Is Smoke on the Water hard to play guitar?

The number one way to make you sound most authentic when playing the riif, is to ditch the pick and play with your thumb!

There is a gritty muffled tone to this riff and the majority of it comes from playing it with your thumb. You don’t need a late 60’s Stratocaster or JCM Marshall to get close to this tone.

When I first learnt this from Ritchie, it was like night and day from playing with a pick.

The riff is played at the 5th fret on the A and D strings. Then the 3rd fret on the D and G strings. Up to the 5th fret on the D and G strings, then repeats with a slide from the 6th fret to the 5th fret, then reapeats, with the end of the riff ending 3 fret D & G 5th Fret A & D.

Why is no mystery. The opening riff is catchy, fun to rock out to and perfect to feel that you’re finally carrying a tune and not just mucking about. You probably felt so awesome the first time you figured it out that -much to your family’s dismay- there was nothing else you would play for a while. But for that single moment in which you discover that playing guitar IS fun and not just work-work-work is that this riff deserves our upmost respect.

The original opening riff to Smoke on the Water (that ubiquitous “Dun dun DUN dun dun da dun. Dun dun DUN da dun”) is done mostly using a six-string guitar’s G string. However, we figured out a way to easily emulate the sound on your Loog Guitar and well, created a step-by-step booklet explaining exactly how to play it.

You can download the PDF booklet from here. Trust us – even if you’ve NEVER played a single chord, these instructions will do the trick. Just pick up your Loog and try it out. It’s got pictures, it’s got diagrams and it’s got instructions leading every single step of the way. In just under 10 minutes you’ll be rocking out and joining the “Smoke on the Water was my first song on guitar” club.

And if it’s your kid who’s going to be playing this for the first time, don’t worry. The 10 minute mark still stands. Here’s the download link again. Learn how to play Smoke on the Water on your Loog Guitar and start rocking out!

In this series of articles, you’ll learn to play your first five guitar riffs. Each one of these five riffs is easy to learn and fun to play. Most importantly, each riff represents a small win. With each victory, you’ll begin building momentum for success. After all, success is built on creating and celebrating small wins every day, whether it’s in the classroom or on the guitar.

Your kid can get a black belt in rock, too!

REGISTER TODAY!

What’s a Guitar Riff, Anyways?

Riffs are the short, repeated musical phrases that keep you coming back again and again to your favorite songs. From Suzie Q to Seven Nation Army, a great guitar riff can grab you by the scruff of the neck and pull you all in! Riffs are great to learn on the guitar because they’re often easy to play, instantly recognizable, and immediately rewarding.

Riff #2: Sounds Like Smoke on the Water

If you’re just getting started on the guitar, then this riff that sounds like Smoke on the Water is the perfect starting point. Released in 1972 by the legendary English hard rock band, Deep Purple, Smoke on the Water was ranked the fourth greatest guitar riff of all time by Total Guitar magazine.

Smoke on the Water is known for it’s opening guitar riff written by Richie Blackmore. According to Blackmore, the riff is an interpretation of Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven. “I owe him a lot of money,” Blackmore said. 

How Do I Read Guitar Tab?

Guitar tablature—more commonly known as guitar tab—is a simple way for guitarists to learn how to play chords, melodies, and songs. If you write original music, it’s also a great way to communicate your musical ideas to other musicians.

The horizontal lines represent the guitar strings, and the numbers represent the frets. The most challenging aspect of reading guitar tab is the string order because it’s counter-intuitive. The low E-string is at the bottom and the high E-string is at the top.

SIGN YOUR KIDS UP FOR FREE ONLINE GUITAR LESSONS

Sign up for 3 FREE mini-courses delivered to your inbox. Based on our award-winning system, these free online guitar lessons for kids (aged 6-12) will have your kids sounding great on guitar immediately. They will become familiar with the guitar, learn the notes, and play their first power chord! All for free! Sign up today.

This is known as the first song a guitar player should play. We’re playing a single note, 1-string version of the classic Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple. It’s a super easy electric guitar song for beginners.

Yours truly! Will Ripley (Campfire Guitar Star)

Reading tab

We have a guitar that is set up, in tune, we know the names of the strings – It’s time to rock & roll!  I’m going to show you a riff and we’re also going to learn how to read tab.

*Tablature (or “tab” for short) – is a form of musical notation for stringed instruments. It’s far from perfect because most tab doesn’t show you which fingers to use or what rhythms to play – but it does tell you what notes to play and in what order!

Things to Know

e|—————————————–|
B|—————————————–|
G|—————————————–|

D|—————————————–|
A|—————————————–|
E|—————————————–|

1. Tab shows you exactly what notes/frets to play and in what order to play them – it’s a very powerful tool to have as a guitarist.
2. Each line represents each string (6 lines on tab – and there are 6 strings!)
3. ( E – A – D – G – B – e) – The capital letters and lowercase letters will help you know which is the “big” string and which is the “little” string.
4. “0” represents playing an open string. You can think of the letter “o” for “open”
5. Tab tells us the sequence of the song/riff and we read it left to right (just like reading a book!)
6. The low E string (biggest string) is the bottom line of a tab diagram. It may seem like you’re reading tab like your guitar is “upside down and backwards”
7. The numbers on the lines represent the frets  (The frets are the raised metal strips on the fingerboard). The numbers don’t have anything to do with your fingers. The numbers tell you exactly where to put your fingers!
8. Tab does not show you which fingers to use – You have to use common sense and your best judgement when placing your fingers on the guitar. Try to find the most “economical” way to place your fingers when reading tab so you utilize ALL your necessary fingers. (Many beginners are inclined to only use 1 finger for riffs)

Caption: Tab may be written as if you’re holding your guitar “upside down and backwards”!

Tab Combined With Musical Notation:

In professional music publications, and in the back of guitar magazines, you will often see notes or rhythmic notation in conjunction with tab. This takes tab a step closer to being “perfect” because a person that has the ability to read music can be hugely assisted with the rhythmic placement of the notes.

Here’s an example of the C Major scale written out in tab with accompanying musical notation.  The time signature, found on the left, is 4/4, so each black note gets one beat.  The last note, pictured with the open center, means it gets 2 beats, completing the bar.

Smoke On The Water – A Great “First Riff” For A Beginner Guitar Player

“Smoke on the Water” was written and released by Deep Purple in 1972.  The famous riff was played on a Fender Stratocaster by guitar legend, Ritchie Blackmore.

It’s also known as “the first song you learn on guitar”. We’re going to stay true to that tradition and get you having some fun right off the bat!

To start off, we’re going to learn this song as a “bass line” or a “single-note riff” on the guitar. The actual song is played in a different key and utilizes 2 strings at the same time so this is a beginner version.

Tips On Playing This Riff:

1. Look up “Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple” and have a listen so you can become familiar with the riff. This will help you play it so it doesn’t sound like random notes.
2. Read the notes, one at a time, left to right.
3. When placing the tips of your fingers on the frets, play very close to the frets (play right “above” the fret). This will help eliminate unwanted fret buzz.
4. Bonus Tip – Once you master the riff on the low E string, try out the same riff on each one of the 6 strings. This will “transpose” the riff into a different key and give you some practice playing on different strings.

e|—————————————–|
B|—————————————–|
G|—————————————–|

D|—————————————–|
A|—————————————–|
E|—0–3–5–0–3–6–5–0–3–5–3–0—-|

Congrats on your very first guitar riff!

Thanks for checking out the video and article of Super Easy Electric Guitar Songs For Beginners | Smoke On The Water . 

If you like what you see, get access to our full length, free beginner guitar course “5 Minute Guitar” at http://www.CampfireGuitarStar.com/starthere 

And check out our other guitar products like our 1-on-1 webcam lessons, books, courses and more at https://www.campfireguitarstar.com/products-services/ 

Is Smoke on the Water riff hard?

Is Smoke on the Water a good riff?