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Muse - Hysteria - Guitar Cover

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Key A minor
Muse - Hysteria guitar cover video
Kfir Ochaion
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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.
Absolution album cover
Absolution
2003 3:47
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Muse Alternative Rock 2003 A minor
Capo Advisor 0 A minor · Original key

About Hysteria

"Hysteria" is a track by English rock band Muse, released in December 2003 as the third single from their third studio album, Absolution. Produced by Muse and Rich Costey, it reached number 17 on the UK singles chart and number 9 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song is driven by a relentless, distorted bass riff that doubles as the main melody, making it a rewarding challenge for electric guitarists looking to explore the interplay between bass-driven grooves and aggressive rock guitar work.

  • The iconic low-register riff blurs the line between bass and guitar, offering guitarists a unique melodic exercise in heavy tone shaping.
  • Released as the third single from Absolution, the album that cemented Muse's international reputation as a major rock act.
  • Co-produced by Rich Costey, known for his work with rock acts, the track showcases a dense, layered sonic production worth studying.

How to Play Hysteria

Tuning: Drop D · Key: A minor · Tempo: 202 BPM

In Drop D tuning at 94 bpm, the main challenge is the relentless, fast-moving single-note riff that runs through most of the song; on guitar it sits in a low register and demands consistent alternate picking and clean fretting to avoid muddiness at full tempo. Begin by learning the riff at reduced speed, focusing on pick attack precision, before adding the heavier gain that masks sloppy timing in a live context. The most common pitfall is rushing the riff's sixteenth-note passages, so use the metronome to lock in the groove before looping the verse section up to 94 bpm. The chorus opens into broader, more straightforward power-chord territory in A minor, which gives your fretting hand a brief recovery before the riff returns.

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 202 BPM.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

Bellamy uses the Vox AC30 for clean, chimey passages that contrast with his high-gain rig, providing warm tube breakup and natural chime on atmospheric sections. Its low-wattage headroom lets him achieve responsive, dynamic tones without sacrificing clarity.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

The Cry Baby wah is essential to Bellamy's lead vocabulary, particularly on "Knights of Cydonia," where it sweeps across his sustained, pitch-shifted tones. The pedal's responsive sweep complements his aggressive playing style and synth-like effects chain.

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi
Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi

Bellamy pairs the Big Muff's smooth, sustaining fuzz with his bridge humbucker for soaring lead tones that retain clarity even under extreme gain. Its warm compression makes it ideal for long, singing sustain passages layered with the Fernandes Sustainer system.

DigiTech Whammy
Pedal

DigiTech Whammy

The Whammy is Bellamy's signature effect, enabling octave-shifted harmonies, pitch-shifted leads, and dramatic dive bombs used across nearly every Muse album. It transforms his sustained notes into orchestral layers that define Muse's progressive rock signature sound.

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