Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - Guitar Tab

Black Sabbath

1970 6:18

Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Music

Black Sabbath

"Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath is the brooding opening track of the band's 1970 debut album, widely regarded as a cornerstone of heavy metal. Written in 1969, it builds from a slow, rain-soaked tritone riff into a crushing, doom-laden arrangement that defined a new genre. For electric guitar players, it is essential study in how sparse, low-tuned power chords and deliberate pacing can create enormous atmosphere and tension.

• The song's central riff is built on the tritone interval, historically nicknamed 'diabolus in musica' for its dissonant, unsettling character.
• Running over six minutes, the track moves through distinct tempo sections, making it a practical lesson in dynamic and rhythmic control.
• The song was written in 1969 and released in 1970, appearing both on the debut album and as part of a four-track 12-inch single.