The guitar repertoire has been dominated for a long time by the boys, and this is mostly due to the fact that guitar songs enjoyed by the girls isn’t playable on the guitar most of the time.
Music that typically relates to many girls like Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga is made with synthesizers, pianos, strings, and vocal harmonies instead of rhythm and lead guitar parts.
And yes there are the chord strummers like Sheryl Crow and a few riffers like Nancy Wilson of Heart who break this stereotype.
But why shouldn’t this music be available to anyone who wants to play guitar?
Why settle for boring riffs and strumming patterns?
This article is an attempt to remedy this, and I’ve got 9 riffs to show you how.
Most of these girl guitar songs are for beginners and intermediate players, while a few of these is a doozy for advanced players.
It’s a huge mistake to dismiss this music as there are huge revelations to be found in the relationships behind each riff.
Many of the harmonies and rhythms are extremely catchy and effective at getting the listener emotional.
Like in my stellar guitar course, (The Play It Loud Method), this article is going to cover the individual techniques you need to play each riff….
I reveal everything I learned in the first 6 months to get to an advanced level of guitar playing, and you can use these tips to learn whatever you want.
Now onto the lesson.
Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter Guitar Tab
I chose not to use the exact chords in the song in favor of doing a chord melody that uses the rhythm of the very well known melody.
This one will be a real test of your ability to quickly change chords and lock into your fingerings, but it’s a great challenge.
Birds Of A Feather by Billie Eilish Guitar Tab
This one I’m quite proud of because the open strings and repeating notes of A and D fit well over the harmony.
When learning this, make sure you’ve got your fingerings down so that you can concentrate more on the finger picking pattern.
You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift Guitar Tab (Pre-Chorus)
Ah, another iconic appearance of the legendary 0-3-5 motif, and none other than Taylor has chosen to use it too, inadvertently.
I hope this is easily accessible for everyone to play as I chose to use the most basic chord shapes for this one except for the 0235 D shape.
Toxic by Britney Spears Guitar Tab
I took some liberty with the last 4 notes of this riff, as no sheet music had harmonies to go with them.
With it being in C minor, I mostly stuck to voicings available in that key while making an adjustment for the F#/Gb note being played at Bm. I just used my ear to decide what would fit in this riff.
Sports Car by Tate McRae Guitar Tab
For this riff, it’s such a simple 8th note rhythm that I decided to add some variation to the offbeats to keep it interesting.
It’s only two chords you’re playing but at different positions of the neck. I wanted to make this a little bit more musical and more challenging as well.
Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan Guitar Tab
This one and the others here can seem complicated but it’s only 5 chord shapes and I’m trying to help you play the melody too.
So concentrate on learning the chords first:
X-8-10-10-10-8 = F
XX55766 = Gm7
XX0765 = Dm
688766 = Bb
XX3336 = Bb/F
Good For U by Olivia Rodrigo Guitar Tab
Just like before I’m going for the same thing.
It’s really just 4 chords: D, A, E, and F#m and you can use the basic shapes for this one.
Girls Just Want To Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper Guitar Tab
This one is definitely a more traditional guitar riff as the original recording uses guitar!
This one will be challenging as like previous riffs if you don’t have a good handle on basic fingerings or knowledge of other shapes across the neck.
Most of this riff centers around the G shape at X-10-9-7-8-7. I would barre the 7th fret and use my 3rd finger to hammer onto the 8th fret.
Nailing the slide/hammer from 7 to 8 is easier when the harmony changes to Em7.
Levitating by Dua Lipa Guitar Tab
This one can seem easy looking at it, but the jumps from power chord fingerings to the higher strings make it quite tricky. It’ll also be tricky to nail the timing on the quicker sequence of 2-5-3-4-2.
Here’s a couple of tips to help play this one…..
The first three chords are all in 6th position so try to find the easiest ways possible to keep your fingers in one place while changing to these shapes.
Next, feel free to only play the top notes of Fm and Eb at the end.
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California Gurls by Katy Perry Guitar Tab
F/A Bb C Dm --------------½-------------½ --1----3-3----½--5--6-6-----½ --2----3-3----½--5--7-7-----½ --3----3-3----½--5--7-7-----½ --0----1-1----½--3--5-5-----½ --------------½-------------½
I won’t be able to tell if you’re rolling your eyes or taking me seriously, but here goes…..
It’s a riff composed of four chords, and to play it you just switch your left hand fingerings slightly.
Take a moment to play each chord. The most difficult change will the first to the Bb, but afterwards it won’t take much effort as its easy to move from C to Dm.
The main skill you’ll need to play this one is to keep your left hand in that barre chord shape.
Last Friday Night by Katy Perry Guitar Tab
C/G Am7 Em7 D/F# -½-3-3---3--3-3---3-½-0-0---0--0-0---0-½-3-3---3--3-3---3-½-2-2---2--2-2---2-½ -½-5-5---5--5-5---5-½-5-5---5--5-5---5-½-3-3---3--3-3---3-½-3-3---3--3-3---3-½ -½-5-5---5--5-5---5-½-5-5---5--5-5---5-½-4-4---4--4-4---4-½-2-2---2--2-2---2-½ -½-5-5---5--5-5---5-½-5-5---5--5-5---5-½-2-2---2--2-2---2-½-0-0---0--0-0---0-½ -½-3-3---3--3-3---3-½-X-X---X--X-X---X-½-2-2---2--2-2---2-½-X-X---X--X-X---X-½ -½-3-3---3--3-3---3-½-5-5---5--5-5---5-½-0-0---0--0-0---0-½-2-2---2--2-2---2-½
This riff will be a little tougher because of a different technique you’ll need to play this.
To play Am7 and D/F# you’ll have to use your left hand thumb. To play C/G, you’ll have to barre the entire fretboard with your index finger.
If you get the chord shapes locked in, the rhythm won’t be hard as you just have to strum up and down. However make sure to hit the top notes as they are the most important part of the riff.
To make this riff easier to play, just hit the top three strings.
Your Love Is My Drug Chorus by Kesha Guitar Tab
-8-½-8-----------------------------
-8-½-8---11-11--10-10--8--8---10---
-9-½-9---10-10--10-10--9--9---10---
-10½-10--12-12--10-10--10-10--12---
-10½-10---------8--8---10-10--12---
-8-½-8-----------------8--8---10---This riff harmonizes the chorus melody with the chords supporting it. All you gotta do to play this one is concentrate on those top notes like the previous example.
Don’t Stop The Music by Rihanna Guitar Tab
----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- --7-6-4----4-4--4--4-4-4--4-4--7-6-4----4-4--4--4-4-4--4-4- --------7--5-5--5--5-5-4--5-5--------7--4-4--4--4-4-4--4-4- ----------------------------------------2-2--2--2-2-0--2-2-
This is another easy one that sounds really cool once you get the whole thing to flow.
What I do is play the A note, the very first note, with my pinky so I can easily lock into the 4-5 shape. This also works well when locking into the F#5 powerchord.
The only problem may be throwing in that 4-4 shape between the other 4-5’s. I’d suggest just barre-ing it with your first finger.
Don’t Speak by No Doubt Guitar Tab
Cm Gm Fm Bb Gm Fm Bb ----------------------------------------------- --4--4--3--3--1--1--3--3--3--3--1--1--3--3----- --5--5--3--3--1--1--3--3--3--3--1--1--3--3----- -5--5--5--5--3--3--3--3--5--5--3--3--3--3------ ----------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------
A classic riff we got here.
The trick is to finger the Cm part like you would the full 35543 shape, and then keep your hands in place to easily switch the Gm shape.
And that’s basically it! You can use a pick or fingers although I prefer fingers as it fits the mood of the song better.
Halo by Beyonce Guitar Tab
A Bm ----------------------½---------------------------- -2----2----2---2--0-2-½-3----3----3-2--2h32p2------ ---2----2----2--2-----½--4-4---4---4-4-------2-1--- --2-2--2-2--2-2-------½---4---4-4------------------ ----------------------½---------------------------- ----------------------½---------------------------- F#m D -----------------------½------------------------------- -----------------------½------------------------------- -2----2----2---2-4-2-1-½-2-------2------2------2-1----- ---4----4----4---------½--0-4-0---0-4-0--0-4-0-----4-2- --4-4--4-4--4-4--------½------------------------------- -----------------------½-------------------------------
This is the hard-as-balls riff I alluded to earlier in this article.
This is NOT for beginners as it requires excellent right hand fingerpicking technique.
For you experts out there who found this, this riff is going to require a little classical guitar technique. The right hand tremolo technique was the only way I could pull this off.
And sorry to disappoint, but explaining that technique will take a whole other article to teach.
You should be able to recognize the best ways to finger each chord.
Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake Guitar Tab
F/G G/A Em --5--5--5---7--7-7-7-½-3--3-3--3-3--½ --6--6--6---8--8-8-8-½-5--5-5--5-5--½ --5--5--5---7--7-7-7-½-4--4-4--4-4--½ --5--5--5---7--7-7-7-½-2--2-2--2-2--½ ---------------------½--------------½ ---------------------½--------------½
A classic funk rhythm applied to a more modern pop harmony.
Switching the chords is once again the problem with this as the Em shape I put above may or may not be something you’ve encountered before.
To avoid a longer discussion on fingering, I suggest using your first finger for the 2nd fret note and the second finger for the third fret.
You should be able to figure out the rest if you take my advice…..
Party In The USA by Miley Cyrus Guitar Tab (The Ebm is weird)
Gb Bbm Ebm Db -5/6--6-6--X-X--1-1--2-½--X-X--4-4-4-4-- -6/7--7-7--X-X--2-2--4-½--X-X--6-6-6-6-- -5/6--6-6--X-X--3-3--3-½--X-X--6-6-6-6-- -----------------------½---------------- -----------------------½---------------- -----------------------½----------------
This is another one of the easier riffs here as there’s plenty of time between the changes to switch chords, and you’ll only have to fret three strings.
Many of the same concepts explained earlier are used here so let’s move quickly to the final example.
Poker Face by Lady Gaga Guitar Tab
Am F/A G ½-----------------½-------------------½ ½-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-½-1-1-1-1--3-1-3-1--½ ½-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-½-2-2-2-2--0-0-0-0--½ ½-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-½-3-3-3-3--0-0-0-0--½ ½-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-½-0-0-0-0--X-X-X-X--½ ½-----------------½----------3-3-3-3--½ Am F/A G ½-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-½-1-1-1--1--3-1-3-1--½ ½-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-½-1-1-1--1--0-0-0-0--½ ½-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-½-2-2-2--2--0-0-0-0--½ ½-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-½-3-3-3--3--0-0-0-0--½ ½-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-½-0-0-0--0--X-X-X-X--½ ½-----------------½-----------3-3-3-3--½
This one will require only two tweaks, if you already know the chords.
Use downpicking to get a similar sound to the synth riff. That means don’t use up/down strumming!
Next is how you should approach the G chords.
What I do is use my thumb on the 1st string, third finger on the third frets, and the first finger on the 1st frets. This way you can easily switch between those two top notes.
Hopefully that gave you plenty of fun and practice to be had!
In my product, the clueless beginners guitar course, I cover many of the techniques just mentioned in greater depth and a more proper context.
It will also help you learn how to determine what combination of fingerings and techniques to use all by yourself. This is the key to learning the guitar!
Unless you start figuring some things out yourself, you’ll never become a better guitar player I’m afraid.
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