I have asked a similar question on this technique before but I'll start a new thread for this specific song.

How do you guys play the G-D-G riff on the first verse of the song (see tab below).

------------
--------5---
-----5------
--3---------

I have difficulty fretting them to get a clean sound. I mean, how do you guys actually fret the 2nd and 3rd note of this riff?

Pinky, fret out a power chrod.

Fretting hand fingering for that riff: Index-ring-pinky. Can't imagine any other fingering being usable for that riff.

Remember to fret right behind the frets for the cleanest sound and to have the hand in a relaxed position.

I've always used my pinky to bar across the last two frets

I do it: Index-pinky-pinky lifting the pinky from the A and D string playing the notes separately.
The song isn't that fast, so it's very do-able.

But I also agree with Deacon's fingering as well.

Barring the A and D strings with my ring finger feels best to me because it's stronger than my pinky.

Strange how people play this in different ways... Barring with the ring finger works for me as well but the pinky. Anyway, the fingering I posted above is to me the best way and it should be the easiest way to fret the notes cleanly. Barring is slightly harder and requires a small change in hand position.

Barring the A and D strings with my ring finger feels best to me because it's stronger than my pinky.

+1

Fretting hand fingering for that riff: Index-ring-pinky. Can't imagine any other fingering being usable for that riff.

Remember to fret right behind the frets for the cleanest sound and to have the hand in a relaxed position.

+1 This how I do it
If I didn't I'd probably Barre the D and G with my ring finger

I've always used my pinky to bar across the last two frets

works for me

All about the ring finger here, never an easier way for myself.

Not to make a fuss or diss, but I can't think of a situation where I would ever barre with a ring or pinky.
Like I said earlier, "Smoke..." is so mid tempo I can easily play the fifth-octave with my pinky moving back and forth between strings.

If I'm playing a faster fifth-octave line where I couldn't shift my ring or pinky back and forth, then I would use Deacon's ring-pinky fingering method. By having a separate finger on each separate string I have way more control moving back and forth between the notes and it's much cleaner sounding. I'm able to pump the notes a little better and can add little nuances and accents easier.
But then that's just me - maybe something to consider.

Percussive slap is the only style I can think of where I use barre style, and a lot of that is flapping out dead notes.

i think the best thing to do is to avoid this song as best as possible.
im so sick of this song and everyone learning it and covering it and singing it and forever relating it to guitar.

....</rant>

Pinky always seemed like the wussy way to hold down a powerchord.

Pinky always seemed like the wussy way to hold down a powerchord.^^^ This coming from someone who 'forgot' how to play with 2 fingers on his plucking hand. :rolleyes:

Barring with the pinky is mission impossible for me, I had some luck with the ring finger though but still get some fret buzzes occasionally. The ring finger and pinky method requires some good coordinations. Looks like there ain't easier way to do it without some real hard work involved. Thanks again, guys!

This is how I would do it...

Fret the first G with my index finger. Fret the D with my ring finger normally. Fret the second G by rolling my index finger backwards (this will also mute the D). Not quite a barre... almost, though.

Matbe you wear your bass too low lexxmexx? If so, that's why u can't stretch your hand to make it sound clearly.

i think the best thing to do is to avoid this song as best as possible.
im so sick of this song and everyone learning it and covering it and singing it and forever relating it to guitar.

....</rant>

Why don't you tell us how you REALLY feel?


:D :hiding::D

Actually, on the recording the guitar plays that riff. The bass comes in with a one note pulse, which you can fret almost any way you please.

Whenever I play that and similar shaped patterns, such as during Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" or Metallica's "Orion" and "Anaethseia", I use one finger per fret...so in the OP's example I would play the low G with my index finger, the D with either my middle or ring finger and the octave G with either the ring or pinky. I try to avoid barring notes as I tend to glue my hand to the spot when I play barred notes.

Now if I was going to play the bassline to Smoke On The Water, I would never play "the riff" and instead play the driving rythm with all the scales, intervals and passing notes thrown in - as per the original recording, where the bass never plays "the riff" ;)

i think the best thing to do is to avoid this song as best as possible.
im so sick of this song and everyone learning it and covering it and singing it and forever relating it to guitar.

....</rant>

Actually, on the recording the guitar plays that riff. The bass comes in with a one note pulse, which you can fret almost any way you please.


Now if I was going to play the bassline to Smoke On The Water, I would never play "the riff" and instead play the driving rythm with all the scales, intervals and passing notes thrown in - as per the original recording, where the bass never plays "the riff" ;)

Just to echo what has been said here - even maybe 20 - 30 years ago there were signs in music shops telling guitarists not to play this riff - and to do so would immediately have identified you as a wannabee guitard and get you thrown out as a timewaster!! :p

Matbe you wear your bass too low lexxmexx? If so, that's why u can't stretch your hand to make it sound clearly.

It's the opposite, I tend to wear it a little on the high side and just a tad lower than Mark King's hanging-his-chin-over-the-bass position.

Wow, is it true that the bassist never played that G-D-G riff at all? I have seen most of the tabs on the internet and almost all of them were written in this way. So what really does Roger Glover play in the recording? Just the root note and hold it for 2 beats or 3 root notes in place of the G-D-G riff?

Man, I am really glad that I found this forum by chance, life as a self-taught bassplayer would be such a misery without this!

The bass never plays "the riff" that opens the song. If you listen to the song, it becomes quite apparant that the bass plays a driving pulse and walks over some chords/scales leading into the choruses. Heck, he even passes through the last note or two of "the riff" to meet up with the guitars during the pre-chorus!

And he plays octave jumps during the verse (the G-D-G you are discussing I presume).

However, at no time at all, does the bass mirror "the riff". That one riff I will guarantee you somewhere someone is playing in a music store, right now ;)

And he plays octave jumps during the verse (the G-D-G you are discussing I presume).

That's exactly the part what I was referring to, and NOT the intro guitar riffs where the bass simply goes GGGGGGGG....E F F# GGGGG.....

You've mentioned that the bass is doing octave jumps, so is it G-D-8veG (found in most tabs) or simply G-G-8veG....or something else?

So what really does Roger Glover play in the recording?


Listen to it... the evidence is on the recording.

However, at no time at all, does the bass mirror "the riff".

Once upon a time, I saw a 3-piece band (guitar-bass-drums) cover "SOTW" at a high school dance. The bass player did play "the riff" as the guitar solo was windind down. It worked, IIRC.
;)

There are 2 (or more) guitars on the recording.

When I play this with 2 guitars I never play the riff. If I play this with only 1 guitar, then I play the riff in the intro and coming out of the solo.

While the main riff and the song itself may be cliched, Roger playes some cool stuff during the verses and during the solo.

and fire in the sky.

and fire in the sky.

Don't forget Funky Claude :)

There are 2 (or more) guitars on the recording.

How about the Live In Japan version? There's only Blackmore's guitar...IIRC, Lord doubles the part.

There are 2 (or more) guitars on the recording.

There is also a lot of overdriven organ going on there. That's where a lot of the power of Deep Purple's sound comes from anyway. You'll notice that Mr. Blackmore was never really one for a lot of power chords - that has been Mr. Lord's job.

You guys are right about the organ, I went back and listened to the original recording.

So I'll correct myself - If I play without an organ or without a 2nd guitar to cover the organ part, then I play the riff in the intro and coming out of the lead.

But, Roger still plays some cool stuff during the verses and during the solo. :bassist:

There is also a lot of overdriven organ going on there. That's where a lot of the power of Deep Purple's sound comes from anyway. You'll notice that Mr. Blackmore was never really one for a lot of power chords - that has been Mr. Lord's job.That's the cool thing I always liked about Jon Lord. He knew how to voice his chords like a rhythm guitarist would play 'em.
Killer player! I would have loved to be in the studio when he was recording. Sounds like his B3 was on "11"!

One of my projects is a DP tribute, so I cover Glover's moving lines while Ritchie and Jon do their thing. I love playing with a Hammond player, and a guitarist who sticks to the high strings.

That's exactly the part what I was referring to, and NOT the intro guitar riffs where the bass simply goes GGGGGGGG....E F F# GGGGG.....

You've mentioned that the bass is doing octave jumps, so is it G-D-8veG (found in most tabs) or simply G-G-8veG....or something else?

From what I hear the bass in the verse is doing a lot more than G D G(8va). Also if you can't fret this cleanly at this speed you may need to work on your technique and conditioning.

If I play without an organ or without a 2nd guitar to cover the organ part, then I play the riff in the intro and coming out of the lead.

Back when I did "SOTW" in a 3-piece garage band-
I did the G pedal during the intro...& the riff coming out of the solo.

Sounds like his B3 was on "11"!

I think it was!

This is how I would do it...

Fret the first G with my index finger. Fret the D with my ring finger normally. Fret the second G by rolling my index finger backwards (this will also mute the D). Not quite a barre... almost, though.

+1
Thats exactly what i was gonna say, I dont play smoke on the water, but there is a thing exactly like that in this AAF song i like to play. I just hit the first note with my pointer, then the second with my ring and then roll it down to the third note, muting the second note. This may sound complicated, but thats why we practice awkward things like that so they aren't awkward forever.

+1
I just hit the first note with my pointer, then the second with my ring and then roll it down to the third note, muting the second note. This may sound complicated, but thats why we practice awkward things like that so they aren't awkward forever.


Getting the second note was fine but when I tried to rollover to the third note, it will either be a semitone flat or sound muted. Looks like I seriously need to strengthen my ring finger and pinky.

i think the best thing to do is to avoid this song as best as possible.

....</rant>

Yes, yes indeed!

I would love to avoid this song but my guitard band leader wanted to play it. Once I get the verse right, I will have to worry about the pentatonic walking basslines later :crying:

Hate this song!