Author/Artist: Kilmster, Clarke, Taylor
Title: Stone dead forever
(as performed by Metallica)
Album: Garage Inc. and Hero of the day single
Transcribed by: Caer' Is (and the Unknown Transcriber)
Email: [email protected]

This tab is bas(s)ed on another tab (transcriber unknown) I got from the 
Encyclopedia Metallica's tabpage a long time ago. I was just starting on 
bass back then, and I didn't use the tab for a long time. When I tried to 
learn this song, I discovered the tab was all wrong (I don't want to upset 
or insult the transcriber of the original tab, but most of it just didn't 
sound right), and as it was the only tab I could find, I had to be a little 
creative myself...
I used the original layout and just filled in the (hopefully) correct 
notes...
This is my first tab of a complete song (of course I had a little help from 
the original), so I can't guarantee this tab is 100% correct, but I think it 
sounds good...

N.B.!
The slashes mean slides, but I'm not sure that's what Jason does. I don't 
have a distortion pedal (yet) so I don't know how this will sound with 
distortion. Instead of slides, you might as well use hammering or normal 
playing... Just do what you think sounds best...
I didn't put in the rhythm in the chorus and the bridge/solo parts, just 
figure it out yourself, the notes in the tab are just straight eights...

E—mail me if you discover any mistakes (and you probably will!), in my 
English (I'm Dutch) and/or in the tab.


—STONE DEAD FOREVER—

Tune all guitars down 1/2 step
Use a distortion pedal,set the tone and distortion at 12 o clock.

INTRO
G I:———————I
D I:———————I
A I:—7—5/7—I
E I:———————I

(many times)
G I:———————————————————I
D I:———————————————————I
A I:—5—7—5/7——5—7—5/7——I
E I:———————————————————I

Then
G I:—————————————————————I
D I:—————————————————————I
A I:—5———————————————————I
E I:———3—1/3——1—5—3/5——3—I


VERSE
G I:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————I
D I:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————I
A I:—5—7—5/7——5—7—5/7——5—7—5/7——5—7—5/7——5—7—5/7——5—7—5/7——5———————————————I
E I:—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————3—1/3——1—5—3/5I

G I:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————I
D I:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————I
A I:—5—7—5/7——5—7—5/7——5—7—5/7——5—7—5/7——5—7—5/7——5—7—5/7——5———————————————I
E I:—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————8—6/8——6—7—5/7I


CHORUS
G I:————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————I
D I:————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————I
A I:0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0——2—2—2—2—2—2—2—2————————————————————————————————————I
E I:———————————————————————————————————3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3——2—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—I

G I:————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————I
D I:————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————I
A I:—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0——2—2—2—2—2—2—2—2———————————————————————————————————I
E I:———————————————————————————————————3—3—3—3—2—2—1—1——0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—I


BRIDGE AND SOLOS
G I:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————I
D I:——————————————————————————————————————————7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7——————————————————I
A I:7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7——10—10—10—10—10—10—10—10———————————————————3—3—3—3—5—5—5—5—I
E I:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————I


END
G I:—————————I
D I:—————————I
A I:—5—7—5/7—I
E I:—————————I

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 — Stone Dead Forever bass tabs