Riffs and power chords in grunge
I can create a grunge-style riff using power chords and a bass line based on the riff.
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- Year 9
Riffs and power chords in grunge
I can create a grunge-style riff using power chords and a bass line based on the riff.
Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and
Lesson details
Key learning points
- A key feature of grunge (and most rock styles) is the use of riffs.
- Grunge riffs often use power chords, consisting of the root note and fifth.
- To play a power chord on the piano, we remove the middle note from a triad chord, or find the fifth note in the scale.
- Distortion is often added to electric guitar sounds, creating a fuzzy effect which distorts the sound.
- Bass lines in grunge are often based around the riff, using the root note of each chord.
Keywords
Riff - A riff is a short, repeated musical idea that forms the basis of a pop or rock song.
Power chord - A power chord is a two-note chord often used on guitars, which uses the root note and the fifth of a triad chord.
Fifth - A fifth is a distance of five notes. For example, the distance from C to G is a fifth.
Common misconception
Power chords are any two notes of the chord triad.
For a chord to be a power chord it has to be the root and the fifth, not the root and the third. It also needs to be a perfect fifth. If pupils are working out their own power chords on the keyboard, some chords would use the black notes.
Equipment
A DAW or other suitable compositional tool or instrument.
Licence
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