Practice Studio

Bathory - It's A Fine Day To Die - Guitar Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

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Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
PLAY WITH BACKING TRACK
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.

Bathory Black Metal E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About It's A Fine Day To Die


Few songs in Black Metal balance atmosphere and raw aggression the way this one does. At 120 BPM in E minor on standard E tuning, the track sits at a tempo that feels deliberate and marching, so every riff hits with real weight rather than blurring past. The challenge here is not raw speed but control: keeping palm mutes tight and consistent while maintaining that cold, mechanical momentum throughout the verse sections. Pay close attention to how the picking attack changes between the cleaner, open passages and the heavier muted runs. If the transitions between those two textures are tripping you up, use the Practice Toolbar to loop them slowed down until the shifts feel natural. Bathory built much of their sound on simple but brutally precise guitar work, and this song rewards the guitarist who focuses on tone and rhythm discipline over flashy technique.

  • Playing in E minor on standard tuning keeps the open low E string available as a resonant, heavy anchor throughout the riff structures.
  • At 120 BPM the tempo is moderate, but maintaining consistent palm-mute pressure and pick attack across the full song is the real physical challenge.
  • Focus your practice on clean transitions between muted riffs and open chord passages, as that contrast defines much of the song's guitar feel.

How to Play It's A Fine Day To Die

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

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.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Quorthon's early Stratocasters provided thin, biting single-coil tones that cut through the BOSS HM-2's chainsaw distortion, creating Bathory's signature searing black metal assault. The affordability of Fender models aligned with his philosophy that tone came from playing intensity, not premium gear.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Quorthon used Les Paul-style humbuckers during Bathory's Viking era, delivering the fuller, warmer midrange needed for atmospheric open-chord passages while maintaining the heaviness required for the band's evolved sound. The bridge humbucker's moderate output prevented mud when layering distorted riffs.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Similar to the Standard, the Custom's humbucker voicing gave Quorthon the tonal fullness for Bathory's later material without sacrificing the aggressive bite essential to the band's identity. Budget constraints meant the instrument choice mattered less than the uncompromising playing style driving the tone.

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)