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Iron Maiden - Genghis Khan - Guitar Tab

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Key D minor
Iron Maiden - Genghis Khan guitar tab video
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Classic Rock

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

About Genghis Khan

Released in 1986, "Genghis Khan" is an instrumental from Iron Maiden, and it puts the twin-guitar interplay between Dave Murray and Adrian Smith front and center. Playing it well means nailing the tight, galloping rhythm feel that underpins the whole track, while also keeping up with melodic lead lines that trade back and forth at a brisk 120 BPM. The key of D minor gives everything a driving, minor-key urgency, and staying locked into E Standard tuning means your open strings ring correctly against the fretted chords. The real challenge is phrasing the lead runs cleanly at full tempo while maintaining articulation, so use the Practice Toolbar to isolate any phrase that feels rushed and loop it slowed down until your picking hand catches up. Because there are no vocals to anchor the arrangement, every note you play carries more weight than it would in a typical song, so precision and dynamics matter more than speed. This is a great piece for building stamina in Heavy Metal rhythm and lead coordination together.

  • The twin-guitar arrangement requires you to learn both the rhythm and lead parts to understand how they interlock throughout the track.
  • At 120 BPM in D minor, the galloping picked passages demand consistent alternate picking and strong right-hand control.
  • Because it is a fully instrumental track, there is nowhere to hide, making clean fretting and accurate string muting essential practice goals.

How to Play Genghis Khan

Tuning: E Standard · Key: D minor · Tempo: 180 BPM

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 180 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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