Tush might be the most fun you can have with three chords and a bad attitude. ZZ Top built this riff on G pentatonic minor, and it’s one of those songs where the picking hand does all the heavy lifting. The fretting is simple. The timing? That takes some work.
The Main Riff: It’s All in the Pick
The riff starts with a stab on the G power chord. You can play the full G chord if you want more sound, but the power chord works just as well — especially at speed. It’s just a quick hit, not a strum you let ring out.
Right after that G stab, you hit a double stop on the open third and fourth strings. This is an upstroke. So the pattern goes: down on the G chord, up on the open double stop, down on the open double stop. That down-up-down picking motion is the engine of the whole riff. Get that locked in and you’re halfway there.
Play it slowly at first. Way slower than the recording. The rhythm has a swinging, shuffling feel to it, and if you try to learn it at full tempo you’ll miss that groove. It should feel like a strut, not a sprint.
The C Chord and the Chromatic Run
From the G, the riff moves to a C power chord with the major sixth added. You’re barring across the fifth and fourth strings at the third fret, then adding your pinky on the fifth fret of the fourth string for that sixth. The extra strings are muted — just let your fretting hand lay across them enough to keep them quiet.
After the C section, there’s a chromatic walk-up that takes you back to G. It goes F to F# to G — three notes on the sixth string, frets 1, 2, and 3. Each one is just a quick stab. That chromatic movement gives the riff its swagger. Without it, you’d just have chords. With it, you’ve got ZZ Top.
The Song Structure
The whole song runs on G, C, and D. Another hit in the key of G with those three chords — there are hundreds of them, and this one is right near the top of the list.
The verse section cycles through the main riff on G, moves up to the C chord, hits the chromatic run back to G, then goes up to D and back down through C to G again. Once you can play each section cleanly, stringing them together is just a matter of repetition.
Whether you play full chords or power chords depends on your situation. In a three-piece band where you need to fill more sonic space, lean toward the fuller voicings. With a four-piece or more, the power chords cut through better without stepping on anyone else’s frequencies.
Getting the Feel Right
The thing that separates a good version of Tush from a sloppy one is the attack. Billy Gibbons plays this riff with a confidence that makes it sound effortless. That comes from having the picking pattern completely dialed in — so practiced that your hand just does it without thinking.
Spend some time with just the G section. Loop it over and over until the down-up-down pattern is automatic. Then add the C chord. Then the chromatic walk. Build it in layers instead of trying to play the whole thing start to finish on your first attempt.
This is a great riff to have in your back pocket for jams. It’s recognizable, it’s fun to play, and it works whether you’re playing electric or acoustic. If you’re building your blues guitar repertoire, Tush is one of those songs that earns its spot on the setlist every time. Once you’ve nailed it, try Sharp Dressed Man — same band, same attitude, and it builds on the same power chord foundation. Or for a completely different ZZ Top vibe, check out Blue Jean Blues — their slow-burn side.