This is my favorite riff in the tutorial. I love the atmospheric Eastern vibe it conveys.
This riff has a time signature of 7/8. So that means we have seven 8th notes accounted for in each measure. If you wanted to count the measure out loud, you could count: "One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Sev". Notice how I said "Sev" instead of "Seven"? Doing that helps make sure that we don't accidentally give an extra beat for the second syllable in the word "seven".
Now, before you attempt to learn this riff, study the tablature and observe the use of legato. If you look closely, you'll see that only about half of the notes are actually picked. The other half of the notes rely heavily on hammer-ons and pull-offs. With your picking hand, try to develop a consitent picking pattern. Try to pick exactly as indicated in the tab. Do you see the pattern? Down, Down, Up, Down Down, Up, Down Down, Up, etc.
Got it down? On to exercise 2!