Here’s a few simplified rock riffs to start you off. In most cases they have been simplified to make them easier for youngsters to play so if you are looking for an exact copy of how Ritchie Blackmore plays Smoke on the Water, its not here! Buy the sheet music or go to UG where you will find it!

Hope you enjoy these, more to follow over the next few weeks! They are arranged in some sort of order of difficulty with the easiest one nearer the top but thats a bit subjective. If you practice hard enough you’ll succeed.

They are broken into 5 groups in terms of ease. Most are repeating rock riffs so you will see the same thing repeated. Try to play to a drum beat (easy to find on Youtube!) as that will make them sound cooler and improve your playing. DON”T FORGET TO SEARCH FOR THE SONG BPM!!! ( Beats per minute)

Level 1 

Queen – Under pressure

Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water

B52’s – Planet Claire

The Blues Brothers – Peter Gunn

Cream – Sunshine of your love

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Heard it through the grapevine

Fleetwood Mac – The Chain

The Rolling Stones – Satisfaction

Level 2 

The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army

Bob Marley – Redemption Song

Cheap Trick – Clock Strikes Ten

Judas Priest – Breaking the Law

Golden Earring – Radar Love

Gary Clarke jr – When my Train pulls in

Led Zeppelin – Bring it on home

Roy Orbison – Pretty Woman

The Beatles – Day Tripper

Level 3 

Black Sabbath – Iron Man

Booker T – Green Onions

John Lee Hooker – Boom Boom

Metallica – Enter Sandman

Pink Floyd – Money

REM – Everybody Hurts

The Byrds – Hey Mr Tambourine man

The Doors – Roadhouse Blues

The LA’s – There she goes

Level 4

Adele – Someone like you

AC/DC – Back in Black 

B52’s – Rock Lobster

Nirvana – Come as you are

Queen – Another one bites the dust

The Beatles – Hey Jude

The Beatles – Yellow Submarine

The Clash – Bankrobber

Level 5

Aerosmith and Run DMC – Walk this way

Bo Diddley – Roadrunner

Boston – More than a feeling

Deep Purple – Black Night

ZZ Top – El Diablo

Level 6

Foo Fighters – Monkey Wrench

Guns ‘n’ Roses – Sweet child ‘o Mine

Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven ( vocal melody)

Van Halen – Aint talking about love