Riff no 1

in the style of Robert Johnson

° # 12 nœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& 8 b œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ J
J J
œ J
J J
G 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
D 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
¢⁄ G 0 0

3
° #
nnœœ œœ œœ œœ b œœ œœ nnœœ œœ b œœ
&
œœ œœ nœœ Ó™
œ J
J J J J
10 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 10 10 9 10
9 9 9 9 8 8 8 8 9 9 8 9
¢⁄ 0

Starting with an easy one. This riff, typical of what Robert Johnson would
have done on Kind Hearted Woman, uses tritones and a triplet/shuffle feel
to create and resolve tension, setting up a shift to the IV chord (The
double stop on the 8th and 9th frets is the tritone in the C7 chord).

© LearnCigarBoxGuitar.com
 Riff no 2
The "I'm A Man" Riff

°
& ¢
#° ™™128 œj ‰ œj œj ‰ œj œj ‰ j œœ nb œœj œj ‰ œj œj ‰ œj œj ‰ j œœ nb œœj ™™ ü
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ b œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ b œ †
G ° ™™ 00 0 0 0 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 5 3 ™™ ü
0 0 0 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 5 3
¢ ⁄ DG ¢ 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 3 †

This classic will be known to many but I just couldn't leave it out.s

© LearnCigarBoxGuitar.com
 Riff No 3
"I'm a Man" variation

° # 12 j j j
& 8 œj ‰ œj œj ‰ œj œj ‰ œj œœbœ nœJ œ ‰ œj œj ‰ œj œj ‰ œj œœbœ nœJ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
G 5 3 4 5 3 4
D 0 0 2 2 0 0 5 5 0 2 2 0 0 5
¢⁄ G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

3
° # j j j j
& œ ‰ œj œj ‰ œj œj ‰ œj œœ bœ nœJ œ ‰ œj œj ‰ œj œj ‰ œj œœ bœ nœJ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
5 3 4 5 3 4
5 0 2 2 0 0 5 5 0 2 2 0 0 5
¢⁄ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

This variation on the classic "I'm a Man" riff was used in Muddy Water's version, Mannish Boy.
The main lick, although used at the end of the bar here can be thrown in just about anywhere.

© LearnCigarBoxGuitar.com
 Riff no 4
Crossroads/Terraplane Blues/Phonograph Blues....

° #°
nnœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰ œœ œœ ‰ j ™™ ü†
™™128nœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰ œœ œœ ‰
& ¢ j
œ J
J J J bœ œ J J J J bœ
G ° ™™ 10 10 10 10 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 9 9 10 ™ ü
¢ ⁄ DG ¢ 0
9 9 9 9 9 9 9
3 0
9 9 9 9 9 9 9
3
™†

This basic idea was used in Crossroads, Terraplane Blues and a stack of others. The
movement from the flat 7 to the 6 note was often played as a rhytmic figure in the bass,
Johnson got it from listening to the boogie-woogie piano players in his many travels. It
would eventually make it's way to Chuck Berry's playing and now everybody does it. Here
he's using it up the neck as a fill between his vocal lines.

© LearnCigarBoxGuitar.com
 Riff no 5
Death Letter Blues / Little Red Rooster

° #° œ œ œ œ
™™44 ™™ ü
& ¢ nb œœ œ ‰ j nb œœ œ ‰ j †
œ bœ œ bœ
G ° ™™ 3 0 12 3 0 12 ™™ ü
3 3
¢ ⁄ DG ¢ 0 3 0 3 †

Most of the riffs in this package are in 12/8 time, giving them a triplet/shuffle feel.
This one is a straight 4/4, typical of Son House and one of the things that drives
his playing so hard, more like a Rock player would. He played it in a few different
tunes, most notably in Death Letter Blues. Wille Dixon (no saint himself apparently)
stole it and turned it into a shuffle in his classic Little Red Rooster.s

© LearnCigarBoxGuitar.com
 Riff No 6
Elmore James

°
& ¢
#° ™™128 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ b œ œj j ‰ j j ‰ j j ‰ j ™™ ü
œ œ œ œ œ œ †
œ œ œ œ œ œ
G ° ™™ 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 3 0 ™ ü
¢ ⁄ DG ¢ 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 2
0
2 0
0 0
0 2
0 0
2
0
™†

This classic from Elmore James switches from a triplet feel to a classic shuffle in the bottom
end in much the same way that Robert Johnson would in his intros. This is a whole lot
simpler and more suited to the electric guitar. This riff is used by slide players more than
probably any other. It's easy enough on the 6 string but the big jump back to the 3rd fret on
a 3 string will take some practice.

© LearnCigarBoxGuitar.com
 Riff No 7
Catfish Blues

° # ° 12 j j ü
& ¢ ™™ 8 œj ‰ ‰ œj ‰ ‰ œj ‰ j œ b œ œb œ œ n œj ‰ ‰ œj ‰ ‰ œj ‰ j œ b œ œb œ œ ™™ †
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
1/2 1/2

G °™ 5 5 3 0 5 5 3 0 ™™ ü
¢⁄ D
G ¢™ 0
0
0
0
0
0 0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0 †

This riff probably pre-dates the blues itself. Certainly the song, Catfish Blues was played
long before anyone got a chance to record it. If you listen closely you can hear how it's
related to what we now call the "I'm A Man" riff that you learned earlier. The trick with this
one is the quick release back to the tonic after you bend up to the flat 5 devil's note.

© LearnCigarBoxGuitar.com
 Riff No 8
Rollin' and Tumblin'

° #° 4 ü
& ¢ ™™ 4 b œ ™ œ nœ œ œ œ ‰ j b œ ™ œ nœ œ œ œ ‰ j ™™ †
œ œ
G °™ 3 0 0 3 0 3 0 0 3 0 ™™ ü
¢⁄ D
G ¢™ 3
0
3
0 †

Another old song that did the rounds early on. This one is from Muddy Waters' playing
and simplified for the 3 string. You'll hear similar ideas on Robert Johnson's
Travelling Riverside Blues.

© LearnCigarBoxGuitar.com
 Riff No 9
John Lee Hooker

° #° 12 Œ ™ œ nœJ œ b œ œ j œ j j ü
& ¢ ™™ 8 J nœ ‰ œ œ bœ ™ œ œ ™™ †

G °™ 7 10 5 3 0 3 5 ™™ ü
¢⁄ D
G ¢™ 3 5 5 5 5
†

The great John Lee Hooker used this one a lot, most notably in Dimples it's also very
similar to Boom Boom. It's a classic minor pentatonic boogie style riff that's used every
time you think of the great man.

© LearnCigarBoxGuitar.com
 Riff No 10
The JimMy Reed Turnaround

° # 12 j j
& 8 Œ nœ
j œ œj œ œ
j œ œj œ œ œ œ j œ j b œ nœj ˙ ™
bœ nœ œ œ

G
D 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 0 5
¢⁄ G 5 3 4 0 5 6 7

Jimmy Reed was one of the great Chicago Blues players and this riff typifies the influence
that he had on this style of guitar playing.

© LearnCigarBoxGuitar.com