SLASH Picks His Favorite Riffs

November 24, 2009

MusicRadar.com recently caught up with former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash to talk riffs.

On what makes a killer guitar riff:

Slash: "A killer riff… something that's memorable, something that digs in, something that obviously has the right note selection to make something just sound fucking attractive, I guess. It's got to have a great sound and it's got to have a great attack. There's a lot of different elements but I think the most important thing is something that's really catchy and something that sticks with you."

What's your favourite riff of all time?

Slash: "LED ZEPPELIN had probably the biggest cache of killer riffs, more than any other band. I was thinking 'Whole Lotta Love'. I remember when that record came out — fuck, I was a little kid. But you know, 'Black Dog' is another one. ZEPPELIN had probably the biggest cache of killer riffs, more than any other band, y' know. I could go on… there's so many great riffs it's hard to go, this is the one."

Which of your own riffs are you most proud of?

Slash: "I've always dug 'Paradise City', I always thought it was great. 'Rocket Queen' was something that I was pretty fond of. And 'Jungle''s great. Everybody seems to like 'Sweet Child O' Mine' and that's a pretty cool riff, but I'd probably opt for 'Welcome To The Jungle' over 'Sweet Child O' Mine'."

Check out the video below for much more, including Slash's advice for aspiring riff writers.

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