Metallica

Enter Sandman

1991 was a watershed year for guitar music of various flavours, most famously, it was the moment that grunge broke and hair metal was booted out of the musical mainstream. However, 1991 was also the year that Metallica released the seminal

Metallica – forever to be known as ‘The Black Album’ – and metal would never be the same. Featuring five hit singles, it was TGR292.metallica.fig01.musxalbum opener Enter Sandman that really caught the public’s imagination, File Date: 16:30 21/03/2017 reaching No 5 in the UK chart. Page 1 of 1

The song’s signature riff is a Kirk Hammett-pennedNotes: line, honed into its final shape by the band during the studio sessions. It’s fairly easy to play, but, like so many riffs, it’s all about the finer details. In the first bar you’ll play a slide, vibrato and a palm-mute – all crucial elements of the final sound. The slide should feel natural because it comes with a position shift up the fretboard. Indicated with a wavy line over the tab, aim for three vibrato ‘pulses’ on the 5th fret A note. The palm-mute on the open string brings a rhythmic counterpoint as this bar is repeated.