One riff in F mixolydian
The riff plays F on string 3 at fret 1, B♭ on string 4 at fret 1, A on string 3 at fret 5 and F on string 3 at fret 1, on one, two, the and of two and three.
A riff is a short musical idea, a few notes with a rhythm, that you repeat and move around. There are no rules for making one, and this is not a riff you need to learn. It is one of a million possible riffs, chosen because everything done to it here can be done to any riff, including your own. It uses four notes in Position 1: the root, up to the 4, down to the 3, and home. They fall on one, two, the and of two and three, and the last note rings to the end of the bar. Every note lies between frets 1 and 5, under your hand, and the riff changes string twice. The faint dots show the rest of the box, the same notes the scale page draws.
Moved with the changes
F rest · B♭ pull · A rest · F rest
C rest · F pass · E♭ rest · C rest
D rest · G pass · F rest · D rest
B♭ rest · E♭ pull · D rest · B♭ rest
Over F: F rest, B♭ pull, A rest, F rest. Over Cm: C rest, F pass, E♭ rest, C rest. Over Dm: D rest, G pass, F rest, D rest. Over B♭: B♭ rest, E♭ pull, D rest, B♭ rest.
In a key, the riff moves by scale degree rather than by fret. It keeps its contour but starts from each chord's root, in the same position, so its shape adjusts to the scale and every note stays in F mixolydian. A riff that moves always comes home, because its last note is the new chord's root. What changes is how the notes on the way there sit against each chord. Over F, B♭ leans. Over B♭, E♭ leans. Over Cm and Dm, nothing leans. On the necks, a dot with a tick marks a leaning note, and a diamond marks a note the box does not contain.
Held against the changes
| F 1 | B♭ 4 | A 3 | F 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F I | ● rest | ↓ pull | ● rest | ● rest |
| Cm v | ○ pass | ○ pass | ○ pass | ○ pass |
| Dm vi | ● rest | ↓ pull | ● rest | ● rest |
| B♭ IV | ● rest | ● rest | ○ pass | ● rest |
Over F: F rest, B♭ pull, A rest, F rest. Over Cm: F pass, B♭ pass, A pass, F pass. Over Dm: F rest, B♭ pull, A rest, F rest. Over B♭: F rest, B♭ rest, A pass, F rest.
You can also leave the riff where it is and let the chords move underneath it. Played this way, it does not always come home. Over Cm, the last note only passes. The F that passes over Cm becomes a note to rest on over F, Dm and B♭. The B♭ that passes over Cm becomes a note to rest on over B♭. The same four notes say something different over each of the four chords. Soloing works the same way, and the lesson is the same: always know which note you are on against the chord.
Four ways to turn it
Upside down plays F C D F. Backwards plays F A B♭ F. Up a step plays G C B♭ G. Backwards and upside down plays F D C F.
Each version keeps the rhythm and changes only the contour, the rise and fall of the notes. Upside down goes down wherever the riff went up. Backwards plays the same notes in reverse order. Up a step starts one scale degree higher and keeps the shape. Repeating an idea a step higher like this is called a sequence, and it makes a riff sound like it is developing rather than simply repeating.
Now play it
- Loop the riff over F until you can play it without looking.
- Move it with the changes. When Cm arrives, start it from the root of the v in the same box. When Dm arrives, start it from the root of the vi in the same box. When B♭ arrives, start it from the root of the IV in the same box. Bring it back when F returns, and say the name of each chord out loud as it arrives.
- Then answer it: play the riff, and play Backwards in the next bar. This is called call and response, and a great deal of soloing is built from it.
- Then do all of this to a riff of your own. Choose three or four notes you like and a rhythm you can tap, fit them into one bar, and then move the riff, hold it against the changes and turn it over.
A riff you can move is far more useful than one you can play in only one place. This particular riff does not matter. What matters is hearing the same few notes say something different over each chord, and knowing that you chose them before the chord arrived.