Can I Get A Nothing Else Matters Tab With Bass Lines?

The way I hear it and the way the tab looks on paper for 'Nothing Else Matters' in a live setting can be surprisingly different, and that's part of why I love playing covers — every performance reshapes the song. Live tabs often strip away studio layering: the original record has multiple guitar tracks and production polish, but on stage you usually get one rhythm guitar carrying the main arpeggio while the lead adds fills and an extended solo. That means a live tab will show simplified arpeggio patterns or split the parts between rhythm and lead, instead of trying to reproduce every overdub. Another thing that jumps out is dynamics and tempo. Live versions often breathe — tempos subtly speed up or drag depending on the crowd and energy — and players add little rubato moments or extra rubs of vibrato and bends. Tabs made from live recordings will often mark improvised fills, variations in the intro arpeggio, and different solo phrases Kirk or James played that night. You'll also see annotations for effects: more reverb, a delay tail, or a wah-flavored lick that wasn't in the studio take. If you're using a tab to learn, pick a specific show or the 'S&M' orchestral version if you want that lush arrangement; otherwise expect differences and be ready to adapt by ear — that's where the fun begins.

I still get chills hearing that opening arpeggio from 'Nothing Else Matters', and over the years I’ve chased tabs that actually match the feel of the song rather than just the chords. If you want a reliable fingerstyle transcription, start with official sheet music — publishers like Hal Leonard sell accurate arrangements and usually have both standard notation and tab. It costs a few bucks, but you get the original arrangement and the assurance that the phrasing and dynamics are faithful. For someone learning the fingerstyle version, that kind of accuracy is worth it. If you prefer online interactive tools, my go-to is Ultimate Guitar Pro and Songsterr. Ultimate Guitar has multiple user uploads, but the Pro (paid) versions often include Guitar Pro files and higher-quality fingerstyle arrangements with accurate timing and notation. Songsterr’s playback and track isolation make it easy to slow down the intro and see which strings ring together — huge help when you’re learning the harmonics and sustained notes. Musescore is great too: many people upload complete transcriptions there, and you can download editable files or play them back at reduced speed. Just be mindful of quality variance: always check ratings and read comments for lessons on capos, alternate tunings, or common mistakes. I also learn a lot from players who post full covers on YouTube — Sungha Jung’s rendition is a beautiful fingerstyle interpretation, and watching the hands gives you rhythmic and fingering cues that a dry tab sometimes misses. LickNRiff and other fingerstyle creators sometimes share free tabs or Patreon links; those versions often include the arranging choices that make the song sing on solo guitar. A practical tip: compare at least two tabs (one official, one community), slow the playback, and loop the intro bar-by-bar. If you use a Guitar Pro file, toggle the count-in and use the tempo slider. That combination of official, interactive, and video sources has helped me learn a fuller-sounding 'Nothing Else Matters' without getting stuck on a flawed transcription.

I still get a tiny thrill when the first harmonics of the intro ring out — that gentle, open-string arpeggio is very much in the original recording's tuning. To be plain: the studio version of 'Nothing Else Matters' is in standard tuning (E A D G B E), and there’s no capo on the original. If you learn a tab that uses standard tuning and it aligns with the pitch of the 1991 recording, then you’re right on the money. That said, not every tab out there is faithful to the studio track: folks often post simplified, transposed, or live-arrangement tabs that shift the tuning so it sits better under a singer’s voice or is easier to play. If you want to be super sure, a couple of practical checks helped me over the years. First, listen to the song and match the low open E — it should sound like a true E (around 82 Hz), not Eb. Second, check the tab’s header or the uploader’s notes; many decent tab sites will say something like ‘Standard tuning’ or ‘Drop D’ right at the top. Third, compare to an official source — the band’s published guitar book or licensed sheet music will confirm tuning and any nuances (and those often include the exact fingerings Hetfield/Ulrich used). One thing to keep in mind from live footage: bands sometimes tune down a half-step for vocal comfort during long tours, so you may find versions marked ‘Eb Standard’ — those will sound a semitone lower than the studio cut. I learned the intro on a battered acoustic on my roommate’s balcony, so I’m picky about tuning matching the record. If you want to play along with the original recording, set your guitar to standard tuning and tune by ear to the recording’s low open string, or use a tuner to make sure that low E is E. If a tab says it’s in standard but sounds off when you play with the track, try retuning a half-step down; some transcribers write in standard while actually playing live versions that are down-tuned. Bottom line: most tabs labeled ‘original’ are in standard tuning for 'Nothing Else Matters', but always double-check with the recording or an official tab if you want absolute accuracy.

If you've ever tried the opening of 'Nothing Else Matters' and felt your fingers freeze up, you're not alone — that intro has a way of sounding impossibly graceful even when you're fumbling it. I picked the song up in bits and pieces years ago and learned to break it down the way I do with any tricky piece: isolate, slow down, and make it feel comfortable. The good news is that the iconic intro arpeggio is absolutely one of the quicker parts for beginners to swallow, provided you approach it patiently. A motivated beginner who already knows basic fretting and can pick single notes can have a recognisable version of the intro in a couple of days with focused practice; someone completely new to guitar will likely need a few weeks to build the coordination and timing. First, don’t try to play the whole song at performance speed. The intro relies on relaxed finger placement and even timing — things that only show up when you slow it down. I usually tell friends to learn the tab one motif at a time: get the first four measures clean at 50% speed, then add the next four, and so on. Use a metronome and take tiny tempo jumps (5–10% at a time). Fingerstyle consistency matters more than speed: aim for clean tone and even volume between the notes. If you struggle with fingerpicking, temporarily use a pick and play single-note versions to train your fretting hand’s accuracy before reintroducing fingers. There are also great simplifications: a beginner-friendly version uses just the melody notes on the top strings while holding down simple open chord shapes underneath. That gives you the feel of the song and helps with timing without demanding full fingerstyle dexterity. After the intro, the song moves into chords and a few little embellishments — those are perfect for drilling chord transitions (Em, D, C, G variations). The solo is a different beast and can be left for later; focus on the arpeggios and the chorded verse first. Practice schedule I like: 10–20 minutes of focused work on the motif twice a day, then 10 minutes of chord changes. Record yourself once a week to track progress — it’s amazing how fast tiny adjustments add up. Watch a couple of live versions to internalise feel (there are subtle rhythmic variations) and don’t be afraid to play a simplified arrangement for weeks while you develop technique. In short: yes, you can learn parts of 'Nothing Else Matters' quickly, but play it like you’re building a house — solid foundation first, fancy decorations later. It feels great when the intro starts sounding right, and that’s where the fun really begins.

If you're digging through tabs and wondering which one actually shows the guitar solo for 'Nothing Else Matters', I’ve been down that rabbit hole more times than I care to admit. I learned the solo late at night with a battered Strat and a cup of tea, and the single most reliable thing I found was to go for transcriptions that explicitly label the section as 'solo', 'lead', or 'guitar solo' — those will usually contain the full lead part rather than just the rhythm/intro fingerpicking. My personal favorites are the official printed transcriptions (Hal Leonard/Guitar Recorded Versions) and high-rated uploads on sites like Ultimate Guitar and Songsterr that have Guitar Pro files you can preview. Those Guitar Pro files are lifesavers because you can slow them down without changing pitch and loop tricky bars. When you're comparing tabs, watch for a few clues: tabs that include standard notation plus tablature are often more accurate rhythmically; look for a 'Transcribed by' credit and a decent user rating or positive comments; and check whether the tab indicates bends, vibrato, and double-stops — the solo in 'Nothing Else Matters' relies heavily on expressive bends and sustained notes rather than blazing shred, so a tab that lists those articulations is probably closer to the studio take. Also be aware there are multiple versions floating around: the original studio solo, live versions, and the S&M orchestra arrangement all differ a bit. If you want the classic Kirk Hammett studio solo, search for the studio/transcription keywords. For practice, I recommend grabbing a Guitar Pro or .gp file if you can, then slow it to 70–80% while looping the trickiest measures. If you prefer video, find a slowed-down YouTube tab lesson that shows fretboard close-ups — seeing the fingerings helps more than you’d think. And if you really want the authoritative source, the official Metallica songbook includes the solo exactly as printed. Honestly, take your time with the bends and phrasing; that’s where the emotion lives, and it's way more important than speed. Give one of the highly rated pro tabs a try and see which one matches the recording you hear in your head — that always helped me pick the right transcription.

I got hooked on 'Nothing Else Matters' the first time I tried the intro on my old acoustic—there's just something about that slow, ringing fingerpicked line that makes you want to learn every little nuance. If you want the best place to start, I personally recommend a two-step approach: use Songsterr for the interactive timing and Ultimate Guitar for the community-checked tabs and Guitar Pro files. Songsterr's player lets you slow things down, loop bars, and see the rhythm laid out cleanly, which was a lifesaver when I tried to match James Hetfield's delicate picking. Ultimate Guitar's Pro tab versions often have the most accurate Guitar Pro files (.gp), and their mobile app makes practice sessions feel like an organized lesson rather than a scavenger hunt. Beyond those two heavy hitters, I like using MuseScore when I want printable sheet music or to tweak an arrangement for my skill level. There's also the official tablature books and Hal Leonard editions if you want a reliable, complete transcription (they're worth buying if you plan to play the whole song seriously). For technique-focused help, I mixed in a couple of YouTube tutorials—channels like JustinGuitar and Marty Music break down the fingerpicking pattern and right-hand mechanics so you don't just memorize shapes, you actually understand the movement. If you're into hearing different interpretations, 911Tabs is a neat aggregator to compare several tabs at once and pick the one that matches the live performance you like. A couple of practical tips from my own practice routine: start with the simple chord version to get the harmony, then move to the intro tab slowly with a metronome. Don’t be shy about using the Guitar Pro file to isolate the lead or rhythm track and loop tricky measures. Also, watch live performances to see little tempo rubato moments—'Nothing Else Matters' is forgiving, and those subtleties give it heart. If you want, I can point you to a couple of specific tabs or a playlist of tutorials that helped me get the intro clean—it made my nightly practice way more satisfying.

Whenever I'm showing a friend how to play 'Nothing Else Matters', the first thing I check is whether the tab mentions a capo — and almost every reliable transcription I use doesn't. The original recording is played in standard tuning and the signature intro is an open, fingerpicked pattern that sits nicely on the natural tones of the guitar without any capo. So if a tab doesn't list a capo or a fret number at the top, you can safely assume it's meant to be played without one. I learned the intro late at night with my headphones on, and that ringing low E is such a giveaway that there's no capo hiding the bass notes. That said, the wild internet mess of user-submitted tabs means you'll sometimes find versions that do include a capo. Those are usually personal arrangements: someone might put a capo on to shift the key for their voice, or to let beginners use easier chord shapes instead of the original fingerstyle pattern. If you spot a capo marking on a tab, double-check whether the chord shapes make sense for the song's melody. A quick way to verify is to play the riff along with the recording — if the pitch is off, the tab may be transposed or the uploader is playing it in a different key to suit singing or to simplify fingering. If you're after the authentic feel, go for the no-capotab and focus on the classic Em-ish shapes and the arpeggiated motif. If you're singing and need a different key, slap a capo on where it works for your voice, but remember that changes the harmonic relationship — so your chord shapes and the ringing at the top will sound different. For practice, I often keep a tuner nearby and compare the low E string to the recording; it helps me catch whether someone's arranged it in a different tuning or used a capo to fake an easier position. Play around with both approaches; sometimes a capoed version is great for a campfire singalong, while the uncapped one keeps the song's haunting open-string resonance intact.

On slow evenings when I noodle through songs to unwind, 'Nothing Else Matters' always sneaks into my rotation — and early on I learned the hard way that not all tabs are created equal. I chased down transcriptions across forums and apps and ended up preferring a few reliable sources: Songsterr for its licensed, play-along clarity; Ultimate Guitar Pro for its crowd-vetted but polished 'Pro' tabs; and the Guitar Pro app if you want to work with .gp files and slow things down without losing fidelity. Songsterr tends to be my go-to when I want a quick, mostly-accurate playback that shows timing and lets me loop sections. Their interface highlights the notes and gives you the rhythm context, which helps a lot for the fingerpicked intro of 'Nothing Else Matters'. Ultimate Guitar is an enormous library — the free tabs are a mixed bag, but the 'Pro' tabs (subscription) are often transcribed carefully and include standard notation, tab, and interactive playback. If you can find an official Guitar Pro (.gp) file from a respected transcriber, loading it into the Guitar Pro app gives you the best hands-on experience: isolated tracks, tempo control, and export options for printing. If you want absolute reliability, I eventually bought the official Hal Leonard tab book for Metallica and also checked Musicnotes for official licensed downloads. Community sites like MuseScore and user-uploaded GP files can be excellent, but their accuracy varies, so I compare at least two sources before trusting a tricky passage (like the subtle harmonics and rubato in some live versions). A few checks I always use: look for a 'Pro' label or high rating, read comments for timing/alternative fingering notes, make sure the tab matches the studio tuning and version (studio vs. live), and use the app’s tempo/loop features to drill tough parts. Bottom line: for quick, accurate playback and easy looping I reach for Songsterr; for the richest, most editable files I use Guitar Pro with verified transcriptions or Ultimate Guitar's Pro tabs; and for rock-solid, printable accuracy I fall back to official tab books. Try comparing one free tab with a paid/pro version — it’s amazing what little details you pick up, and that’s where the song really comes alive for me.