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Iron Maiden - The Wicker Man - Guitar Cover

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

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100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
Iron Maiden - The Wicker Man guitar cover video
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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 Wicker Man

Few opening riffs in Heavy Metal are as immediately recognisable as the one that kicks off "The Wicker Man." Built in E minor and sitting at a steady 120 BPM, the song moves at a confident gallop that is neither punishingly fast nor forgiving of sloppy picking. The main riff centres on palm-muted low-E chugs punctuated by melodic phrases higher up the neck, which means your right hand has to shift cleanly between tight muting and open articulation on every pass. That transition is where most players slip up, so set the Practice Toolbar to loop just those first few bars slowed down until the muting pressure is second nature. The twin-guitar harmony leads that arrive later in the track demand accurate fret placement and matching vibrato between both parts, making them a genuinely useful exercise in phrasing consistency. Iron Maiden also leans hard on the rhythmic feel here, so locking your picking hand to the pulse before worrying about the lead lines is the right order of attack.

  • The main riff is played in E Standard tuning, using heavy palm muting on the low E string alternated with melodic, open-articulated phrases higher on the neck.
  • Twin-guitar harmony leads appear later in the song, requiring both players to match pitch accuracy and vibrato for the lines to sit correctly together.
  • At 120 BPM the galloping rhythm parts sit in a mid-tempo range, but maintaining consistent palm-mute pressure throughout is trickier than the tempo suggests.

How to Play The Wicker Man

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

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.

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