A riff is a short pattern of notes (usually one or two bars long) which repeats throughout a verse or section of a song. A riff can also be varied to fit a chord progression. The use of riffs is common in many styles of music including Rock, Metal, Blues, Jazz and Funk. Many of the examples you have already learnt are riffs. Here is another example. There are also several more on the following pages.
Here are some more riffs. Learn them and then make up some of your own based on the ideas presented here. Don’t worry about the notes too much, just experiment until you find something that sounds good and then memorize it.
The following 12 bar Blues contains a riff which is altered to fit each new chord as it occurs. As with previous examples, play it slowly at first and gradually increase the tempo.