Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.bass
Subject: BTAB: Metallica — Kill 'em all
From: [email protected] (Wilbert Pol)


The people who transcribed it :

Jeff Jacobson — Anesthesia — Pulling Teeth
Andy Aledort — Jump in the Fire
Steve Gorenberg — the rest

The only thing I've done is converting them to ascii.

I've put all note lengths below the measures, they are :
w — whole note
h — half note
q — quarter note
e — eigth note
s — sixteenth note
t — thirty—second note
l — long note ('fermate' sign)
x+y — play note with length x+y

/ — a couple of these mean you have to fill the length with
    1. eight notes         (1 slash)   or
    2. sixteenth notes     (2 slashes) or
    3. thirty—second notes (3 slashes)

R — in the tab denotes a rest.
x — an undefined or muted note.
 — a triplet

/ — slide up
/(X) — slide up to fret X, but don't pick X
 — slide down
(X) — slide down to fret X, but don't pick X
T — tap note
Harm — harmonic
A.H. — Artificial harmonic

inside bar :
p — pull off
h — hammer on
bx — bend string x notes up
bx r — bend string x notes up and release string

a note without a length indication, means a 'ghost' note (The little notes
that occur in sheet music sometimes).

cresc. — crescendo  (Play louder and louder, 'fade in')

||——  ——||
||—o  o—||  — a repeat
||—o  o—||
||——  ——||

|  X  |
|—————|  — X bar rest
|—————|
|     |

|—————|
|  %  |  — repeat previous bar
|—————|
|—————|

                                                   Have fun,
                                                   Wilbert Pol

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

                                 WHIPLASH
                                 ————————

Intro

168 bpm         3 times 3/4   4/4 160 bpm                        23 times
———————||———————————————||—————||—————————————————————————————————————||
———————||—o———R———————o—||———R—||—o—————————————————————————————————o—||
—7—7—7—||—o—7———7—7—7—o—||—7———||—o—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—o—||
———————||———————————————||—————||—————————————————————————————————————||
 e e e      q h e e e      q h      s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s
           

                           fig.1
|—————————————————————————||———————————————————————————————————|
|—————————————————————————||—o—————————————————————————————————|
|—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—————————||—o—————————————————————————————————|
|—————————————————5——4——3—||———0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|
  s s s s s s s s e. e. e      s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s

              end fig.1  4 times  fig.2
|———————————————————————————|||———————————————————————————————————|
|—————————————————————————o—|||—o—————————————————————————————————|
|—————————————————————————o—|||—o—————————————————————————————————|
|—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—5——4——3———|||———0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|
  s s s s s s s s e. e. e         s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s

                      end fig.2  4 times
|—————————————————————————————————||
|———————————————————————————————o—||
|———————————————————————————————o—||
|—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—3———||
  s s s s s s s s s s s s s s e

Verse 1,2,3

||——                           ||
||—o  play fig.2   4 times     ||
||—o                           ||
||——                           ||

Chorus
  fig.3                            end fig.3  3 times
||———————————————————|—————————————————————————||
||—o—————————————————|———————————————————————o—||
||—o—3—3—3—3—3—3—2—0—|———————————————————————o—||
||———————————————————|—0h2—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—0———||
     e e s s e q q q   s s s s e s s e s s q
               

|1,2.                          |
|———||                       ——||
|———||  play fig.1  4 times  o—||
|—R—||                       o—||
|———||                       ——||
  w

|3.                   Interlude & Guitar solo                     12 times
|———|———|—————————————||———————————————————————|———————————————————————||
|———|———|—————————————||—o—————————————————————|—————————————————————o—||
|—R—|—R—|—5—4—3———————||—o—7p5———5———5—————————|—7p5———5———5—————————o—||
|———|———|———————5—4—3—||———————7———7———0—0—0—0—|—————7———7———0—0—0—0———||
  w   w   q q q q q q      s s s e s e e e e e   s s s e s e e e e e
           

    7/8     4/4
|———|———————|                      ||
|———|———————| play fig.1  4 times  ||
|———|————R——|                      ||
|—0—|—0—————|                      ||
  w   q  h+e

Verse 4 : play fig.2  4 times, play fig.3  3 times

|—————————————————|———————————————————|———————————————————|
|—————————————————|———————————————————|———————————————————|
|—3—3—3—3—3—3—2—0—|—————————————————R—|—————————————————R—|
|—————————————————|—0—2—2—2—2—0—2—0———|—0—2—2—2—2—0—2—0———|
  e e s s e q q q   e s s s s e e e q   e s s s s e e e q
            

|———————————————————|———————————————————|————————|—————————————————||
|———————————————————|———————————————————|————————|—————————————————||
|—————————————————R—|———————————————————|————————|———————————————R—||
|—0—2—2—2—2—0—2—0———|—0—2—2—2—2—0—2—0———|—(0)————|—0—2—2—2—0—2—2———||
  e s s s s e e e q   e s s s s e e q.    (l)      e s s e e e e q

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! 🎸

Forum

Metallica — Whiplash bass tabs