Terminology

[FONT=Comic Sans MS] :confused: What is the difference between a riff, a fill, and a lick? [/FONT]

I’m going with a riff is often created by someone else. It sounds good and many people copy it. A lick is created by the person playing the guitar. Hoping it sounds good and many people copy it. A fill is a measurable amount of time that a guitarist plays a riff or a lick to fill that time.

Good question! Hmmm.... just for fun, I'm going to agree with Haghj on the last definition, but put my own, completely baseless skew on riff and lick... a "riff" to me means a more complete phrase... so for instance a classic "riff" would be "Hair of the Dog"; a series of notes, like a solo, but repeated so that the riff becomes readily identifiable as a phrase of music. A "lick" to me is something that is not repeated, and is by itself incomplete... "oh, and in this part of the solo she plays this really cool lick... it goes like this..." So its a little musical unit all on its own, but its used in conjunction with other notes to complete a solo or phrase. That's just my own crack-pot take on it!

Originally Posted by: haghj500I’m going with a riff is often created by someone else. It sounds good and many people copy it. A lick is created by the person playing the guitar. Hoping it sounds good and many people copy it. A fill is a measurable amount of time that a guitarist plays a riff or a lick to fill that time.

[FONT=Comic Sans MS] Your fill definition makes sense to me, now that I think about it. Regarding the riff and lick, I think I know what you mean, except guitarists share common licks, so not all licks are original. Thank you ♪•*¨*•.¸¸.•*¨*•
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Originally Posted by: Slipin LizardGood question! Hmmm.... just for fun, I'm going to agree with Haghj on the last definition, but put my own, completely baseless skew on riff and lick... a "riff" to me means a more complete phrase... so for instance a classic "riff" would be "Hair of the Dog"; a series of notes, like a solo, but repeated so that the riff becomes readily identifiable as a phrase of music. A "lick" to me is something that is not repeated, and is by itself incomplete... "oh, and in this part of the solo she plays this really cool lick... it goes like this..." So its a little musical unit all on its own, but its used in conjunction with other notes to complete a solo or phrase. That's just my own crack-pot take on it!

[FONT=Comic Sans MS] Thank you for explaining. I looked up the dictionary definitions, and your answer helps clarify my understanding ♪•*¨*•.¸¸.•*¨*•
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Riffs are noticable, repeating parts of the song, often like the signature. Licks and fills are less dominant, they're parts of phrases. Phrasing is actually more important, making complete sounding ideas that form a solo.

Originally Posted by: Elliott JeffriesRiffs are noticable, repeating parts of the song, often like the signature. Licks and fills are less dominant, they're parts of phrases. Phrasing is actually more important, making complete sounding ideas that form a solo.

[FONT=Comic Sans MS] :eek: Another term?!

So a riff is part of a musical phrase? [/FONT]

I can't remember who taught me this but these words and definitions can be somewhat 'related' to speaking.

Musical notes can be compared to letters of the alphabet. Random letters (or notes) do not make words, but when they do they mean something. So letters can make up words (or licks to make the comparison to music).

When different words are placed after each other in the right way they make up sentences. You can look at the term 'phrasing' as speaking sentences with your instrument. And when you are 'speaking' you make music.

Sorry if this is confusing, but I cannot fully remember the way it was explained to me. Hope this helps in some way.

Riffs usually are that short repeated parts of the song that make you recognize the song in an instant. You can look this video to get an idea.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiC__IjCa2s

Hope this helps.

JJ

Originally Posted by: ly2sing[FONT=Comic Sans MS] Your fill definition makes sense to me, now that I think about it. Regarding the riff and lick, I think I know what you mean, except guitarists share common licks, so not all licks are original. Thank you ♪•*¨*•.¸¸.•*¨*•
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Thank you, until I read your thread, I had never really thought about it. To me a riff and a lick have always been synonyms. Two guitarists talking about a lead in a song, one says I love that riff, the other says, it’s a killer lick. New term “Lead”

Originally Posted by: ly2sing[FONT=Comic Sans MS] :confused: What is the difference between a riff, a fill, and a lick? [/FONT]

It was a simple question with many answers. I wikied all of them as well. Like all the answers above. Helped clarify what I thought I knew.