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Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes To Midnight - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes To Midnight guitar tab video
Guillaume Vrac
Guillaume Vrac Top Contributor
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Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Iron Maiden Heavy Metal E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About 2 Minutes To Midnight

Few Heavy Metal riffs from 1984 hit as hard as the one that opens this track, and learning it is a great entry point into the twin-guitar world of Iron Maiden. Running at 126 BPM in E minor on a standard E tuning, the song sits at a tempo that is brisk but very manageable once your picking hand is warmed up. The main riff relies on tight palm muting with controlled releases, so the challenge is not speed but consistency: every muted note needs to sit at the same dynamic level. The twin-guitar harmonies that appear in the lead sections demand clean fretboard accuracy, and keeping those intervals locked in tune under distortion takes more focus than it might seem at first. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the harmony passages slowed down until each note speaks cleanly before you bring the tempo back up. The solo section calls for confident bends and vibrato in E minor, so treat it as a focused workout for your left-hand control rather than just a speed exercise.

  • The main riff is built on palm-muted power chords in E minor, requiring consistent right-hand pressure to keep the muted attack even throughout.
  • Twin-guitar harmony lines appear in the lead sections, so learning both guitar parts separately before combining them is the most practical approach.
  • At 126 BPM in standard E tuning, the song is approachable for intermediate players, but clean palm-mute control and precise bends are the real tests.

How to Play 2 Minutes To Midnight

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 108 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 108 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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