3 Blues Riffs You Need to Know (with TAB)

Hey, it’s James here from GoodGuitarist.com, and today I want to show you three essential blues riffs that every guitarist should have in their toolbox.

We’re going to look at:

• Green Onions by Booker T. & the M.G.’s
• Born Under a Bad Sign by Albert King
• How Many More Times by Led Zeppelin

But I don’t just want to hand you a few cool licks to memorize and forget in two weeks.

I want to show you what makes these riffs tick — how you can actually use them in songs, jam sessions, or even to create your own riffs.

🎵 Riff #1: Green Onions

This classic groove is simple but powerful. Play it all with downstrokes to keep that punchy tone consistent.

What makes it special:
It outlines the root, minor third, and fourth — the first three notes of the minor pentatonic scale. This little combo is everywhere:

• “Smoke on the Water”
• “Tush” by ZZ Top
• “TNT” by AC/DC

These three notes define the blues/rock guitar sound. Try starting on any fret, go up 3 frets, then 2 more. That’s it!

You can even double it up with 4ths (like in “Tush”) or 5ths for a bigger sound.

---

🎵 Riff #2: Born Under a Bad Sign

We’re using a movable 7th chord shape here — it’s like a C chord with one extra note added.
This riff can easily move around the fretboard. If your ring finger is at:

• 3rd fret = C
• 8th fret = F
• 10th fret = G

You’ve got your entire 12-bar blues covered.

Bonus tip:
This riff works on the low side of the root — a great way to explore new territory and break out of the “box shapes” you learned early on.

---

🎵 Riff #3: How Many More Times

This one builds from a simple power chord shape, adding just one note to turn it into a riff.

Why it matters:
This is your gateway to building bass lines and riffs that work great in jam sessions — especially when there’s no bassist around.

You’ll also find a bluesy chord stab at the end of the riff — it’s actually the same note (b3) from Green Onions but placed on the other side of the root. When you stack these shapes together, you’re basically building the core of the pentatonic sound.

---

💡 Quick Summary

These riffs are more than just cool licks:

• They show you how the minor pentatonic scale works
• They give you movable shapes to build riffs and chord progressions
• They help you think like a blues or rock rhythm guitarist

If you enjoy learning guitar with me, don’t forget to grab my free lead guitar ebook (link below) — it covers all the foundations of lead playing and includes tons of practical examples.

And if you’re ready to take your lead guitar skills to the next level, check out my course:

👉 The Complete Lead Guitarist – Included with the All-Access Pass

Have a fun time practicing — and I’ll see you soon!
– James