Guitar & Bass Tabs
Judas Priest
Learn Judas Priest's Guitar & Bass Style
Discover how Judas Priest developed their signature guitar and bass sound, the techniques you'll encounter in their music, and the best lessons to begin your learning journey.
Judas Priest emerged from Birmingham in 1969 with a heavy, riff-focused sound that would help define heavy metal. The band’s core early lineup—bassist Ian Hill and founding guitarist K.K. Downing—glimpsed the future when Rob Halford joined as lead vocalist and teamed with Glenn Tipton on guitar, setting the stage for a global metal revolution.
Across the 1980s and beyond they pushed speed, precision, and stadium-size hooks, turning albums like British Steel (1980) into genre landmarks. Their twin-guitar harmonies, soaring vocals, and relentless touring made them one of rock’s most influential live acts and inspired countless metal groups.
Judas Priest's influence extends beyond records; their leather-and-studs image and groundbreaking riffs helped shape metal's cultural vocabulary. They’ve maintained a prolific, multi-decade career and hold a lasting legacy in the rock world, continually influencing guitar players and earning a place among the genre’s most celebrated pioneers.
🎸 Want to know what gear Judas Priest used, their playing style, and fun facts? Scroll below the lessons!
Watch the Lesson
Breaking The Law
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Bloodstone
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Electric Eye
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Reckless
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Delivering The Goods
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Rock Forever
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Evening Star
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Burnin' Up
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The Green Manalishi
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Killing Machine
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Running Wild
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Evil Fantasies
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Riding On The Wind
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Rapid Fire
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Metal God's
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Grinder
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United
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Turbo Lover
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You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise
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Living After Midnight
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The Rage
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Steeler
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Red, White & Blue
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Don't Go
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Heading Out To The Highway
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Hot Rockin'
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Turning Circles
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Desert Plains
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Solar Angels
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You Say Yes
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All The Way
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Troubleshooter
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On The Run
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Take These Chains
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Pain And Pleasure
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Screaming For Vengeance
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Dragonaut
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Fever
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Freewheel Burning
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Jawbreaker
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Love Bites
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Rock Hard Ride Free
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The Sentinel
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Eat Me Alive
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Heavy Duty
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Private Property
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Parental Guidance
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Rock You All Around The World
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Wild Nights Hot Crazy Days
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Hot For Love
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Ram It Down
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Heavy Metal
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Love Zone
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Come And Get It
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Hard As Iron
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I'm A Rocker
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Love You To Death
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Johnny B. Good
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Monsters Of Rock
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Painkiller
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Hell Patrol
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All Guns Blazing
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Leather Rebel
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Metal Meltdown
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Night Crawler
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Between The Hammer And The Anvil
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A Touch Of Evil
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One Shot At Glory
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The Serpent And The King
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You've Got Another Thing Comin
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Devil's Child
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Playing Style
Judas Priest defines metal guitar through a razor-sharp blend of riff-driven power and melodic twin-lead artistry. Tipton and Downing created a signature dynamic—interlocking harmonized guitar lines that ride over a tight, driving rhythm section. Expect relentless down-picking and palm-muted chugging for punchy verses, with soaring, melodically rich lead lines in the choruses. Their songs exploit fast alternate picking, precise bending, and tasteful use of harmonized intervals to create a sense of propulsion. This dual-lead approach, paired with Halford’s high, ringing vocal lines, gives Priest a sound that’s both brutal and brilliantly melodic, a blueprint that shaped speed, power, and traditional metal alike.
🎸 Gear & Equipment
Priest’s live and studio tone is built on iconic, high-gain rigs and guitar variations. The guitar work has been associated with Gibson Les Paul Custom and Gibson SG models, with Rob Halford famously wielding a Dean ML on stage in later years. Their live wall of sound typically features Marshall stacks (JCM800-era), delivering the gritty, authoritative crunch that defines their riffs. Effects are used to thicken solos and harmonies—phasers like the MXR Phase 90, plus delay and modulation to enhance lead lines—contributing to the unmistakable, punchy, headlining-ready tone.
Why Learn Judas Priest Songs?
Learning Judas Priest tunes is a right of passage for rock guitarists. Their catalog offers a spectrum from riff-driven essentials to blistering lead work, perfect for building tight rhythm technique, palm muting, precise alternate picking, and melodic phrasing. The 71 lessons on DadRock Tabs span easy to challenging tracks, giving players a clear path from basic power-chord aggression to high-speed, harmonized lead gymnastics. By tackling Priest, you’ll develop speed, precision, dynamic control, and an ear for memorable melodic hooks that translate to a wide range of classic and modern metal styles.
Did You Know?
- 1Judas Priest helped define the leather-and-studs metal look that became decades of metal fashion.
- 2They pioneered the twin-lead guitar approach, influencing countless bands in speed and power metal.
- 3British Steel (1980) is widely cited as a turning point that brought metal to mainstream audiences.
- 4Rob Halford’s stage persona, nicknamed the 'Metal God,' became a cultural shorthand for heavy-metal theatrics.
71 Judas Priest lesson(s) available — Start learning today!
Learn to Play Judas Priest Guitar
Explore Judas Priest guitar and bass lessons with a focus on riffs, rhythm parts, classic rock techniques, and practice-friendly video lessons.
Start Here
Begin with the most recognizable riffs and rhythm parts before moving into harder songs.
Techniques
Practice power chords, timing, picking control, bends, vibrato, and classic rock phrasing.
Next Step
Use the lessons below to build a practice path from easier songs to more advanced parts.
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