These are invaluable and often-used tools of metal songwriting and can be useful in adding depth to an otherwise bland riff.^{[4]
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- You could also improvise a little, the way jazz musicians play freely based around a theme. Take your riff and play it four or five times, making slight departures from the chosen sequence of notes each time. You may end up with something more original that you like better.
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Choose the right structure. Tailor your riff to be measured in a particular number of bars (note: a bar is a segment of time that corresponds with a particular number of beats). Play through the bars at varying speeds or make slight alterations to the final bar of the riff to try out new rhythmic structures and give the riff a rounded sound.^{[5]
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- Most traditional rock-inspired riffs are played in a "3+1" bar structure, with one bar repeated three times and a minor variation on the last bar, for four bars total. Because of its universal application, the 3+1 bar structure could make a great starting place if you're having trouble coming up with anything.^{[6]
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3
Get technical. If you're familiar with writing tablature, put your riff down on paper. This way you can neatly see it laid out and arranged visually to begin committing it to memory. Make any necessary notes about tuning or progression that will enable the riff to evolve.^{[7]
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- If you don't know how to write tabs, it can be a priceless skill to learn. The basic principles of tablature are easy to pick up and become indispensable when you begin writing more complex pieces of music.
4
Refine your sound. Listen to how closely your riff matches up with your original idea for it. What sounds right, and what could work better? Music, like any art, is never a finished process. You shouldn't hesitate to continue making changes to your riff even after you've written tabs for it and sounded it out a few times.
- Note how your riff's notes and chords come together musically. The riff you're writing should have its own natural rhythm and sound, so if something sounds off, this is the right time to hammer out the particulars of your chord progression, picking style, etc.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finalizing the Riff

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1
Practice the riff. It's now time to actually play your riff. Run through it over and over and get familiar with how it feels to play, trying to make every note and chord sound perfect. It can be very rewarding to hear music you've written played aloud.
- Make the riff yours. Anybody can pick up a guitar and play; strive to create something with your special stamp on it, and practice it until nobody can play it like you.
2
Record yourself. If you have the means, make an audio recording of the riff to preserve it and show off your work. The simplest way to make an audio recording is by using your smart phone's recording app (using your smart phone also gives you the option of taking a video so that you can spot any mistakes in your playing). For a more sophisticated touch, most computers and some amplifiers come equipped with basic audio recording software, and you can use this to archive your riff or even expand and add other layers to it to create a fleshed-out song.
- Home recording typically only requires a basic microphone and a program like GarageBand or Fruity Loops, which are both free to download.^{[8]
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- Alternatively, if you have an old tape recorder lying around, you could record yourself the old fashioned way—the way your favorite players used to do.
3
Make the riff part of a larger sound. Envision the riff as part of a completed song, and think about how it works when played along with a band. If you happen to be part of a band, demo the riff for your bandmates and figure out how to incorporate it into your music. Take cues from the style you've created to formulate new riffs and begin developing your own unique style.^{[10]
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- Remember that the riff serves as a kind of "theme" for the song; it is not a song in itself. To take your songwriting abilities to the next level, start composing riffs for the bigger picture goal of fitting them to individual songs.^{[11]
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Tips

Have fun! Creating music is a passionate endeavor. Enjoy yourself and make sure it comes from the heart.

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It's always a good idea to know something about music theory. You don't have to be an expert, just understand some basics; i.e., how chords are structured, how scales are structured, how scales and chords interact, etc. Visit sites like musictheory.net and try out some of the lessons. They'll give you a handy primer on music and music theory.

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Listen to all the seminal bands that came before you, and listen to how they structure their songs and riffs. Studying is essential to any discipline.

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Warnings

Make sure your riff doesn't sound too much like someone else's, whether it's a well-known song or not. Even if you didn't intend to rip off an artist, excessive similarities could be misconstrued as plagiarism.

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