Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

Practice Studio

Metallica - BATTERY - Guitar Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

Not in tune?

SECTIONS

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
Metallica - BATTERY guitar tab video
Mr. Tabs
Mr. Tabs Top Contributor
YouTube: 1.1Msubs 1.4Mviews
Creator Page →
PLAY WITH BACKING TRACK
·
–50¢ 0 +50¢
· Tap to start

Your browser will ask for microphone permission.

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.
Master of Puppets (Remastered Deluxe Box Set) album cover
Master of Puppets (Remastered Deluxe Box Set)
1986 5:12
Listen on Spotify
Metallica Thrash Metal 1986 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About BATTERY

Few album openers demand as much from a rhythm guitarist as "Battery." The track kicks off with a gentle, finger-picked nylon-string passage that gradually builds before the full band crashes in, so getting that dynamic contrast right is the first real challenge. Once the heavy section hits, you are dealing with tight, palm-muted thrash picking in E minor at a relentless pace, and your pick attack and muting consistency will be tested from bar one. The main riff is not just fast, it is precise, and any slop in the palm mute will blur the groove that makes it hit so hard. Metallica arranged the song so that the transitions between the acoustic intro and the electric assault are almost as important to nail as the riffs themselves. Use the Practice Toolbar to isolate those transition moments and the densest riff passages at a reduced speed, building up the tempo gradually so your right hand stays locked in.

  • The song opens with a finger-picked acoustic guitar passage, making clean fingerstyle technique just as important as the heavy rhythm playing that follows.
  • The main heavy riff relies on tight palm-muted alternate picking in E minor, demanding strict right-hand control and consistent pick attack throughout.
  • Mastering the sudden shift from the quiet acoustic intro to the full-band thrash section is one of the most instructive transitions you can practise in the genre.

How to Play BATTERY

The song moves through: Intro, Interlude, Verse, Chorus, Bridge 1, Solo 2, Bridge 2, Outro.

Key: E minor · Tempo: 97 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

The acoustic intro requires clean fingerpicking with smooth voice leading across the layered guitar parts, so isolate it before touching the electric sections. Once the electric riff kicks in, the main challenge is sustaining tight, precise downpicking at 97 bpm through repeated power-chord patterns in E minor without losing attack or clarity. Many players instinctively switch to alternate picking when fatigued, which noticeably changes the aggressive, chunky tone Metallica achieves here. Use the section loop on the verse riff specifically to build downpicking endurance before attempting full run-throughs.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 97 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.

Recommended for You

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)