I have a question about playing the main riff to Smoke On the Water by Deep Purple.

I purchased a DVD from the Lick Library (Danny Gill) that shows the opening riff as follows:

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-----3--5-----3--6--5---
--5--3--5--5--3--6--5---
--5--------5------------
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The Deep Purple book by Hal Leonard shows it as follows:

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---5--8--10--5--8--11--10----
---5--8--10--5--8--11--10----
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I am curious as to which way most people play the riff? Is the reason for the difference just artistic license/song interpretation. To be honest I prefer the lick library way but I would like know how it is generally played.

Thanks for your input....

Truebluefliplover

I play it like the first one, but as a full power chord.

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Just a little word of advice: Never,Never,Never play that in a music store or you'll leave yourself open for being the butt of jokes or maybe even get you thrown out if the salesmen are having a particularly bad day.

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The first tab is the one to play - it's pretty much how RB played it.

And not too much distortion either!

As for music shops, I guess they'll grin and bear it as long as you buy one of their Custom Shop strats. But I can't guarantee that the customers won't pelt you with plectrums if you start up that riff..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

First way definitely. That HL book is ridiculous for suggesting that other way, i don't know anyone who plays it like that. Another way to play it that i've seen people do is fourth and third strings open then barred at the third fret then the fifth and sixth frets, that sounds even better sometimes, but that HL way is a no no!

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I agree with the first way but I won't admit to playing it!!

yodacaster, do you mean like this?

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-----3--5-----3--6--5---
--5--3--5--5--3--6--5---
--5--1--3--5--1--4--3---
--3--------3------------

Thanks...

Thanks to everyone for the help. I appreciate it greatly!

Yeah, just like that. I don't know if it is correct. A friend showed me in high school and thats how I've always played it.

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It's actually not correct, at least it's not the way Ritchie played it anyway. If you listen carefully you can make out in some places that the "chords" (for lack of a better term) are two notes each. They are a root and a 5th but they are inverted.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Starts at 1:13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWl0YJN5Xf4

maybe not at the music store, but.........when we play it late at a gig, it always gets a good response. it's a classic riff and a damn good tune.

Let that open A string ring out with the first chord.

I don't know tablature,
but I can read music.

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Which actually makes the intervals fourths, which is how RB describes them..

By the sounds of the surviving recordings, Tommy Bolin played the riff as chords as well. (When he was capable of playing of course.. ) The reason why many people think they're hearing a full chord is because they are. But it's Jon Lord (God bless him) playing a unison higher inversion of the riff with his distorted organ tone that completes the chords..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

its the 5 3 5 version. not the 5 8 10

The youtube entry posted above with Blackmore demonstrating it is good but, there are others/better where he discusses how to play it.

Not "down strokes" but both strings "together".

But you have to watch it with Blackmore, he tends to play it a little different from time to time, and he also likes to decieve and make up stories to throw people off.

My Hal Leonard, Troy Stetina, Deep Purple book has it wrong with the 5 8 10 version.

I don't trust any of those type books any more.

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