Flanked by some of metal’s finest guitarists, Megadeth’s leader more than holds his own.
Upon being unceremoniously fired from Metallica in 1983, right on the cusp of their climb to worldwide success, Dave Mustaine channeled his righteous indignation into the formation of his own band, Megadeth, which he hoped would “destroy” his former band and new archenemy. While that may not have come to pass, his own band would rise to the heights of metal stardom, later joining Metallica as one of the “big four” metal bands, along with Slayer and Anthrax. The two bands may have mended fences, but over the course of his 40-plus years fronting Megadeth, Mustaine’s trademark vocal snarl and menacing guitar riffery have not abated, even as he was battling personal challenges like addiction and throat cancer, not to mention arm and neck injuries that looked to threaten his ability to play guitar. Over the years, top-tier metal guitarists have occupied the band’s second guitar chair, such as Marty Friedman, Kiko Loureiro, and its current occupant, Teemu Mäntysaari, all to much well-deserved acclaim. But today, we’ll be taking an arguably overdue, in-depth look at what makes Mustaine a great player in his own right.
Spider Chords
Mustaine considers himself to be a more proficient rhythm player than lead, so that’s where we’ll begin. (We’ll be looking at some of his excellent lead work a bit later.) As a songwriter, he found himself encountering, on multiple occasions, a specific chord change which proved to be technically challenging: a 5th-string-root power chord (root and fifth) immediately followed by a 6th-string-root power chord one fret higher, E5 to C5, for example. Fretting both chords with first and third fingers would prove to be awkward at the blazing-fast tempos at which he would often write. So, in order to create more fluidity and economy of movement, Mustaine’s eureka moment was to fret the 6th-string-root chord with his second and fourth fingers.
Ex. 1 is an exercise to help you get acquainted with this unorthodox technique. Begin by concentrating on the first measure. Repeat it at a slow tempo to get the movement under your fingers. When ready, add the remaining two measures, which will up the challenge, taking you down the neck twice as fast.
Here’s Mustaine himself demonstrating his signature move.
One song in which he employs this technique is “Wake Up Dead,” from Megadeth’s 1986 classic Peace Sells... but Who’s Buying? Ex.2 is based on one of the song’s riffs, and shows a nifty way to move down the fretboard. Be sure to lift the palm mute when indicated, to end with an even more sinister flourish.
Chromatic Ups and Downs
In the above examples, you’ll find plenty of
chromaticism, the inclusion of non-diatonic (out-of-key) notes or chords linking those that are diatonic, resulting in multiple half-step (one-fret) shifts. Mustaine employs this quite a bit, and Ex. 3 is inspired by “A Tout le Monde” from 1990’s Rust in Peace. Even though the example is the key of F# minor (F#–G#–A–B–C#–D–E), take note of the “in between” chords, Bb5, C5, and G5 in measures one and two, and D#5 in measure four. Adding chromaticism to chord progressions allows you to quickly step outside the key and back again, adding a bit of spice.
Time Is on Your Side
Another aspect of Mustaine’s songwriting that he excels at is playing complex rhythms (while simultaneously singing, no less). There are two main ways in which he accomplishes this. First, he often uses syncopation, where off-beats are emphasized.
Ex. 4 is inspired by “The Conjuring” from Peace Sells… In measure two, the accented chords are all on the off-beats, which energetically propels the riff forward. The chords are offset by bass notes punctuated with palm muting, a classic feature of metal rhythm playing Mustaine often relies upon.
Mustaine’s rhythm talents aren’t limited to chords alone. He also writes malevolent single-note riffs, made more treacherous by his use of another rhythmic device: odd time signatures. This section of 7/8 from “Architecture of Aggression” from 1992’s Countdown to Extinction is a great example.
Ex. 5 is inspired by this song, and is also in 7/8 time. It looks a bit odd, so let’s find an easy way to digest this quirky time signature. Another way of looking at 4/4 time is as if it’s 8/8, or eight eighth-notes to the bar. Consequently, 7/8 time is simply 4/4 minus one eighth-note. In the example, you can see how, if this was a bar of 4/4, that there would be an eighth-note missing. As you play the riff slowly, count up to seven as you play each eighth-note. The bar will feel cut off at first, but that’s its magic, and as you repeat it, you’ll begin to feel it groove.
Soloing With the Best of ’Em
Mustaine takes his fair share of Megadeth solos and often creates a searing intensity by introducing a motif, or theme, then repeating it while adding variations as he goes. His solo in this live version of “Burnt Ice” from 2007’s United Abominations is great example.
In the solo, he adds some bluesy playing in between the variations, but Ex. 6 cuts and pastes each one so they’re played consecutively. It’s a heck of a workout, and notice how the final variation has the phrase crossing over the bar line, with the accent markings indicating where each six-note phrase begins. The main takeaway here is how Mustaine often creates variations on a theme in order to keep his solos interesting. Try coming up with your own simple theme, then gradually add some variations, changing things up when you feel yourself getting bored.
“Five Magics” from Rust in Peace demonstrates how Mustaine often continues to think like a songwriter when composing his solos, leading them to be cohesive and memorable.
Ex. 7 is based on the hypnotic introduction to his solo. The key at this fast tempo is to keep your picking steady, while being sure to lift your fret-hand finger off of the string quickly enough to allow the subsequent open string to be sounded. For smoothness, use your second finger to fret each note.
Let’s go full circle for the final glimpse into Mustaine’s lead work, by exploring his use of chromaticism in soloing. While he does sometimes take a phrase and repeat it, moving up or down the neck one fret at a time, chromaticism here refers to the use of non-diatonic notes in general. Ex. 8 captures the phrase he plays to bust out of the gate for his solo in “Chosen Ones” from 1985’s Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! While the song is in B minor, Mustaine doesn’t simply draw from the B minor scale (B–C#–D–E–F#–G–A). To create more of a bold statement, he borrows notes from other modes. For example, the first five-note grouping features notes from the B Phrygian Dominant mode (B–C–D#–E–F#–G–A), namely B, C, D# and A. B Phrygian Dominant is the 5th mode of the E harmonic minor scale (E–F#–G–A–B–C–D#), but put more simply, it’s just E harmonic minor, played so B functions as the root or “home base.”
But let’s stop analyzing there, as Mustaine has said he doesn’t concern himself with exotic scales and modes, and generally considers his playing to be blues based. So, while he may not actually be thinking of the above scale choice, it demonstrates his openness to taking his solos to unexpected places by exploring different sounds. This is something you can keep in mind when creating your own solos to keep them unique and fresh. After all, music doesn’t have to make sense; it just has to sound good.
Gibson announces Cesar Gueikian as the President and CEO of Gibson Brands.
Cesar Gueikian joined Gibson in 2018, merging his business background with his lifelong passion for music and guitars. He has been instrumental in the resurgence of Gibson, setting a successful new strategy centered around instruments and sound, relaunching the portfolio of brands, shaping a new portfolio architecture, creating Gibson Media, launching Gibson TV, and securing partnerships with Gibson artists to bring their music to the world and keep Gibson culturally engaged and connected to music.
“I am honored and humbled to take on the permanent CEO role! Gibson is a passion project for me. Our board of directors, chaired by Nat Zilkha, has been incredibly supportive over the last five years, giving me an opportunity to merge my biggest passion, which is not just music and guitars, but Gibson guitars with my business background, and I don’t take this for granted” says Cesar Gueikian, President and CEO, Gibson Brands. “The support from our board, team, artists, and fans has been overwhelming and I look forward to continuing the work we started with our leadership team, who always challenge me to be better. We have an epic history in music, which comes with responsibility, and we are constantly asking ourselves how to be more relevant and leverage our iconic past to be more creative the older we become as a brand. Our future depends on our team’s passion and pride in the work they do, and on creative collaboration with our artists around the world across genres of music. When music is at its best, the spirit of the fan merges with the spirit of the artist, and that transcendent experience is special. I can’t wait to get started, keep momentum, and press ahead.”
Gibson artists have endorsed the confirmation with the following sentiments:
“I can't think of a more natural fit for CEO of Gibson than Cesar Gueikian. He's one of, if not THE smartest, most passionate Gibson guitar enthusiasts I've ever met, and he is a keen businessman; you can't go wrong.”
-- Slash
“I can’t believe how Cesar has transformed Gibson from a brand on its way down and out to the success it is today. He went out of his way to meet with musicians and take note of what we were saying, gathering a great team around him. It’s now a company I’m proud to be associated with. Thank you, Cesar.”
-- Tony Iommi
“It is no small feat to marry the chaos of the creative music world and the structure of the business. Cesar operates on a level of passion that is otherworldly. I’m so proud to have his beautiful soul in my life. Congratulations to my friend, no one deserves this position more.”
-- Lzzy Hale
An accomplished musician, guitarist and songwriter, Cesar has performed with and recorded alongside artists spanning an eclectic range of music genres, such as Mana, Kirk Hammett, and Rob Trujillo (Metallica), Rex Brown (Pantera), Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Snake Sabo (Skid Row), Jared James Nichols, Richie Faulkner (Judas Priest) and Fito Paez.
Cesar earned a B.A. in Business from Universidad de San Andres, Buenos Aires, Argentina and an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago focused on Analytic Finance and Economics.
Epiphone and Dave Mustaine unveil the Flying V Custom and a limited-edition Flying V Prophecy.
“I have to admit, I knew nothing about the Epiphone Flying V when I was offered my ambassador role with Gibson guitars. I’m happy to say I know a lot more now about Epiphone, the manufacturing, the playability, and the incredible sound that they offer. I am 100% certain the Epiphone signature Dave, Mustaine Flying V is a badass guitar! We made the guitar to my exact hand specifications, identical to my Gibson Flying V. My favorite is the red antique model, but we’re just getting started. It’s mind-boggling to think, ‘if I didn’t look at the headstock, I couldn’t tell this guitar apart from my Gibson’s’.”–Dave Mustaine of Megadeth
The new Epiphone Dave Mustaine Flying V Custom is designed to deliver the powerful, heavy sound and exceptional playing performance with a 24.75” scale mahogany neck has a gloriously agile ebony fretboard with 24 medium jumbo frets, an Explorer-style headstock with Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners, and a Graph Tech nut. The mahogany Flying V-style body is equipped with a LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge ,string-thru Flying V tailpiece, and Dave’s signature Seymour Duncan Thrash Factor pickups that deliver all the high-output mayhem you’d expect from a Mustaine signature axe. The pure metal looks are rounded out with a Black Metallic finish offset with a white binding on the body, neck, and headstock, along with black nickel hardware. A hardshell case is also included.
Above (L-R): the Epiphone Dave Mustaine Prophecy Flying V in Aged Dark Red Burst and the Flying V Custom in Black Metallic.
The Dave Mustaine Flying V Prophecy is for players looking to set new standards in speed, sound, and technique. Front and center a pair of Fishman Fluence pickups that are custom-voiced for the Epiphone Prophecy Collection deliver three distinct tones- a warm “PatentApplied For” vintage humbucker; a hot modern humbucker; and a shimmering, optimized single-coil sound, all accessed by push/pull Volume and Tone pots. A limited-edition model, theDave Mustaine Flying V Prophecy also includes Grover locking Rotomatic tuners, Epiphone’s LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and Stop Bar tailpiece for added sustain, and a Graph Tech nut that boots harmonic content and increases tuning stability. The mahogany neck boasts an ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets and Dave’s custom “D” profile, and is built for the kind of speed and precision that he’s renowned for. With a AAA flame maple veneer top and sinister Aged Dark Red Burst finish, complemented by crushed black nickel hardware for the ultimate metal look. A hardshell case is also included.
