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Megadeth - Hangar 18 - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Megadeth - Hangar 18 guitar tab video
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Rust In Peace
1990 5:15
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Megadeth Thrash Metal 1990 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Hangar 18

Few thrash metal tracks demand as much from a lead guitarist as "Hangar 18" by Megadeth. The song is built around a rapid-fire sequence of guitar solos, with Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman trading off lead sections repeatedly throughout the track. Getting comfortable in E minor is essential, as the melodic runs, arpeggios, and scalar passages all revolve around that tonality. The rhythm parts are no slouch either: tight, palm-muted riffing at a fast tempo asks for clean right-hand control and consistent pick attack. The real challenge is the sheer volume of lead material, each solo section distinct in phrasing and character. Pick one solo at a time and use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until the notes are clean before bringing it back up to speed. Rushing this song will only build in mistakes, so patience through the individual sections is what actually gets results.

  • The song contains multiple back-to-back guitar solo sections, making it one of the more lead-heavy pieces in thrash metal to learn.
  • Rhythm parts rely heavily on palm-muted, alternate-picked riffing, so a consistent and relaxed picking hand is critical before attempting full speed.
  • All the melodic lead runs and solo phrases resolve around E minor, so knowing that scale well across the neck is a practical starting point.

How to Play Hangar 18

The song moves through: Intro, Interlude, Verse, Solo, Mustaine Solo.

Key: E minor · Tempo: 165 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

The main riff runs in Eb standard at 165 bpm and sits in E minor, combining palm-muted galloping rhythms with angular melodic phrases that demand clean left-hand muting throughout. The real challenge is the solo section: Mustaine and Friedman trade increasingly complex leads, so isolate each solo individually before attempting to chain them, since the Friedman passages in particular involve wide interval runs and legato phrasing that will expose any weaknesses in your picking accuracy. A common pitfall is rushing the transitions between rhythm and lead sections, so loop those handoff bars at reduced speed until the shift feels automatic rather than reactive.

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 165 BPM.

Gibson Flying V
Guitar

Gibson Flying V

Dave Mustaine's current signature Flying V delivers the V-shaped body geometry essential for accessing upper frets on his complex spider-chord voicings and fast lead lines. The guitar's thin, fast neck profile and fixed bridge provide the tuning stability and articulation Megadeth's precise, aggressive riffing demands.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Mustaine built Megadeth's signature razor-sharp, scooped-mid tone on Marshall JCM800s, with gain around 7-8 to retain pick dynamics and articulation under heavy palm-muting. The amp's responsive tube saturation transforms hot pickups into the controlled, fast low-end aggression that defines thrash metal rhythm tones.

DigiTech Whammy
Pedal

DigiTech Whammy

Marty Friedman used the Digitech Whammy as a lead accent tool, adding pitch-shifting texture to solos without cluttering Megadeth's minimalist effects philosophy. The pedal's harmonic richness complemented his warm, vocal-like Seymour Duncan humbucker tone during the band's classic era.

ISP Decimator Noise Gate
Pedal

ISP Decimator Noise Gate

The ISP Decimator is essential for Mustaine's high-gain thrash setup, eliminating feedback and noise between palm-muted riffs without compromising sustain. This noise gate allows him to push the Marshall into aggressive saturation while maintaining the tight, articulate attack Megadeth's complex rhythms require.

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