Chris Broderick started playing guitar when he was 11 years old and his playing styles range from pop to RnB, classical, and jazz. Broderick has been said to have practiced 14 hours a day during his summers as a teen. He practiced electric guitar, classical guitar, piano, and violin under a strict daily routine. He has a degree in classical guitar music performance at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music.

Chris Broderick is the current lead guitarist for the MEGADETH. Formerly the lead guitarist/keyboardist for Jag Panzer, he appeared on the last four Jag Panzer albums The Age of Mastery, Thane to the Throne, Mechanized Warfare and Casting the Stones before moving on to MEGADETH, replacing Glen Drover. Before joining Megadeth and while still in Jag Panzer, he was also a touring guitarist for Nevermore between 2001 and 2003 and then again between 2006 and 2007.

In late 2007, rumors had been circulating that MEGADETH guitarist Glen Drover had left the band. This was proved to be true after statements released from both Glen and MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine. The night after the statements were released, MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover brought up Chris as a possible replacement. Shawn then proceeded to show Dave a video of Chris playing both classical and electric guitar. Dave was immediately won over and soon managed to get in contact with Chris. Two weeks later, Broderick was officially declared the new guitarist for MEGADETH. He made his live debut with the band on February 4, 2008 in Finland and toured with them on Gigantour 2008 and also recorded guitar parts on their 12th album Endgame. Dave Mustaine said that when he partnered up with Broderick, he said that it reminded him of when "Ozzy Osbourne met Randy Rhoads".