Your Favorite Guitar Riffs

Discussion in 'Rock, Metal' started by dr.evil, Feb 25, 2014.

  1. GlewShrake

    GlewShrake Noisemaker

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    Immortal's riffs with "northern" guitar sound....amazing
     
  2. wanderer

    wanderer Ultrasonic

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    ZZ Top - tush / Motörhead - no class
    Canned Heat - on the road again / Hawkwind - orgone accumulator
    Black Sabbath - the sign of the southern cross
    Blue Öyster Cult - Godzilla
    Scientists - we had love
    Sonic Youth - rain king
    Precambrian - P/Tr extinction
    Big Black - colombian necktie
    Cheap Trick - he's a whore
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2025
  3. deathroit

    deathroit Producer

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    Orchid - ... And the Cat Turned to Smoke
    AS BLOOD RUNS BLACK - In Dying Days
    Mastodon - Oblivion
    Queens Of The Stone Age - No One Knows
     
  4. Nefarai

    Nefarai Producer

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    I am partial to a slide guitar sound...



    Bit of Satch



    Can't go wrong with anything Dire Straits

     
    Last edited: May 26, 2025
  5. Lois Lane

    Lois Lane Audiosexual

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    Davey Johnstone's phrase at the beginning of Elton John and Bernie's Taupin's All The Young Girls Love Alice is one of my all time favorites as it slides effortlessly into the groove change at the start of the song. Two bars of the 1st bit then 4 with the subtle change before playing chords as Elton starts to sing. Davey Johnstone is a great guitarist and the start of the song is iconic to me.



    [​IMG]
     
  6. Grape Ape

    Grape Ape Audiosexual

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    in part 2 of this series...


     
  7. AudioEnzyme

    AudioEnzyme Platinum Record

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    The main riff is a challenge to play well
    Somebody get me a Doctor
     
  8. wanderer

    wanderer Ultrasonic

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    And of course, the famous 'Elmore James' riff' and its variations, also used a lot by the great Hound Dog Taylor !



     
  9. throbbing_tony

    throbbing_tony Newbie

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  10. guns and gold

    guns and gold Producer

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    shit I hope this list never ends :metal::metal::phunk:
     
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  11. wanderer

    wanderer Ultrasonic

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    Live, those guys were something !
     
  12. PulseWave

    PulseWave Platinum Record

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    Tommy Emmanuel - Live at Guitar Summit 2024
     
  13. Lou Ulfark

    Lou Ulfark Producer

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    One of the best guitar riff, for sure !
    "Ace of Spades" (Live in England 1981) by Motörhead from the album "No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith" :wink:
     
  14. Smeghead

    Smeghead Audiosexual

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    Technically, is Ace of Spades a bass riff?
     
  15. PulseWave

    PulseWave Platinum Record

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    Yes, technically, the main riff of Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” is a guitar riff, not a bass riff — but there's a twist.

    Here's the breakdown:
    • Guitar: The famous opening riff is played on electric guitar by "Fast" Eddie Clarke. It’s heavily distorted and aggressive, contributing to the song's iconic sound.

    • Bass: Lemmy Kilmister’s bass tone is very distorted and mid-heavy, often sounding like a rhythm guitar. He used a Rickenbacker bass, cranked through a guitar amp (Marshall stack), which is unusual and helps his bass cut through the mix like a guitar.

    • Lemmy often played chords on the bass (not just single notes), especially power chords, and that contributes to the confusion — many people think they’re hearing a guitar when it’s actually bass, and vice versa.
    So why the confusion?
    Because Lemmy’s bass tone is so gritty and aggressive, many listeners mistake it for a lead or rhythm guitar. Also, in some live performances, Lemmy does seem to join in doubling parts of the main riff, adding to the illusion that it’s a “bass riff.”

    Source KI ChatGPT
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2025 at 7:21 AM
  16. Lou Ulfark

    Lou Ulfark Producer

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    Sorry ! So, I edit my post : Two of the best guitar riffs, for sure ! :winker: I assume that Lemmy is a strange kind of rythmic guitar player ! :rofl:And "Fast" Eddie Clarke's riff is also great in this tune :wink:
     
  17. PulseWave

    PulseWave Platinum Record

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    Message in a Bottle – The Police (1979)

    Stargazer – Rainbow (1976)
     
  18. Smeghead

    Smeghead Audiosexual

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    It's just that live it seems like I remember Lemmy kicking that song off. Now I gotta look...
     
  19. Automatic Slim

    Automatic Slim Newbie

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    This!!!
     
  20. wanderer

    wanderer Ultrasonic

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