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Iron Maiden - Holy Smoke Dave Murray's - Guitar Solo Tab

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Key E minor
Iron Maiden - Holy Smoke Dave Murray's guitar tab video
Steph Le Gratteux
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Iron Maiden Heavy Metal E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Holy Smoke Dave Murray's

Dave Murray's guitar work on "Holy Smoke" is a great entry point into the mid-tempo Heavy Metal rhythm feel that drives so much of Iron Maiden's catalogue. At 138 BPM in E minor and standard tuning, the song sits at a pace where precision matters more than raw speed: every down-picked chunk of the main riff needs to land with authority, not just velocity. The twin-guitar arrangement means you will want to decide early whether you are covering the rhythm layer or the lead fills, as they demand very different focus. The lead phrases in the verses are short and punchy, making them ideal material to isolate and loop slowed down with the Practice Toolbar until the bends and pick attack are clean. Pay attention to how the rhythm guitar sits slightly behind the beat to give the groove its weight. Getting that relaxed-but-locked feel under your fingers is the real challenge here.

  • The song is in E minor at 138 BPM in standard tuning, making it approachable for intermediate players working on controlled down-picking at moderate tempos.
  • Holy Smoke features a twin-guitar arrangement, so practising both the rhythm chug and the shorter lead fills gives you two distinct technique targets.
  • The lead guitar phrases are brief and interval-focused, which makes them excellent candidates for slow, looped repetition to lock in accurate bends and pick placement.

How to Play Holy Smoke Dave Murray's

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 138 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 138 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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