Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode - Famous Riffs - Guitar Lesson

Berry Is On Top

1955 2:42

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About Johnny B. Goode - Famous Riffs

Few riffs in Classic Rock get quoted as often as the opening guitar figure in "Johnny B. Goode," and learning it properly is a genuine education in blues-based rock phrasing. The signature intro is built around a double-stop move in Bb major, where you fret two strings simultaneously and release them with a slight push, giving that snappy, vocal quality that makes the line so recognizable. At 132 BPM in E Standard tuning, the tempo is brisk but not brutal, and the real challenge is keeping each double-stop clean and even while your pick hand stays relaxed. Chuck Berry played with a behind-the-beat swagger that notation alone does not fully capture, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop the intro slowed down until the rhythm feels natural rather than mechanical. Once the intro sits comfortably, pay attention to how the rhythm chucking between phrases locks in with the bass, because that interplay is as important to the song's feel as the lead work itself.

• The signature intro riff relies on blues double-stops, where two strings are fretted and bent together to produce that sharp, punchy melodic snap.
• At 132 BPM in E Standard, the tempo demands clean pick control, so practicing the intro figure slowly before pushing the speed is essential.
• The riff sits in Bb major, which puts the double-stop shapes in a less familiar position for guitarists used to open-position blues keys like E or A.