How to play Master of Puppets (Riff)

Metallica

This tab has 63 notes, on the low E and A strings, open strings up to fret 4, at 212 BPM. Read it below, then play it with Lark and every note gets scored.

Play it with Lark

Free, in your browser. Sign in, allow the mic, and Lark listens as you play.

212BPM at full speed
63notes
0 to 4fret range
Expertlevel

The tab

Each line is a string: high e on top, low E at the bottom. The number is the fret to press, and 0 means play the string open. Read left to right, one note at a time. The small numbers count the notes.

Master of Puppets (Riff) tab, 63 notes. The same tab is written out note by note in the list after it.
Read it note by note
  1. E2 open low E string
  2. F2 low E string, fret 1
  3. B2 A string, fret 2
  4. E2 open low E string
  5. F2 low E string, fret 1
  6. C3 A string, fret 3
  7. E2 open low E string
  8. F2 low E string, fret 1
  9. C#3 A string, fret 4
  10. E2 open low E string
  11. F2 low E string, fret 1
  12. C3 A string, fret 3
  13. E2 open low E string
  14. F2 low E string, fret 1
  15. B2 A string, fret 2
  16. B2 A string, fret 2
  17. E2 open low E string
  18. F2 low E string, fret 1
  19. B2 A string, fret 2
  20. E2 open low E string
  21. F2 low E string, fret 1
  22. C3 A string, fret 3
  23. F2 low E string, fret 1
  24. E2 open low E string
  25. G2 low E string, fret 3
  26. F#2 low E string, fret 2
  27. E2 open low E string
  28. G2 low E string, fret 3
  29. F#2 low E string, fret 2
  30. E2 open low E string
  31. G2 low E string, fret 3
  32. F#2 low E string, fret 2
  33. E2 open low E string
  34. F2 low E string, fret 1
  35. B2 A string, fret 2
  36. E2 open low E string
  37. F2 low E string, fret 1
  38. C3 A string, fret 3
  39. E2 open low E string
  40. F2 low E string, fret 1
  41. C#3 A string, fret 4
  42. E2 open low E string
  43. F2 low E string, fret 1
  44. C3 A string, fret 3
  45. E2 open low E string
  46. F2 low E string, fret 1
  47. B2 A string, fret 2
  48. B2 A string, fret 2
  49. E2 open low E string
  50. F2 low E string, fret 1
  51. B2 A string, fret 2
  52. E2 open low E string
  53. F2 low E string, fret 1
  54. C3 A string, fret 3
  55. E2 open low E string
  56. F2 low E string, fret 1
  57. C#3 A string, fret 4
  58. E2 open low E string
  59. F2 low E string, fret 1
  60. C3 A string, fret 3
  61. F2 low E string, fret 1
  62. E2 open low E string
  63. B2 A string, fret 2
Plain text tab
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------2--------3--------4--------3--------2--2--|
E|-0--1-----0--1-----0--1-----0--1-----0--1--------|

e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------2--------3--------------------------------|
E|-0--1-----0--1-----1--0--3--2--0--3--2--0--3--2--|

e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------2--------3--------4--------3--------2--2--|
E|-0--1-----0--1-----0--1-----0--1-----0--1--------|

e|----------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|
A|-------2--------3--------4--------3--------2--|
E|-0--1-----0--1-----0--1-----0--1-----1--0-----|

Where it sits on the neck

Green rings are every place this tab uses. The solid one is played most: E2, open low E string, 20 times.

Strings
Low E and Atwo strings
Frets
0 to 40 is an open string
Lowest note
E2open low E string
Highest note
C#3A string, fret 4
Open strings
20of 63 notes
Tempo
212 BPM106 BPM at half speed

How to practice it

Practice mode in Lark slows the song down and loops the part you keep missing, while it listens to every note.

  1. Start slow

    Practice mode plays the click at 0.5x (106 BPM), 0.75x (159 BPM) or 1x (212 BPM). Stay at half speed until you stop missing, then step up.

  2. Loop the hard part

    Set a loop around any stretch of notes and it repeats until you have it. A good first loop: notes 7 to 10, the busiest stretch in this tab (frets 0, 1, 4, 0 across the low E and A strings).

  3. Play it and watch the score

    Lark listens through your mic. Every note turns green when you hit it and red when you miss, your accuracy updates as you go, and you see if you came in on the beat, late or slow.

  4. Read the coach's note

    When the song ends, the AI coach reads your run and gives you one specific thing to fix before the next one.