If you’ve ever sat down with a guitar and thought, "Yeah, I can handle Death Magnetic," you probably hit a wall the second you opened an all nightmare long tab. It’s not just the speed. It’s the relentless, percussive down-picking that James Hetfield turned into an art form. Honestly, this track is a masterclass in thrash endurance, and most of the tabs you find online actually get the nuances totally wrong.
You see, Metallica’s 2008 return to form wasn't just about longer songs. It was about complex, layered arrangements that require a specific kind of physical discipline. When you look at an all nightmare long tab, you aren’t just looking at numbers on a screen. You’re looking at a blueprint for wrist fatigue.
The Tuning Trap and That Opening Gallop
First off, let’s talk about the tuning. A lot of beginners try to play this in standard E, and it sounds thin. It’s wrong. The song is in Drop C#. That means you’re taking your whole guitar down a half step and then dropping that low string another whole step. If your strings feel like spaghetti, you need a heavier gauge. You can't play these riffs on 9s. It just won't work.
The intro riff starts with those eerie, dissonant sliding chords. Most tabs get the spacing right, but they miss the "chug." You have to palm-mute the open C# string with surgical precision. It’s a rhythmic "gallop" that defines the whole vibe. If you’re looking at an all nightmare long tab and it doesn’t emphasize the accent on the third beat, keep looking. That’s the secret sauce.
James Hetfield is the king of the down-stroke. While Kirk Hammett might alternate pick some of the faster runs, the meat of the song—the "Luck. Runs. Out." section—demands that you use your wrist like a jackhammer. Up-picking here makes it sound too "polite." This song isn't polite. It’s a nightmare.
Decoding the Verse Riff
The verse is where people usually trip up. It’s fast. Like, 220 BPM fast.
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Most people see the zeros on the tab and think it’s just mindless chugging. It’s not. There are these subtle chromatic climbs on the 5th and 4th strings that provide the "evil" melody. If you watch live footage from the World Magnetic tour, you’ll see James’s hand barely moving, yet the sound is massive. That’s efficiency.
- The 0-0-0-0 pattern is punctuated by quick 3-2-1 power chord slides.
- The timing is strictly 4/4, but the syncopation feels "off-kilter" because of the way the drums interact with the guitar.
- Don't over-gain your amp. If you have too much distortion, the notes in the all nightmare long tab will turn into a muddy mess. You want "crunch," not "mush."
The Chorus and the "Death Magnetic" Production
People love to complain about the "Loudness War" on this album. Rick Rubin pushed the levels so high that everything clips. But when you’re learning from an all nightmare long tab, that compression actually makes it harder to hear the individual note separations in the chorus.
The chorus is surprisingly melodic. It uses these wide-interval stretches that can be a literal pain if your thumb positioning is wrong. You’re jumping from the low C# up to the middle of the fretboard. It’s a leap of faith.
Kirk’s solo in this song is also a beast. It’s full of his signature wah-drenched pentatonic runs, but there’s a specific "shred" section halfway through that most tabs simplify. They shouldn't. If you want to play it like the record, you have to master the "three-note-per-string" scale patterns.
Why Most Digital Tabs Are Slightly Off
Listen, most free tab sites are user-generated. Someone sits in their bedroom, listens to the track at 50% speed, and guesses. They often miss the "ghost notes"—those little percussive hits that happen between the actual riffs.
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If you want the real deal, you have to look for the "Official" transcriptions or, better yet, watch the "Behind the Magnetic" videos. You can see the actual fingerings there. For instance, the bridge section (the "The hunt is on!" part) has a very specific palm-muting technique where you gradually release the pressure of your palm to let the notes ring out. A standard all nightmare long tab just shows the notes, not the "feel."
It’s about the attack. Metallica's sound is built on the "chunk" of the pick hitting the string. If you’re using a thin pick, stop. Get a 1.14mm or a 2.0mm. You need something that won't bend when you're fighting the strings.
The Breakdown and the Enduro-Riff
The "The hunt is on" section is essentially an endurance test. It’s a repeating pattern that shifts keys.
- Start on the low C#.
- Move to the F#.
- Back down.
- The tempo stays the same, but the intensity builds.
By the time you get to the five-minute mark, your forearm is going to be screaming. That’s normal. Even Rob Trujillo, who is a physical powerhouse, looks like he’s working hard when they play this live. If your all nightmare long tab doesn't mention the slight tempo push during the final chorus, it's missing the human element of the recording.
Practical Steps to Master the Track
If you’re serious about nailing this, don’t just open a tab and start at full speed. You’ll develop bad habits and probably tendonitis.
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Step 1: The Metronome is Your God.
Set it to 140 BPM. Play the main riff perfectly ten times. Then move to 150. If you mess up, go back. You shouldn't even attempt 220 BPM until your wrist feels like a well-oiled machine at 180.
Step 2: Watch the Wrist.
Keep your picking hand relaxed. If you tense up, you lose speed. Think of it like a flick, not a punch. James Hetfield’s "down-picking" is legendary because it’s efficient.
Step 3: Listen to the Isolated Guitars.
You can find isolated guitar tracks for All Nightmare Long on YouTube. This is the ultimate "cheat code" for checking your all nightmare long tab. You’ll hear things you never noticed in the full mix, like the subtle slides and the way the strings rattle against the frets.
Step 4: Check Your Gear.
Drop C# requires a setup. If you just tune down on a standard guitar, your intonation will be trash. You need to adjust your bridge and potentially your nut slots. It’s a commitment.
This song is a marathon, not a sprint. The "nightmare" isn't the difficulty of the notes—it's the stamina required to keep them clean for nearly eight minutes. Once you bridge the gap between "reading the tab" and "feeling the rhythm," you’ll realize why this remains one of the high points of modern Metallica.
Get your metronome, grab a heavy pick, and start slow. Focus on the down-strokes. The speed will come, but the "crunch" has to be earned through repetition.