Rage Against The Machine - Testify - Guitar Tab

About Testify

Drop D tuning sits at the core of "Testify," and Tom Morello uses it to full effect, dropping the low string down to deliver the kind of heavy, percussive riff that opens The Battle of Los Angeles with a jolt. The main riff is built around that low D, and the challenge is nailing the right-hand palm muting and rhythmic precision at 92 BPM. It sounds straightforward until you try to match the mechanical tightness that Rage Against The Machine bring to it. The key of D minor gives the whole thing a dark, coiled tension, and the riff needs to feel locked in, not loose. If the rhythm is tripping you up, use the Practice Toolbar to loop the main riff slowed down until your picking hand stops rushing. Nu Metal leans heavily on that low-string punch, and getting your muting clean is where this song is really won or lost.

• The song uses Drop D tuning, which lets you play the low D string riff with a single finger and adds extra weight to the palm-muted attack.
• At 92 BPM the main riff feels moderate, but keeping the palm muting tight and consistent throughout the full song is the real physical challenge.
• Tom Morello's right-hand muting technique is central to the tone here, so focus on the contact point and pressure of your palm on the strings near the bridge.