Writing a riff

Definition

A riff is a short figure (usually 1–4 bars), repeated, that serves as the instrumental identity of a song. Unlike a vocal melody, the riff lives mostly on rhythm and timbre: distorted guitar, bass, synth, horns. In swing jazz the term indicated the repeated figures of the horn sections (Count Basie); in rock and funk it became the instrumental hook par excellence.

Characteristics of an effective riff

Short: it is memorized in 1–2 listens.
Rhythmically distinct: at least one syncopation or an accent off the strong beat.
Few scale degrees: 3–6 different notes are enough.
An anchor note: usually the tonic, hit often, on beat 1 or its anticipation.
Space: a rest in the riff lets it breathe and allows a response (voice, drums).
Playable: it has to sit under the fingers of the instrument; the open strings of the guitar in E and A are one reason why so many rock riffs are in E or A.

Most used scales

Minor pentatonic (1 b3 4 5 b7): in A: A C D E G. It is the basis of the blues-rock riff.
Blues scale (adds the b5): A C D Eb E G.
Dorian (major 6): A B C D E F# G, funk color.
Phrygian (b2): A Bb C D E F G, metal and flamenco color.
Power chord (1–5, no third): “block” riffs typical of hard rock.

Construction techniques

Internal question and answer: bar 1 rises, bar 2 answers by descending (antecedent/consequent structure in miniature).
Repetition with a final variation: ABAC: the fourth bar changes to create the loop.
Pedal note and moving notes: a repeated open string alternating with higher notes (typical of metal: low E repeated and notes on the A string).
Rhythmic displacement: the same 3-note fragment repeated in a meter of 4 creates apparent polyrhythm (3 against 4).
Octaves: doubling the riff between guitar and bass at the octave gives weight (widely used in funk and rock).

Riff examples (degrees, not notes copied from the score)

Deep Purple — Smoke on the Water (1972): riff in parallel fourths on the G minor blues scale.
The White Stripes — Seven Nation Army (2003): bass riff (actually a guitar with an octaver) on a few degrees of the minor mode, born as a vocal motif for stadiums.
The Rolling Stones — (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (1965): three-note riff with fuzz, syncopated rhythm.
Chic — Le Freak / Nile Rodgers: “chucking” guitar riff in sixteenth notes, partial chords on the treble strings.

Riffs in pop and electronic music

The riff can be a synth hook (a pluck or a 2-bar lead), a vocal chop or an 808 bass ostinato. The rules are identical: few degrees, distinct rhythm, space.

Placement in the song

Intro: presents the riff alone or with the drums.
Verse: often the riff drops out or is reduced, to leave room for the voice.
Between phrases: the riff answers the voice (call and response).
Chorus: riff doubled or harmonized.

Common mistakes

Riffs that are too long (8 bars is no longer a riff).
Riffs that occupy the same register as the voice (between 200 Hz and 1 kHz) during the verse: clash.
Riffs without syncopation: they are forgotten.

Practical exercise

In FL Studio set 100 BPM and the A minor pentatonic. Write 10 one-bar riffs using at most 4 notes and at least one rest. Choose the best 2, turn them into a 2-bar riff (question and answer), then double it an octave lower with a bass.

Pentatonic scales and the blues scale, Motif and motivic development, Call and response, Bass lines in pop, rock and funk, Arranging for guitar.