This is the more advanced riff in the Beginners Blues Riff Chorus series, and it builds directly on the E minor riff with chromatic passing notes covered in the companion lesson. If you haven’t worked through that one yet, start there — this riff uses the same shapes and the same scale, just with more detail and a few extra moves at the end.
The theory behind this riff can get complex, but you don’t need to understand all of it to play it well. It comes out of the E pentatonic minor scale, reaches into the second position, and uses minor third intervals — two-note harmonies that sometimes stack into three-note triads.
The Starting Shape
Set up with your third finger on the 4th fret of the third string and your second finger on the 3rd fret of the second string. The first string stays open. That’s three strings — third, second, and first — and you’re essentially fretting a small chord.
There’s a reason for using the third and second fingers here instead of the first and second. It sets your hand up for wrist movements you’ll need later — especially if you decide to move forward with more advanced material. The fingering might feel awkward at first, but it pays off down the road.
The picking sequence is the same one from the companion lesson: down, down, down, up. Third string down, second string down, first string down, then back up to the second string. The trick is getting all three notes to ring out clean — no muted strings, no buzzing. Think of it like fretting a chord where every note needs to sing.
Walking the Shape Down
Once you’ve got the starting position ringing clearly, move the whole shape down one fret. Keep the open first string droning — that E is your anchor throughout the riff.
You’re descending chromatically through three positions: 4th and 3rd frets, then 3rd and 2nd, then 2nd and 1st. Each position gets the same down-down-down-up picking pattern. The movement from the 4th fret shape down to the 2nd fret shape walks right through that flat five — the chromatic passing note between A and B that’s been a staple of blues guitar since the beginning.
The Ending
The last few notes finish the riff off nicely. Pick the open third string, then hammer on with your first finger to the 1st fret — that G sharp is another chromatic passing note, sitting right between the natural seven and the octave. It needs to ring clearly, so bring your finger down firm and hold it.
Here’s why the first finger does that hammer-on: it lines up perfectly with an E or E7 chord shape. While that G sharp is still ringing, you can drop your remaining fingers into position and strum the chord to close things out. Slide into it with a little bit of the seventh and the whole riff sounds like it’s been part of your playing for years.
Getting Creative With Timing
Colin mentions there are many different timings you can apply to this riff, and he’s not exaggerating. Double up the picking pattern, change the rhythm, add a slide up to the starting position instead of just placing your fingers — the structure stays the same but the feel changes completely.
You’ll hear this kind of chromatic minor-third movement in Clapton’s playing with Cream, in Henry Garza’s work with the Lost Lonely Boys, and across classic blues and rock. It’s one of those patterns that sounds sophisticated but only uses three strings and a handful of frets.
If you’re ready to explore how these shapes connect to your arpeggio knowledge, or want to take your pentatonic playing further with major and minor scale combinations, those are natural next steps from here.