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Iron Maiden - The Duellists - Guitar Cover

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Key E minor
Iron Maiden - The Duellists guitar cover video
Licks Of The Beast
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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.
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Iron Maiden Heavy Metal E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About The Duellists

"The Duellists" is one of the more demanding tracks in the Iron Maiden catalogue, built almost entirely around the interplay between two guitar parts that trade melodic phrases back and forth across the arrangement. Playing it well means keeping both rhythm and lead roles clearly defined, since the two guitars rarely do the same thing at the same time. The song sits in E minor, which gives the riffs a naturally dark, driving character, and the chord movement under the verses asks for clean left-hand muting to keep the low end tight rather than muddy. The longer lead passages require stamina as much as speed, so isolate any run that trips you up and use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until the fingering becomes automatic. Switching cleanly between rhythm picking and lead phrasing within the same section is the real challenge here, and that transition is worth spending serious time on before attempting a full run-through.

  • The twin-guitar arrangement means you will need to decide early whether you are learning the rhythm or lead part, as both are substantial and distinct.
  • E minor gives the main riffs a dark, heavy feel, and keeping the lower strings tightly palm-muted is essential for the right tone.
  • The extended lead sections demand picking-hand endurance, so practising them at reduced tempo with the Practice Toolbar is a practical first step.

How to Play The Duellists

Key: E minor · Tempo: 164 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 164 BPM.

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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