quote:

---

quote:

---

not sure everybody here is talking about the same thing.
from Merriam Webster:

riff
play
noun \rif\

• music : a short and usually repeated pattern of notes in a song

---

That about sums up how I defined it, and I didn't have to go to a dictionary.

---

I did not either, I just don't see the riffs in some of these examples. Many of them are solos, etc.

The first 8 seconds of this song is a fine example of a riff.

Breadfan has always been a favorite of mine.

The first two riffs that any guitarist learns how to play on the guitar is smoke on the water and seven nation army.

Gary Moore - Still Got the Blues

quote:

---

The first two riffs that any guitarist learns how to play on the guitar is smoke on the water and seven nation army.

Gary Moore - Still Got the Blues

---

Still Got the Blues is perfection!!

Love Spreads - The Stone Roses

James Gang--Walk Away & The Bomber
Joe Walsh--All Night Long

Joe Walsh - Rocky Mountain Way

Maybe now but before Seven Nation Army I'd say:

Smoke on the Water
Sunshine of Your Love

Most of the all time ones have already been mentioned, but here are a few good ones, IMO:

the Knack - My Sharona
Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way
David Bowie - Rebel Rebel
20th Century Boy - T.Rex
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
Iggy Pop - Lust For Life

Smoke on the water - Deep Purple

Ten Years After "I'd Love to Change the World"

Recycling a few already mentioned plus a couple of others.

in no particular order:

Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman

Rage - Killing in the Name of (or pretty much any RATM song - Morello is a riff machine using the traditional riff definition)

Soundgarden - Outshined

Tom Petty - Running Down a Dream

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit - hate all you want, but this is an insanely popular riff.

Steve Miller Band - The Joker

311 - Homebrew - most people won't know this but listen to it. The opening is a riff and is one of my favorite to pick up and play on my guitar. Simple, repetitive, easily memorable.

Living Color - Cult of Personality - sad this hasn't been mentioned already. HUGE riff!!!!

Lindsey Buckingham - World Turning - but my favorite is Monte Montegomery's version. Skip to 1:23 to ignore the noodling in the beginning. You won't hear the riff if if tune out during the first 1:22.

OP got a 30 day ban.

Finally on page 5 someone mentions Joe Walsh.
I always think of Life's Been Good when I think of guitar riffs.

Five pages and nobody has mentioned Master of Puppets. Shameful.

Saw Monte last night! Always an amazing show.