100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Thanks for supporting our 100% NZ-owned independent bookstore ❤️ Overnight NZ-wide Delivery 🚀

How to Write Guitar Riffs

Create and Play Great Hooks for Your Songs
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
How to Write Guitar Riffs explores the art and craft of guitar riffs, those infectious guitar phrases that captivate listeners and musicians alike. In its third updated edition, Rikky Rooksby identifies 30 riff types, illustrated by 150 examples spanning legends like Howlin Wolf, Black Sabbath, and the White Stripes. The book offers 56 audio tracks plus notation and TAB for 40 original riffs. Readers learn the relationship between riffs and scales, modes, and chords, gain practical guitar and arranging tips, and enjoy an exclusive interview with John Paul Jones, renowned bassist and arranger.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$6718
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for guitarists seeking to deepen their understanding of riff construction, music enthusiasts interested in riff-based songwriting, and aspiring musicians wanting practical guidance on riff writing and arranging.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

This book now in its third and updated edition digs deep into the world of the guitar riff, identifying 30 distinct types and illustrating them with reference to 150 examples.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Countless great songs are based on riffs—catchy guitar phrases that repeat until they’re seared into your brain forever—or snappy chord sequences as memorable as any melody. Riffs get people excited, whether they are musicians or listeners. Advertising agencies use riffs on television, internet videos, and cinema trailers. Riffs sell concert tickets, guitars, and downloads. YouTube is full of guitarists playing riffs.

How to Write Guitar Riffs, now in its third and updated edition, digs deep into the world of the guitar riff, identifying 30 distinct types and illustrating them with reference to 150 examples: from Howlin' Wolf to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Chuck Berry to Limp Bizkit, the Kinks to the Strokes, Black Sabbath to the White Stripes, Coldplay, and Kings of Leon.

The book includes 56 tracks of audio, illustrating all types of riffs covered, plus notation and TAB for 40 original example riffs composed by the author. In the book, you can:

  • Trace the connections between riff types and the scales, modes, or chords from which they’re drawn.
  • Learn the guitar tips and arranging techniques to get the best from your riffs.
  • Read an exclusive interview with Led Zeppelin and Them Crooked Vultures bassist John Paul Jones, a multi-instrumentalist, writer, and arranger with 50 years of experience in riff-based music.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781493061099

Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 December 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Backbeat Books

Edition: 3rd Revised edition

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 190.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 560g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Rikky Rooksby is a guitar teacher, songwriter/composer, and writer on popular music. He is the author of How to Write Songs on Guitar (2000, revised 2009, 2020), Inside Classic Rock Tracks (2001), Riffs (2002, revised 2010, 2021), The Songwriting Sourcebook (2003, revised 2011), Chord Master (2004, revised 2016), Melody (2004), Songwriting Secrets: Bruce Springsteen (2005), How to Write Songs on Keyboards (2005), Lyrics (2006, revised 2021), Arranging Songs (2007), How to Write Songs in Altered Guitar Tunings (2010), and Songs and Solos (2014). He has also written fourteen Fast Forward guitar books and transcribed and arranged over forty chord songbooks of music, including The Complete Beatles. He has written entries on rock musicians for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and published interviews, reviews, and transcriptions in many UK music magazines. He is a member of the Society of Authors, Sibelius One, and the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society. Visit his website at www.rikkyrooksby.com for more information.

Also by Rikky Rooksby

View all
  • Chord Master
    Chord Master is a chord dictionary with a difference. Rather than just show chord shapes—which are all there in the Chord Matrix—a large portion of the book explains how to use chords, with information about the theory behind them, and attempts to answer the questions guitarists often have about chord shapes. Also, it presents usable groups of chords for beginners...
    Paperback
    $6011
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • How to Write Chord Sequences
    Originally published in 2003, the revised and updated third edition of The Songwriting Sourcebook is the third entry in Rikky Rooksby's bestselling How to Write Songs series. This easy-to-use book will help you write better songs by explaining the art of writing effective chord sequences. It shows: • How three and four chords can lay the foundation for a simple...
    Paperback
    $5540
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • How to Write Songs on Keyboards
    This book helps both keyboard and guitar players to find and develop interesting chords and chord sequences on a keyboard, and then use them to write their own songs. Rather than trying to teach intricate pieces of music, the book breaks things down into a simpler style and concentrates on basic chords and ideas, starting with a simple three-chord song...
    Paperback
    $8487
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • How to Write Lyrics
    Lyrics sheds light on all aspects of writing lyrics for music and will make lyricists and songwriters feel more confident and creative when they tackle lyrics. It's perfect for all songwriters: those who don’t like their own lyrics and find lyrics difficult to write, experienced writers looking for a creative edge, and those offering lyrics to set to music in...
    Paperback
    $6718
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • How to Write Songs on Guitar
    You want to write songs, and you want to write them on guitar. This updated twentieth-anniversary third edition of the bestselling songwriting handbook shows you how. Learn the techniques and tricks used in two thousand great songs by everyone from the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and David Bowie to Kings of Leon, U2, Amy Winehouse, and Ed Sheeran. Explore and understand...
    Paperback
    $6718
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • How to Write Melodies
    Melody is the true heart of music—the identity of a composition, the vessel that carries the lyrics, the tune that you keep whistling on your way home from a concert. Composing melodies is often thought of as a mysterious process—a lightning bolt of inspiration delivered by the songwriter's muse—but in fact, melody is an art that can be learned, honed,...
    Paperback
    $5657
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Lyrics
    This new title in the best-selling Songwriting series offers a wealth of fresh ideas on all aspects of lyric writing and includes a handy rhyming dictionary. It is suitable for novices as well as professionals. The lyric of a song is the dimension where the emotion of the music finds a specific focus and expression. Lyrics inscribe the meanings of...
    Paperback
    $6011
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Songs and Solos
    This guidebook teaches songwriters exactly how to create awesome solos that will really help their material stand out. Based on the study of nearly 900 songs from six decades of great music, it explains the musical role played by solos, illustrates which notes work over any chord sequence, and offers a comprehensive range of hints and tips for creating instrumental...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Arts & Culture

View all
  • Dylan's Pick
    Bold Types
    A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...
    Hardback
    $5999
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    New Release
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Did I Ever Tell You This?
    In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion. By his own account, his...
    Paperback
    $3799
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    Hardback
    $7299
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • They Bloom Because of You
    Bestselling author and Instagram sensation Jessica Urlichs returns with a new collection of beautifully observed poems about the ever-evolving journey of motherhood - the hard, the magic and the fleeting. ‘A raw and honest read that makes you feel seen and understood in a way that will bring you to tears.’ - Hilary Swank ‘A book to keep close and...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Odyssey
    Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Leaves of Grass
    A collectible new Penguin Classics series offers beautiful, slim, clothbound editions of ten favourite poets. In 1855, Walt Whitman published his first collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass. The volume received great praise from leading Transcendentalist poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. This encouragement led to what would become a lifelong project, as Whitman expanded and rewrote the volume until his death...
    Hardback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    30% off
    Great Writers and the Cats who Owned Them
    Throughout history, cats and writers have bonded together in a magical combination of comfort, companionship and inspiration. The famous authors featured here range from Samuel Johnson, whose cat Hodge dined on oysters, and Edward Lear, whose charismatic cat Foss was missing half his tail, to Margaret Mitchell, L. M. Montgomery and Dorothy L. Sayers, who rescued her kitten Blitz from...
    Hardback
    $2800
    Usually:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Beautiful Chaos
    The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller Selected poems from bestselling author and Instagram poet, Jessica Urlichs. 'These words awaken the magic of life by celebrating the ordinary.' - Giovanna Fletcher Motherhood is messy and beautiful, and hard and humbling. We adore our children and sometimes we miss ourselves. Beautiful Chaos is a collection of raw, honest poems about motherhood, capturing everything...
    Paperback
    $2900
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Wreck This Journal: Now in Colour
    The creative journey continues with Wreck This Journal: Now in Colour by Keri Smith, the latest and most vibrant edition of the groundbreaking series that redefined journaling. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, this edition brings the playful destructiveness of the original to life in dazzling full colour, adding a dynamic new dimension to the beloved prompts. Whether you're a seasoned Wreck-er,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Thousand Feasts
    THE INSTANT #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER From award-winning writer Nigel Slater, comes a new and exquisitely written collection of notes, memoir, stories and small moments of joy. 'Nigel Slater’s prose is the rarest delicacy of all: exquisite yet effortless, filled with heart, tenderness, yearning and humour' ELIZABETH DAY For years, Nigel Slater has kept notebooks of curiosities and wonderings, penned...
    Paperback
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Moonwalk
    Moonwalk is Michael Jackson's one and only autobiography, offering insight into the King of Pop's life in his own words. This is the only book Michael Jackson ever wrote about his life. It chronicles his humble beginnings in the Midwest, his early days with the Jackson 5, and his unprecedented solo success. Providing unrivalled insight into the King of Pop's...
    Paperback
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.