Instrumental Guitar Music

Riff Rafting

by Ed Rawlings


I love guitar riffs. Great riffs encapsulate the chords, melody, and feel of a song. They are a force that propels the songs forward. A good song also tells a relatable story, but a great guitar rock and roll riff can draw people quickly into that story.

Sometimes, riffs are memorable guitar melodies, like The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” or  Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.” I particularly like riffs that are part chord, part melody, and are often as memorable as the lyrics, or maybe more so – like Chuck Berry’s opening riff for Johnny B. Goode – one of the classics of rock and the inspiration for many riffs to come.

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Borrowed Voices

by Tim Oestmann

Tim Oestmann


Greetings! My name is Tim Oestmann, from Adelaide, Australia.

Music is such a gift. It is a community event. Many of us are influenced by others’ gifts of a song or a tune, and hopefully, we can provide a tune in return. None of us makes music in a vacuum.

My background is as a guitarist and bass player in a number of local bands. I was fortunate enough to perform for a few years in front of live audiences, which was often a privilege. I also learned a lot from playing to an audience that gave instant feedback if you were hot, or not, they would let you know. I also did some roadie work for other performers, and so heard a lot of live music.

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Lo-fi post-rock electric guitar & beats

by Marcelo Badari (Looming Flames)

Lo-fi post-rock, electric guitar & beats by Marcelo Badari (Looming Flames)
My name is Marcelo Badari, and I am a musician from the southeast region of Brazil. Looming Flames is my instrumental solo project since 2011.

The idea behind Looming Flames is to create music with an electric guitar, a loop pedal, and some effects pedals in a minimalistic way. I also use a Boss SP 202 sampler in my guitar chain. With it, I can have sampled acoustic drum beats, played by me, in my compositions. I have some electronic beats and some noises sampled in the SP 202 as well.

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The Value Of Music

by Rob Sheppard

The Value Of Music by Rob Sheppard
As somebody who enjoys making music, I often find myself getting lost in a series of questions when writing and producing. The overriding thought being “What value does this have?”.

It is easy to deter ourselves from creating art, and putting ourselves in a vulnerable position, simply by talking ourselves out of finishing or sharing a creation in fear that it doesn’t add anything of value to the world, or worse; detracts value.

Due to these thoughts and conversations within my own mind, I haven’t shared an entire song or idea for many months, perhaps even years now.

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John Scofield’s Country for Old Men

John Scofield's Country for Old Men

In his youth, Jazz guitarist John Scofield spent a lot of time in New York’s famous music venue Filmore East, where Rock-, Jazz- and Country musicians played on the same stage. No wonder, while finding his home in Jazz music, he loved to cross musical borders during all his career. One of his latest albums, Country for Old Men, is just one of his many fusions.

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