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Metallica - Blackened 2020 - Guitar Lesson

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Key E minor
Metallica - Blackened 2020 guitar lesson video
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Blackened 2020 album cover
Blackened 2020
2020 5:32
Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Music
Metallica Thrash Metal 2020 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Blackened 2020

Blackened 2020 is a revisit by Metallica to one of the most technically demanding tracks in their catalogue, and the re-recorded version sits in Eb Standard tuning, which drops every string a half-step and gives the low end a slightly heavier, darker character than the original. The song is built around a backwards-guitars intro effect, fast alternate-picked riffing, and a relentless series of tempo shifts that will expose any gaps in your picking-hand control. At 120 BPM the main body feels manageable until the chromatic runs and tight palm-muted gallops stack up in quick succession. The key of E minor suits the aggressive, angular phrasing throughout, and the rhythm parts demand clean muting: every note you do not want to ring will ring if your technique is loose. The lead breaks require both precision and stamina, so isolate each phrase with the Practice Toolbar and work it slowed down before chaining the full solo. Thrash Metal rhythm playing rarely forgives sloppy hands, and this song is a clear illustration of that.

  • The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, so tune every string down a half-step before you start to match the recording accurately.
  • The main riffs rely on tight palm-muted alternate picking at high speed, making right-hand consistency the central technical challenge.
  • The intro features a reversed-guitar effect that is worth noting if you want to replicate the tone rather than just the notes.

How to Play Blackened 2020

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Kirk Hammett's vintage 1959 'Greeny' Les Paul Standard delivers warmer, more dynamic PAF-style tones that contrast his EMG-equipped ESP guitars, adding organic sustain to his lead work. This guitar's traditional construction gives his solos a thicker, less compressed character than his signature models.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

While not Hammett's primary choice, the Les Paul Custom shares the Les Paul's warm PAF pickup character and thick body resonance, offering heavier players an alternative to Strat-style designs for achieving Metallica's crushing rhythm tones.

Gibson Explorer
Guitar

Gibson Explorer

James Hetfield's early Gibson Explorer established his signature angular shape and thick body tone, delivering the aggressive midrange attack essential to Metallica's crushing rhythm style before his ESP signature models became his primary tool.

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
Amp

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Kirk Hammett's Dual Rectifier heads provide the high-gain, midrange-forward aggression that lets his solos cut through Hetfield's scooped rhythm tone, creating definition and clarity in Metallica's dense wall of distortion.

EMG 81
Pickup

EMG 81

Hetfield's bridge EMG 81 delivers the hot, compressed output with tight low-end that defines Metallica's palm-muted riffs, the ceramic magnet and active preamp cutting through heavy arrangements with focused, aggressive attack.

EMG 60
Pickup

EMG 60

Both guitarists use the neck EMG 60 for warmer, more articulate rhythm tones and smoother lead voicings, balancing the 81's aggression with clearer note definition across Metallica's dense arrangements.

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