- Kirk Roberts
Classic Guitar Riffs - Smoke On The Water
Updated: Mar 24, 2019

Smoke On The Water (Intro)
Recording Artist: Deep Purple
Writers: Deep Purple
“Smoke On the Water” is a classic rock song by Richie Blackmore and Ian Gillian of Deep Purple. Like many classic riffs, Blackmore said this lick was written during a jam with drummer, Ian Paice.
Key Statistics
Key: G major
Time Signature: 4/4
Scales: G minor pentatonic.
Structure: Intro only
What you need to know
1. How to read TAB.
2. Playing two strings at once.

Smoke On the Water Intro - Audio Sample
Watch out for:
Timing of notes in the opening riff.
The version offered on this track is designed to practice the basic opening riff and is played 4 times. You can repeat this structure over and over. If you would like to learn the full arrangement of this song or the guitar solo, please let me know during guitar lesson.
The original version of this recording is available on iTunes, Spotify …
The Transcribed version of the TAB is available through Hal Leonard Corporation.