Song: Prince Charming
Artist: Metallica
As performed on Reload
Tab by Nick Stabile ([email protected])


I've been looking all over for this tab and I couldn't find it anywhere, so
here's something for all the people that think the same thing. The bass is 
pretty important in this song because it provides all the background chords
for the guitar.

Tune down 1/2 step


Intro: 

 GbI——————————————I
 DbI——————————————I
 AbI——————————————I
 EbI———0——————————I Just slam an open E at about 0:10 (with drums)


More Intro:

 GbI——————————————————————————————I
 DbI——————————————————————————————I
 AbI———————5————3————5——————0—————I
 EbI——0———————————————————3———0———I Start this at about 0:15, play each note
                                    at the same time as the drums.


Main Riff:

 GbI——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
 DbI——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
 AbI——————————————————————————————————5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—
 EbI—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0——————————————————————————————————

 GbI——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
 DbI——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
 AbI—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3——5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—————0———————————
 EbI———————————————————————————————————————————————————3—————0————————
     See? These are the same notes just picked faster.


Verse:

 GbI——————————————————————————               GbI———————
 DbI——————————————————————————               DbI———————
 AbI—————————————————————————— 4 times then  AbI———————
 EbI—0——0—0——0—0——0—0—0——0—0——               EbI—3—4—5—
    "There's a black cloud overhead, that's me"


Right after each verse:

 GbI—————————————————————————————————————————————————
 DbI———————————————————————————————————5—5—5—————————
 AbI——————————————————————————————————————————7—5————
 EbI—5—5—5—5—5——5—5—5—5—5——5—5—5—5—5—————————————————


For the chorus, just play the main riff twice.


Solo Riff:

 GbI——————————————————————————              GbI———————
 DbI——————————————————————————              DbI———————
 AbI—————————————————————————— 4 times then AbI———————
 EbI—2——2—2——2—2——2—2—2——2—2——              EbI—2—3—4—
    Play this with the same timing as the verse, just up 2 frets.


Right after solo:

 GbI—————————————————————————————————————————————————————
 DbI—————————————————————————————————————————————————————
 AbI—7————————————7————————————7————————————7————————————
 EbI———0—0—0—0—0————0—0—0—0—0————0—0—0—0—0————0—0—0—0—0——

Then:
 
 GbI———————————————————————————————————————————————————
 DbI—4————————————4————————————4————————————5—5—5——————
 AbI———————————————————————————————————————————————7—5—
 EbI———2—2—2—2—2————2—2—2—2—2————2—2—2—2—2—————————————


Bridge Riff:

 GbI———————————————————————————————
 DbI———————————————————————————————
 AbI————0—————0—————0—————0—0——————
 EbI—2—————2—————2—————2———————2—0—
    "Look up to me"


After the last chorus, just close out the song with the main riff twice 
and then go into the verse a few times. Start this riff at 5:53 and
play in time with the drums.

 GbI————————————————————————————————————————————————————
 DbI——————————————————————————————————————5—5—5—————————
 AbI—7—————7—————7—————7—————7—————7————————————7—5—————
 EbI————0—————0—————0—————0—————0—————0——————————————0——

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! 🎸

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Metallica — Prince Charming (ver 2) bass tabs