About this recording
The Number of the Beast · 1982 · Original album studio recording
Playing level: advanced · Theory level: beginner
Start with E minor pentatonic, then add F♯ and C. Listen to one guitarist’s phrases at a time.
The scales at a glance
Compare the notes
Learn these shapes, then see how they help explain each solo below. Some are extra ideas for your own practice.
| Scale | Notes | Intervals | Use in this study |
|---|---|---|---|
| E Minor Pentatonic | E · G · A · B · D | 1 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭7 | Listening guide |
| E Natural Minor | E · F♯ · G · A · B · C · D | 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · ♭7 | Listening guide |
Solo breakdown
First solo
Guitar: Dave Murray
Where is this solo?
The first individual lead break in the later instrumental section, before the next guitarist takes over.
E Minor Pentatonic
Listening guide
E minor pentatonic gives a smaller map for the blues-shaped phrases.
E · G · A · B · D
◎ Outlined dots = E, the home note.
Standard tuning (teaching setup) · frets 12–15 · high string 1 at top · toward nut →
These dots show where the scale notes are. They do not show the order of the solo.
Read the note positions
- String 1, fret 12: E, interval 1, root
- String 1, fret 15: G, interval ♭3
- String 2, fret 12: B, interval 5
- String 2, fret 15: D, interval ♭7
- String 3, fret 12: G, interval ♭3
- String 3, fret 14: A, interval 4
- String 4, fret 12: D, interval ♭7
- String 4, fret 14: E, interval 1, root
- String 5, fret 12: A, interval 4
- String 5, fret 14: B, interval 5
- String 6, fret 12: E, interval 1, root
- String 6, fret 15: G, interval ♭3
More about these scales
E Minor Pentatonic Listening guide
E minor pentatonic gives a smaller map for the blues-shaped phrases.
E · G · A · B · D
E Natural Minor Listening guide
E natural minor adds F♯ and C. Use it to follow the longer connecting lines.
E · F♯ · G · A · B · C · D
How the chords shape the solo
Chords and note choices
Listen for the landing note
Listening idea The two guitar parts need their own listening passes. E, G and B form E minor. Find those notes first, then hear how the other scale notes connect them rather than treating every note as a resting point.
Technique tips
Technique and phrasing
- legato: Legato means joining notes smoothly. A hammer-on sounds a higher note with your fretting finger; a pull-off sounds a lower one. Match their volume to the picked note. Practice suggestion
Practice ideas
Try the ideas yourself
Original practice suggestions; these are not the recorded solo.
Try this slowly
Make a slow three-note question and a three-note answer in E minor. End the question on B and the answer on E. Leave a beat between them.
Check: You can keep a steady pulse and hear the final note clearly.
Solo breakdown
Second solo
Guitar: Adrian Smith
Where is this solo?
The following individual lead break in the later instrumental section, separate from the twin-guitar melody.
Use the E minor maps to follow the second lead break. Listen to this player on a separate pass rather than trying to follow both guitars at once.
E Minor Pentatonic
Listening guide
E minor pentatonic gives a smaller map for the blues-shaped phrases.
E · G · A · B · D
◎ Outlined dots = E, the home note.
Standard tuning (teaching setup) · frets 12–15 · high string 1 at top · toward nut →
These dots show where the scale notes are. They do not show the order of the solo.
Read the note positions
- String 1, fret 12: E, interval 1, root
- String 1, fret 15: G, interval ♭3
- String 2, fret 12: B, interval 5
- String 2, fret 15: D, interval ♭7
- String 3, fret 12: G, interval ♭3
- String 3, fret 14: A, interval 4
- String 4, fret 12: D, interval ♭7
- String 4, fret 14: E, interval 1, root
- String 5, fret 12: A, interval 4
- String 5, fret 14: B, interval 5
- String 6, fret 12: E, interval 1, root
- String 6, fret 15: G, interval ♭3
More about these scales
E Minor Pentatonic Listening guide
E minor pentatonic gives a smaller map for the blues-shaped phrases.
E · G · A · B · D
E Natural Minor Listening guide
E natural minor adds F♯ and C. Use it to follow the longer connecting lines.
E · F♯ · G · A · B · C · D
How the chords shape the solo
Chords and note choices
Listen for the landing note
Listening idea The two guitar parts need their own listening passes. E, G and B form E minor. Find those notes first, then hear how the other scale notes connect them rather than treating every note as a resting point.
Technique tips
Technique and phrasing
- legato: Legato means joining notes smoothly. A hammer-on sounds a higher note with your fretting finger; a pull-off sounds a lower one. Match their volume to the picked note. Practice suggestion
Practice ideas
Try the ideas yourself
Original practice suggestions; these are not the recorded solo.
Try this slowly
Choose E Natural Minor. Make a four-note answer that includes F♯, then finish on E. Pause before repeating and keep the F♯ short enough that the ending stays clear.
Check: You can keep a steady pulse and hear the final note clearly.
A simple practice plan
Put the study into practice
- Listen to the chosen solo and identify its beginning and ending.
- Find the root notes: the notes the scale is named after. Say their names, then play them.
- Add one new note, or aim for a note from the chord. Make a short phrase of your own.
- Listen to the solo again. Can you hear where the phrase comes to rest?
Updated 2026-11-10
This analysis may contain errors or inaccuracies.