Riffs
As you learnt in lesson 6, a riff is a short repeating pattern which may be altered to fit various chord changes. Riffs are very common in Blues. The following riff uses eighth notes on the first two beats of bars 1 and 2, and then on all four beats of bar 3. Take it slowly at first and make sure you are sounding all of the notes clearly and evenly.
In this example, the previous riff is altered to fit the changes of a 12 bar Blues progression As you learn new notes and rhythms, make a habit of inventing your own riffs based on everything you learn. You should also start copying riffs you hear on CDs featuring harmonica players. This is difficult at first, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Build up a collection of riffs you can play from memory. Each one will teach you something new and the more riffs you know, the more versatile your playing will be.
Here is a riff which features eighth rests on the first and fourth beats. Once again, if you have trouble with the rhythm, clap it while counting out loud and then try playing the rhythm on one note. On the recording, the harmonica is omitted when the example repeats, leaving space for you to play the riff with the band.
This example takes the previous riff and expands it to fit the 12 bar Blues progression. Notice that the basic rhythm is a repeating two bar pattern; i.e. the rhythm stays the same throughout the progression, only the pitches of the notes change.
Riffs are used in many styles of music and can be played with many other chord progressions as well as a 12 bar Blues. Here are some more riffs for you to learn. Each one is played once on the recording and then a space is left for you to play it with the band when the example repeats. As you make up new riffs, try them with the Jam-along tracks at the end of CD2 (here). As well as being enjoyable, this will help you develop the ability to play with a good time feel and prepare you for playing with a band.
This example consists of a four bar riff and a variation in the following four bars. It is played in Third position, which is described in detail in lesson 20. Don’t worry about the description for now, just learn the riff and then create your own variations on it. Try this one with The Third position Jam-along track at the end of CD2 (ex82).
