Killing In The Name Tab by Rage Against The Machine

Killing In The Name tab by Rage Against The Machine

Guitar Tab

Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine: Guitar, Bass & Songwriting Insights

"Killing In The Name" by Rage Against The Machine features Tom Morello's signature guitar sound achieved by using a DigiTech WH-1 Whammy pedal for the solo. The song's iconic riff is played in drop D tuning, giving it a heavy and aggressive tone. Bassist Tim Commerford's driving bassline complements Morello's guitar work, creating a powerful and intense groove. The song's politically charged lyrics and aggressive musical style made it a protest anthem and a staple of Rage Against The Machine's live performances.

Tuning: D Tuning

Tuning: dropped D (D A D G B e)


 INTRO
 |---------|
 |---------|
 |-7-7-7-7-|
 |-7-7-7-7-|
 |-5-5-5-5-|
 |-0-0-0-0-|
   with flanger


 FILL A
 |----|
 |----|
 |-8~-|
 |----|
 |----|
 |----|
   crescendo

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -


 FIGURE A       1,2,3   4
 |-------------|-------|----------|
 |-------------|-------|----------|
 |-------------|-11-12-|-12b13r12-|
 |-------11-12-|-------|----------|
 |-------------|-------|----------|
 |-0-0-0-------|-------|----------|

 FIGURE B 1,2,3   4
 |-------|-------|---|
 |-------|-------|---|
 |-------|-8-8-8-|-8-|
 |-------|-8-8-8-|-8-|
 |-0-0-0-|-6-6-6-|-6-|
 |-0-0-0-|-------|---|


 VERSE
 |-------------------------|
 |-------------------------|
 |-------------------------|
 |-----------3h4-----------|
 |-0-3h5-x-x-----5-0-2h3-2-|
 |-0---------------0-2h3-2-|


 FILL B
 |-------------------------------|
 |-------------------------3-5b6-|
 |---------------------2-5-------|
 |-----------3h4---3-5-----------|
 |-0-3h5-x-x-----5---------------|
 |-0-----------------------------|


 CHORUS                                 1             2
 |-------------------------------------|-------------|-----------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------|-----------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------|-----------------|
 |-----------9-----------8-----------7-|---2h3p2h3-2-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
 |-0-3h5-x-x---0-3h5-x-x---0-3h5-x-x---|-0-2h3p2h3-2-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|
 |-0-----------0-----------0-----------|-0-2h3p2h3-2-|-----------------|
                                                       PM.............


 RIFF A
 |--------|
 |--------|
 |-7-7--7-|
 |-x-x--x-|
 |-5-5--5-|
 |-0-0--0-|


 RIFF B
 |---------------------------|
 |---------------------------|
 |-7-7-x-7-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
 |-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
 |-5-5-x-5-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
 |-0-0-x-0-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|


 RIFF C     1,2,3               4
 |---------|-------------------|-/10=\-|
 |---------|-------------------|-------|
 |-7-7-x-7-|-x-x-x-x-x---------|-------|
 |-x-x-x-x-|-x-x-x-x-x---------|-------|
 |-5-5-x-5-|-x-x-x-x-x-5-5\1/5-|-------|
 |-0-0-x-0-|-x-x-x-x-x---------|-------|


 RIFF D
 |-----------------------|
 |-----------------------|
 |-7-7--x-7--x-7---------|
 |-x-x--x-x--x-x---3-5---|
 |-5-5--x-5--x-5---3-5-3-|
 |-0-0--x-0--x-0-0-3-5---|


 SOLO                                            1        2
 |-20=-----17=-----15=-----13=-----10=----8=----|-/17h19-|-/20h22-|
 |----------------------------------------------|--------|--------|
 |-----17=-----14=-----12=-----10=-----7=----5=-|--------|--------|
 |----------------------------------------------|--------|--------|
 |----------------------------------------------|--------|--------|
 |----------------------------------------------|--------|--------|
                                                   trill    trill

 |-/20h22\-/20h22\-----------------/20b22\-/22b24\-/14b16~-|
 |-----------------/20h22\-/20h22\-------------------------|
 |---------------------------------------------------------|
 |---------------------------------------------------------|
 |---------------------------------------------------------|
 |---------------------------------------------------------|
    trill   trill   trill   trill


 INTERLUDE
 |---------------------------------------------------|
 |---------------------------------------------------|
 |-7=/9=/10=/12=/14=/15=/17=-------------------------|
 |-x=/x=/-x=/-x=/-x=/-x=/-x=-------------------------|
 |-5=/7=/-8=/10=/12=/13=/15=-/17=\-/17=\-/17=\-/17=\-|
 |---------------------------------------------------|


 FILL C
 |--8--8---8--8--8--8---8--8--8--8-|
 |-10-10--10-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-|
 |-10-10--10-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-|
 |-10-10--10-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-|
 |--8--8---8--8--8--8---8--8--8--8-|
 |---------------------------------|
   funky..........................


 OUTRO
 |----------------|
 |----------------|
 |-7=-------8-8-8-|
 |-7=-0-0-0-8-8-8-|
 |-5=-0-0-0-6-6-6-|
 |-0=-0-0-0-------|


 (h hammer-on ,
   p pull-off ,
   b bend ,
   r release ,
   ~ vibrato ,
   / slide-up ,
   \ slide-down ,
   = tremolo-picking ,
   x muted-strings ,
   PM palm-muting)


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Song structure:


INTRO
FILL A
FIGURE A x2
FIGURE B

VERSE x4
VERSE x8 (PM)
CHORUS
RIFF A x4
RIFF B x4
RIFF C
RIFF D x8

VERSE x4
VERSE x8 (PM)  | 4th time substitute with FILL B
CHORUS
RIFF A x4
RIFF B x4
RIFF C
RIFF D x8

RIFF D x8  | w/ SOLO

INTERLUDE
RIFF D x8
RIFF D x4  | w/ FILL C
OUTRO

Last updated: July 6, 2025

Rage Against The Machine tabs for Killing in the name

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