Joe Walsh’s riffing on the James Gang’s “Funk 49” is epic and definitive for classic rock. The intro is a great workout for string bending, while the main riff is a great example of the use of triads in a power rock setting.
The opening lick is played strictly in the 5th position, and features some slinky bends! Note the descending pre-bend, letting the string down a little further with each pick stroke.
Then comes our main riff, built entirely on a 3=string barre across the D, G, and B strings: first at the 5th fret with a hammer onto the 3rd string, then at the 7th with a double hammer-on on strings 4 and 2:
The secondary riff is a simple minor pentatonic figure on A, which then moves up and repeats 2 frets higher on B. Notice the ending E7#9 chord.
Here’s the lesson video:
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