How Do You Play Last Resort Riff?

By Michael Ferguson

Last Resort by Papa Roach is one of the most iconic songs of the early 2000s and its opening riff is instantly recognizable. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to play it, you’re in luck, because we have a step-by-step guide for you!

First things first, you’ll need a guitar. The Last Resort riff is played on an electric guitar with distortion, but you can still follow along on an acoustic if that’s all you have.

Start by tuning your guitar to drop D tuning. To do this, tune your low E string down one whole step to D. This will give the riff its signature heavy sound.

Now that your guitar is tuned, let’s take a look at the tablature for the Last Resort riff:

e|——————————————-
B|——————————————-
G|——————————————-
D|——–0-0-0-5-0-3-0———————-
A|–3-3-3——————5-5-5————–
D|——————————————-

The numbers on each line represent which frets to play and the dashes represent open strings. The numbers should be played in sequence from left to right.

Start by placing your index finger on the fifth fret of the D string and picking it once. Then hammer-on with your ring finger onto the seventh fret of the same string. Next, pick the open A string followed by picking it again but this time with a slight bend upwards.

After that, play the third fret twice on both A and D strings while palm-muting them with your right hand.

Finally, hit an open low D string followed by quickly sliding from 3rd fret to 5th fret on A string and then back to 3rd fret again before hitting an open low D string.

Congratulations! You just played the Last Resort riff. Repeat this sequence as many times as you like to get comfortable with it.

Here’s a breakdown of the riff:

  • Place your index finger on the fifth fret of the D string and pick it once
  • Hammer-on with your ring finger onto the seventh fret of the same string
  • Pick the open A string followed by picking it again with a slight bend upwards
  • Play the third fret twice on both A and D strings while palm-muting them with your right hand
  • Hit an open low D string followed by quickly sliding from 3rd fret to 5th fret on A string and then back to 3rd fret again before hitting an open low D string.

To really nail down the Last Resort riff, practice it slowly at first, making sure that each note is clear and distinct. Gradually increase your speed until you can play it smoothly and confidently.

In summary, playing Last Resort’s opening riff requires drop D tuning, some hammer-ons, palm muting and a slide. With a little practice, you’ll be able to master this iconic riff in no time!