The Art Of Shreddin'

Guitar Tabs

Holy Wars - Megadeth

Intro:
                                   hold the chords for 7/8 of a bar
-------------------------------------2--------------------------------------4
-5-6-7-------------------------------2--5-6-7-------------------------------4
---------5-6-7---7-6-5---5-4-3---5-3-0----------5-6-7---7-6-5---5-4-3---5-3-2
  
-5-6-7---------------------------7-8-9---------------------------
---------5-6-7---7-6-5---5-4-3-----------8-9-10---10-9-8---9-8-7-

-5-6-7-------------------------------
---------5-6-7---7-6-5---5-4-3---0-0-

Riff A:
-5^7------10^7---------5^7-------5^7---------7---8---
-----000-------00000000----000-------00000---5---6---
                                     
---------------------------------------------9-------
-5^7------10^7---------5^7-------5^7---------7---8---
-----000-------00000000----000-------00000-------6---
                                     
---------------------------------------------4-------
-5^7------10^7---------5^7-------5^7---------2---5---
-----000-------00000000----000-------00000-------3---
                                     
ending 1
-------------------------------------------4----------4------
-5^7------10^7--------9------8-----7---0---2----------2-5-4--
-----000-------000000-7--00006---005--------------------3-2--
         repeat Riff A using ending 2                                    

ending 2                                   
-5^7-------10^7-----------------------------
------000-------0000007---00006---005---0---
                                           
-5^7-------10^7-------6-------5-----4-------
------000-------000000----0000----00----0---
                      
----------------------4-------3-----2-------                     
-5^7-------10^7-------------------------3---
------000-------000000----0000----00--------
                       
----------------------9-------8-----8-7-----                    
-5^7-------10^7-------------------------8---
------000-------000000----0000----00--------
                                           
Riff B: (x 8)
-5^7------10^7----------5^7------5^7--------9---
------000------000000000----000-----00000---7---

play over riff B

--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
-----7----------------7-------9-------------------
-5-------5-------5--------7---------------9-------
-------------7--------------------7---6-------5---6/7vibrato hold for 
-------------------------------------------------- one section of riff B

--------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------4-----------3---
-----7----------------7---------------------------
-5-------5-------5------------4-----------4-------
-------------7------------6-----------5-----------5/7vibrato hold for 
-------------------------------------------------- one section of riff B
    repeat these two riffs

Riff C:
-4-/-5-----4-------4-/-5-------5-\-4-------4-\-5----
-2-/-3--0--2--0-0--2-/-3--0-0--3-\-2--0-0--2-\-3----
                       
-5^7------10^7----------5^7------5^7----2-------
------000------000000000----000-----00003---0---

-1-/-2-----1-------1-/-2-------2-\-1-------1-\-2----
-2-/-3--0--2--0-0--2-/-3--0-0--3-\-2--0-0--2-\-3----
       
-5^7------10^7----------5^7------5^7----5-------
------000------000000000----000-----00003---0---

-4-/-5-----4-------4-/-5-------5-\-4-------4-\-5----
-2-/-3--0--2--0-0--2-/-3--0-0--3-\-2--0-0--2-\-3----
                       
-5^7------10^7----------5^7------5^7----2-------
------000------000000000----000-----00003---0---

-1-/-2-----1-------1-/-2-------2-\-1-------1-
-2-/-3--0--2--0-0--2-/-3--0-0--3-\-2--0-0--2-
       Riff B, Riff C (x 3)
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/m/megadeth/holy_wars_tab.html ]
Holy Wars rhythm:  4x
---------------9---8----------------------------------------------------
-5-6-7--------10---9---5-6-7----------------5-6-7--------7---6---5-6-7--
-------0-0-0-----------------0-0-0--6---7-5-------0-0-0-----------------
 
-------7---6---5-6-7-------------2-4-5-----4-----2-3-5---------------
-0-0-0---------------0-0-0-2---0-3-5-6-0-3-5---0-3-5-6-0-0-6---5-3-5-
                                                          
-----------5---4-1-------------8---7-5-
-3-0-0-0-0-6---5-3-5-3-0-0-0-0-6---5-3-

-5-6-7-------------------------------2----
---------5-6-7---7-6-5---5-4-3---5-3-0----

                                      Marty's spanish solo


Bridge to ...The Punishment Due:   4x
-10-9---10-----10-9---9-----9-10-12---
-8--7-0-8--0-0-8--7-0-7-0-0-7-8--10---
 
...The Punishment Due:
 Play these two times
--------------------hold -----------------0-------0-----
--------------------C    -------------------0-------0---
--------------------one  -------------------------------
--------------------bar  -------------------------------
----/7---9-----10---     ----/7---9---2-1-----1-0-----0-2
-0-0---7---0-8-8----     -0-----7---0-3-2-----2-1-----1-0
                                     alternate between major and fifth
                                      chords
 
When the drums kick in:
       The only change is you play the C  chord 7 times missing 
the first beat.  Play 4x

for the solo rhythym figure, skip the E chord of the above rhythym figure 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-------3-0-------------1---------------3-0-------------1-----------
-----------0---------3---3-----------------0---------3---3---------
-----0-------3-0---3-------3-----------------3-0---3-------3-------
---2-------------1-------------------2-----------1-----------------
-3---------------------------0-1-2-3-------------------------0-1-2-

---------------------------------------------------0-------0-------
-------3-0-------------1---------------3-0-----------0-------0-----
-----------0---------3---3-----------------0-----------------------
-----0-------3-0---3-------3-----------------3---------------------
---2-------------2-------------------2---------3-----------------2-
-3---------------------------0-1-2-3-------------2-----2-1-----1-0-

go back to where drums kick in, playing riff 5x, adding harmonics on  
fifth fret in first bit of thumping C's


Riff E, 4x
-2-------------------------------------------------------
-0-------3---3---3---3---3-3-3---3---3---3-3-3---3-3-3---
   harmonics

-5-------4-/-5-----4-------4-/-5-------5-\-4-------4-\-5----
-3--0----2-/-3--0--2--0-0--2-/-3--0-0--3-\-2--0-0--2-\-3----
alternate with major thirds on 2nd and fourth repeat
end riff E                       

Riff F, 8x
-2-------------------------------------------------------
-0-------0---0---0---0---0-0-0---0---0---0-0-0---0-0-0---
   harmonics

-5-------4-/-5-----4-------4-/-5-------5-\-4-------4-\-5----
-3--0----2-/-3--0--2--0-0--2-/-3--0-0--3-\-2--0-0--2-\-3----
alternate with major thirds on 2nd and fourth repeat
end riff E                       

Riff G, 13x
-5^7------5^7----------5^7-------5^7-------9-------
-----000-------000-0-0-----000-------000---7-------

Play over Riff G on repeats 5-10
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
-----7----------------7-------9-------------------
-5-------5-------5--------7---------------9-------
-------------7--------------------7---6-------5---6/7vibrato hold for 
-------------------------------------------------- one section of riff B

--------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------4-----------3---
-----7----------------7---------------------------
-5-------5-------5------------4-----------4-------
-------------7------------6-----------5-----------5/7vibrato hold for 
-------------------------------------------------- one section of riff B

--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
-----7----------------7-------9-------------------
-5-------5-------5--------7---------------9-------
-------------7--------------------7---6-------5---6/7vibrato hold for 
-------------------------------------------------- one section of riff B

After Riff G play
-5^7------5^7----------5^7-------5^7-------5-------
-----000-------000-0-0-----000-------000---3---0---

-4-/-5-----4-------4-/-5-------5-\-4---------------
-2-/-3--0--2--0-0--2-/-3--0-0--3-\-2--0-0--3--0----

-1-/-2-----1-------1-/-2-------2-\-0-------5-------
-2-/-3--0--2--0-0--2-/-3--0-0--3-\-2--0-0--3---0---

-------------------------------------------------------2-
-4-/-5-----4-------4-/-5-------5-\-4---------5-6-7-----2-
-2-/-3--0--2--0-0--2-/-3--0-0--3-\-2--0-0--2-------7-0-0-