Writing your own riffs with the drop D tuning can be fun and open up new creative ideas. Here I’ve compiled a collection of my own riffs created using drop D tuning. Try coming up with your own!
1. Tuning to drop d allows you to play one-finger power chords. Just barre your 1st finger on the bottom 3 strings and you’ve got an easy-to-move power chord pattern.
One-finger power chords are what I used to create the riff below. Turn up the distortion and apply a heavy palm mute to get a heavy sound:
2. Here’s a riff that sounds best with a clean tone. It can be fingerpicked or you can use a pick. Either way.
3. This is another riff built for distortion.
4. Use a clean tone for this one. Let all of the notes ring out. You should notice the string skipping.
5. This one sounds best on an acoustic. We’re using all six strings for a nice fat sound.
6. Since we’re letting the notes ring out on this riff, it’s best to go for a clean tone.
7. Power chords+distortion=heavy riffing.
8. Here’s a little fun with harmonics.
9. I call this the rolling riff.
10. Here’s a moving bass line (low notes) with a moving melody (high E string).
Say, do you want all 10 of the riffs from above in a snazzy PDF file? Here you go: drop-d-riffs PDF