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Iron Maiden - Déjà Vu - Guitar Cover

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Key E minor
Iron Maiden - Déjà Vu guitar cover video
Licks Of The Beast
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Somewhere in Time (2015 Remaster) album cover
Somewhere in Time (2015 Remaster)
1986 4:59
Listen on Spotify
Iron Maiden Heavy Metal 1986 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Déjà Vu

"Déjà Vu" is one of the quieter corners of Iron Maiden's 1986 record "Somewhere in Time", but it still rewards close attention from any guitarist working through it. The song sits in E minor, which means the pull-offs and scalar runs that lace through the arrangement all sit in a very guitar-friendly position on the neck. The opening clean-toned passage is the first real test: keeping the picking even and the dynamics controlled is harder than it looks, and it is easy to rush into the heavier sections before the feel is locked in. The twin-guitar interplay that Maiden built their sound on is present here, so learning both parts separately before combining them is time well spent. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the transitional passages slowed down until each position shift feels automatic. Once the cleaner intro and the heavier mid-section are both solid at reduced speed, stitching them together at full tempo becomes much more manageable.

  • Sitting in E minor, the song's scalar runs and pull-offs fall in a very natural position on the fretboard, making it approachable for intermediate players building lead vocabulary.
  • The clean-toned intro section demands careful right-hand control and even picking dynamics before the heavier, distorted passages arrive.
  • Twin-guitar harmony lines run through the arrangement, so learning each guitar part independently before combining them is the most efficient practice approach.

How to Play Déjà Vu

Key: E minor · Tempo: 164 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 164 BPM.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Iron Maiden's signature choice for heavy metal, the Strat's bright single-coils in neck and middle positions deliver the glassy, articulate tone that defines their melodic passages. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith pair bridge humbuckers with this platform to preserve pick dynamics and note definition rather than drowning in compressed gain.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The backbone of Maiden's iconic sound, the JCM800's moderate gain structure lets the power tubes sing without preamp saturation, preserving the punch and harmonic clarity that makes their riffs cut through a mix. Murray and Smith set gain moderately to maintain definition while pushing the amp into natural tube breakup.

Seymour Duncan JB
Pickup

Seymour Duncan JB

Adrian Smith's weapon of choice, the JB's balanced output drives Marshall amps into singing sustain without over-compressing dynamics, allowing his lead lines to breathe with clarity and snap. This moderate-output humbucker maintains the attack and articulation essential to Maiden's punchy, defined metal tone.

DiMarzio Super Distortion
Pickup

DiMarzio Super Distortion

Dave Murray's bridge pickup at 13k output strikes the perfect balance, hitting the Marshall hard enough for thick sustain yet retaining enough dynamics for expressive bending and harmonic control. It's hot enough to sing but not so overwound that it flattens the natural Strat character underneath.

Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
Pedal

Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive

Murray and Smith use this clean boost to push their Marshalls harder during solos, adding aggression without relying on pedal distortion, keeping the tube amp saturation as the true tone source. The SD-1 preserves their natural playing dynamics while giving leads extra presence and cut.

ISP Decimator Noise Gate
Pedal

ISP Decimator Noise Gate

Smith occasionally employs this noise gate to manage feedback and hum from his high-output rig without sacrificing sustain, staying true to Maiden's philosophy of minimal pedal intervention. It's a practical tool for live performance that doesn't color the natural tube amp tone.

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