What Makes A Good MEGADETH Riff? DAVE MUSTAINE Responds
Dave Mustaine says a strong Megadeth riff is one that immediately grabs the listener and makes them want to hear it again. Discussing the band’s latest album, he also described songwriting as collaborative, saying the credits do not necessarily show how much each contributor wrote.
Mustaine said guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, drummer Dirk Verbeuren, bassist James LoMenzo and the producer all contributed musical ideas to the album, while he added his own “fingerprints”. He contrasted strong playing with songwriting, citing Michael Schenker’s guitar work and Stone Temple Pilots’ way of connecting musical parts as examples of how collaboration can help shape songs.
- Mustaine says a good riff is one that grabs the listener.
- Megadeth’s latest album drew ideas from several contributors.
- He says songwriting credits do not always reflect each person’s share.
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Megadeth are an American heavy metal band, formed in 1983 by guitarist and singer Dave Mustaine after he left Metallica. Mustaine has led the group through several line-up changes, and its music is known for fast, intricate guitar parts.
A riff is a short, repeated musical phrase, often played on guitar, that can form the core of a song. In a band, riffs and other musical ideas may come from several members or a producer, while songwriting credits do not always show how much each person contributed.
The story concerns how Mustaine judges a memorable riff and how musical ideas are shaped into songs. His examples refer to other artists: Michael Schenker is a German guitarist, while Stone Temple Pilots are an American rock band.