Avenged Sevenfold - Chapter Four - Guitar Tab

About Chapter Four

Drop D tuning and E minor give "Chapter Four" a low, heavy foundation that rewards guitarists who can keep their picking tight under pressure. The signature riff leans hard on the dropped sixth string, so getting that open-D power chord to ring cleanly while keeping the palm mute consistent is the first real hurdle. Avenged Sevenfold layer rhythm work with melodic lead runs throughout, which means you need to be comfortable switching between chunky downpicked riffing and more fluid single-note phrases without losing the groove. At 120 BPM the tempo is not punishing on its own, but the stamina required to keep the muted chugging precise over a full run-through adds up quickly. The song also sits firmly in the Heavy Metal tradition of tight, syncopated rhythms, so any hesitation in your fretting hand will show immediately. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the chunkier riff sections slowed down until the palm mute pressure and pick attack feel automatic before bringing it back to full speed.

• The Drop D tuning is central to the song's heaviness, putting the open sixth string a whole step lower for easy one-finger power chords on the bottom three strings.
• Palm-muted chugging on the low D string forms the rhythmic backbone, so consistent right-hand pressure and pick attack are the main technical challenges to nail.
• Switching between tight rhythm riffing and melodic lead passages requires careful attention to pick control and left-hand position throughout the song.