Mother of Mercy by Iron Maiden

Bass tab by mcbrainlegend


Very easy song to play


Intro and first soft verse— (Strum with fingernails like Harris)
G|—777—7—77—|
D|—777—7—77—|
A|—555—5—55—| x20
E|——————————|


Bridge— "Why are we here?"
G|——————————————————|
D|——————————————————|
A|—111——————————————| x2
E|—————333—555—5—55—|

G|——————————————————————————————————————|
D|——————————————————————————————————————|
A|—111——————————————————————————————————| x1
E|—————333—555——1——3——555—5—55—555—5—55—|



Repeat Soft Verse x6



Break—
G|———————————|——————————|———————————|——————————|
D|———————————|—333333—5—|———————————|—333333———|
A|—55555—3—5—|——————————|—55555—3—5—|————————3—| x2
E|———————————|——————————|———————————|——————————|


Heavy Verse—
G|———————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————|
A|—5—555—555—555—555—555—555—| (Repeat until Heavy Bridge)
E|———————————————————————————|


Heavy Bridge— "You tell me what is certain.."
G|——————————————————|
D|——————————————————|
A|—111——————————————| x2
E|—————333—555—5—55—|

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|—111——————————————————————————————————————————| x1
E|—————333—555——1——3——5—555—555—555—555—555—555—|


Chorus—
G|———————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————|
A|—5—555—555—555—555—555—555—| (Just keep the gallop going)
E|———————————————————————————|


Interlude— "Some say you are a lost cause.."
G|—7——————————————————————8————————————————10—|
D|—5—55555555555555——7h8——8————————————————10—|
A|————————————————————————6—66666666666666—8——| x2
E|————————————————————————————————————————————|


Solo—
G|—9———————————————————————10—————————————————7—|
D|—7—77777777777777——9h10——10—————————————————5—|
A|—————————————————————————8—8888888888888888———| x1
E|——————————————————————————————————————————————|

G|—9———————————————————————10—————————————————————|
D|—7—77777777777777——9h10——10—————————————————————|
A|—————————————————————————8—88888888888888888888—| x1
E|————————————————————————————————————————————————|


Break—
G|———————————|——————————|———————————|——————————|
D|———————————|—333333—5—|———————————|—333333———|
A|—55555—3—5—|——————————|—55555—3—5—|————————3—| x1
E|———————————|——————————|———————————|——————————|


The second time the guitars repeat the break riff, the drums and bass pick up the
beat, and Harris plays the verse riff (galloping D underneath), which continues on
into the upcoming verse—

G|———————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————|
A|—5—555—555—555—555—555—555—| (Repeat until Heavy Bridge)
E|———————————————————————————|



Repeat Bridge


Repeat Chorus (double length this time)


Keep the galloping riff going post chorus as the guitars do their thing. Play along
with the drums, not the guitars.



Final Riff—
G|———————————|
D|———————————|
A|—55555—3—5—| x1
E|———————————|



 bigbasstabs.

About Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are a British heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975. The band is directed by founder, bassist and songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the group has released a collective total of thirty albums: fourteen studio albums; seven live albums; four EPs; and five compilations.

How to Read Bass Tabs

Bass tablature (tabs) is an easy way to learn songs without needing to read traditional sheet music. Here’s a quick guide to understanding the symbols and techniques commonly found in tabs:

1. The Basics

Strings and Frets:
Each line in a tab represents a string on your bass:
- The top line is the highest-pitched string (G on a 4-string bass).
- The bottom line is the lowest-pitched string (E on a 4-string bass).
Numbers on the lines indicate which fret to press. For example:
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------------------|
A|---3---------------|
E|-------------------|
            
```
This means you play the 3rd fret on the A string.

2. Common Techniques

Hammer-On (h):
Play the first note by picking it, then press down on a higher fret with another finger without picking again.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------5h7---------|
            
```
Pull-Off (p):
Pluck a note and then "pull off" your finger to let a lower fret ring.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------7p5---------|
            
```
Slide (/ or \):
Move your finger up (/) or down (\) the fretboard while maintaining pressure.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------5/7---------|
            
```

3. Advanced Techniques

Bend (b): Push the string up or down to raise the pitch. Example: G|-------7b9---------|
Vibrato (~): Shake the string slightly after playing a note to create a vibrating sound. Example: G|-------7~----------|
Muted Notes (x): Rest your finger lightly on the string without pressing a fret and pluck for a percussive "click" sound.

4. Rhythm and Timing

Tabs don’t always indicate timing, so listen to the song while reading the tab. Wider spaces between numbers mean longer pauses, while closer numbers indicate quicker notes.

5. Slap and Pop

Slap (s): Strike the string with the side of your thumb for a percussive sound.
Pop (p): Pull the string away from the fretboard and let it snap back.

Practice Makes Perfect

Tabs are a great tool to learn songs, but mastering the techniques takes practice. Listen carefully to the original track and play along to lock in the rhythm. Don’t rush — smooth, accurate playing is more important than speed. Happy jamming! 🎸

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Iron Maiden — Mother of Mercy bass tabs