Electric Guitar Day 8 - Another One String Riff
In this video
I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Creedence Clearwater Revival version) is like a bass riff and that's no bad thing.
Many of the best guitar riffs actually started as bass lines - Led Zeppelin's catalog is full of John Paul Jones bass riffs that became iconic guitar parts.
We should think of learning bass-style riffs as a way to build your dexterity, rhythm sense, and how a bass player locks in with the drums to create a solid foundation (like a Rhythm Guitarist too!)
Main Learning Points:
All on string 4 (the D string)
Middle finger positioned at fret 3 as the anchor between the fretted notes
The rhythm and groove are as important as the notes
Thumb Technique:
Hook your thumb over the top of the neck for this riff. This isn't just for comfort - it's essential for:
Playing while standing up
Helping mute strings when playing open chords
String bending and lead guitar (which comes later)
Tone Settings:
Switch to your neck pickup for a duller, bassier sound.
If you have a tone knob, you can roll it down slightly for even more bass.
The neck pickup is closer to the neck (hence the name) and produces a warmer, less bright tone than the bridge pickup.
It's all about the rhythm and feel for this one, not technical complexity at all. This riff shows how staying in one position and developing a groove can create something super memorable!
Free chord sheet link here
