♪🎵🤘

In My Darkest Hour

MegadethView all Megadeth tabs

63.6Kviews

965likes

Track Your Progress

⚡🎸⚡

In My Darkest Hour by Megadeth

In My Darkest Hour appears on Megadeth's 1988 album So Far, So Good... So What!; written by Dave Mustaine during a turbulent personal period, the track blends heavy, precise riffing with a haunting melodic sensibility and a memorable guitar solo that highlights the band's evolving depth. The studio version showcases a darker, mid-tempo feel that sits between aggressive thrash and more introspective metal storytelling, making it a standout moment on the record.\n\nSince its release, the song has become a staple in Megadeth's catalog and a favorite among players for its emotionally charged mood and technical leanness. It’s often cited as a gateway track for those exploring melodic metal phrasing, expressive lead lines, and the balance between rhythm heft and memorable solo work, contributing to the band’s enduring influence in the late 80s metal scene.

🎸 Want to know the techniques, practice tips, and lesson details? Scroll below the lesson!

Open in YouTube

What You'll Learn

This guitar lesson guides you through the core components of In My Darkest Hour: the palm-muted rhythm riffs and power-chord progressions that drive the verse, the more open, dynamic chorus textures, and the standout lead guitar solo. You’ll learn how to lock in the subtle tempo shifts that give the song its somber pocket, master the alternate picking and string-skipping nuances in the solo, and practice smooth transitions between sections. Expect to work on tone shaping for a tight, mid-tempo metal sound and to section the song into manageable riffs and licks for efficient practice.

Intermediate. Helpful prior skills include solid rhythm guitar with clean palm muting, comfort with power chords, basic alternate picking, and familiarity with melodic lead phrasing.

🎸 Techniques Used

Palm MutingPower ChordsAlternate PickingBendsHammer-ons & Pull-offs

Practice Tips

💡Start at a slow, steady tempo with a metronome to nail the groove before ramping up to performance speed.
💡Keep your palm lightly resting on the strings near the bridge to avoid choking notes and to preserve clarity in the muted parts.
💡Practice the lead solo phrase separately, focusing on phrasing and vibrato before weaving it into the rhythm track.