Welcome to the third episode of Rifflist! So far we've had YouTube extraordinaire Ryan "Fluff" Bruce of Riffs, Beards & Gear and extreme metaller Brandon Ellis of The Black Dahlia Murder. This time, we're going punk-rock with Danny Rico of New Jersey outfit Can't Swim. He'll take you through his pre-show/pre-recording warm-up routine, what he says is the best riff of all time and loads more.
It's no secret that Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters have made a lasting impact on inspiring guitarists around the globe, and Can't Swim's lead six-stringer is no exception. Grohl has time and again written simple but instantly recognizable guitar hooks, including the opening riff for Everlong, which Rico cites as the first riff he ever learned.
Rico also reveals his affinity for the blues as he nimbly plays the riff he most recently learned - Stevie Ray Vaughan's Texas Flood. For the video, he employs a classic combination of a Fender Telecaster electric guitar through a Vox AC30 amp.
Can't Swim's new EP When the Dust Settles, is available now via Pure Noise Records.
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Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
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