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Iron Maiden - Phantom Of The Opera Dave Murray's - Guitar Solo Tab

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Iron Maiden - Phantom Of The Opera Dave Murray's guitar tab 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.
Iron Maiden Heavy Metal

About Phantom Of The Opera Dave Murray's

Few early Iron Maiden tracks demand as much from a lead guitarist as "Phantom Of The Opera." Dave Murray's guitar work here is a clinic in melodic, galloping Heavy Metal playing, built around a series of distinct riff sections that shift and interlock rather than repeating a single hook. The song moves through multiple tempo feels within its 120 BPM pulse, so keeping your place while switching between palm-muted chugging and open, singing lead lines is one of the main challenges. The lead breaks themselves lean on pentatonic runs with fluid legato phrasing, and hitting them cleanly at full tempo takes real preparation. Use the Practice Toolbar to isolate each section individually, looping it slowed down until the transitions between riff changes feel automatic. Playing in E Standard means nothing unusual for setup, but the picking-hand stamina required across six-plus minutes will expose any tension you carry in your forearm. Build it up gradually rather than running the whole track from the top every time.

  • The song cycles through several distinct riff sections, so learning it in isolated segments with the Practice Toolbar looped and slowed is far more effective than running it top to bottom.
  • Dave Murray's lead lines rely heavily on pentatonic phrasing with legato runs, making smooth hammer-on and pull-off technique a priority before attempting full speed.
  • At 120 BPM in E Standard, the galloping picking patterns across a long runtime build real right-hand stamina, so watch for tension creeping into your forearm.

How to Play Phantom Of The Opera Dave Murray's

Tuning: E Standard · Tempo: 160 BPM

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 160 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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