Psychedelic Rock Riffs to Get You Moving

In search of some new tunes to help get you through the day? Check out our latest blog post for a roundup of some of the best psychedelic rock riffs out there!

The Psychedelic Sound

Psychedelic rock, also simply called psychedelia, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Psychedelic rock is characterised by distorted guitars, sound effects, feedback, and other sonic elements that would go on to influence other genres of music. The style is often associated with the use of drugs, particularly LSD.

What is Psychedelic Rock?

Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The style is characterized by distorted guitars, lyricism that often deal with counterculture and drug use, and experimental instrumentation. Psychedelic rock reached the peak of its popularity in the late 1960s, but the genre had a significant impact on subsequent music genres such as punk rock, metal, and jam band.

The Origins of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as acid rock or simply psychedelic rock, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s and reached its peak in the late 1960s. The genre is characterized by distorted guitars, mind-bending lyrics, and trippy sound effects.

Psychedelic rock began to be popularized in the early 1960s by bands such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys, who incorporated elements of the genre into their music. By the mid-1960s, bands such as The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane were playing extended improvisational jams that incorporated aspects of psychedelic culture, such as drug use and Eastern spiritualism.

In the late 1960s, psychedelia reached its pinnacle with the release of landmark albums such as The Doors’ self-titled debut album and Pink Floyd’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. These albums showcased the potential of psychedelic rock to create expansive sonic landscapes that could take listeners on a journey to another realm.

In the 1970s, punk rock emerged as a reaction against the excesses of psychedelia. Punk bands such as The Ramones and The Sex Pistols stripped away all the sonic experimentation and create a stripped-down sound that was more focused on energy and attitude than musicianship or innovation.

Despite punk’s disdain for all things psychedelic, some punk bands did incorporate elements of psychedelia into their music. These bands, which are sometimes referred to as “punk-psych” or “garage punk,” include groups such as Television Personalities and The Scientists.

Psychedelic rock has continued to be influential in subsequent decades. In the 1990s, neo-psychedelia bands such as Stone Roses and Oasis brought renewed interest in the genre, while artists like Tame Impala and MGMT have continued to explore its possibilities in the 2010s.

The Psychedelic Riff

Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The style is typified by a preoccupation with altered states of consciousness, mysticism, and the use of psychedelic drugs, as well as a preoccupation with the tattooed and pierced body. Psychedelic rock is a style that is often characterized by extended improvised jams, studio experimentation, and theus of feedback and distortion.

What is a Riff?

In music, a riff is a repeating musical phrase, often played by a lead guitar, saxophone, or other instrument, that forms part of the accompaniment or melody for a song or piece. Riffs can be as simple as a few notes, or they can be much more complex.

Psychedelic Rock Riffs

Psychedelic rock, often simply called psychedelia, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s that was inspired by the subculture of psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms. The style is characterized by distorted guitars, mind-bendingly complex song structures, and extended improvisational jams.

The best psychedelic rock riffs are the ones that make you want to move. They’re the groovy, catchy tunes that get stuck in your head for days and make you want to dance every time you hear them. Here are 10 of our favorite psychedelic rock riffs to get you moving.

1) “I Can See for Miles” by The Who
2) “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix
3) “She Said She Said” by The Beatles
4) “Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)” by Jimi Hendrix
5) “Psychotic Reaction” by Count Five
6) “Soul Kitchen” by The Doors
7) “Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane
8) “Crosstown Traffic” by Jimi Hendrix
9) “Summertime Blues” by Blue Cheer
10) “White Room” by Cream

How to Play a Psychedelic Rock Riff

Psychedelic rock is all about creating an expansive, mind-bending soundscape. To achieve this sound, musicians often rely on feedback, extended jamming, and, most importantly, heavily distorted guitars. While the style can be complex, the basic components of a psychedelic rock song are relatively simple. In this article, we’ll show you how to play a psychedelic rock riff.

Step One: Choose Your Psychedelic Rock Riff

Now that you know a little bit more about the history of psychedelic rock, it’s time to choose your riff. There are countless riffs to choose from, but we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites to get you started.

The first step is to choose your riff. Do you want something fast and furious, or slow and melodic? Something short and sweet, or long and complex? Once you’ve decided on the general feel of the riff you want to play, it’s time to start learning some specific techniques.

Step Two: Learn the Riff

Now that you know how to hold down the power chords, it’s time to start playing the actual riff. The first thing you need to do is find the right starting place on the guitar neck. For this particular riff, you want to start on the E note on the fifth fret of the low E string. From there, you will play two notes on the A string before going back to the E string. Here are those notes in tablature form:

e|—-5—–
B|—-5—–
G|—-6—–
D|—-7—–
A|—-7—–
E|—-5—–

Once you have those two notes down, it’s time to move on to the next part of the riff. This part is played on the D and G strings. You will start on the fifth fret of the D string and then move up to the seventh fret before moving back down to the fifth fret. Here are those notes in tablature form:

e|——–
B|——–
G|–5–7–5-
D|——–
A|——–

Step Three: Play the Riff

Now that you have your riff written out, it’s time to start playing it!

First, make sure you are in the right position on the fretboard. You should be in the middle of the neck, with your left hand positioned on the fifth fret and your right hand on the seventh fret. You may need to make adjustments to your position depending on the size of your hands and the reach of your fingers.

Once you are in position, start by plucking the string with your right hand. Use your index finger for this. Pluck the string firmly but not too hard, and make sure that you strike the string in the middle. When you pluck the string, you should hear a clear, ringing tone.

After you have plucked the string, quickly place your left hand back in position on the fifth fret. then pluck the string again with your right hand. Continue this pattern until you have played the entire riff.