In this series of guitar lessons for kids, you’ll learn to play your first five guitar riffs. Each one of these five riffs is easy to learn and fun to play. Most importantly, each riff represents a small win. With each victory, you’ll begin building momentum for success. After all, success is built on creating and celebrating small wins every day, whether it’s in the classroom or on the guitar.
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What’s a Guitar Riff, Anyways?
Riffs are the short, repeated musical phrases that keep you coming back again and again to your favorite songs. From Suzie Q to Seven Nation Army, a great guitar riff can grab you by the scruff of the neck and pull you all in! Riffs are great to learn on the guitar because they’re often easy to play, instantly recognizable, and immediately rewarding.
Guitar Lesson for Kids #3: Sounds Like Seven Nation Army
Written and produced in 2003 by Jack White of the White Stripes, Seven Nation Army is undeniably one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time! The recording features Jack White on a semi-acoustic guitar played through a Whammy Pedal lowered one octave. After Jack White wrote the signature riff of Seven Nation Army, he showed it to his friend, Ben Swank, who said, “It’s OK.”
Jack White later said, “I didn’t think the rhythm was that great, either.” If there’s a lesson to be gleaned from Seven Nation Army’s humble beginnings, it’s this: “Kids, save your guitar riffs. Even if you or your friends don’t like them. You never know when one of them will break through and reach millions!”
In this case, Seven Nation Army has become a sports anthem across the world. For example, FIFA named it the official song of the 2018 World Cup and Rolling Stones ranked it the 21st on its list of 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.
How Do I Read Guitar Tab?
Guitar tablature—more commonly known as guitar tab—is a simple way for guitarists to learn how to play chords, melodies, and songs. If you write original music, it’s also a great way to communicate your musical ideas to other musicians.
The horizontal lines represent the guitar strings, and the numbers represent the frets. The most challenging aspect of reading guitar tab is the string order because it’s counter-intuitive. The low E-string is at the bottom and the high E-string is at the top.
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Sign up for 3 FREE mini-courses delivered to your inbox. Based on our award-winning system, these free online guitar lessons for kids (aged 6-12) will have your kids sounding great on guitar immediately. They will become familiar with the guitar, learn the notes, and play their first power chord! All for free! Sign up today.
