Hard rock guitar
Hard rock is built on the riff: a short, recognisable phrase the guitar repeats through the whole song. Below are the chords, scale, techniques and a riff you can hear, slow down and practise.
1960s90–150 BPMriffspentatonic
What is hard rock
Hard rock grew out of blues and rock and roll in the late 1960s. Loud amps, distortion, powerful drums and a riff at the centre of the song. Heavy metal and many other styles later grew out of it.
A hard rock guitarist plays riffs on power chords, often mixed with open bass strings, and long solos on the minor pentatonic. The main colours of a solo are bends, wide vibrato and fast legato.
Signature chords
A typical move is A5, G5, D5, A5: degrees I, ♭VII and IV. The chord a step below the root (♭VII) gives that classic rock sound. All of them are power chords, so they are easy to move around the neck.
Scale for soloing
The basis for soloing is the A minor pentatonic. Below it is shown from the 5th fret, the same position as the solo on this page.
Techniques
Open-string riff
The open fifth string (A) rings between the chords as an anchor, and the power chords move around it. A short muted hit on the open string makes the riff springy. Listen to the riff below.
Bend
A whole-step bend on the second string: G becomes A. In hard rock a bend is often held long with vibrato at the top. Tap the example to hear it.
Legato
Hammer-ons and pull-offs: the note is sounded by the fretting hand without a pick stroke, so fast phrases flow smoothly. The solo below has a pull-off on the third string, and the riff has a hammer-on.
Riff in the style
A5, a muted hit on the open A, G5, D5 and A5 again. In the second bar a short pentatonic lead-in with a hammer-on brings you back to A5. Play with confidence and keep the eighth notes even.
The examples use a clean tone. On records the guitar in this genre is usually distorted - add drive on your own amp or pedal.
Hard rock-style solo
A bend on the second string, a fast pentatonic descent with a pull-off, another bend and a long A with wide vibrato. Don’t rush the vibrato: let the note sing.
The riff opens as a draft: change notes, tempo and tracks however you like.
Open in RiffonicWhat to listen to
Listen to these songs and pay attention to what is described next to each one.
- Led Zeppelin - “Whole Lotta Love”. A riff on open strings and power chords that you recognise from the first notes: simple notes, a very dense sound.
- Deep Purple - “Smoke on the Water”. A riff in double stops: two strings at once moving in the same shape. One of the best-known riffs for beginners.
- AC/DC - “Back in Black”. A riff with gaps and open chords: the power here is in the silence between the hits.
Every riff and solo on this page is an original exercise in the style of the genre, not the notes of someone else’s song.
FAQ
How is hard rock different from metal?
Hard rock is closer to the blues: the riffs swing and the solos use the pentatonic with bends. Metal is heavier and faster and more often uses palm-muted riffs on the low strings and the natural minor.
What chords do you need for hard rock?
Power chords: A5, D5, E5, G5, C5 and their positions on the neck. Open chords such as A and D are sometimes added; with distortion they sound huge.
How do I learn hard rock solos?
Learn the minor pentatonic in 5th position, then whole-step bends and vibrato. Short phrases of 4-6 notes ending in a bend already sound like hard rock.