Rage Against The Machine - Guerrilla Radio - Guitar Lesson

The Battle Of Los Angeles

1999 3:26

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About Guerrilla Radio

Few riffs from 1999 hit as hard as the one Tom Morello built for "Guerrilla Radio." It centres on a tight, percussive low-string figure in D minor that locks in with Tim Commerford's bass almost as a single unit, so your picking hand rhythmic precision matters as much as your fretting hand. Morello layers that grunt with his trademark toggle-switch tricks and whammy-pedal manipulation, so if you want the full sonic picture, expect to spend real time on the effects side rather than just chasing the notes. The riff itself is not technically demanding to finger, but nailing the attack, muting, and groove at full tempo is where most players slip up. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the main riff slowed down until the muting is airtight before you push the speed back up. Rage Against The Machine built the whole track around rhythmic tension, so every note that should be dead needs to be completely dead.

• The signature riff relies heavily on palm muting and precise pick attack on the low strings, so sloppy muting will immediately undercut the groove.
• Tom Morello's characteristic toggle-switch and whammy-pedal effects are central to the song's texture, making effects technique as important as fretwork.
• The riff sits in D minor and is approachable for intermediate players, but matching the locked-in rhythmic feel at full speed is the real challenge.