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Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes To Midnight - Guitar Tab

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BPM
Key F minor
Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes To Midnight guitar tab video
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Classic Rock

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

About 2 Minutes To Midnight

Few Heavy Metal songs pack as much guitar content into one track as this one. The opening riff, played in F minor at 126 BPM in E Standard tuning, is built around a driving, palm-muted gallop that immediately sets the tone. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith trade and layer parts throughout, so it is worth deciding early on which guitar line you want to focus on before trying to combine them. The verse riff demands tight alternate picking with controlled palm muting, and any sloppiness in the right hand will stand out at this tempo. The lead work calls for smooth position shifts up the neck and a confident vibrato, two things that are easy to rush. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the solo sections slowed down so your fretting hand can find the positions cleanly before you add speed. Iron Maiden wrote a song here that rewards careful, methodical practice far more than brute repetition at full tempo.

  • The main riff is built on a palm-muted gallop pattern in F minor, so locking in your right-hand muting before adding speed is the priority.
  • At 126 BPM in E Standard tuning, the picking demands are moderate but the twin-guitar layering means accuracy matters more than raw velocity.
  • The solo sections involve fast position shifts and sustained vibrato, making them ideal candidates for slow, looped repetition with the Practice Toolbar.

How to Play 2 Minutes To Midnight

Tuning: E Standard · Key: F 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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