Stoner rock guitar
Stoner rock is loud grooving riffs, thick fuzz and a groove you cannot stand still to. Below are the chords, scale, techniques, a riff and a solo you can hear and slow down.
1990s100–150 BPME5–G5–A5fuzz
What is stoner rock
Stoner rock took shape in the early 1990s in the California desert, which is why it is also called desert rock. Kyuss took the weight and blues of early Black Sabbath and added punk drive, and Queens of the Stone Age later made the genre catchy and danceable.
Everything rests on the riff: open E hums like an engine, short phrases and power chords sound between its notes, and the phrase repeats until it sticks in your head. The bass plays the riff with the guitar, solos are short with wide bends. The tone is thick, loud and warm.
Signature chords
E5, G5, A5, C5 (i, ♭III, IV, ♭VI) are power chords on the thick strings. Open E hums between them, and at the end of the loop a chromatic walk down F sharp, F leads back to E. The move sounds heavy but upbeat.
Scale for soloing
The E blues scale suits the riffs and solos: minor pentatonic plus the "blue" B flat. In the riff it sits on the 6th fret of the sixth string; in the solo there are big bends in the 12th position.
Techniques
Riff on open E
The open sixth string is palm-muted and hums between the notes, with short phrases on top: G, A, the blue B flat. This pedal gives stoner rock its engine-like drive. Listen to the riff below.
Big bends
A whole-step bend with vibrato at the top. In stoner rock bends are wide and singing. Tap the example to hear the bend.
Grooving push
The power chords land in a 3+3+2 syncopation: hit, hit, short hit. Drums and bass play along with the guitar, and the riff starts to groove. Keep the muted notes even, like a metronome.
Stoner rock riff
The first bar is on open E with muted notes and the blue B flat, then syncopated G5, A5 and C5 power chords with short phrases and a chromatic walk back down to E. The bass plays the riff in unison. Play loud and 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.
Stoner rock solo
In the 12th position: a D-to-E bend, fast pentatonic phrases, a repeating howl between the first and second strings and a few repeated bends at the end. Start slow, then bring the tempo up.
Bass part
The bass plays the same riff as the guitar, only lower: E with the blue B flat, syncopations on G, A and C and a chromatic walk down to E. In stoner rock bass and guitar sound like one huge instrument.
The guitar plays the genre’s chords quietly underneath: switch it off with the "Guitar" button to hear the bass alone. Bass guitar exercises in the trainer →
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.
- Kyuss - “Green Machine”. Thick fuzz, a fast riff on the low strings and drive that came from punk.
- Queens of the Stone Age - “No One Knows”. A catchy riff that repeats and pulls you in, and a dry, tight guitar tone.
- Fu Manchu - “King of the Road”. A straight grooving riff and huge fuzz: stoner rock as road music.
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 stoner rock different from metal?
Stoner rock is closer to blues and classic rock: groove, fuzz and repeating riffs rather than speed and technique. The tone is warmer and more vintage, the solos shorter and more melodic.
What tuning is used in stoner rock?
Often a lowered one: D, C or even lower. Thick strings sound heavier. The example on this page is in standard tuning so you can play it right away.
What kind of distortion do you need?
Fuzz: thick, hairy, with lots of low end. An overdrive turned up almost all the way also works. What matters is a loud, dense sound.