15 Easy Megadeth Songs on Guitar

There was a time when a lot of youth listened almost exclusively to just two bands: Megadeth and Metallica.

And although those two bands were also grouped in with Slayer and Anthrax much of the time, there’s a connection between Megadeth and Metallica that was likely a driving force behind their music.

You see, Dave Mustaine, who has always been the core of Megadeth, was part of Metallica before most of us were probably even born.

But he was fired from the band for partying too much.

So after Mustaine formed his own group, I think some bad blood between the two groups led to a competition for who could be harder, faster, better, stronger… to borrow a phrase from Daft Punk.

What I’m trying to say is that when it comes to Megadeth songs that are “easy” to play, that term should be taken with a grain of salt!

This list should guide you in some songs that aren’t considered as difficult as some of the others, but patience and practice are going to go a long way. 

Also… whether some kind soul has taken the time to make an in-depth tutorial to help you fit all of the pieces together will be important as well.

And the guitar solos are considered off-limits to most amateur and intermediate players so please note that I’m not even considering those when evaluating these songs. 

Now if you have a decent background in playing other Thrash Metal, these may be easier for you. 

But don’t ever say that Megadeth is easy to Dave Mustaine or Marty Friedman. I remember reading an article where Dave was quoted as saying he put a hex on someone and they broke their leg a few days later! 

Whether you believe that story or not, the band has put out some really wicked music over the past few decades, so check out these songs to get started.

And if you can headbang while playing them, you’re definitely a much better musician than me!

1. Angry Again

This is my personal favorite Megadeth tune, not only for the guitar parts but because it sounds like Dave Mustaine is actually rabid and foaming at the mouth during the verses. 

And it’s kind of an oddity because it wasn’t on any official album, although it got plenty of play on FM radio

Instead, it was written for the kids’ movie Last Action Hero, starring none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But these days, it doesn’t really matter because you can stream or download single songs with ease.

Like many Megadeth songs, this one is played in Eb tuning and the main parts of the song aren’t difficult at all. 

The intro riff is a simple four-note part like this.

Db |-0-1——

Ab |——-2—

Eb |———-3

And then you just slide that exact riff up the neck to the 7th, 11th, and 15th frets (on the low E string).

And for the verse, you will be arpeggiating E and  E/C chords on the top three strings with some power chords mixed in. 

And something to note about Mustaine’s style is that a lot of his power chords are not standard root and 5th note power chords that you’re probably used to.

Instead, he sometimes opts for root and 3rd note chords (for example, like the top two strings of an open G chord) or double stops.

The chorus and bridge leading to the solo aren’t hard either, mostly chugging on the open low E string and more power chords (like 98% of Heavy Metal songs).

I do recommend a full tab or the linked video for all parts of the song, but once you get the rhythm down, learning this one should be a cinch. 

Link to tab

And here’s a lesson:

2. She-Wolf

This one is fast and heavy but most of the bits that I consider difficult are being done by the second guitarist.

Therefore learning to do the rhythm guitar isn’t beyond most of us mere mortals.  

This one uses standard tuning and most of the time you’re just chugging the open (but palm-muted) E string with power chords again!

But wait, there is a catch. Your right hand (or left hand for you lefty players) is going to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting on the rhythm guitar.

Because the song uses a “triplet” (down, up, down) or galloping rhythm riff that will take some muscle memory.

But if you want to play Heavy Metal, it’s a hurdle you have to jump at some point.

You just start by practicing slowly and then work up to the speed of the recording or whatever you’re comfortable with.  

And sometimes I find it helpful to just think of picking rhythms such as this like a drum beat and try to tap it out on a desktop or something first until I get a feel for it.

Once you get it, you can mix in the C and D# power chords and then tackle the rest of the song. 

Link to tab

And here’s a lesson:

3. Symphony of Destruction

In the 1990s Megadeth began to realize that getting songs on MTV and the radio wasn’t about how complicated their songs could be.

Because this song, which was a massive hit, is driven by a main riff that is basically F and E chords. 

You just need to play F G F on the low E string and then an F power chord followed by two E chords. It’s that simple.

The appeal is all about the sweet but evil-sounding timing.

The ending of the verse (Pre Chorus) uses the low E string with double stops on the 4th and 5th strings like this.

D ——-7—–6——-5——5h7–5–

A ——-7—–6——-5—————-

E -0–0—–0—–0———7———–

The fills at the end are sometimes different but this is the main idea, and this concept of descending note melodies carries on into the chorus too. 

The chorus is a little more complex, but because this is the song that most guitar players want to learn, there are in-depth videos of how to play each part.

Link to tab

And here’s a lesson:

4. A Tout Le Monde

Casual fans of Megadeth may not expect to hear an acoustic guitar in one of their songs, but this tune starts out using one for a simple arpeggiated riff.

Note that this one also uses a half-step-down tuning like Angry Again.

And this song is definitely heavy, but it has a ballad feeling to it, instead of the intricate rhythms that are found in much of the band’s other work. 

There’s no “galloping” or anything, only easy power chords and a few hammer-ons.

As such, it’s perfect for beginners. So give it a shot and good luck.

Link to tab

And here’s a lesson:

And a simplified lesson for acoustic guitar:

5. Trust

Link to tab

6. How the Story Ends

Link to tab

7. 99 Ways to Die

Link to tab

8. Sweating Bullets

Link to tab

9. Addicted to Chaos

Link to tab

10. Reckoning Day

Link to tab

11. Almost Honest

Link to tab

12. Kill the King

Link to tab

13. The Killing Road

Link to tab

14. This Was My Life

Link to tab

15. Anarchy in the UK (Sex Pistols cover)

Link to tab