Foo Fighters – Everlong Riff

Master the Iconic Riff from Everlong by Foo Fighters

Few modern rock riffs are as instantly recognisable and emotionally charged as the main riff from Foo Fighters’ Everlong. With its driving rhythm, layered guitar textures, and powerful dynamics, the riff stands as a high point in alternative rock guitar work. At Licklibrary.com, our note-for-note guitar lesson of the Everlong riff breaks down every nuance and subtlety, allowing guitarists to recreate its distinctive energy with precision and confidence.

This in-depth lesson isn't just about copying the riff—it's about understanding the essential techniques that make it work. Our expert tutor guides you through each phrase, explaining how the right-hand rhythm, fretting approach, and articulation all contribute to the overall feel. Whether you're a beginner looking to push your skills or an intermediate guitarist seeking to refine your technique, this lesson delivers real-world playing tools you can apply across your repertoire. Danny Gill breaks down this classic riff in this exclusive Lick Library video tutorial.

Techniques Explored in the Everlong Riff

Palm Muting

The Everlong riff relies heavily on palm muting to give its driving power and rhythmic clarity. This technique involves resting the edge of your picking hand lightly on the strings near the bridge while picking, resulting in a tight, controlled sound.

Benefit: Palm muting is crucial for controlling dynamics and creating a percussive quality that tightens up distorted riffs. Mastering it improves your rhythmic precision and makes your playing sound more professional.

Alternate Picking

The fast-paced nature of the Everlong riff demands the use of efficient alternate picking. This picking method involves alternating down and upstrokes for each note, ensuring fluid and economical movement.

Benefit: Learning alternate picking enhances your speed and accuracy. It also improves your stamina during long playing sessions, making it an essential tool for both rhythm and lead guitarists.

Power Chords

The song’s harmonic backbone is built around aggressive, tightly voiced power chords. These chords are a staple of rock and punk music and are ideal for distorted tones due to their simple two- or three-note structure.

Benefit: Power chords are fundamental for any rock guitarist. They strengthen your fret-hand coordination and are a gateway to understanding song structures and rhythm guitar work.

Open-String Riffs

A signature feature of the Everlong riff is its use of ringing open-string riffs in altered tuning, giving the guitar a full and resonant sound even with sparse fretting.

Benefit: Open-string riffs teach players how to use guitar tuning creatively and produce larger-than-life textures without relying on complex fingerings. It’s a great way to expand your tonal palette.

Syncopated Rhythms

The song also employs syncopated rhythms, making the riff feel alive and slightly off-kilter in a way that perfectly matches the emotional tone of the lyrics.

Benefit: Practicing syncopation trains your sense of timing and groove, which are essential for playing tight with a drummer and developing a strong rhythmic feel.

About the Guitarists Behind Everlong

At the time Everlong was recorded, Dave Grohl not only handled the songwriting and vocals, but also played all the guitar parts on the track. Known for his explosive drumming with Nirvana, Grohl brought that same sense of precision and raw energy to his guitar work with Foo Fighters. His rhythm playing in Everlong is percussive, intense, and deeply melodic, forming the heart of the band’s sound.

Grohl’s playing style blends punk-rock urgency with an appreciation for layered textures, a quality that has made him an influential figure for guitarists across genres. His no-frills, emotionally charged approach to the guitar continues to inspire players seeking to combine simplicity with raw power.

Why Learn the Everlong Riff?

Learning the Everlong riff provides more than just bragging rights—it’s an opportunity to internalise a series of key guitar techniques in one of the most impactful musical contexts possible. From building stamina through alternate picking to mastering dynamic control with palm muting and syncopation, this riff is a compact workout that sharpens your rhythm skills and enhances your overall musicianship.

Whether you're jamming with friends or performing on stage, being able to play Everlong convincingly sets you apart as a confident and expressive rhythm guitarist. Our Licklibrary lesson ensures you not only play it right but understand why each technique is important.

Techniques Featured in This Lesson

• Palm Muting
• Alternate Picking
• Power Chords
• Open-String Riffs
• Syncopated Rhythms