
A good Metallica song goes like this


Tuning:Normal (Use distortion)

Intro

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|————————————————————7—————————————————7——5————————————————————————————————————|
E|————0——0——0——0——0——————0——0——0——0——0————————————————————————————————————————————|

x2

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|—————————————————7—7———————————————————7—5—5————————————————————————————————————|
E|——0——0——0——0——0—————————0——0——0——0——0————————————————————————————————————————————————|

x2

main riff (fast)

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|————2————2———2—2—2—30——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E|——00——00———0————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|




Chorus

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E|————003—003—00—22222222————————————————————————————————————————————————————|




Interlude(you will know when it starts)

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|———————7——————3——5—————8—7————3—5—————8—9—7——3——5——————————————————————————|
E|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

main riff, chorus then interlude .

during the solo u play the main riff ,chrorus and interlude(youll 
noe when if u listen)



After solo  (cool part)

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|————7—8—5—7—10—8—7—8—5—7————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|



main riff, chorus then interlude and then your done!

P.S this is my first tab!!

About Metallica

Metallica (pronounced /m??tæl?k?/) is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1981. Founded when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement in a local newspaper, Metallica's line-up has primarily consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, while going through a number of bassists. Currently, the spot is held by Robert Trujillo.

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! 🎸

Comments

Schroederesque

4 years, 4 months ago
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great choice for your first tab! congrats…just seems a few 16th's short on your main riff count, but if i was 10 yrs ago, i would be greatful for beginners lvl. tablature.
when i WAS 10 yrs. old, there were only the guitar/bass guitar magazines to find actual tabkarure along with notation but if ypu wanted to have tablature from your favorite band playing your favorite song, you had to wait every month, hoping this would be THE month where they would include your favorite…. of course, this was where you could “back order” a specific previous magazine issue had been published already. you might have to go back months… years even! snail mail was the only way.i am so grateful for the internet!