[Tribute] 10 Best Ozzy Osbourne Guitar Riffs to Master 

Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary singer of the iconic band Black Sabbath, passed away on July 22, 2025. It’s hard to imagine the history of rock without his unmistakable presence. Nicknamed the “Prince of Darkness,” Ozzy reinvented the sound of heavy metal with Black Sabbath and went on to build an equally legendary solo career.

His unmistakable voice, magnetic stage presence, and lasting influence on guitarists have made him an essential figure for music lovers everywhere.

Here are 10 must-play Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne tracks to honor his legacy.

Download the free Guitar Pro 8 demo to play these 10 scores. Pick up your guitar and dive in!

You’ll also find these legendary tabs and thousands more in mySongBook, the interactive score library available in Guitar Pro 8.

War Pigs (Paranoid – 1970)

In Black Sabbath’s War Pigs, the rhythm section blends palm muting with open picking. It’s essential to practice the “palm mute/open” motion with your picking hand. Pay close attention to the pull-offs. Each note should ring out with the same clarity and intensity. Start slow, then gradually increase the tempo using Guitar Pro’s speed trainer feature.

Guitarist: Tony Iommi

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Iron Man (Paranoid – 1970)

In Black Sabbath’s Iron Man, it’s essential to pay close attention to the syncopated rhythms. This technique involves muting the sound by slightly releasing the pressure of your fretting fingers. Make sure your hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides ring clearly. In Guitar Pro, don’t hesitate to isolate the tricky parts, slow them down, and loop them to improve precision and fluidity.

Guitarist: Tony Iommi

Paranoid (Paranoid – 1970)

In the verse of Paranoid, start by isolating and slowly practicing the grace note in the first bar. Then add the second bar, focusing on the precision of the hammer-on. Next, isolate bars 5 to 8: play bars 5, 6, and 7 with palm muting, then open up the sound on bar 8 without muting. Finally, bring the entire riff together slowly and gradually increase the tempo to build consistency and control using Guitar Pro’s tools.

Supernaut (Black Sabbath Vol. 4. -1972)

In Black Sabbath’s Supernaut, start by practicing bars 1 and 2 slowly, highlighting the slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs. Then add bars 3 and 4. From bars 5 to 8, focus on alternating between palm muting and open playing, paying close attention to the slides. Finally, play the entire section slowly and gradually increase the tempo to improve accuracy and control.

Guitarist: Tony Iommi

Sweet Leaf (Master of Reality – 1971)

In Black Sabbath’s Sweet Leaf, the one-bar riff is built with slides and dead notes. This effect is achieved by lifting the fingers of your fretting hand while keeping them in contact with the strings to produce the characteristic sound. Pay special attention to the fourth beat of bar 8, where a dead note on the last sixteenth note restarts the riff cycle.

Guitarist: Tony Iommi

The Mob Rules (Mob Rules – 1981)

In Black Sabbath’s The Mob Rules, to add expression to the G note (3rd fret on the low E string), perform a quarter-tone bend, no need to pull the string too far. Unlike previous bends that don’t return to the starting pitch, the bend in bar 4 is a bend-and-release that must come back precisely to the original note. Practice slowly and gradually increase the tempo using Guitar Pro’s features.

Guitarist: Tony Iommi

Crazy Train (Blizzard of Ozz – 1980)

In Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train, start by isolating the first two bars. As Randy Rhoads played it, this riff should be performed using only downstrokes. Once you have the riff locked in, emphasize the notes played on the A string by striking them harder with your picking hand. Practice slowly and gradually increase the tempo using Guitar Pro’s tools.

Guitarist: Randy Rhoads

Mr. Crowley (Blizzard of Ozz – 1980)

In Ozzy Osbourne’s Mr. Crowley, in bar 1, pay close attention to the quarter-note triplet; to play it well, try singing the phrase as you play. Isolate the last two beats of bar 3 and the first beat of bar 4 to highlight the hammer-on/pull-off sequence. Make sure the syncopated riff is tight and precise. Also, focus on bar 12, which features several techniques that need to be mastered. Ensure your bends are accurate. Practice slowly and gradually increase the tempo using Guitar Pro’s speed trainer.

Guitarist: Randy Rhoads

Bark at the Moon (Bark at the Moon – 1983)

In Ozzy Osbourne’s Bark at the Moon, break the riff down and play it slowly to properly internalize the chord changes and the alternation between palm muting and open playing. Emphasize the chords with your picking hand using downstrokes, making sure the D, G, and B strings ring out clearly. Also, isolate the last six sixteenth notes to position and execute the pull-off accurately.

Guitarist: Jake E. Lee

Mama, I’m Coming Home (No More Tears – 1991)

This acoustic rhythm is played with alternate picking. Work through it step by step, breaking the section down and adding the bars one at a time, starting with the first two. Play the E (9th fret) with your third finger, then the D♯ (8th fret) with your second finger, which then shifts to the G♯ with your first finger. In bars 2 and 3, place the full chord shapes even if not all the notes are played, to avoid wrong notes in case of string mistakes. Practice slowly, then gradually increase the speed.

Guitarist: Zakk Wylde

I hope you enjoyed this tribute to Ozzy. Tell us your favorite track in the comments below.