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Metallica - Minus Human - Guitar Tab

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Metallica - Minus Human guitar tab video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
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Metallica Heavy Metal

About Minus Human

"Minus Human" is one of the quieter, more restrained cuts from Metallica's 1991 black album, and that restraint is exactly what makes it a useful study in feel over firepower. The song sits at 120 BPM in Eb Standard tuning, which means every string drops a half-step, giving the guitar a slightly darker, looser tension that rewards a controlled pick attack. The challenge here is not speed but consistency: keeping the rhythmic palm-muted passages steady and even while letting the melodic phrases breathe at the right moments. Cleanliness in the chord transitions and muting is what separates a flat run-through from something that actually sounds like the record. For any section where the muting pattern or a melodic phrase is giving you trouble, use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until your fretting hand and picking hand are fully in sync. Heavy Metal rhythm playing rarely rewards rushing, and this track is a clear example of that principle.

  • Tuned to Eb Standard, every string is a half-step lower than standard, so check your tuning before running through the rhythm parts.
  • At 120 BPM the song is moderate tempo, making tight palm muting and consistent pick dynamics the real technical focus, not speed.
  • The melodic phrasing in the song rewards players who practise fretting-hand muting to keep unwanted string noise out of the clean passages.

How to Play Minus Human

The song moves through: • Orchestra Intro, • Intro Pt. 1, • Intro Pt. 2, • Intro Pt. 3, • Verse 1 - James, • Pré Chorus 1 - James, • Chorus 1, • Intro Pt. 3 (bis), • Verse 2 - Kirk, • Pré Chorus 2 - Kirk, • Chorus 2, • Guitar Solo, and more.

Tuning: Eb Standard · 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 12 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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