Riff pack · South Side, 1954
Low, mean, hypnotic. The Muddy Waters / Little Walter thing \u2014 a heavy repeated figure on the bottom strings you sit on and ride, dripping with menace and space. Fewer notes, more attitude. Down and dirty. Tap to hear; hit Loop and let it hypnotise.
That was funk. This is menace. Four rules: Stay low \u2014 the bottom three strings, in your lap. Repeat & ride \u2014 one hypnotic figure, over and over, barely changing; the power is the repetition. Leave holes \u2014 huge space between phrases, room for a harmonica or a voice. Dirt & swagger \u2014 heavy pick attack, lazy behind-the-beat timing, a nasty bend or slide on the turn. Play it like you mean somebody harm.
72 bpm · heavy shuffle · E · one-chord stomp + 12-bar option · ~2:40
A slow, dirty E stomp \u2014 stripped drums (kick, rimshot, tambourine), a fat sustained bass root, and a harmonica-style organ answering in the holes. Deliberately sparse so your riff is the record. Sit on the E, ride the riff, leave the space. Import to Cubase and play it filthy.