Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

Practice Studio

Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark - Guitar Cover

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

Not in tune?

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key D minor
Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark guitar cover video
Kfir Ochaion
Kfir Ochaion Top Contributor
YouTube: 2.4Msubs 341Kviews
Creator Page →
PLAY WITH BACKING TRACK
·
–50¢ 0 +50¢
· Tap to start

Your browser will ask for microphone permission.

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.
Live at Donington (1998 Remaster) album cover
Live at Donington (1998 Remaster)
1998 7:08
Listen on Spotify
Iron Maiden Heavy Metal 1998 D minor
Capo Advisor 0 D minor · Original key

About Fear of the Dark

Few crowd-participation moments in Iron Maiden history hit as hard as "Fear of the Dark", and learning to play it well means getting comfortable with its long, atmospheric intro before the full band erupts. In D minor at 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the song opens with a clean fingerpicked guitar figure that gradually builds tension across multiple sections, so your right-hand control and dynamic consistency matter just as much as the heavier riffing that follows. When the distorted guitars finally kick in, the main galloping riff demands tight palm muting and a locked-in pick attack to nail that driving, relentless feel typical of Heavy Metal. The song moves through several distinct sections, each with its own rhythmic character, which makes getting the transitions smooth the real challenge. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop any of these section changes slowed down until the shift feels instinctive rather than calculated. Pay particular attention to keeping your picking hand relaxed during the fast repeated-note gallop passages, since tension there will cost you stamina long before the song ends.

  • The song opens with a clean fingerpicked guitar passage that gradually layers in distortion, requiring confident control of dynamics and picking-hand precision.
  • Running at 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the main riff relies on palm-muted galloping rhythms that demand consistent pick attack and a relaxed right hand.
  • The song spans multiple contrasting sections, so learning the transitions between clean arpeggios and heavy riffing is one of the key practice targets.

How to Play Fear of the Dark

Tuning: E Standard · Key: D minor · Tempo: 120 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

The intro is the most iconic and demanding section to nail first: it opens with a clean fingerpicked or arpeggiated figure in D minor that requires steady right-hand control before the song explodes into heavy rhythm. The transition from that atmospheric clean passage into the driving power-chord riff is where most players stumble, so loop that specific junction until the tone and timing shift feel natural at 109 bpm. The twin-guitar harmony lines in the lead sections are written for two guitars, so decide early whether you are learning the upper or lower harmony voice rather than attempting to blend both at once. Rushing the clean intro is the most common pitfall, as its effectiveness depends entirely on measured, deliberate picking.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 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.

Recommended for You

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)