The Smoke on the Water intro riff is one of the most recognized guitar riffs ever — and one of the most commonly played wrong. Most people use regular power chords, but Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore actually played it with inverted fifths.
The difference is subtle but matters. After watching Blackmore play it, Colin breaks down how the original was actually done.
Smoke On The Water Tab – Intro Riff
Watch on YouTube
Why Most People Play It Wrong
The common way: power chords with the root on the 6th string, fifth on the 5th string. It sounds okay, but it’s not what Blackmore played.
The real way: inverted fifths — two notes on adjacent strings at the same fret. You’re playing the fifth and fourth strings together, or the fourth and third strings together. The notes are the same, just voiced differently.
The Positions
Here’s how it breaks down:
- G — 5th and 4th strings at the 5th fret (or open 4th and 3rd strings)
- Bb — 4th and 3rd strings at the 3rd fret
- C — 4th and 3rd strings at the 5th fret
- C# — 4th and 3rd strings at the 6th fret
The riff: G → Bb → C, G → Bb → C# → C, G → Bb → C → Bb → G
Fingering Tip
It looks like you’re fretting more strings than you’re playing — that’s fine. Just make sure you’re only striking the two strings that matter. Don’t let extra fingers fool you into hitting the wrong strings.
You can also play the opening G interval on the open 3rd and 4th strings. It’s technically the same notes, just a slightly different tone.
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