Slayer - The Final Command - Guitar Tab

Show No Mercy

1983 2:32

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About The Final Command

Drop D tuning sits at the core of "The Final Command," giving the open sixth string a heavier, looser feel that suits the aggressive riffing Slayer built their early sound around. At 120 BPM the track sits at a mid-paced thrash tempo, which can be deceptive: the rhythmic precision required to keep down-picked riffs tight and in the pocket is real work, and sloppy fretting shows up immediately in Drop D where the low string rings so prominently. Getting the palm muting consistent across string changes is probably the main technical hurdle here. The shift between muted chugging and open, ringing power chords needs to feel controlled rather than accidental, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop those transitions slowed down until the pick attack and muting are locked in. This is a strong early track from the Heavy Metal canon, and learning it will sharpen your right-hand consistency more than almost anything at a similar tempo.

• Drop D tuning lowers the sixth string to D, making power chords on the bottom two strings playable with a single finger and adding low-end weight to the riffing.
• The 120 BPM tempo demands tight, consistent palm muting on repeated down-picked figures, so right-hand control is the key technique to develop here.
• Practising the transitions between muted chugging and open power chords at reduced speed will build the picking-hand discipline the song requires.