As guitarists, we know we should spend our time perfecting our understanding of harmony, our command of rhythm and our knowledge of scales and modes but we often skip all of that stuff in favor of focusing on the hooks, riffs and licks that power our favorite songs. And why not? The riffs are usually the best part of the songs and even if they are only 9 or 10 notes long they are the bits of the song that everyone knows and responds to. I used to think the most popular song of all time would be the one that just strings together all the best licks and riffs together into one all-encompassing Hook Song, but here are some examples that show that while that exercise is entertaining and amazing to see, the most satisfying guitar music is played by musicians who know how to bring harmony, rhythm and melody into a complete package. Oh, well, it looks like there is no getting away from practicing.
The purest form of my Hook Song idea is this clip of Alex Chadwick using 100 famous guitar riffs to tell a brief history of rock and roll. He played all 100 in one take, which is a pretty neat trick. (For a look at the complete songlist and a look at his gear go to 100riffs.com.)
Phil Baugh was one of the hottest country guitar pickers in the 1960s and 1970s. He played with Ray Price’s band starting in 1969 and in the 1970s he was a fixture in the Nashville studio scene. In 1965 he had a hit with “Country Guitar,” where he played the licks of famous players like Les Paul, Billy Byrd and Merle Travis.
Chris Spedding is an English session player who seemed to turn up on every other record made in London in the 1970s and 1980s. He produced the Sex Pistols’ first demos, appeared on Harry Nilsson’s wonderful LP Nilsson Schmilsson, and played his Flying V in The Wombles, England’s answer to the Banana Splits. “Guitar Jamboree,” was his riff-laden tribute his musical heroes including Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, Pete Townshend and Jeff Beck, among many others.
Bill Kirchen first made his name as the lead guitarist on Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen’s great version of “Hot Rod Lincoln.” After he went solo, Kirchen continued to play the song but over time he has turned it into a tour de force tribute to the riffs of his favorite guitar players. You Tele players out there should pay attention to how Kirchen has set up his guitar. He flipped the control plate around and switched the position of the volume and tone controls, which puts the volume right under his finger, making volume swells a piece of cake. He uses that technique to great effect in this version of the song.
Mike Rayburn describes himself as the world’s funniest guitar virtuoso and I have to admit he is very amusing and he’s a great player. On”Hang the Jury” he describes trying to pass a classical guitar exam when he was in school and plays a piece of music that shows the rock guitar world is not the only realm that produces memorable riffs.
