Most people would agree that the most memorable part of an AC/DC song is the riff. In concert, both the Young brothers would usually play the same riff, although Malcolm sometimes played a modified version that included some bass notes. The first riff I’m going to show you is probably the most famous one from the Bon Scott era: T.N.T. Here, take a look.
This is just about as basic as an AC/DC riff gets. Notice the frequent use of power chords. These show up in just about every single AC/DC song. In between the A5 chord are single bass notes that add a certain groove to the riff. If the second chord in the riff looks a little odd, don’t worry, it’s just another way of playing a G5 power chord! The next riff we’re going to look at is the one to the song Back in Black. It’s slightly more complex.
This is a fairly simple E-D-A progression. The D and A chords are not power-chords (although they sound very similar) which gives the riff a bit more flavor. The fills in between the chords flow very nicely, especially the chromatic second fill. So now that we’ve seen what some of the basic AC/DC riffs are like, let’s look at some ones that are different. This next riff is the opening to the song ‘Hells Bells.’
This lick is based on the A minor pentatonic scale, and be careful to get the timing right when playing it. Be sure to play this lick with minimal distortion – each note needs to be heard clearly. This riff shows that AC/DC weren’t all power-chords, although if you listen to the next riff in ‘Hells Bells’ you can hear a combination of double stops and power-chords. The next riff is from a little song called ‘Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution.’ Here it is, enjoy!
This riff is somewhat difficult to understand musically just from looking at the tab, so I’ll provide the actual chord progression – E – A – Bm – A - A - Bm/A – E5. What gives the riff such a great and original quality is the way that the chords transition from high notes to low bass notes so quickly. It’s brilliant! Notice that at the E5 chord is played differently at the end of each riff. The second E5 chord is in fact an octave above the first one, except that it has an open E string added. Why can the open E string be added? Play the open 6th string, and then play the 7th fret 5th string. Notice it’s the same note just one octave higher! It’s useful to know. The final riff that I want to share is from the song ‘Moneytalks.’
