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Nothing Else Matters Tab by Metallica

Nothing Else Matters tab by Metallica (Ver. 2)

Guitar Tab 

Metallica:
Nothing Else Matters on solo guitar Mettalica on the Black Alblum

Tabber: Unknown

First, let me make one thing clear.  When I say solo guitar, I do not
mean the electric guitar solo.  I mean that this way you can play it
by yourself or, in other words, solo.  The song is like a ballad at
about a waltz tempo.
Intro:
6/8
  Em
E------0-----------0-------
B----0---0-------0---0-----
G--0-------0---0-------0---
D--------------------------
A--------------------------
E-0-----------0------------

E-------0-----------0---7---
B-----0---0-------0----0----
G---0-------0---0-----------
D---------------------------
A---------------------------
E-0-----------0-------------
9/8
E-7-----7p0---------7-8-7h8p7-5-7-5--
B---0-------0-------0-0-0-----0-0-0-----
G-----0-------0---0---------------------
D--------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------
E-0-------------0-----------------------

6/8
  Am
E-------2p0-----------0------
B-5---5-----5-------5---5-5--
G---5---------5---5-----5-5--
D----------------------------
A-0-------------0-------0-2--
E----------------------------

  CD
E-------3/0--0-------0h5p0--------
B-5---5----5-5-7---7------7p0-0h5-
G-5--5-5----5--7--7-7-------------
D---------------------------------
A-3------------5------------------
E---------------------------------

 Em
E---------12*-----------0---------
B------12*----0-------0---0-------
G---12*---------0---0-------0-----
D---------------------------------
A---------------------------------
E-0---------------0---------------

*Harmonics

  C
E-------7--------------------- Repeat once
B-------8--------7------5-----
G------9---------7------5-----
D-----9--------7------5-------
A----7-------5------3---------
E-0---------------------------

  B7
E------7-------5-----3-----3-----2----
B------8--------7-----5-----3-----4---
G----9-----------7-----5-----4-----2--
D-----9--------7-----5-----5-----4----
A---7--------5-----3-----------2------
E-0----------------------3------------

  Em
E-------0-----------0---------
B-----0---0-------0---0-------
G---0-------0---0-------0-----
D-----------------------------
A-----------------------------
E-0-----------0---------------

Verse Riff (play 3x w/ verses 1, 2, and 3):
  C
E-------3--0---2--3---0--------
B-----0-----0------3----3------
G---0-----0--0------0----0-----
D--------------0---------------
A---------------------3--------
E-0------------------------3-2-

  C
E-------3--0--2---------------
B-----0-----0----3---3--------
G---0-----0--0----2p0--0------
D-------------0---------------
A--------------------3--------
E-0----------------------3-2”

  B7
E-------3--0--2---3-3---------3-2---2p0-
B-----0-----0-----3---3-------3-0-------
G---0-----0--0----0-----0---0---2-------
D-------------0-------------------------
A-------------------3-----------2--2----
E-0-----------------------3-------------

E-------0-----------0---------
B-----0---0-------0---0-------
G---0-------0---0-------0-----
D-----------------------------
A-----------------------------
E-0-----------0---------------


Chorus 1:
  D
E-0---0---2--2-2-2-3--2-0-2---
B-1---2---3--3-3-3-3--3-3-3---
G-0---2---2--2-2-2-2--2-2-2---
D-2---2---0--0-0-0-0--0-0-0---
A-3---0-----------------------
E-----------------------------
          1 2  3   4 5  6


E-0---0---2--2-2-2-3--2-0-2---
B-1---2---3--3-3-3-3--3-3-3---
G-0---2---2--2-2-2-2--2-2-2---
D-2---2---0--0-0-0-0--0-0-0---
A-3---0-----------------------
E-----------------------------

E-3p0-0---2--2-2-2-3--2-0-2---
B-1---2---3--3-3-3-3--3-3-3---
G-0---2---2--2-2-2-2--2-2-2---
D-2---2---0--0-0-0-0--0-0-0---
A-3---0-----------------------
E-----------------------------
          1
E-3p0-0---2-----------2-0-2-3p0--0-----0----
B-1---2---3-----------3-3-3-0---0-0---0-0---
G-0---2---2-----------2-2-2-0--0---0-0---0--
D-2---2---0-----------0-0-0-2---------------
A-3---0---------------------2---------------
E---------------------------0-------0-------


The rhythm and notes aren't exactly right for the chorus but I like
this because combines the chords and the melody line (singing)

Chorus

Interlude*:
  C
E-3-0---5-0---7-0--8--0--8-----8-----------8-----
B-5-0---7-0---8-0--10-0----5-----5-------5---5---
G----------------------------5-----5---5-------5-
D------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------8-----------

For this I have combined the two guitar parts so you can play it
without another person.

              Em
E-0-------0---0-------0---0S-----7-------0-----
B---1-------1---3-------3-3/12----0-----0-0----
G-----0-----------2----------------0---0---0---
D-------------0-----0--------------------------
A-3-----3--------------------------------------
E-------------------------0-----------0--------
                       C
E-3-0---5-0---7-0--8--0-8-----8-----------8-----
B-5-0---7-0---8-0--10-0---5-----5-------5---5---
G---------------------------5-----5---5-------5-
D----------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------8-----------

Em
E-0-------0---0-------0---0S-----7-------0-----
B---1-------1---3-------3-3/12----0-----0-0----
G-----0-----------2----------------0---0---0---
D-------------0-----0--------------------------
A-3-----3--------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------0--------

Verse 2
Verse 3

Chorus 2:
Never cared_________
For this part, since we're playing this song solo, you can't play the
 electric guitar solo.  It won't sound right without the backup.
I just crecendo on Em, and then I do some
arpeggioating with the chords for the verse: Em Em D C Em Em D C
Em Em D C G B Em.  You can also strum this part, but it is a nice
break from the singing.

Verse 1

  Em
E-------0-----------0----7-7-----7P0-----
B-----0---0-------0---0------0-------0---
G---0-------0---0--------------0-------0-
D----------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------
E-0-----------0------------0-------------

E-----7-8-7p8h7-5-7-5-0--0-----0-7-
B-----0-0-----------------0-0---0-0--
G---0--------------------0---0-0-----
D------------------------------------
A------------------------------------
E-0---------------------0-----0------

Repeat until desired finish.

Last updated:

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Other versions of Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

Metallica tabs for Nothing else matters (Ver. 2)

About this song

There is a good history on how the intro to the song was made. As you can see in theses Nothing else matters tabs they are played on opening strings. Guitarist James Hetfield came up with the melody while on phone with his girlfriend. He had one hand on the phone and the other on the guitar. All of a sudden he played the melody on the strings and had to hang up to do the rest of the song. Later he wrote the lyrics which were to the same girlfriend. The song is now featured on most concerts played by Metallica, but then the lyrics are dedicated to their fans. The original studio version is the best to use when learning these Nothing else matters tabs. The live version is a bit shorter as Metallica usually skip the last verse. In concerts it ends right after the brilliant guitar solo by James Hetfield. This is one of only a few songs where the solos are done by Hetfield and not the main axeman Kirk Hammett.