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Metallica - King Nothing - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Metallica - King Nothing guitar tab video
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Load (Remastered Deluxe Box Set) album cover
Load (Remastered Deluxe Box Set)
1996 5:28
Listen on Spotify
Metallica Heavy Metal 1996 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About King Nothing

"King Nothing" from the 1996 Load album is one of the more approachable Metallica tracks for intermediate players, but it still asks for clean execution across a range of Heavy Metal techniques. The whole song sits in Eb Standard tuning, so drop your entire guitar a half step before you start. That tuning, combined with the E minor key, gives the riff its slightly darker, heavier feel compared to standard pitch. The main riff is built around palm-muted low-string chugging with well-timed chord stabs, and keeping the muting tight and consistent at 120 BPM is where most players slip up. The verse riff looks simple on paper, but the rhythm is syncopated enough that it rewards slow, careful practice. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse and chorus transitions at a reduced speed until the muting and picking attack feel locked in, then bring it back up to tempo.

  • The song uses Eb Standard tuning, meaning every string is tuned down a half step, which slightly loosens string tension and thickens the overall tone.
  • The main riff relies heavily on palm-muted low-string picking, so consistent right-hand muting pressure is the core technique to practise.
  • At 120 BPM the rhythm guitar parts include syncopated chord stabs that can catch players off guard, making slow loop practice essential before playing at full speed.

How to Play King Nothing

The song moves through: • Intro, • The Riff, • JAMES Verse - Pré - Chorus, • KIRK Verse - Pré - Chorus, • Guitar Solo, • Bridge, • Chorus - Outro.

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

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording. The arrangement runs through 7 distinct sections, and the solo is the steepest jump, so isolate it on its own.

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.

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.

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