Metallica - All Within My Hands - Guitar Lesson

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Metallica - All Within My Hands - Guitar Lesson

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St. Anger album cover
St. Anger
2003 8:46
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

All Within My Hands


"All Within My Hands" is the closing track on Metallica's 2003 album St. Anger, co-written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and producer Bob Rock. At 8 minutes and 48 seconds, it is the longest song on the record, giving guitarists an extended workout in the band's raw, stripped-down style of that era. Its grinding riff-heavy structure and shifting dynamics make it a rewarding challenge for electric guitar players interested in Metallica's heavier, more abrasive approach.

  • At 8 minutes 48 seconds, it is the longest track on St. Anger, demanding stamina and consistency from any guitarist covering it.
  • The song lent its name to Metallica's charitable organization, the All Within My Hands Foundation.
  • Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and producer Bob Rock all share writing credits on the track.
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.