Top 15 Velvet Underground Riffs

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Published 2020-12-30

Here are my top 15 Velvet Underground 'riffs', down-tuned to give it that dark mood that is usually found on a lot of VU songs. Lou Reed experimented a lot with tunings, most notably, the 'ostrich' tuning which featured on the song All Tomorrow's Parties from the Velvet Underground and Nico album.
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#velvetunderground #guitar #loureed

TRACK LISTING (Tunings found at bottom)
0:00 Sister Ray
0:15 Ocean
0:32 All Tomorow's Parties
0:48 Run Run Run
1:04 I'm Set Free
1:19 There She Goes Again
1:37 Heroin
2:00 Sweet Jane
2:20 Some Kinda Love
2:41 Lady Godiva's Operation
2:58 Rock And Roll
3:20 Waiting For The Man
3:37 I Can't Stand It
3:52 Venus In Furs
4:19 What Goes On

All songs tuned down a whole step (DGCFAD) except All Tomorrow's Parties (Ostrich Tuning), Run Run Run (DGCFAA), Venus In Furs (DGCFAC), Rock And Roll (CGCFAD).

All Comments (21)

@dashstarkiller913 3 years ago

“One chord is fine. Two chords is pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz." - Lou Reed
@losangulos 3 years ago

"Riffs that spawned 50 bands or more"
@rick.d 3 years ago

Every time I turn on the radio, there ain't nothing goin' down at all.
@JohnLee-iw1fn 3 years ago

Venus in Furs has perhaps the most menacing chord sequence I've ever heard.
@cervgiovanni 3 years ago

Sweet Jane is such a Beautiful chord progression
@jxomxo 3 years ago

What’s so powerful about Heroin is that the song is just those two chords played throughout as the song distorts into highs and lows, it’s magnificent.
@guywholovesmusic4611 2 years ago

I love how the Velvet were capable of creating such a distinctive, experimental, and unique sound with a few chords, one of the best bands ever
@CarlosVargas-cn7rx 3 years ago

Lou Reed is such an underrated rythmic guitar player
@jermyhopkisn9654 3 years ago

This made me want to listen to the Velvet Underground. Spot on job with everything.
@greytoeimp 3 years ago

Each of these riffs tells a different story, all by itself.
@jeremywu222 3 years ago

there she goes again was so insanely accurate - I could hear Lou’s voice coming in!!!
@camilopibi 3 years ago

😎 the only emoji for velvet underground
@markjohnson7910 3 years ago

You know who I discovered recently that sounds like the Velvet Underground? Nobody.
@silenceofthehills7610 3 years ago

I love the guitar solo in “Sunday Morning”.
@Paul-gf6kp 3 years ago

You know it's good when the man gets a new guitar
@numsiskit 3 years ago

Sterling Morrison is so underrated and ahead of his time. Love this band.
@nickbarthram1112 3 years ago

Sister Ray needs that played-for-15-minutes-straight out of tune-ness
@joenouveau7109 3 years ago

I never realised how downright weird the Venus in furs chord progression was-
@iejcwejheiowcnlwekn 3 years ago

It’s nice to know that there are this many Velvet Undergrounders out there. It’s another perfect day and I couldn’t hit it sideways.
@killbot_factory 1 year ago

What Goes On is such a great guitar jam. on the 1969 live album there is a killer 12 minute long version that gets hypnotic with the guitar and especially organ. rhythm guitarists are underrated and Lou was a great one, attacking those chords with a real ferocity.