Greatest Guitar Riffs: Another Top Ten (2023)

FAQs

What is the hardest guitar riff to play? ›

Jimi Hendrix taught himself to play the electric guitar and, because he was left-handed, he would play the guitar upside down with the strings in reverse order. One of the most influential musicians in history, he was best known for edgy guitar riffs.

Much like “He-who-must-not-be-named,” from Harry Potter, the opening riff of Stairway to Heaven is considered forbidden among people who are so against the song that they cannot even bear to hear it played. The reason for this popular nickname could come from a number of sources, which we will explore below.

So, why is Stairway to Heaven Banned in Guitar Stores? In short, this is an ongoing joke that was originally seen in the movie Wayne's World in 1992. It is meant to poke fun at Stairway to Heaven because it is one of the most overplayed songs in guitar stores when people are testing out new guitars.

Why can't you play Stairway to Heaven in a guitar store? ›

“Stairway To Heaven” may be banned in guitar stores, but it's not against the law to play it. That said, it is seen as a forbidden riff by many, and not often well received. Perhaps, out of courtesy and respect for the staff and other customers, you'll refrain from excessive self-indulgence.

The six-string F chord is one of the hardest standard chord shape to play on the guitar. When many people try to play the F chord on guitar (and often succeed), it's with far too much struggle and effort than is actually necessary. Even extremely influential guitarists can have a hard time with barre chords.

What is the hardest guitar chord to fret? Beginners often report difficulty with a full, six-string, F chord at the first fret. Often, this is the first Barre chord attempted (It's essential in the key of C, a common starting point).

However, the greatest, according to Eric Clapton, the bonafide guitar god, is Albert Lee. The guitarist has worked with some big names, including Emmylou Harris and The Everly Brothers. Considering Clapton's appraisal, we all should be listening to Lee: “He's the greatest guitarist in the world. The ultimate virtuoso.

A big controversy with Stairway to Heaven comes from a copyright infringement lawsuit. Led Zeppelin was accused of plagiarizing the 1968 song Taurus by the band Spirit in a lawsuit issued by the band's bassist back in 2014.

Essentially a riff is a full musical phrase with a structure and repetition to ensure the ear catches and understands its wholeness. That is why it is an entity of its own. On the other hand, a lick is an incomplete musical idea that, if put together with other licks, can amount to a riff.

Is Stairway to Heaven the greatest song of all time? ›

"Stairway to Heaven" is often rated among the greatest rock songs of all time. According to music journalist Stephen Davis, although the song was released in 1971, it took until 1973 before the song's popularity ascended to truly "anthemic" status.

C - G - Am - F (I - V -vi - IV) This just might be the most popular chord progression in Western popular music. There is an actual mathematical explanation as to why it's such a pleasant progression. The quick summary is that these four chords are opposites of each other.

The Heaven Chord (The Most Beautiful Chord of All Time)

Guitar is hard to learn in the beginning, but gets easier the longer you stick with it. The more you practice, the easier guitar will feel to play. This is why most people who quit guitar do so in the very beginning. Learning guitar feels hard at first.

Break the riff to 3 or 4 note segments (or whatever works for the part). Working memory is only capable of handling a limited number of "items". Similarly breaking a sequence of numbers (like a phone number) into smaller segments helps memorizing it.

1. “I Wanna Be There” by Blessed Union of Souls. This song has just three simple and major chords: G, C, and D. These are probably the easiest chords to learn first on the guitar, and once you have them, you can already learn how to strum a song.

G, C and D are some of the most commonly used chords in popular music and are used in literally thousands of songs (we'll list some of the most well-known later). Also, they're not too difficult to learn and they sound really good together (hence their popularity).

Is Enter Sandman a forbidden riff? ›

Why Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' is the new 'forbidden riff' We've all heard of the 'forbidden riff', a label attached to the Led Zeppelin song 'Stairway to Heaven'. Since the release of the 1992 film Wayne's World, it has been met with disdain by those claiming to be true proponents of the rock world.

However, the government has decided to remove the famous attraction because of numerous illegal trespassing and injuries at the site, leading to hefty costs. Haiku Stairs were built in the 1940s by the US Navy. The 3922 steps can be found up a mountain in Kaneohe, on the eastern side of Oahu.

The guitar solo has been declared dead many times. Late-70s punks actively tried to kill it, bored by 20-minute stadium rock indulgences. In the early 80s, some critics declared that the electric guitar itself was finished, replaced by the synthesizer.

Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin

In fact, thanks to Wayne's World (see above!), Stairway is often referred to as THE forbidden riff. Learning Stairway to Heaven has become almost a rite of passage for new guitar players, so it's easy to understand why it gets belted out so often.

Traditionally, straight grained Brazilian Rosewood was the most desirable to make guitars. These days, however, highly figured pieces are used to make exotic looking high-end guitars. Brazilian Rosewood has become extremely rare as it's considered an endangered species.

The numbers are quite shocking. Electric guitar sales have dropped by a third in the last ten years, from 1.5 million to only over 1 million. Small music retailers have been particularly hard hit by this trend, but even large music retailers have been negatively impacted by the decline in guitar sales.

Is the track actually forbidden in guitar stores? No, the track is not actually banned from guitar stores. It is highly doubtful that any guitar store owner would kick customers out simply for playing the introduction to Stairway to Heaven. It is simply a running joke in the guitar community!

The forbidden riff is just a list of songs that are semi-jokingly banned in guitar shops because it is overplayed many times. Stairway to Heaven is one great example of the Forbidden Riff. It is considered the legendary rock song of all time.

Is a riff the same as a lick? ›

Essentially a riff is a full musical phrase with a structure and repetition to ensure the ear catches and understands its wholeness. That is why it is an entity of its own. On the other hand, a lick is an incomplete musical idea that, if put together with other licks, can amount to a riff.