Practice Studio

Megadeth - Lucretia - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.

Rust In Peace album cover
Rust In Peace
1990 3:58
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Lucretia


From the 1990 album Rust in Peace, "Lucretia" is one of the more melodic and mid-paced cuts in Megadeth's catalog, but do not let that fool you into underestimating it. The song sits in E minor and leans heavily on Dave Mustaine's fluid lead phrasing, with a main riff that blends palm-muted chugging and melodic movement in a way that demands clean left-hand fretting and tight right-hand control simultaneously. The solo sections are where most players will spend serious time: the phrasing is quick, with legato runs and string-skipping ideas that can blur together at full speed. Use the Practice Toolbar to isolate each solo passage and loop it slowed down until every note speaks cleanly before you push the tempo. The rhythm work throughout is also worth close attention, since the riff accents shift in ways that can trip you up if you are locking in by feel alone rather than really counting the groove.

  • The main riff pairs palm-muted low-string chugging with melodic upper-string lines, requiring the right hand to shift between muting and open picking quickly.
  • The solo sections feature fast legato runs and string-skipping phrases in E minor that reward slow, looped practice before being attempted at full speed.
  • Rhythm guitar accuracy matters throughout because the riff accents shift subtly, making it easy to lose your place if you rely purely on muscle memory.

How to Play Lucretia

Key: E minor · Tempo: 162 BPM

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 162 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.

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)