Sometimes, when writing a ‘rhythm’ part, you might not need chords at all. Full chords might not suit the style of music, or the sound you’re using. Then why not play single-note riffs built from the chord notes, especially effective when you can create a similar pattern for each chord.
FOR THIS EXAMPLE, we’re starting with a simple chord progression in E Minor. Establishing the initial pattern is the first job. We’re just using the E on the fifth string (7th fret), the B on the fourth string (9th fret) and then the G on the second string (8th fret). We’ll also add an F# note on the second string (7th fret) to create a bit of melodic interest and to stop it simply being an arpeggio. Here’s the basic pattern… E-B-G-B-F#-B-F#-G. We’ll then apply this pattern to each chord, changing the fewest possible notes each time.
WE’RE arguably quite a way from the actual chord, as all we have is the root note, plus the F# and G notes. This is part of the fun, though – you can choose how rigidly you follow the pattern or the chord notes.
HERE’S the basic pattern. The added F# gives an Emadd9 sound, although the short notes prevent any of these riffs from having an obvious 'chord' sound. The changing root note is the strongest element.
AS WITH the Em to C change, we can go from Am to D by just changing the bottom (root) note. From here, it’s not too difficult to move back up to the Em.
FOR THE C chord, we’ve simply changed the E root to a C note, leaving everything else the same. The B note in the riff therefore gives a really nice Cmaj7 effect.