How to build complex-sounding riffs from simple concepts

Guitar riffs are like any other musical exercise; practicing them can be a terrific means of building manual dexterity and improving your overall playing technique. We can say of riffs, then, that they are not so much about rote repetition as making available to the guitarist new and different ways of playing. Every new riff you learn will make you a more able and versatile guitarist and better equip you to stay away from rock clichés. In this installment from his Riff of the Week series, Dave Weiner explains a method for building complex-sounding riffs from simple concepts. For more information, or to get started building your own complex riffs on your own guitar, watch this free video guitar lesson.