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Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name - Guitar Lesson

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Key E minor
Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name guitar lesson video
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Rage Against The Machine - XX (20th Anniversary Special Edition) album cover
Rage Against The Machine - XX (20th Anniversary Special Edition)
1992 5:14
Listen on Spotify
Rage Against the Machine Funk Metal 1992 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Killing in the Name

Few riffs from the early 1990s hit as hard as the one that opens this track, and learning it will teach you a lot about how groove and aggression can coexist. Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello built the song around a heavy, syncopated E minor riff that sits deep in the low strings and demands tight, percussive muting between every hit. Getting the rhythm exactly right is the real challenge here: the accents fall in unexpected places, so even players who can fret the notes cleanly often lose the pocket. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the main riff slowed down until the syncopation feels natural before you bring it back up to tempo. The song also features Morello's unconventional solo, which relies more on whammy bar manipulation, pick scrapes, and toggle-switch tricks than on conventional lead phrasing, so approach it as a study in noise and texture rather than scales.

  • The main riff is built on low-string E minor power chords with heavy palm muting and syncopated rhythmic accents that can easily trip up your picking hand.
  • Tom Morello's solo relies on toggle-switch flicking, pick scrapes, and whammy bar abuse rather than conventional scale-based lead playing.
  • Keeping your fretting hand mute consistent throughout the verse riff is the key to locking in the tight, percussive tone the song demands.

How to Play Killing in the Name

Tuning: Drop D · Key: E minor · Tempo: 82 BPM

The core of this song is Tom Morello's drop-D riff, which uses the open low D string heavily to create that driving, percussive feel; the challenge is not the fret positions themselves but locking the rhythm tightly with the bass so the groove stays aggressive rather than sloppy. The main riff sits low on the neck and is relatively accessible in terms of fingering, but the muting and pick attack matter enormously. The famous outro escalation, where the dynamic builds through repeated phrases, requires strict control of your picking intensity across many repetitions without rushing the 82 bpm pulse. Looping that outro section at reduced speed will help you maintain consistent attack without losing the slow burn.

Loop each section and focus on clean, even timing rather than speed, with the metronome at 82 BPM.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Tom Morello uses this 1982 Telecaster for RATM's funkier, cleaner rhythm parts, leveraging its bridge humbucker for articulate muting and percussive attack that cuts through dense arrangements.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The JCM800's punchy midrange and aggressive natural clipping deliver RATM's signature thick, cutting distortion tone while staying tight enough for Morello's dynamic muting and noise experiments.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Morello exploits this wah pedal extensively for funk riffs and half-cocked tonal shaping, creating RATM's signature expressive sweeps and rhythmic articulation that define their groove.

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Pedal

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

Morello uses the DD-3 for rhythmic repeats and spatial effects, adding depth and texture to RATM's complex arrangements without muddying the aggressive distortion tone.

MXR Phase 90
Pedal

MXR Phase 90

This phaser adds occasional swirling modulation to Morello's pedalboard, creating subtle psychedelic textures that enhance RATM's experimental moments without overwhelming their heavy rhythm focus.

DigiTech Whammy
Pedal

DigiTech Whammy

The Whammy pedal enables Morello's signature pitch-shifting, octave drops, and squealing harmonics that define RATM's innovative, experimental noise work and solo textures.

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