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Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills 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.
Live at Donington (1998 Remaster) album cover
Live at Donington (1998 Remaster)
1998 4:16
Listen on Spotify
Iron Maiden Heavy Metal 1998 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Run to the Hills

Few galloping riffs in hard rock hit as hard as the one that opens "Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden. The defining challenge here is that relentless gallop pattern, a palm-muted triplet figure that drives the entire song. Keeping it tight and even at full speed demands serious right-hand stamina, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down before pushing the tempo. The verses and chorus sections are relatively straightforward power-chord work in E minor, but staying locked in with the drummer while keeping the palm mute consistent is where most players slip up. The lead breaks require confident bends and vibrato with a bright, slightly overdriven tone. Start with the gallop figure at a comfortable speed, build muscle memory, then gradually bring it up. Once the picking hand feels automatic, focus on the transitions between the muted gallop and the open, ringing power chords.

  • The signature gallop riff is a palm-muted triplet picking pattern that demands high right-hand endurance to maintain cleanly at full speed.
  • The song is built around E minor power chords, making the chord shapes accessible while the real difficulty lies in rhythmic precision and stamina.
  • Practicing the gallop figure with a metronome, starting slow and building up, is the most effective way to nail the feel of this riff.

How to Play Run to the Hills

The song moves through: Intro, Verse 1, Verse 2, Chorus 1, Verse 3, Chorus 2, Solo, Bridge, Chorus 3, Chorus 4, Outro.

Key: E minor · Tempo: 172 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

The arrangement runs through 11 distinct sections, and the solo is the steepest jump, so isolate it on its own. At 172 bpm it moves fast, so the real test is building picking stamina and keeping every note clean at speed.

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 172 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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