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2 things can be your take-away from this lesson…
#1 A beginner-friendly guitar riff (adapted from the Streets of Philadelphia drum beat).
#2 A great source for inspiration (in case you ever feel bored by all beginner lessons being about the same old things).
Enjoy!
This beginner lesson features…
… The beginner-friendly guitar riff.
… 5 nice 2-finger chords.
… Strumming throughout.
You can download the tabs by clicking here (search for HG15 – I Made This Classic Drum Beat Into a (Beginner-Friendly) Guitar Riff).
Download it. Print it. Use it.
And here is everything else you need to know. Enjoy!
📈 Difficulty
2/10 (This gives you a rough idea of how difficult it is. If you feel it’s actually easier, great. If not, don’t feel bad.)
⏰ Time Estimation
1 Week (This is a rough estimation that can vary widely. If you’re faster, great. If not, don’t feel bad.)
💪 Action Steps
Get comfortable with all 5 chords. Spend a while here so you don’t have to worry about both hands at the same time.
Play the rhythm pattern in slow motion on Am9 first. (Mind the details in the tabs.)
Play it slowly in time (with correct rhythm) on Am9.
Play the rhythm pattern through the entire chord progression.
✏️ Extra Tips
As always, keep your fingertips close to the fretwires at all times (to make sure you sound good).
For Am9 and Cmaj7, keep your left-hand thumb on top of the neck to block the low E string (thickest string). These chords sound better without it.
Keep your arm swinging consistently down and up. This rhythm grid will help you nail the rhythm.
🎯 Encouragement
This is not an essential guitar riff. This is not a classic. But it’s a nice way to get away from what everyone plays. It would be awesome if you tried to adapt something from another instrument to your guitar. Get creative. You can do it!
Talk soon,
Florian from Hi Guitar
