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Queen - Hangman - Guitar Tutorial (Guitar Tab)

903 views · Published 7 October 2015 · 16:10 · Indexed 14 November 2026

Channel: James Rundle · 2015 · Music

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How to play Hangman by Queen

Guitar Tab Sheets https://queen-corner.blogspot.com/2022/05/queen-hangman-guitar-tab.html

For performance video with tabs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP0AyUfMtYQ

Unlock one of the most mysterious chapters in Queen's history with this "Hangman" guitar lesson! Never officially released on a studio album, this heavy, blues-rock stomper was a mainstay of Queen’s live sets in the early 1970s.

In this tutorial, we break down the dark, aggressive riffs and the raw, improvisational soloing style that made this song a fan-favorite "lost" classic.

🎸 What You’ll Learn:

• The Main Heavy Riff: Mastering the low-slung, Sabbath-esque riff that defines the song’s dark energy.

• Rhythm Variations: How the band shifted from a bluesy shuffle into a straight-ahead hard rock drive.

• Brian May’s "Unpolished" Leads: A guide to the fiery, high-gain blues licks used during the extended live jams.

• Dynamic Control: Tips on using your guitar's volume knob to clean up the tone for the moodier sections.

🎶 Song Facts:

• The "Lost" Queen Song: Despite being performed dozens of times between 1970 and 1976, "Hangman" was never included on a studio album. It remains one of the few original songs from their early era to remain unreleased in studio form.

• Authorship Mystery: For years, fans debated who wrote it. While often attributed to the band collectively, it is widely believed to be a Freddie Mercury composition, though it sounds much heavier than his typical early work.

• A 1970s Live Staple: "Hangman" was a highlight of Queen’s early tours, often placed in the middle of the set to allow the band to jam. It was famously captured on high-quality bootlegs like the 1973 Golders Green Hippodrome and 1975 Tokyo concerts.

• Heavy Metal Roots: The song is notable for being significantly "heavier" and "doomier" than most of the tracks on their debut album, showcasing Queen’s ability to compete with contemporary heavy rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.

• The "Land of My Fathers" Connection: In live performances, Brian May would often segue from his guitar solo into "Hangman" or include a snippet of the Welsh national anthem, "Land of My Fathers," as an intro to the song.

⚙️ Gear Recommendations:

• Guitar: Anything with humbuckers or the Red Special (using the "out of phase" setting for that biting lead tone).

• Amp: A cranked tube amp. Use a Treble Booster to get that signature Brian May saturation and sustain.

• Settings: Keep the gain high and the mids prominent to capture the 1973 live "wall of sound."

Timestamps:
0:00 - Performance Preview
0:45 - The History of "Hangman" (Live Rarities)
02:30 - The Main Riff Breakdown
05:15 - Verse Structure & Rhythm Variations
08:00 - The Bridge & Build-up
10:45 - Soloing in the Style of 1973 Brian May
14:00 - Final Gear & Tone Tips

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