A riff is a short, memorable phrase that repeats through a song. It can be a guitar phrase, a bass pattern, a synth melody, a rhythmic figure – any instrument can carry one. Even a few notes can become the face of a song and give listeners a way to remember it.
Riff and melody
A melody usually refers to a longer line, such as a vocal or a lead line. A riff is shorter, and repetition is what defines it. Part of a vocal melody can also be repeated so that it works like a riff.
Riff and hook
A hook is any memorable element that catches the listener’s attention. A riff is one concrete form of that. If a repeating guitar phrase is what makes the song stick, it is both a riff and a hook.
The basics of writing one
Start by deciding a single rhythm and melodic movement within a short span of two or four bars. Keeping the note count low enough that you can hum it makes it easier to remember. Use notes from a scale to find a shape that fits the chord progression.
Where does it go in the song?
Presenting it first in the intro and repeating it in the verse and chorus gives the whole song a sense of unity. Placing it in the gaps of the vocal, making it the star of the drop, or varying it in the interlude are all effective ways to change the same riff a little from section to section.
Growing it in a DAW
Loop the short phrase and listen while changing only one thing at a time – the sound, the octave, or the rhythm – and compare. Check not only that it stands out on its own but also that it still has a role once the vocal and bass are playing over it.
