Megatober … The plan for 31 riffs

One of the reasons I started writing a lot less on this site in recent months, was so I could dedicate more time to the act of guitar playing. Less time writing. More time learning.

To be honest, it’s not gone exactly to plan. I have played more guitar than I had played in previous months, but it hasn’t been enough. I’ve spoken to some friends on Twitter about collaborating and I am yet to get around to that. Thinking about that further, there are more than a few people I would love to do online collaborations with. But my skills have slipped. I need to improve that before it’s too late. I realise this. And I have a plan.

That plan is called Megatober.

The concept for Megatober is simple really. I plan on learning a new riff from a different Megadeth track every day of October. The word riff is one I’m using loosely. Some tracks I’ll attempt to learn more of than others. Some tracks will be simple for me to master and some will be terribly difficult to master. In fact, I expect to absolutely fail some of these daily challenges. After all, I’m not that good a guitarist.

But here’s some more brutal honesty. If all goes to plan—I make a lot of plans that I end up not seeing through by the way—then in less than two months I will have purchased the Dean Guitars Dave Mustaine Zero Punk guitar. To say I’m excited about that is like saying Dave Mustaine is a decent rhythm guitarist. Yes. It’s a huge understatement!

I’ve already mentioned on this site that I’ve taken steps to purchase the Zero Punk. Those plans currently remain unchanged. My excitement level remains as high as it was way back in April when I first mentioned it. However, if my guitar playing remains as bad as it is now. Well then … I have to question my own worth of the Zero Punk.

I should be walking into Sam Ash, picking that guitar up and busting out a riff that is worthy of this guitar. Nobody—and I mean nobody—has a better chance of improving my riffage skills in the coming month than Dave Mustaine.

So … Megatober will be attempted and win or fail, I am certain I’ll end up putting myself through a blistering lesson or two on riffing like a madman. If all works out as I hope it does, my own riff creating skills will be reinvigorated and the online collaboration I’d love to do with several talented and friendly people I’ve met online becomes the reality I so want it to be.

So, when I start the challenge next weekend I’ll work out how to best share the results with you. My initial thoughts were to use the temporary Snapchat style stories that Instagram now offers. It’s that or 31 terrible and very short YouTube videos. Who knows? Right now … Not me. But I do know the songs I’ll be attempting to learn parts of. In the interests of sharing and challenging myself publicly. Here is that list. Wish me luck.

1. Skin o’ my teeth (Intro) (Countdown To Extinction)
2. Symphony of Destruction (Chorus) (Countdown To Extinction)
3. This Was My Life (Verse and Chorus) (Countdown To Extinction)
4. Trust (Verse and Chorus) (Cryptic Writings)
5. Vortex (Verse and Chorus) (Cryptic Writings)
6. Dystopia (Verse) (Dystopia)
7. The Threat Is Real (Intro and Verse) (Dystopia)
8. How The Story Ends (Verse and Chorus) (Endgame)
9. Bite The Hand (Verse and Chorus) (Endgame)
10.  Angry Again (Verse and Chorus) (Hidden Treasures)
11. Peace Sells (Verse and Chorus) (Peace Sells … But Who’s Buying?)
12. Wake Up Dead (Middle Riff) (Peace Sells … But Who’s Buying?)
13. Holy Wars … The Punish­ment Due (Intro) (Rust In Peace)
14. Hangar 18 (Verse and Solo Backing)) (Rust in Peace)
15. Mary Jane (Verse One and Two) (So Far, So Good … So What?)
16. Built For War (Verse and Chorus) (Super Collider)
17. Cold Sweat (Verse and Chorus) (Super Collider)
18. Killing Is My Business (Intro) (Killing Is My Business)
19. New World Order (Intro) (Th1rt3en)
20. Disconnect (Intro) (The World Needs A Hero)
21. Dread And The Fugitive Mind (Intro, Verse and Chorus) (The World Needs A Hero)
22. Washington Is Next (Intro and Verse) (United Abominations)
23. Sleepwalker (Intro, Verse and Chorus) (United Abominations)
24. Never Walk Alone (Intro, Verse and Chorus) (United Abominations)
25. Youthanasia (Intro, Verse and Pre-Solo) (Youthanasia)
26. The Killing Road (Verse and Chorus) (Youthanasia)
27. Reckoning Day (Intro, Verse and Chorus) (Youthanasia)
28. Black Curtains (Verse and Chorus) (Youthanasia)
29. Prince Of Darkness (Chorus) (Risk)
30. Something That I’m Not (Intro) (The System Has Failed)
31. Blackmail the Universe (Intro) (The System Has Failed)