The Riff

You can build the riff around the melody of your song. Or you can build the riff around the chords. However you do it, the riff is the part of the song that should be memorable to your listener. Also called the hook, it is the part that highlights the chorus.

Famous riff examples:



Now let's try to make a simple riff based on the chords below. We will be using the notes of the chords to build this riff. You can also use the notes around the chords in the given scale.


Am F Am G