This riff is set in E major/C#m and uses funk rhythms and basslines played by the thumb. The challenging part of this riff is strumming the chords, making the transitions smooth, and giving attention to the bass at the same time.
My focus with this adaptation was to make the lines on the high E string stand out above the rest of the song.
Although this is a thick version of the riff, I wouldn’t see a problem with playing the top two or three strings instead of the entire figure. Playing the entire thing is mostly a challenge, and is done to give a fuller sounding riff with lead and bass parts.
F#m C#m C#m/E D#m7b5 (Rpt)
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