Riffs and Runs

My Girl - The Temptations
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This is another one of those songs, that playing it while stammering out the lyrics will get you out of trouble with the significant other. You can substitute guy for girl or their name if it can fit. Don't worry if your singing isn't up to par, more often than not the worse the singing the better, it would take a very cold heart to not break down with a smile and forgiveness, after hearing a heartfelt off-key rendition of the chorus.

OK time for class to begin. The verse riff for this song is a perfect learning tool, it is fairly easy to pick up, involves all 4 strings and most of all is fun to play. To me it looks like it's based off a simple blues scale and has a bit of a 12 bar feel to it. But don't let the simple look fool you, there is a hard part to pick up on this song, only it isn't a note you play it the one you don't. Confused? One of the most important lessons you can learn as a musician is when not to play, sometimes silence speaks greater than a thousand notes and here is a prime example. The slight pause between the 8 and 10 on both strings, makes the groove, without it you are just playing ascale at practice. Try playing the run without the pause using the standard 1 2 3 4 tempo, now play it with the pause, big difference huh? You went from playing a boring old scale from a mel bay book, to one of the more recognized basslines in history just by adding a slight pause, pretty cool eh? Ok now run thru this main riff till its stuck in your head and then we can move on to the hook (lead-in to chorus)

main riff
verse and chorus

G|--------------------------7-10-|
D|-----------7-10------7-10------|
A|------7-10------8-10-----------|
E|-8-10--------------------------|


All right, do you have that pause beat into your head? If so let's move on to the hook, it's just a little run you do as you go from the verse to the chorus. The best way to play it, is to sing along while playing it, if you can sing the part you can't mess it up as the two are so interlinked. Listen to the song a few times and you will pick it right up. The trick comes when you go back into the main riff, putting that pause in the riff feels very unnatural to go back into, so alot of practice is going to be needed to execute the change without going offbeat. Have fun!!!!

G|---------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------|
A|-------------8-8--10-10-----------12-10-8-10-|
E|-8-8--10-10--------------8-8--10-------------|


EXTRA CREDIT

The main riff offers up 3 extra lessons to help give you that added edge.

1. Play the entire riff only using your fretting hand. This will help build up speed stamina and power, plus it always looks
cool playing with just one hand.

2. This one is kinda fun but tough, we are going to do a little basic 2 hannded tapping.
(instructions are for right handed players, lefties just switch it around)
your left hand is going to play the 8's and 7's like you did when playing it one handed, but now the 10's are going to be played by your right hand. Place your right thumb on top of the neck between the 11th and 12th frets, using that as an anchor take your right index finger and hit the 10's with it. After a few tries you'll get it down no problem, and can be showing off in no time.

3.Now play the riff each time alternating which style you are using, and amaze your friends.....