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Marty Friedman

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Dragon Mistress - Guitar Tab

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Band Overview

Marty Friedman is one of the most distinctive and technically gifted guitarists to emerge from the shred era of the late 1980s, yet his playing has always defied easy categorization. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1962, Friedman first gained widespread attention as the lead guitarist of Megadeth from 1990 to 2000, contributing to landmark thrash albums like "Rust in Peace" and "Countdown to Extinction." Before joining Megadeth, he had already built a cult following through his duo project Cacophony with Jason Becker and his early solo work like "Dragon's Kiss." After leaving Megadeth, Friedman relocated to Japan, where he has lived since 2003, immersing himself in J-pop, enka, and a wide spectrum of Asian musical traditions that profoundly reshaped his approach to melody and phrasing. What makes Friedman essential for guitarists is his melodic philosophy. Unlike many shred players who lean heavily on modes and arpeggios in predictable patterns, Friedman gravitates toward exotic scales (particularly the Phrygian dominant, Hungarian minor, and Japanese pentatonic scales) and bends notes in unusual, almost vocal ways. His vibrato is wide and aggressive, often compared to a singer's natural wavering. He frequently uses a picking technique that blends alternate picking with sweeping and economy picking, but what truly sets him apart is his phrasing: unexpected interval jumps, chromatic approaches, and an uncanny sense of when to let a melody breathe versus when to unleash blazing runs. For guitarists looking to learn Friedman's material, expect a steep but rewarding challenge. His solo work spans everything from neoclassical shred to J-pop influenced melodic rock to heavy instrumental fusion. Songs like "Dragon Mistress" showcase his ability to blend aggressive riffing with exotic, singing lead lines. The difficulty level is generally advanced to expert, not just because of speed, but because replicating his unique bending approach and melodic sensibility requires deep listening and careful attention to nuance. Friedman's music is a masterclass in making technical guitar playing sound emotional rather than mechanical, and studying his work will expand any guitarist's vocabulary far beyond standard pentatonic and modal territory.

What Makes Marty Friedman Essential for Guitar Players

Friedman's vibrato is one of the most recognizable in guitar. It is wide, controlled, and almost always applied with a slight upward bend before the oscillation begins, giving his notes a singing, vocal quality. Practicing his vibrato means slowing down and focusing on even, consistent oscillation at various widths.
His use of exotic scales sets him apart from nearly every other shred guitarist. He regularly employs the Phrygian dominant scale, the Hungarian minor, and Japanese-influenced pentatonic shapes. Learning these scales and their application over common chord progressions is key to unlocking the Friedman sound.
Friedman's picking technique is a hybrid of strict alternate picking and economy picking. He often lets the pick follow the natural direction of string changes rather than forcing strict up-down patterns, resulting in fluid, seamless runs that cover wide intervallic distances across the fretboard.
His bending technique is unconventional and critical to his style. Friedman frequently bends to pitches that are not standard whole or half step targets, sometimes hitting quarter-tone bends or bending into notes from unusual intervals. This gives his playing an Eastern, almost microtonal flavor that is difficult to replicate without careful ear training.
Rhythmically, Friedman is no slouch either. His thrash-era riffing with Megadeth demanded tight downpicking and precise palm-muting, and his solo work often features complex rhythmic subdivisions within lead lines, mixing triplets, sextuplets, and 16th notes fluidly within a single phrase.

Did You Know?

Friedman's audition for Megadeth involved learning 15 songs in a single weekend. Dave Mustaine was so impressed that he was hired almost immediately, and his first album with the band was the iconic "Rust in Peace."

He became a legitimate television celebrity in Japan, appearing regularly on variety shows, music programs, and even comedy panels. His fluency in Japanese and deep love of J-pop culture earned him a massive following outside the metal world.

Friedman has stated in multiple interviews that he does not think in terms of scales or theory while soloing. Instead, he hears melodies in his head and finds them on the fretboard, which partly explains his unusual note choices and phrasing.

His early duo project Cacophony with Jason Becker is considered one of the greatest guitar duos in shred history. The two traded solos with an almost competitive energy that pushed both players to their technical limits.

Friedman intentionally avoids using a whammy bar on most of his guitars, preferring to achieve pitch variation through finger bends and vibrato alone. He feels this gives him more control over intonation and expression.

He tracked many of his Megadeth-era solos using a relatively modest setup: a Jackson Kelly into a Marshall amp with minimal effects. The tone came primarily from his hands and the amp's natural overdrive.

Friedman has released over a dozen solo albums since leaving Megadeth, and each one explores wildly different territory. His album "Tokyo Jukebox" features him playing guitar over classic Japanese pop songs, showcasing his ability to make any genre his own.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Dragon's Kiss 1988

This early solo album is a masterclass in exotic shred guitar and showcases Friedman's unique melodic approach before his Megadeth years. Tracks like "Dragon Mistress" and "Thunder March" are perfect for practicing exotic scale runs, wide vibrato, and unconventional bending. The album balances blistering speed with memorable melodic hooks, making it ideal for intermediate-to-advanced players looking to expand beyond standard pentatonic and modal soloing.

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Scenes 1992

Released during his Megadeth tenure, "Scenes" is often considered Friedman's finest solo record. It features intricate compositions that blend neoclassical technique with Eastern melodic sensibilities. Songs like "Valley of Eternity" and "Triumph" are excellent studies in dynamic control, shifting between delicate clean passages and explosive distorted leads. Guitarists will learn how to build solos that tell a story rather than just showcasing speed.

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Music for Speeding 2003

This album marked Friedman's post-Megadeth creative explosion, featuring some of his most aggressive and technically demanding guitar work. Tracks like "Elixir" and "Black Orchid" are loaded with rapid-fire alternate picking, sweep arpeggios, and rhythmically complex lead lines. It is an excellent album for advanced guitarists who want to study how Friedman integrates heavy riffing with melodic sophistication.

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Tokyo Jukebox 2009

A brilliant concept album where Friedman plays electric guitar over classic Japanese pop songs. This is an underrated study in melody, phrasing, and tone. Guitarists will learn how to adapt their playing to serve a song's vocal melody, applying tasteful bends, vibrato, and scale choices to non-rock contexts. It is surprisingly educational for building musicality and breaking out of shred-only habits.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Friedman is most associated with Jackson guitars, particularly the Jackson Kelly and various custom Jackson soloist models during his Megadeth and early solo years. In more recent decades, he has used signature models from multiple companies, including the Jackson MF-1 and later Paul Reed Smith and ESP signature guitars. His current main instruments include his signature Jackson MF models with a single-cutaway body shape, a fixed bridge (no tremolo), and typically two humbuckers. The lack of a tremolo bar is intentional, as Friedman prefers to achieve all pitch manipulation through finger bends and vibrato.

Amp

During the Megadeth era, Friedman primarily used Marshall amps, including JCM800 and JCM900 models, driven hard for natural tube saturation with the gain around 6-7 and the mids boosted. In later years, he has favored high-gain amplifiers from Engl (particularly the Engl Powerball and Savage models) and has also used Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers. His amp settings generally emphasize a scooped-but-present midrange, tight low end, and smooth high frequencies to support fluid lead tones without harshness.

Pickups

Friedman has long favored high-output humbuckers that maintain clarity under heavy distortion. He used DiMarzio pickups for much of his career, and more recently has been associated with custom-wound EMG pickups and his own signature EMG Marty Friedman set (the MF Passive set). These pickups are designed to deliver hot output for sustain and smooth distortion while retaining enough dynamic range for his expressive bending and vibrato. The emphasis is on a thick, singing lead tone that does not get muddy during fast passages.

Effects & Chain

Friedman keeps his effects chain relatively simple. His core tone comes from the guitar and amp interaction. He uses a Boss DD-series digital delay for lead ambiance, a chorus pedal (often a Boss CE-5 or similar) for clean sections, and occasionally a wah pedal for expressive filter sweeps. He avoids heavy modulation or ambient effects during lead work, preferring a dry, direct tone that lets his picking dynamics and vibrato carry the expression. In the studio, he may add reverb and delay during mixing, but his live rig is deliberately streamlined.

Recommended Gear

Amp

Marshall JCM800

Friedman's primary amp during the Megadeth era, the JCM800 provided natural tube saturation and warm midrange boost that became central to his thick, singing lead tone. Driven at gain 6-7, it captured his expressive bending and vibrato without harshness.

Amp

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

This high-gain powerhouse gives Friedman the tight low end and smooth high frequencies he needs for modern lead work while maintaining the clarity required for his fast, fluid passages. Its scooped-but-present midrange supports his dynamic picking without muddiness.

Pedal

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

Friedman uses this digital delay as his primary ambiance effect during lead sections, adding spatial depth while keeping his core tone dry and direct. The DD-3 lets his vibrato and bending expression carry the performance rather than heavy modulation.

How to Practice Marty Friedman on GuitarZone

Every Marty Friedman song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Dragon Mistress - Guitar Tab