The effect of the rotation of a drill string on the response of a drilling riser has been studied. A governing equation for the flexural response that incorporates the effect of the drill string rotation is developed from first principles, and the resulting differential equation is found to have a variable coefficient, which is a function of the drill string rotational speed. Results simulated for the free vibration response show that the drill string rotation reduces the natural frequency and increases the amplitude of vibration of the drilling riser. The implication of these findings is that neglecting the effect of rotation of the drill string leads to under-estimation of the deflection and over-estimation of the natural frequency. Further analysis reveals that for a drilling riser of given dimensions, a drill string rotational speed exists at which the natural frequency of the drilling riser is theoretical equal to zero, and this rotational speed is the threshold rotational speed.