Cool Guitar Riffs #4 – Open E Pentatonic Minor Riff

The E pentatonic minor scale in open position is one of those goldmines that keeps giving you cool stuff to play. This riff is a perfect example — it sounds great, it’s not too complicated, and once you get it under your fingers, you can use it over a bunch of different progressions.

In the video above, I walk you through the whole thing step by step, but let me hit the highlights here too.

Here’s the scale pattern this riff is built from:

The Riff Breakdown

The riff starts on the A note — 2nd fret of the 3rd string. You’ll use your middle finger to bend that note up slightly and then pull off. That bend-and-pulloff combo right at the top is what gives the riff its character. It’s a small move, but it makes a big difference in how the whole thing sounds.

From there, the rest of the riff stays in the open E pentatonic minor pattern. You’re mostly working hammer ons and pull offs on the open strings, which is what gives it that flowing, connected feel. If you’re on an acoustic and the stretch feels tough, that’s normal — it’s definitely easier on electric. Make sure your action isn’t set too high, because that’ll make bends and pull offs way harder than they need to be.

Adding the E7 Chord

One thing I show in the video is how this riff pairs with an E7 chord voicing. Put your index finger on the 1st fret of the 3rd string and your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string, then strum all six strings. That gives you a nice open E7.

Want to fatten it up? Add your pinky on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string. That duplicates the D note that’s already in the chord, but having it in two places fills out the sound. Try going back and forth between the riff and that E7 — you’ll hear how well they fit together.

The Hybrid Picking Variation

Once you’ve got the basic riff down, there’s a cool variation worth trying. Instead of just picking the notes normally, pluck the open A string (5th string) at the same time as the octave A higher up. You do this with hybrid picking — your pick handles one note while your middle finger plucks the other simultaneously.

It’s a subtle change, but it adds depth. You get that low A anchoring the bottom while the riff moves on top. Two slightly different versions of the same riff, and both sound good.

Where Does This Riff Work?

Since it comes out of the E pentatonic minor, this riff works anywhere that scale fits — E minor, G major, or an E blues progression like E7-A7-B7. The open strings are what make it ring out, so it really does sound best in these keys rather than trying to move it up the neck.

If you’re still getting comfortable with pentatonic patterns, check out my lesson on learning the pentatonic scale — it’ll give you a solid foundation for riffs like this one. Once you’ve got the scale down, try improvising with the pentatonic scale to start creating your own licks. If you want a simpler starting point, my beginner scale pattern lesson is a great place to begin. And if you want to go deeper into how all these patterns connect, my guitar scales page ties everything together.

Give this riff a shot and have fun with it. Play it slow at first, get the bend and pull off clean, and then gradually bring it up to speed. You’ll be surprised how quickly it starts to feel natural.