SRV Guitar Licks: Pride and Joy Closing Riff (Part 3)

We’ve made it to part 3, boys and girls. You’ve learned chromatic pass notes. You’ve practiced hammer-ons and pull-offs. Now it’s time to put it all together with one of the most iconic SRV riffs ever recorded — the Pride and Joy closing lick. This is the move that ends the song and leaves your audience wanting more.

The Minor Third Double Stop Foundation

We start with a minor third interval. That’s a double stop — two notes played together. The minor third is one of the most soulful intervals in blues. It sits right in the pocket between a minor and major sound.

In this riff, you’re sliding from the 2nd fret up to the 4th fret on the 3rd string. That’s your minor third double stop moving up. Now tuck your 2nd finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret. You’ve got shape and movement happening at the same time.

The Pick Pattern That Makes It Sing

Here’s where the rhythm comes in. SRV played this in a triplet feel. That’s the secret sauce. A triplet feel means you’re dividing each beat into three even parts instead of two. Down-up-down, then up-down-up. The pattern dances. It swings. It doesn’t sit still.

Count it this way: one-and-uh, two-and-uh. Each beat has three subdivisions. Your pick hand is moving constantly, hitting different parts of the rhythm on each stroke. Some picks hit strings. Some hits are ghost strokes in the air. This creates texture and pocket at the same time.

Building Out: The Double Stop Descender

After your initial minor third, you move to a double stop on the 2nd and 3rd strings, both at the 2nd fret. This is your next landing zone. From there, hit that open G string. It rings against everything else you’re playing.

Then comes the chromatic pass note closing riff. Open 5th string. 1st fret, 5th string. 2nd fret, 5th string. You’re walking chromatically down, one fret at a time, using that triplet rhythm to keep everything locked in.

Why the Triplet Feel Matters

I’ve spent 45 years watching how blues is really played versus how people think it’s played. Most players understand triplet feels intellectually, but they don’t feel them in their bones yet. Play this riff slow. Really slow. Let your hands feel the three-part subdivision instead of the usual straight beat.

Once you nail the triplet pocket, you can speed it up. But the feel doesn’t change. The pocket stays the same. That’s the difference between playing the notes and playing the riff.

Guitar Tuning and Tone

Remember, SRV played this in Eb tuning. That’s a half-step down. It gives his guitar this warm, heavy tone that’s immediately recognizable. You can play these shapes in standard tuning — they’ll work just fine. But if you want that exact resonance, drop everything a half-step and feel the difference.

The way your strings vibrate is part of the message you’re sending. Experiment with tuning. See what sits best in your hands and ears.

Connecting the Three Parts

Part 1 taught you how notes move through the pentatonic scale with chromatic approach notes. Part 2 showed you how hammer-ons and pull-offs connect those notes smoothly. Part 3 brings it all together with rhythm and feel.

Check out part 1 and part 2 if you’re jumping in here. Each part builds the vocabulary you need to play like SRV.

More SRV Techniques to Master

You’ll want to explore more of SRV’s signature moves. Check out the SRV style closing riff for additional variations on these themes.

The Bigger Picture

These three lessons are pillars of blues guitar technique. Minor thirds. Chromatic approaches. Double stops. Triplet rhythm. Once you own these tools, you’re not just copying SRV. You’re building a blues language you can speak in any key, any tempo, any gig situation.

Visit our complete blues riffs guide to understand how these techniques fit into the larger blues landscape. This is foundational stuff that transfers to everything else you’ll play.

Pride and Joy is a celebration. When you nail this closing riff, you’re giving your audience a musical exclamation point. That’s what great blues is all about.