How to Play "SMOKE ON THE WATER" on Guitar | School of Rock Back to School Miniseries Ep. 2

Welcome back to the School of Rock Back to School Miniseries. This is the 2nd episode of a series that covers 3 beginner-level rock songs that appear in a pivotal scene in the movie The School of Rock. In lesson 2, we will be covering “Smoke on the Water”, originally by Deep Purple. “Smoke on the Water” has got to be the most common rock riff people learn. And for good reason--this riff is a classic! Keep in mind that this riff, like other riffs in this miniseries, is going to be the version that is played in the movie. This depiction of “Smoke on the Water” is not necessarily how Deep Purple plays it, but it’s how Zack plays it in the movie and it’s how this Zak is going to teach you. First, we will cover power chords, which are the only type of chords used in this song. From there, I will show you how to play these chords in their correct positions. Lastly, we will take all the chords that I showed you and learn how to put them together and play the actual riff.

Let’s get rockin!

Power Chords

The riff for this song is made entirely of power chords. Power chords are one of my favorite types of chords to recommend to beginners because they are simple, moveable, and pack a massive sound. Power chords are often depicted as whatever the chord’s root note is, followed by the number 5. This is because the two notes that make power chords are the root and whatever note is 5 scale degrees away from that root. If you'd like to learn more about the basics of power chords, feel free to take a look at this video.

How to Play the Power Chords Used in "Smoke on the Water"

Now I’m going to show you how to play the power chords in this riff. Try to lock in the names of each power chord so we can piece them together with the rhythm at the end. The first power chord is an A5 chord. Play the open A string, then play the 2nd fret of the D string with your index finger.

Next is a C5 chord. Place your index finger on the 3rd fret of the A string and your ring finger or pinky on the 5th fret of the D string. The shape of this chord and the rest of them will remain the same, but they will be in different places on the fretboard.

After the C5 chord is the D5 chord. Put your index finger on the 5th fret of the A string and your ring finger or pinky on the 7th fret of the D string. Play the first 3 chords in sequence, and we already have a good fraction of the riff locked down.

The last power chord used in this riff is an Eb power chord. Put your index finger on the 6th fret of the A string and your ring finger or pinky on the 8th fret of the D string.

Now you've got all the chords in this riff under your belt. Let's put them all together now!

How to Play the Main Riff in "Smoke on the Water"

To play the first part of the riff, just play the A5, C5, and D5 chords. The D5 chord is held twice as long as the first 2 chords. Jump back to the A5 and follow that up with a C5. From there, play the Eb5 chord and quickly slide it down to the D5 chord. Play the A5, C5, and D5 pattern again. Finish the riff in a descending fashion by playing the C5 chord, then letting the A5 power chord ring out.

"Now raise your goblet of rock. It's a toast to those who rock."

Conclusion

Now you have an iconic riff to show friends and family. Make sure you get the hang of the rhythm and that the notes you’re playing are accurate to how I showed you them. You may need to work more on the rhythm and the chords separately before bringing them together in the "Smoke on the Water" riff. Once you’ve got this riff down, you’ll be on your way to playing like Zack Attack! Have fun with this riff and let me know if you have any questions.

Check out the full lesson video HERE: How to Play "SMOKE ON THE WATER" on Guitar | School of Rock Back to School Miniseries Ep. 2