Practice Studio

Metallica - TURN THE PAGE - Guitar Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

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BPM
Key E minor
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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.

Garage, Inc. album cover
Garage, Inc.
1998 6:06
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About TURN THE PAGE


Few cover versions commit to a mood as completely as Metallica's take on "Turn the Page." Where Bob Seger's original leans on saxophone for its brooding atmosphere, Metallica rebuild that atmosphere entirely in guitar, letting a slow, hypnotic E minor riff carry the emotional weight from the very first bar. The main riff is deceptively simple, but getting it to feel heavy and unhurried at the same time is the real challenge. Tone matters enormously here: a thick, slightly saturated sound with a long decay will get you much closer to that oppressive, road-worn feel than any amount of technique. The song's low tempo means every note is exposed, so focus on clean fretting and deliberate pick attack rather than speed. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the intro and verse riff slowed down until the phrasing feels completely natural, then gradually bring it back up to tempo.

  • The entire mood of the cover is carried by guitar, replacing the saxophone atmosphere of Seger's original with a slow, heavy E minor riff.
  • Playing it convincingly is more about tone and note sustain than technical difficulty, making pick attack and amp settings a key focus.
  • The slow tempo leaves no room to hide, so looping short sections to nail clean fretting and consistent dynamics is the most useful practice approach.

How to Play TURN THE PAGE

Key: E minor · Tempo: 75 BPM

Loop each section and focus on clean, even timing rather than speed, with the metronome at 75 BPM.

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.

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)