SYMPHONY OF DESTRUCTION
As recorded by Megadeth
(From the 1992 Album COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION)
Words and Music by Mustaine
Arranged by Megadeth
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Mustaine'
Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Friedman'
Intro Verses
Moderate Rock Q=138
$
F5E5 F5E5 F5E5
4/4
Gtrs I, II
PM--| PM--|
H E E E E E E E E H E E E E E E E E E E E E H
|--------------|--------------|-----------------||---------------|
|--------------|--------------|-----------------||o--------------|
|--------------|--------------|-----------------||---------------|
|--------------|--------------|-----------------||---------------|
|--------------|-3-2---2------|-3-2---2---------||o-3-2---2------|
|--------1-3-1-|-1-0---0------|-1-0---0---1-3-1-||--1-0---0------|
F5E5 F5E5 F5E5
PM--|
W E E E E H E E E E E E E E E E E E H
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|-3-2---2------|-3-2---2---------|-3-2---2------|
|----------|-1-0---0------|-1-0---0---1-3-1-|-1-0---0------|
F5E5 F5E5 F5E5
PM--|
W E E E E H E E E E E E E E E E E E H
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|-3-2---2------|-3-2---2---------|-3-2---2------|
|----------|-1-0---0------|-1-0---0---1-3-1-|-1-0---0------|
F5E5 F5E5 F5E5
PM--|
W E E E E H E E E E E E E E E E E E H
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|----------|-3-2---2------|-3-2---2---------|-3-2---2------|
|----------|-1-0---0------|-1-0---0---1-3-1-|-1-0---0------|
E
Gtr I
PM| PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM
H E E E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E S S E E
|--------------|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|
|--------------|-------------------|-----------0h1-0---|-----------0h1-0----|
|--------------|-----------0h2-0---|-------------------|--------------------|
|------------2-|---1---0---------2-|---1---0---------2-|---1---0---------2--|
|--------------|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|
|--------0-0---|-0---0---0---------|-0---0---0---------|-0---0---0----------|
|
| Gtr II
| PM| PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM
| H E E E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E S S E E
|--------------|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|
|--------------|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|
|------------2-|---1---0---0h2-0-2-|---1---0---0h2-0-2-|---1---0---0h2-0-2--|
|--------------|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|
|--------------|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|
|--------0-0---|-0---0---0---------|-0---0---0---------|-0---0---0----------|
PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM--| ~
E E E E E S S E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E E E E
|-----------0h1-0---|-----------0h1-0---|-----------0h1-0---|------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------------------|
|---1---0---------2-|---1---0---------2-|---1---0---------2-|---1--------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------5-2-----5--|
|-0---0---0---------|-0---0---0---------|-0---0---0---------|-0---0-----0-0----|
|
| PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM--| ~
| E E E E E S S E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E E E E
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------------------|
|---1---0---0h2-0-2-|---1---0---0h2-0-2-|---1---0---0h2-0-2-|---1--------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------5-2--------|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|---------------5--|
|-0---0---0---------|-0---0---0---------|-0---0---0---------|-0---0-----0-0----|
Chorus
E5 A5/E C5
~~~ PM------|
+E E E E E E E E +Q Q +E Q E Q E Q E Q Q Q. Q E
|-------------------||------------------|--------------|--------------|
|-------------------||------------------|--------------|--------------|
|-------------------||------------------|--------------|--------------|
|-------------------||------9--(9)-8----|-7--0-6-------|----5----4----|
|-(5)---------------||------7--(7)-7----|-7-------7----|----3---------|
|-----7-6-5-3-2-1-0-||-(0)------------0-|-----------7--|-0----------0-|
|
| ~~~ PM------|
| +E E E E E E E E +Q Q +E Q E Q E Q E Q Q Q. Q E
|-------------------||------------------|--------------|--------------|
|-------------------||------------------|--------------|--------------|
|-------------------||------------------|--------------|--------------|
|-------------------||------9--(9)-8----|-7--0-6-------|----5----4----|
|-(5)---------------||------7--(7)-7----|-7-------7----|----3---------|
|-----7-6-5-3-2-1-0-||-(0)------------0-|-----------7--|-0----------0-|
To Coda
E5 A5/E C5
~
Q. E E E Q Q Q +E Q E Q. Q E Q Q Q. Q E
|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------------|
|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------------|
|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------------|
|-7----5-4------|----9--(9)-8----|-7----6-------|----5----4----|
|-5--------5----|----7--(7)-7----|-7-------7----|----3---------|
|------------7--|-0------------0-|-----------7--|-0----------0-|
|
| ~
| Q. E E E Q Q Q +E Q E Q. Q E Q Q Q. Q E
|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------------|
|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------------|
|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------------|
|-7----5-4------|----9--(9)-8----|-7----6-------|----5----4----|
|-5--------5----|----7--(7)-7----|-7-------7----|----3---------|
|------------7--|-0------------0-|-----------7--|-0----------0-|
1. 2.
D5 F5E5 F5E5 D5
PM--|
E E E E Q. +E E E E E H E E E E E E E E E E E E Q. +E
|-------------------|--------------|------------------||-------------------|
|-------------------|--------------|-----------------o||-------------------|
|-------------------|--------------|------------------||-------------------|
|-7-7-7-7-7----(7)-|--------------|------------------||-7-7-7-7-7----(7)-|
|-5-5-5-5-5----(5)-|-3-2---2------|-3-2---2---------o||-5-5-5-5-5----(5)-|
|-------------------|-1-0---0------|-1-0---0---1-3-1--||-------------------|
|
| PM--|
| E E E E Q. +E E E E E H E E E E E E E E E E E E Q. +E
|-------------------|--------------|------------------||-------------------|
|-------------------|--------------|-----------------o||-------------------|
|-------------------|--------------|------------------||-------------------|
|-7-7-7-7-7----(7)-|--------------|------------------||-7-7-7-7-7----(7)-|
|-5-5-5-5-5----(5)-|-3-2---2------|-3-2---2---------o||-5-5-5-5-5----(5)-|
|-------------------|-1-0---0------|-1-0---0---1-3-1--||-------------------|
C5 D5
~
Q Q. Q E Q. Q E Q Q Q. Q E Q. E E E Q
|----------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|
|----------------|----------------|--------------|-3-------------|
|----7-----6-----|-5-----4--------|----4----2----|------4-2------|
|----------------|----------6-----|--------------|----------4----|
|----------------|------------7---|--------------|------------5--|
|-0------------0-|----------------|-0----------0-|---------------|
|
| ~
| Q E E E E E E E E E Q E Q Q Q. Q E Q. E E E Q
|----------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|
|----------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|
|----------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|
|----9p7---8p7---|-7p0---6--------|----5----4----|-7----5-4------|
|--------7-----7-|-----7----7-----|----3---------|-5--------5----|
|-0--------------|------------7--|-0----------0-|------------7--|
E5 C5 D5
~
Q Q. Q E Q. Q E Q Q Q. Q E Q. E E E Q
|--------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|
|--------------|----------------|--------------|-3-------------|
|----7----6----|-5-----4--------|----4----2----|------4-2------|
|--------------|----------6-----|--------------|----------4----|
|--------------|------------7---|--------------|------------5--|
|-0----------0-|----------------|-0----------0-|---------------|
|
| ~
| Q Q. Q E E E E Q E Q Q Q. Q E Q. E E E Q
|--------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|
|--------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|
|--------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|
|----9----8----|-7p0---6--------|----5----4----|-7----5-4------|
|----7----7----|-----7----7-----|----3---------|-5--------5----|
|-0----------0-|------------7--|-0----------0-|------------7--|
D5
Q Q. Q E E E E E E Q.
|--------------|-----------------||
|--------------|-----------------||
|----4----2----|-----------------||
|--------------|-7-7-7-7-7-------||
|--------------|-5-5-5-5-5-------||
|-0----------0-|-----------------||
|
| Q Q. Q E E E E E E Q E
|--------------|-----------------||
|--------------|-----------------||
|--------------|---------------2-||
|----5----4----|-7-7-7-7-7-----2-||
|----3---------|-5-5-5-5-5-------||
|-0----------0-|-----------------||
Guitar Solo
E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
H. +Q S E. +Q E E E S +S
|---------------------|-------------------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------------------|
|-/9------------(9)---|-7h9----(9)---9s7-4-6b7==(6)---|
|---------------------|-------------------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM| PM PM PM|
| E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|---------------------|-------------------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------------------|
|-----1---0---------2-|------1-----0-------2----------|
|-----1---0---------2-|------1-----0-------2----------|
|---------------------|-------------------------------|
|--0----0-----0--0----|-0-------0------0-0------------|
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~PM--|
+Q +E +E E E +E +S S +Q +Q +E E E E
|------------------------------------|------------------------|
|----------------0-5----(5)-(5)------|------------------------|
|-(6)---(6)-(6)r-0-7b9==(7)r(7)-2b4==|=(2)---(2)---(2)r-0-2-0-|
|------------------------------------|------------------------|
|------------------------------------|------------------------|
|------------------------------------|------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM---| PM PM PM|
| E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|------------------------------------|------------------------|
|------------------------------------|------------------------|
|-----1------0---------------2-------|-----1-----0----------2-|
|-----1------0---------------2-------|-----1-----0----------2-|
|------------------------------------|------------------------|
|--0-----0---------0-----0-----------|--0-----0---------0-0---|
E +E +Q +Q +E S +S +E E E S S Q E. S
|---------------------------------------|------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|------------------------|
|-2b4==(2)r(2)b3====(2)---(2)r-2b3==(2)r|=(2)p0---0--------------|
|---------------------------------------|-------2---0-2---2s==10-|
|---------------------------------------|------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM| PM PM PM|
| E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|---------------------------------------|------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|------------------------|
|-------1---------0------------2--------|-----1---0---------2----|
|-------1---------0------------2--------|-----1---0---------2----|
|---------------------------------------|------------------------|
|-0---------0-----------0--0------------|--0----0-------0-0------|
+S S S S S S S S S S S S S. T S S
|----------------------8h12----8h12s14--12----12-|
|-------------------10------10-------------13----|
|------9-11----9-11------------------------------|
|-(10)------10-----------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM---|
| E E E E E E E E
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|---------1----------0----------------------2----|
|---------1----------0----------------------2----|
|------------------------------------------------|
|---0----------0---------------0-----0-----------|
~~
|--3--| |--3--|
S. S T T T T a E S S S S S Q +E
|-14h17p==14----17p14-17s20-17h20p17s14----------------|
|------------17-------------------------17-13---(13)--|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM|
| E E E E E E E E
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|-------1--------------------0--------------------2----|
|-------1--------------------0--------------------2----|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|--0----------------------0-----------------0-0--------|
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-12p10----10h12p10----10h15p10----15p10----14p10-|
|-------12----------12----------12-------12-------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM---|
| E E E E E E E E
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|--------1-----------0-----------------------2----|
|--------1-----------0-----------------------2----|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|--0-----------0-----------------0-----0----------|
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-12p10----10h12p10----10-15p10----15p10----14p10-|
|-------12----------12----------12-------12-------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM---|
| E E E E E E E E
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|--------1-----------0-----------------------2----|
|--------1-----------0-----------------------2----|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|--0-----------0-----------------0-----0----------|
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-15p10----10-/19p15----15-22p19----19-------------|
|-------12-----------15----------20----20p15-------|
|--------------------------------------------16----|
|-----------------------------------------------17-|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM---|
| E E E E E E E E
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------1------------0-----------------------2----|
|--------1------------0-----------------------2----|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--0------------0-----------------0-----0----------|
~~~~~~
S S S S S S S S S +E. +E +E
|---------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------|
|-19p16---------------------------------------------|
|-------17----------------19b21==(19)---(19)-(19)r-|
|----------17-19-17-16-17---------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM|
| E E E E E E E E
|---------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------|
|--------1-----------0-------------------------2----|
|--------1-----------0-------------------------2----|
|---------------------------------------------------|
|--0-----------0----------------------0---0---------|
4/4
a S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------12h13p12---------------------12h13-12-|
|-14s15p12----12h15----------15b15.5p12----12h15----------|
|----------14---------------------------14----------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM---|
| E E E E E E E E
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------1-----------0----------------------------2----|
|-----------1-----------0----------------------------2----|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|-----0-----------0----------------------0-----0----------|
S S S S S S S +S S S S S S S S S
|----------------------------------------12-------------------|
|-13p12-------------------------------12----15p12-------------|
|-------15b15.5-12----12-14b16==(14)r-------------15p14p12----|
|------------------14--------------------------------------14-|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM---|
| E E E E E E E E
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------1----------------0------------------------------2----|
|--------1----------------0------------------------------2----|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|--0----------------0------------------------0-----0----------|
~~~~~~~~~~~
|---3---| |---3---| |------3------|
S +E. +S S S S S +S S S S T +T S S S S T +T
|---------------------12----------------------12-------------------------12--------------------|
|------------------------15p==12-15b17==(15)r----15p==12--------------12----15-12--------------|
|-12b14==(12)---(12)r------------------------------------14b16==(14)r-------------14b16==(14)r-|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|
| PM PM PM----------------|
| E E E E E E E E
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------1-------------0------------------------------------------------2-----------------|
|-------------1-------------0------------------------------------------------2-----------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--0--------------0---------------------------------0------------------0-----------------------|
F5 E5
|3-| |------3------|
E S S S T +T S S S S E +E +E +E +Q H.
|----12--------------------12-------12-17b19==(17)-(17)-(17)r||=(17)-------------|
|-12----15p12-----------------15p12----17b19==(17)-(17)-(17)r||=(17)-------------|
|-------------14b16==(14)r-----------------------------------||-------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------||-------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------||-------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------||-------------------|
|
| PM PM PM------|
| E E E E E E E E E E E E H
|------------------------------------------------------------||-------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------||-------------------|
|--------1------------------------0--------------------------||-------------------|
|--------1------------------------0--------------------------||-------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------||---3---2----2------|
|--0------------------------0-------------------1----3----1--||---1---0----0------|
D.S. al Coda &
F5E5 D5
PM--|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E +Q. Q Q. Q E Q. Q E Q
|-----------------||-----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-----------------||-----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-----------------||-----------------|----7-----6-----|-5-----4--------|
|-----------------||-7-7-7-7-7-(7)---|----------------|----------6-----|
|-3-2---2---------||-5-5-5-5-5-(5)---|----------------|------------7---|
|-1-0---0---1-3-1-||-----------------|-0------------0-|----------------|
|
| PM--|
| E E E E E E E E E E E E E +Q. Q E E E E E E E E E Q E Q
|-----------------||-----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-----------------||-----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-----------------||-----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-----------------||-7-7-7-7-7-(7)---|----9p7---8p7---|-7p0---6--------|
|-3-2---2---------||-5-5-5-5-5-(5)---|--------7-----7-|-----7----7-----|
|-1-0---0---1-3-1-||-----------------|-0--------------|------------7--|
C5 D5 E5
~
Q Q. Q E Q. E E E Q Q Q. Q E Q. Q E Q
|--------------|---------------|--------------|----------------|
|--------------|-3-------------|--------------|----------------|
|----4----2----|------4-2------|----7----6----|-5-----4--------|
|--------------|----------4----|--------------|----------6-----|
|--------------|------------5--|--------------|------------7---|
|-0----------0-|---------------|-0----------0-|----------------|
|
| ~
| Q Q. Q E Q. E E E Q Q Q. Q E E E E Q E Q
|--------------|---------------|--------------|----------------|
|--------------|---------------|--------------|----------------|
|--------------|---------------|--------------|----------------|
|----5----4----|-7----5-4------|----9----8----|-7p0---6--------|
|----3---------|-5--------5----|----7----7----|-----7----7-----|
|-0----------0-|------------7--|-0----------0-|------------7--|
~
Q Q. Q E Q. E E E Q Q Q. Q E
|--------------|---------------|--------------|
|--------------|-3-------------|--------------|
|----4----2----|------4-2------|----4----2----|
|--------------|----------4----|--------------|
|--------------|------------5--|--------------|
|-0----------0-|---------------|-0----------0-|
|
| ~
| Q Q. Q E Q. E E E Q Q Q. Q E
|--------------|---------------|--------------|
|--------------|---------------|--------------|
|--------------|---------------|--------------|
|----5----4----|-7----5-4------|----5----4----|
|----3---------|-5--------5----|----3---------|
|-0----------0-|------------7--|-0----------0-|
D5 F5E5
E E E E Q. +E E E E E H
|-------------------|--------------*|
|-------------------|--------------*|
|-------------------|--------------*|
|-7-7-7-7-7----(7)-|--------------*|
|-5-5-5-5-5----(5)-|-3-2---2------*|
|-------------------|-1-0---0------*|
|
| E E E E Q. +E E E E E H
|-------------------|--------------*|
|-------------------|--------------*|
|-------------------|--------------*|
|-7-7-7-7-7----(7)-|--------------*|
|-5-5-5-5-5----(5)-|-3-2---2------*|
|-------------------|-1-0---0------*|
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
- volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
