Practice Studio

Iron Maiden - To Tame A Land Dave Murray's - Guitar Solo Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

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Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key B minor
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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.

Capo Advisor 0 B minor · Original key

About To Tame A Land Dave Murray's


"To Tame a Land" is one of the more demanding pieces in the Iron Maiden catalogue, and Dave Murray's guitar work here sits right at the heart of it. Playing in B minor at 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the song calls for precise melodic picking across a wide range of tempos within the track, as it shifts between brooding, atmospheric passages and full-speed galloping sections. The twin-guitar interplay demands clean fretting hand accuracy, especially on the ascending and descending scalar runs that carry the song's Dune-inspired mood. Getting those runs to sing evenly at full tempo takes patience. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop each run slowed down until every note speaks cleanly before you push the speed back up. The heavy metal phrasing here rewards players who focus on pick attack consistency and left-hand economy rather than raw speed alone.

  • Playing in B minor in E Standard tuning, the song's melodic runs and scalar passages require precise pick attack and clean fretting hand positioning throughout.
  • The 120 BPM tempo feels moderate, but the twin-guitar melodic lines demand even note articulation that can expose any inconsistency in your picking technique.
  • Practise the longer scalar sequences in short looped sections, slowing them down until both hands are fully synchronized before raising the tempo.

How to Play To Tame A Land Dave Murray's

Tuning: E Standard · Key: B minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

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.

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)