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Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Dave Murray's - Guitar Solo Tab

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Key E minor
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Dave Murray's guitar tab video
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Classic Rock

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

About Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Dave Murray's

Dave Murray's guitar work on "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" sits at the heart of one of Iron Maiden's most progressive Heavy Metal records. Running at 128 BPM in E minor and standard tuning, the part demands clean alternate picking through melodic single-note runs that weave around the vocal lines, so any sloppiness in your picking hand will be immediately obvious. The signature challenge is staying locked in rhythmically while keeping the phrasing musical rather than mechanical, since the tempo is brisk enough to expose hesitation but not so fast that sheer speed is the main obstacle. Pay close attention to where the lead lines hand off between guitars, a hallmark of Maiden's twin-guitar arrangements. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the trickier melodic runs slowed down, building the muscle memory for each position shift before bringing it back up to tempo. Getting the vibrato and note sustain right at the phrase endings is what separates a technically correct run from one that actually sounds like the record.

  • The part sits in E minor throughout, so knowing the E natural minor and E Dorian shapes across the neck gives you a strong roadmap for the melodic runs.
  • At 128 BPM in E Standard tuning, consistent alternate picking is the core technical demand, as any pick-direction inconsistency will disrupt the melodic flow.
  • Twin-guitar interplay is central to Maiden arrangements, so practising both the rhythm comping and the lead lines separately helps you understand how the parts lock together.

How to Play Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Dave Murray's

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 110 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 110 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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