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Metallica - THE SHORTEST STRAW - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Metallica - THE SHORTEST STRAW guitar tab video
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...And Justice for All (Remastered Deluxe Box Set) album cover
...And Justice for All (Remastered Deluxe Box Set)
1988 6:35
Listen on Spotify
Metallica Thrash Metal 1988 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About THE SHORTEST STRAW

Few tracks on "...And Justice for All" demand as much right-hand endurance as "The Shortest Straw." The rhythm work is built on relentless down-picked, palm-muted riffing in E minor, and keeping that attack tight and consistent across the song's length is the real challenge here. The main riff moves through angular, chromatic intervals that feel awkward at first, so isolate it with the Practice Toolbar and run it slowed down until your fretting hand stops second-guessing the shifts. Lead playing sits on top with the kind of phrasing Metallica built their late-1980s sound on: aggressive bends, fast alternate-picked runs, and phrases that resolve back into the riff without much breathing room. The song is not the most-discussed cut from the album, but it is a genuine workout in staying locked in at a demanding tempo. Nail the rhythm part first, get the dynamics of the muting right, and the rest of the arrangement will fall into place around it.

  • The rhythm guitar is anchored in E minor with heavy palm-muted down-picking, making right-hand stamina and consistency the primary technical demand.
  • Chromatic riff movement is a recurring challenge, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop the main riff slowed down before bringing it up to tempo.
  • The lead phrasing relies on alternate picking and sharp bends typical of the late-1980s Metallica style, requiring clean synchronisation between both hands.

How to Play THE SHORTEST STRAW

The song moves through: • Intro Riff #1, • Intro Riff #2, • Main Riff, • Verses 1 & 2, • Chorus 1 & 2, • Bridge, • Guitar Solo - KiRK, • Guitar Solo - JAMES, • Verse 3, • Chorus 3, • Final.

Key: E minor · Tempo: 147 BPM

The arrangement runs through 11 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 147 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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