Riff & Lick Library
Single-note melodies, scale runs, signature bluesy licks — pick one, set it to a speed where you can play it cleanly, and practice slowly with the animated TAB. Every note sounds and loops without stopping.
Chromatic crawl warm-up (spider walk)
1-2-3-4, one finger per fret — wake up the left hand
What to practice: Left-hand independence · one finger per fret · pick sync
Left hand: index = 1, middle = 2, ring = 3, pinky = 4 — one finger owns one fret, and don't lift once it's down. Right hand alternates (down-up with a pick, or i–m alternating). Crawl from the 6th string up to the 1st; go slow enough to play every note cleanly before speeding up — this is the best warm-up before any practice session.
Learn this technique in the course: Left-Hand Warm-up: The Spider Walk · How to Practice So It Works: Planning, Warm-up & Plateaus
Don't recognize the tab symbols? Open the cheat sheet
Reading basics
- ≡Six linesSix lines = six strings; the top line is string 1 (thinnest / highest pitch).
- 3Fret numberWhich fret to press; numbers in one column are played together, left to right in sequence.
- 0Open stringPlay this string open, without pressing any fret.
- |Bar lineVertical lines split the tab into measures to help you count beats.
Right hand PIMA (fingerstyle)
- pThumbHandles the bass roots on strings 6 / 5 / 4.
- iIndexUsually handles string 3.
- mMiddleUsually handles string 2.
- aRingUsually handles string 1.
Left hand techniques
- hHammer-onAfter picking the first note, hammer a left-hand finger onto a higher fret to sound the next note.
- pPull-offAfter picking, pull a finger off the string to sound a lower note (distinct from the right-hand thumb p).
- /Slide upHold a note and slide up to a higher position.
- \Slide downHold a note and slide down to a lower position.
- bBendPush the string up (or pull down) to raise the pitch continuously.
- ~VibratoSmall repeated push-and-release that makes the note shimmer and sing.
Color & percussion
- ‹n›HarmonicA bell-like note sounded by lightly touching the string over a fret wire (e.g. ‹12› = 12th-fret harmonic).
- ✕Mute / don't playMute the string (a pitchless click), or don't play this string at all.
- TTapTap a right-hand finger directly onto the fretboard to sound the note.
- ≈Percussive hit / slapStrike the soundboard or slap the strings for a drum-like rhythm (modern fingerstyle).
How to use: First slow it down until every note is clean, watch the highlighted column on the TAB and play along; once it flows, speed up little by little. It works even better with the metronome. To learn what the technique symbols mean, head to the TAB symbol reference.
This library only includes technical exercises, common licks and public-domain melodies — no copyrighted pop riffs.