Does Megadeth’s Kiko Loureiro Play the “Tornado of Souls” Riff Incorrectly?
The guitarist demonstrates the “correct” way to play the rhythm to the iconic 'Rust in Peace' track.
"Do you think I would be playing a Megadeth song wrong in front of Dave Mustaine for over three years, for over 300 concerts?” asks Kiko Loureiro in a new YouTube video. “I don’t think so.”
Apparently, some viewers have felt differently. As Loureiro explains, after he posted a video of himself playing through the entirety of the Rust in Peace track, he read comments saying that he picks the main riff wrong, and that it should be done using all downstrokes, rather than alternate picking.
In response, Loureiro says he decided to create a new video “explaining why I don’t do downstrokes all the time.”
Which is exactly what Loureiro, in typical lighthearted fashion, does in the clip above. Check it out and it will be become clear that, no, Loureiro does not play the “Tornado of Souls” riff incorrectly.
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Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.

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