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Fingerstyle Guitar Skool · With Aaron Tonner
3 Beautiful Fingerpicking Riffs
Beginner to Advanced — work through each one in order and only move on when you can play along with the original recording.

I've been teaching myself guitar for 16 years. In this lesson I'm going to teach you three beautiful fingerpicking riffs that will take you from beginner to advanced skills if you can master each one.

The best way to learn these riffs is to focus on one at a time and only move on to the next when you can play along with me as I perform them. These riffs are meant to be looped over and over without getting bored — that's how beautiful they are, and that's how effective they are at advancing your skills.

Riff 1 (Beginner) develops basic fingerpicking skills while challenging you to learn a small part by ear.

Riff 2 (Intermediate) gets faster and more complex by combining quick hammer-ons and pull-offs with a constant bass note — so fun and catchy once you get it.

Riff 3 (Advanced) is tricky and requires real finger dexterity, but will unlock harder songs down the road.

Riff 1 · Beginner
Slow Cheetah
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Riff 2 · Intermediate
Maine
Noah Kahan
Riff 3 · Advanced
Cherry Wine
Hozier
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Riff 1 — Beginner
Slow Cheetah
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Tuning: Standard E A D G B e Capo: 6th fret
GoalLearn both halves of the intro riff, then use your ear to figure out how it connects to the verse strumming pattern. The best fingerpickers train their ears, not just their fingers.
1
Intro — Part 1
e|-----------------------------------------------------0---|
B|--------------------------------------0------------------|
G|--------0--------------0--------2--------------0---------|
D|---2-------------0---------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------0-----0-----0--3-----3-----3|
E|0----0-----0--3-----3-----3------------------------------|
2
Intro — Part 2
e|---2-----0--------------------------------------------------|
B|---0-----0--------2-----0-----------------------------------|
G|------------------0-----0--------2-----0--------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------2-----0-----|
A|------------------------------0-----0-----0--3-----3-----3--|
E|0-----0-----0--3-----3-----3--------------------------------|
Ear training hintOnce you know the intro, listen to the song and identify how it connects to the verse strumming pattern. The verse chords are Am → C → G — can you hear them?
Technique tips
◆LISTEN to Slow Cheetah before practicing — get the melody in your head first.
◆Don't anchor your fingers on the body — let them hover over the strings so every note rings freely.
◆Practice slowly and quietly. Speed comes from clean, relaxed playing — not rushing.
◆Only move to Riff 2 when you can play along with the original recording.
Homework — tap to check off
Learn both halves of the intro and connect them without stopping.
Listen to the song and by ear, identify how the intro connects to the verse strumming pattern (hint: Am, C, G).
Play along with the original recording — only move to Riff 2 when you can do this!
Record yourself and upload to the community for feedback from Aaron.
Slow Cheetah feeling tough?I turned this riff into a full 7-Day Challenge inside Fingerstyle Guitar Skool — with direct video feedback on your playing.
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Riff 2 — Intermediate
Maine
Noah Kahan
Tuning: Standard E A D G B e Capo: 2nd fret
GoalMaster this riff by isolating the bass notes and the melody separately first. Understanding each layer on its own is the key to putting together any fingerpicking song you hear.
1
Maine riff — full tab
h Hammer On
p Pull Off
/ Slide Up
The open E string is the constant bass heartbeat throughout — keep it grounded and even. 
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------4------4h6p4-------------------------------------------------------------|
D|2h4-/6--------------6----4---------4h6p4-----------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------7----4---------4h6p44----2----2h4--2-----|
E|0----0----0----0----0----0----0----0----0----0----0----0----0----0----0----0---0-|
Ear training hintBefore playing through the full riff, isolate just the open E bass notes and tap along. Then learn just the upper strings. Combining them after will feel natural — this is how you learn any fingerpicking song by ear.
Technique tips
◆LISTEN to Maine by Noah Kahan before practicing — the rhythm is everything in this one.
◆The D string has a slide (2h4-/6) — hammer on first, then slide your finger up smoothly without lifting it off the string.
◆Keep the bass (open E) absolutely consistent — think of it as your metronome built into the riff.
◆If the hammer-on/pull-off combos feel muddy, isolate them until each note rings clearly before speeding up.
Homework — tap to check off
Isolate the bass notes (open E string) only and play them evenly without the upper strings.
Isolate the upper string melody (G, D, A strings) without the bass. Understand the melody on its own.
Combine both layers and play the full riff start to finish 3 times without stopping.
Play along with the original recording and upload your attempt to the community!
Want tons more lessons like this?Inside Fingerstyle Guitar Skool there are exclusive video breakdowns for every level — and members get direct feedback from me on their playing.
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Riff 3 — Advanced
Cherry Wine
Hozier
Tuning: Standard E A D G B e Capo: 6th fret
GoalThis riff demands real finger dexterity — slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and string crossings all working together. Master this and you'll unlock a new tier of fingerpicking control that carries into every hard song you want to learn.
1
Cherry Wine riff — ×1
h Hammer On
p Pull Off
/ Slide Up
\ Slide Down
e|----------0----------------0----------------0----------------------|
B|0h1-------------1/3--------------3\1--------------1/3--3\1p0-----0-|
G|-------0-----0----------0-----0----------0-----0-------------------|
D|----2-----------2/4--4-----------4\2--2-----------2/4--4\2p0--0----|
A|0------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
× 1 (this riff is only played twice in the full song)
Ear training hintListen to Cherry Wine by Hozier and identify exactly which part of the song this riff comes from. It's only played twice — can you spot it?
Technique tips
◆The B and D strings mirror each other — they move together in parallel. Lock that in first before worrying about the other strings.
◆Slides (/ up, \ down) need to be fluid — press firmly enough that the fretted note continues to ring through the slide.
◆The open A string bass holds the whole thing together — keep it grounded throughout.
◆Go painfully slow on this one. Fast sloppy playing builds bad habits — slow clean playing builds real dexterity.
Homework — tap to check off
Listen to Cherry Wine and identify exactly which section this riff is from — it's only played twice!
Isolate just the B and D string movement and practice the slides and pull-offs until they ring cleanly.
Run the full riff 5 times without stopping, slowly and cleanly.
Record yourself and upload to the community — Aaron will tell you exactly what to work on!
🎸
All 3 Riffs Complete!
You've worked through beginner, intermediate, and advanced fingerpicking in one session. Keep looping these until they feel effortless — that's when the real progress kicks in.
If you like this way of learning...There are tons more exclusive lessons and tab workbooks inside Fingerstyle Guitar Skool — and you'll get direct video feedback from me on your playing.
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🎬 Full Video Lesson
Watch All 3 Riffs Performed
Slow Cheetah · Maine · Cherry Wine
What to watch forPay attention to my right hand throughout all three riffs — watch how the fingers hover, the slide technique, and how the bass stays grounded even as the melody gets more complex.
▶
3 Beautiful Fingerpicking Riffs — Full Lesson
While you watch
◆Notice the shift in right-hand complexity between Riff 1 and Riff 3 — that's the exact gap this lesson is designed to close.
◆The best progress comes from slow practice. Don't rush to get to the next riff. Master one at a time.
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