Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

Practice Studio

Iron Maiden - The Trooper Dave Murray's - Guitar Solo Tab

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 E minor
Iron Maiden - The Trooper Dave Murray's guitar tab video
Steph Le Gratteux
Steph Le Gratteux Top Contributor
YouTube: 63Ksubs 82Kviews
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.
Iron Maiden Heavy Metal E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About The Trooper Dave Murray's

Few Heavy Metal songs put twin-guitar interplay front and centre the way "The Trooper" does. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith trade a galloping main riff in E minor that locks tightly with Steve Harris's driving bass, so your picking hand needs to stay disciplined at 136 BPM in E Standard tuning. The opening riff is deceptively simple on paper, but keeping it clean and even at full speed is the real challenge, especially through the string changes. The lead breaks require smooth position shifts and controlled vibrato, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop each solo phrase slowed down before pushing the tempo back up. Power chords punctuate the verses with a punchy, staccato feel, meaning muting matters as much as the notes themselves. Iron Maiden built this track around momentum, so any hesitation in the rhythm playing breaks the whole illusion of the cavalry charge the song is meant to evoke.

  • The main riff runs in E minor at 136 BPM in E Standard tuning, demanding consistent alternate picking to keep the gallop feel tight.
  • Twin-guitar harmony lines appear throughout, so learning both Dave Murray and Adrian Smith parts rewards you with a fuller picture of the arrangement.
  • Staccato power chords in the verse require precise palm muting, making right-hand control just as important as fretting accuracy.

How to Play The Trooper Dave Murray's

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 160 BPM

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 160 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.

Recommended for You

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)