Michael Miller - Leave the Light On - Main — Drop E riff by Michael

This riff’s video is on YouTube, so it plays at 1x or 0.75x and the tab doesn’t follow along.

Tab · Drop E (E B E A D G B E) · 120 BPM · 8/8.gp file.mid file

Rendering tab…

Text tab· for screen readers and search
e|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
G|9-------9---------------------------|9-------9---------------------------|
D|--10------10----17/-19/-17-10-------|--10------10----17/-19/-17-10-------|
A|-----12------12---------------12-17-|-----12------12---------------12-17-|
E|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|

e|----------------------------|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|----------------------------|
G|9-----9------------9--------|9-----9------------9--------|
D|--7-----7---15/-14---7------|--7-----7---15/-14---7------|
A|----8-----8------------8-15-|----8-----8------------8-15-|
E|----------------------------|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|----------------------------|
E|----------------------------|----------------------------|

e|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
G|9-------9---------------------------|9-------9---------------------------|
D|--10------10----17/-19/-17-10-------|--10------10----17/-19/-17-10-------|
A|-----12------12---------------12-17-|-----12------12---------------12-17-|
E|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|

e|----------------------------|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|----------------------------|
G|9-----9------------9--------|9-----9------------9--------|
D|--7-----7---15/-14---7------|--7-----7---15/-14---7------|
A|----8-----8------------8-15-|----8-----8------------8-15-|
E|----------------------------|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|----------------------------|
E|----------------------------|----------------------------|

e|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
G|9-------9---------------------------|9-------9---------------------------|
D|--10------10----17/-19/-17-10-------|--10------10----17/-19/-17-10-------|
A|-----12------12---------------12-17-|-----12------12---------------12-17-|
E|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|

e|----------------------------|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|----------------------------|
G|9-----9------------9--------|9-----9------------9--------|
D|--7-----7---15/-14---7------|--7-----7---15/-14---7------|
A|----8-----8------------8-15-|----8-----8------------8-15-|
E|----------------------------|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|----------------------------|
E|----------------------------|----------------------------|

e|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
G|9-------9---------------------------|9-------9---------------------------|
D|--10------10----17/-19/-17-10-------|--10------10----17/-19/-17-10-------|
A|-----12------12---------------12-17-|-----12------12---------------12-17-|
E|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|

e|----------------------------|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|----------------------------|
G|9-----9------------9--------|9-----9------------9--------|
D|--7-----7---15/-14---7------|--7-----7---15/-14---7------|
A|----8-----8------------8-15-|----8-----8------------8-15-|
E|----------------------------|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|----------------------------|
E|----------------------------|----------------------------|

e|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
G|17--------------------------17-|------------------------------|
D|---15--------------------------|15----------------------------|
A|------15-----------------------|---15-------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-----------------------7----5-|
B|---------6-10-12-10------------|------6-10-12-10---------12---|
E|--------------------1----------|-----------------1---5--------|

e|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
G|17--------------------------17-|------------------------------|
D|---15--------------------------|15----------------------------|
A|------15-----------------------|---15-------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-----------------------7----5-|
B|---------6-10-12-10------------|------6-10-12-10---------12---|
E|--------------------1----------|-----------------1---5--------|

e|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
G|17--------------------------17-|------------------------------|
D|---15--------------------------|15----------------------------|
A|------15-----------------------|---15-------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-----------------------7----5-|
B|---------6-10-12-10------------|------6-10-12-10---------12---|
E|--------------------1----------|-----------------1---5--------|

e|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
G|17--------------------------17-|------------------------------|
D|---15--------------------------|15----------------------------|
A|------15-----------------------|---15-------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-----------------------7----5-|
B|---------6-10-12-10------------|------6-10-12-10---------12---|
E|--------------------1----------|-----------------1---5--------|

Why it works

Many of my riffs originate from practicing someone else's riff at a lower tempo. In this case, I was working on AAL's Temping Time--their version is much faster.

But when you slow it down it gives you time to add in interesting embellishments like a tap-slide. 7-finger tapping gives you a ton of latitude to deconstruct chords and play with both hands once you get over the awkwardness of fretting with your right hand.

The second riff here is almost like a guitar melody with a distorted bass call-and-response via the 8 string. It also looks super involved, so you get credit for a tricky riff even though you're not playing especially fast!

Song: Michael Miller - Leave the Light On

— Michael, who wrote and played it

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