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Iron Maiden - Flight of Icarus - Guitar Cover

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Key A minor
Iron Maiden - Flight of Icarus guitar cover video
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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.
Piece of Mind (2015 Remaster) album cover
Piece of Mind (2015 Remaster)
1983 3:51
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Iron Maiden Heavy Metal 1983 A minor
Capo Advisor 0 A minor · Original key

About Flight of Icarus

Few Maiden tracks from 1983 put both guitarists to work as evenly as "Flight of Icarus." The song opens with a clean, melodic guitar figure that sets a brooding mood before the full band kicks in, and nailing that intro tone is the first thing worth getting right. Once the distortion arrives, the riff work sits in A minor and leans on galloping, palm-muted single-note lines that are tighter than they first appear at tempo. Iron Maiden built their twin-guitar style around precise synchronisation, so if you are learning both parts, expect the rhythm work to demand consistent pick attack and the lead fills to require clean position shifts up the neck. The solo section is melodic rather than shred-heavy, but the phrasing moves quickly enough that looping it slowed down with the Practice Toolbar will save you a lot of frustration. Focus on getting the bends in tune before worrying about speed.

  • The song features a clean melodic intro guitar figure that contrasts with the heavy palm-muted riffing, so practise both tones and the transition between them.
  • The twin-guitar arrangement means there are two distinct parts worth learning: a rhythm-focused lower riff and a higher melodic counterpart running above it.
  • The solo is phrased melodically in A minor and relies on accurate string bends, making slow, isolated repetition the most effective way to build it up.

How to Play Flight of Icarus

Key: A minor · Tempo: 116 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 116 BPM to build it up to tempo.

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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