Writing A Rhythm Guitar Part Below Your Guitar Riff

It is common for guitar riffs to contain a “main riff” with an accompanying rhythm guitar part played below it. If you want to write a guitar riff like this, make sure not to overlook the importance of the accompanying rhythm guitar part! Although the main focus of your efforts is to create a cool and interesting guitar riff; if the accompanying rhythm guitar part is boring, it will bring down the guitar riff as a whole.

Here are some things to consider when it comes to writing a rhythm guitar part to play under your main guitar riff:

  1. Focus on having both parts work together as a single entity.
  2. Write the rhythm guitar part in a way that fills in the spaces between the notes of the main guitar riff.
  3. Treat the underlying rhythm guitar part with special care as if it were the main focus of your efforts in order to make sure that it is of high quality.
  4. Utilize syncopation.
  5. Although there is nothing wrong with writing a simple rhythm guitar part such as one that uses continuous 8 th notes, sixteenth notes or triplets; you will find that if you pay more attention to detail, you will often come up with satisfying results. Note that sometimes a basic rhythm guitar part will be appropriate depending on the context of the music. However, the main point I want you to understand is that you are not limited to this approach only, and that other interesting options are available.

Write A Guitar Riff To Connect Song Sections Together

One highly effective way of writing a guitar riff is to stack several of them together one after the other. As I mentioned in the section about “motifs”, using a motif is a great way to connect riffs together and give the music a sense of unity.

That said, using a motif (and/or variation of it) is a good approach for connecting a series of guitar riffs together, but it is not the only approach. Another good way to stack your guitar riffs together is to work on making one riff “flow” well into the next. Once again, this involves consideration of tension and release.

Here are a few examples of using tension and release effectively to tie together two guitar riffs in a coherent manner:

Guitar riff A + Guitar riff B:

Guitar riff A – This guitar riff contains its own unique motif, separate from guitar riff B. It also uses mostly the notes of the E minor scale. As the riff approaches its final notes, it suddenly speeds up (faster note rhythms) to build tension. Additionally, its final notes use an ascending pattern with the notes B C D D#...

Guitar riff B – As soon as guitar riff A comes to a close, guitar riff B immediately picks up in its place. Since the previous riff focused on building tension, this riff will begin by “releasing” the tension as well as providing a sense of continuity between the two riffs in the following ways:

  1. It begins with long held out notes to ease the tension of the faster rhythms at the end of the previous riff.
  2. It begins on the note “E”. Since E is the same scale used by the previous riff, this creates a sense of unity between the two. Additionally, the previous riff ended on “D#” creating a sense of tension. By beginning on the note “E” a half step directly above, this tension feels released.

Now that you have read many different ideas and approaches for the process of writing a guitar riff, here is a exercise you can use to get started. Simply start from letter A, answer the question and move to the next letter. If you are not sure about the specifics for what you want to write, just pick an option for now and come back to the others later.

A. Do you want to write a guitar riff with a focus on using chords, an individual melody or a combination of the two?

  1. Chords – Riff is based mostly on chords in order to get a more ‘full’ sound. Example: A guitar riff that contains mostly power chords, clean strummed chords (with at least 3 different notes) or any combination of the two.
  2. Melody – Riff is based mostly on a ‘melodic’ idea. Example: A guitar riff that uses notes from scales or chords that are sounded one after the other. Sometimes these riffs will contain musical elements as harmonies performed by a separate instrument or double stops (2 notes sounded at once on the same instrument) to add variety and ‘thickness’ to the music. Additionally, they may contain an underlying rhythm section made of guitar chords/power chords and bass guitar lines (see below).
  3. Melody with chords – This approach is the same as the ones directly above except you will be concentrating on writing both the melody and underlying chord rhythm(s) together at the same time. The goal of this is to make both parts work as a single entity.

B. Do you want your guitar riff to be more “rhythm-based” or “melody-based?”

Rhythm – This means you will begin writing your guitar riff by focusing on the rhythm of the notes first.

Write out or improvise the rhythm of your riff first. Choose a single note and focus ‘only’ on playing a specific rhythmic pattern with that note. Remember that you can create tension in your riff by playing notes with syncopation and by creating sense of balance between notes that fall “on the beat” and notes that falls in “between the beat”. Later if you like, you can add in more notes or chords to fit the rhythm you come up with.

Melody – This means you will begin writing your guitar riff by focusing on how the notes you choose sound when used together or one after the other.

Choose a particular scale for your riff (major, minor, etc.). Rather than focus on the rhythm of the notes you play, for now focus on the way each note moves from one to the next. Identify the “home” note of the scale (key) you chose, and pay close attention to how each note feels when moving toward or away from the home note. Additionally, observe how notes feel when moving toward or away from notes that are not the home note.

Additionally, you are not limited to only one of the above approaches. Consider using any combination of the above “rhythm” and “melody” approaches throughout your guitar riff writing process.

C. How long do you want your guitar riff to be?

Depending on the role you want your guitar riff to play in the music you make, it may structured in different ways to take up different amounts of time. Here are just a few examples:

  1. If your guitar riff is meant to be used as a very short intro to a song, it might only repeat a couple times (with little to no variation)
  2. Perhaps you want to make a guitar riff that will serve as a way to transition from one part of a song to another; in this case you may want to create a riff that repeats a couple times as a standalone musical idea, then find a way to tie it together with the next section of the song (using rhythm, chords, etc.)
  3. You may also want your guitar riff to serve as the underlying rhythm for a solo section. In this case, you might choose to use less variation in the riff as a whole; or to adapt the riff to work together with the melody of the solo when appropriate.

Whatever the role of your guitar riff is, consider how you would like it to be structured based on how many times it will be repeated, how much variation it will contain and how it will work together with the sections before or after it.

What should you do next?

<<< Go back and learn about writing rhythm and melody for a guitar riff

Focusing On Writing The Rhythm In Your Guitar Riffs

So far I have mostly been discussing how to use power chords to create direction in your guitar riffs; however, you do not necessarily need to use a bunch of chords to make a great riff. In fact, a great guitar riff could be made of as little as one or two notes (pitches). For example, you’ve probably heard many cool guitar riffs that are played by only using the low E string. In spite of the fact that only one note is being used, the riff still manages to sound good. How is this done exactly? The answer is: focusing on creating an interesting rhythm. The truth is, you do not need to write a complex series of chords in order to make something that is enjoyable to listen to. Rhythm plays a major role in whether your guitar riff sounds interesting or boring. For example, listen to the following riff (made of only two single notes):

Click here to listen.

Although this riff only uses two notes (“D” and “E”), it utilizes rhythm in an interesting manner in order to maintain the attention of the listener. In this case, the rhythm of the guitar riff uses “syncopation” (playing between the beats) to create tension by emphasizing the space between the strong beats of the measure. This is a useful tool in music, because our brains automatically place the beat into an easily identifiable pattern and when notes do not follow it, it surprises us. In this case, the beat is in common 4/4 time (4 beats per measure) and the guitar riff does not always play directly on any of the 4 beats.

Using a single note to write out the rhythm of your guitar riff first is a solid approach for creating interesting musical ideas. To do this, simply choose a note to begin with, turn on a metronome (Google: “online metronome”) and map out a rhythm. As you are writing a rhythm for your guitar riff, pay close attention to the feeling of tension and release. To create “tension” in your guitar riff, focus on playing in between the beat, faster rhythms or more complex combinations of rhythm. To create a sense of “release” in your guitar riff, focus on playing more straight forward/basic rhythms and playing “on beat”. Additionally, notice how the riff feels when you end it on one of the main beats by holding out a long note versus ending it abruptly in between one of the main beats.

Using A “Motif” To Write Guitar Riffs

One of the most useful ideas to understand in order to create great guitar riffs is the concept of a “motif”. A motif is a short musical idea (usually only consisting of a few notes) that characterizes a melody. A motif is built upon to create an entire melody (or write guitar riffs in this case) and often is repeated several times. Popular examples of a motif could include the following:

  • The first 4 power chords in the intro to “Master Of Puppets” by Metallica.
  • During Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”, the first 7 notes or so after the wah wah intro.
  • The first 8 notes in the intro to “The Evil That Men Do” by Iron Maiden.
  • The opening line in Steve Vai’s “Tender Surrender”. Also notice how this short motif is used with variation at various times throughout the song.

Using a motif is a great way to structure a guitar riff together by using repeated notes/rhythm to unify the musical idea. You can also use a motif throughout a song (either in the same riff or different riffs) in different variations as a way to give more ‘unity’ to the sound of a song as a whole.

In order to make your own motif for a new guitar riff, try the following approach:

Start by choosing a scale/key, chord(s) or power chord(s) that you want your guitar riff to be in. Next choose a few notes that you want to really emphasize. For example, let’s say you want to make your riff with the notes of the A minor scale (A B C D E F G). Then you decide that you want to emphasize the notes A B G. Also note that you do not ‘have to’ use only the notes of a specific scale, feel free to experiment with any note you like if it sounds good to you. Also, if you are more comfortable simply playing a familiar pattern on guitar (but don’t know the notes), you can also use that in your approach.

Now focus more on a rhythmic pattern. You might try using just one note to come up with an interesting rhythm (as described earlier) or see how all the notes you chose feel together. Additionally, experiment by holding different notes longer (focusing more on them) and filling in the space between the notes you want to emphasize by repeating the other notes you have chosen (or using alternate ones). At some point, you may even use variation on the motif by playing it with slightly different note rhythms, different pitches (ex: moving them up or down a whole step) or with harmony from a separate guitar part.

It is common for motifs to be used as the first half of a guitar riff, with a different idea in the second half; however, you are not limited to this approach. For example, consider using a motif to write a guitar riff, then write something totally different and finish off the riff with the opening motif.

Structuring A Guitar Riff

As you write your guitar riff it is important to be thinking about how the riff is structured and how it feels in terms of tension and release (as discussed previously).

Many guitar riffs have a structure that contains a first half and a second half. This is a more straightforward approach that is easy to get into on first listen.

Example: The opening intro to “Kissing The Shadows” by Children of Bodom.

Guitar riffs can also be built as a continuous repeating idea that keeps the same rhythm but moves up or down in pitch after several measures. This approach is great for making a transition to build to another section in a song or connect two guitar riffs together.

Example: “Enigmatic Mission” by Pagan’s Mind (guitar riff at 1:29 – 1:34)

Guitar riffs can also become more complex; consisting of a main motif with a variety of different fills. Additionally, guitar riffs are sometimes created one after the other with or without similar musical ideas/motifs. The more complex the riff is in terms of how it is structured, the more potential it has to be very interesting to the listener and/or take the listener more time to “get into it”.

Example: “Morphing Into Nothing” by Andromeda (0:00 – 0:37)

Consider each of the types of riffs discussed above (and any combination of them) as you put your riff together and how they would work in the context of the song you want to write.

<<< Go back and learn about writing guitar riffs with power chords

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Improve Your Guitar Songwriting Skills With This Free Guide On How To Write Guitar Riffs

Are you not completely satisfied with your current guitar songwriting skills? Would you like to be able to write guitar riffs that sound like the ones in your favorite songs? Do you wish you clearly understood the songwriting approach that great guitar players use to write interesting riffs in their music? how to write guitar riffs

After you read this free guitar songwriting guide on how to write guitar riffs, you will:

  • Make the parts of your songs “fit together” better by learning songwriting techniques to connect several guitar riffs together
  • Develop your guitar songwriting skills to a higher level by understanding the fundamental aspects of the guitar riff writing process
  • Understand how to write catchy guitar riffs by learning how to effectively use the songwriting element of rhythm
  • Learn how to write guitar riffs using power chords
  • Find out how to make your guitar riffs stand out by using the concept of ‘motif’ to make your musical ideas more memorable

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Guitar Songwriting Guide: How To Write Great Guitar Riffs

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Welcome to this guide on how to write guitar riffs. In this guide you will learn all about the different factors that make up a great guitar riff and how you can start writing your own. You are about to read about many different approaches for beginning to write a guitar riff; however, do not feel pressured to take them all on at once. If you need to, try out one or two ideas on your own first, until you feel very comfortable using them in your songwriting. Additionally, all of the concepts described in this guide apply to any guitar/songwriting style or musical genre. With that said, let’s get started:

Writing Guitar Riffs With Power Chords

Power chords have long since been a staple for writing great guitar riffs. Regardless of where you are in your guitar playing skills today, chances are you began learning guitar with the power chords used in the songs of your favorite bands. Technically, a power chord is not what is traditionally considered to be a “chord” since chords are generally defined as containing 3 or more different pitches (example: C E G, A B C, etc.).

That said, this is one of the main music reasons that power chords are so versatile (and therefore widely used). Since power chords do not contain the additional note that most other chords would contain, they have a “neutral” sound unlike that of major or minor chords which are normally thought of as happy or sad respectively. By itself, a power chord is more like a note in a scale than a chord. Generally speaking, any given power chord is recognized by whichever of the two notes is the lowest in pitch. For example, the “E5” power chord could contain the notes “E” on the 5 th string/7 th fret and “B” on the 4 th string/9 th fret. When we hear this being played, we think of it mostly as an “E” note even though there is a “B” being played at the same time. You could also add on another “E” on the 3 rd string/9 th fret. Adding on the lowest note at a higher octave is commonly done to give the power chord a more full sound.

Although this may seem like common knowledge to many guitarists, it is important to point out in order to emphasize the subtle melodic feeling that power chords give to any guitar riff. By understanding how power chords work and feel very similarly to “single” notes, you can build a foundation for how to create guitar riffs that lead the listener in a certain direction.

Here is a basic example using power chords:

Click here to listen.

The Importance Of Using A “Home” Chord

By merely listening to this example, you can hear a clear sense of direction being created by the power chords. Here, the E5 power chord is the “home” chord of the riff. In other words, this is the chord that every other chord seems to being going toward (or away from) at any given time. The reason it feels this way is because the notes being used (or emphasized in the power chords) are taken from a scale. Due to the way scales are created, they naturally lead our ears toward one specific note. Additionally, the notes of a scale can be arranged to make chords, which create the same effect.

In this case, the scale I chose to use is the E Phrygian scale; however, it is not particularly important which scale is being used here. The important thing to understand is that having a “home” chord is a key element for most guitar riffs. Whenever you listen a song that has a great guitar riff, chances are that the riff is based off of notes taken from a scale (sometimes in the form of a chord or arpeggio).

Now, keeping the concept of a “home” chord in mind, listen again to the riff from above and read the short analysis below.

Click here to listen again. 

In the beginning of the riff the D5 is heard as going toward the E5. This becomes even more clear after it is repeated (thus establishing E5 as “home”). Since D is lower than E in terms of pitch, it feels as if we are trying to go “up” to reach the E. Next we hear the F5 as going toward the E5 (going F “down” to E). Finally the riff ends with A5 going to G5. This gives the riff a sense of tension because we are not moving to the home chord. This feels as if we are moving “away” from the home chord and adds variety to the overall riff. Creating this sense of moving “away” is very useful for writing interesting guitar riffs. You can think of it like this: each time you move toward the home chord you relax tension and each time you move away you create tension. Having a balance of tension is very useful as a fundamental method for keeping your musical ideas interesting.

Overall this riff leaves the listener “wanting more” due to the fact that it does not end on the home chord. Although this riff could work fine on its own, here is an example of combining the riff together with a similar riff to give it contrast.

This overall riff essentially contains two halves which follow a common formula.

1 st Half = Less tense, relies more on going to the home chord.

2 nd Half = More tense, moves away from home chord to create more interest and variety.

As a side note, guitar riffs sometimes do not end on the “home” note until the end of the riff or the end of the song. Additionally, when the riff is over, it will often lead into the next section of the song by having the next section begin with the “home” chord. This creates a smooth transition (more about transitioning later).

Adding Depth To Power Chord Guitar Riffs

One of the most effective ways to add more depth and interest to guitar riffs that are based primarily around power chords is to “fill in” the missing note. In order to do this, simply identify the note name of the power chord you are using (such as “E” for the E5 power chord) and add a note to make it either major or minor by recording a separate part over your power chord riff or simply playing the lowest note + the new note. The name of the note you will add in to do this is the “third”.

For example, if you are playing the E5 power chord, you can make it into E major or E minor by changing like this:

Use this idea as a way to add interest to your power chords either by mixing it together with other regular power chords or on its own. While doing this, you can either use major or minor chords based on the key you are playing in or chords from outside of the key. Experiment with different ideas until you get a sound you like. Additionally, you can change the “fifth” in your power chords to make it a half step higher or lower and create a diminished/augmented sound. So, if you were using an “E5” power chord, the 5 in the chord title refers to the “fifth”, which is “B”. This is the note that you would change.

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