Helpless
written by Diamond Head
as performed by Metallica on Garage Days Re-revisited
tab by HypaDermic@aol.com;
Note: 1: I recommend that only the studious attempt to learn this, and that
they listen to the song as they learn it, as it is quite long and complex.
It might take a while, but it is really fun once one knows it.
2: Several other songs on this album are tuned down a step on all
guitars, but I doubt this is the case on this one. It sounds good how it is.
Intro: Fast
G|---------|
D|---------|
A|---------|
E|-5-7-7p5-|
Main Bass Fig.
12X (times)
G|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|
E|-2-2p0-0-2-2p0-0-2-2p0-0-5-7-7p5-|
Bridge into Chorus (or Pre-Chorus)
G|---------------------|------------------------------|
D|-------------------2-|-----------2-4--4-2-----------|
A|-----5-------2-3-5---|-------2-5----------4-3-2-----|
E|-2-----0-2-3---------|-0-2-3--------------------5-2-|
G|---------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------------------2-|-----------2-4--44444444-|
A|-----5-------2-3-5---|-------2-5---------------|
E|-2-----0-2-3---------|-0-2-3-------------------|
Chorus:EXTREMELY FAST
G|------------------------|---|---|----------------------|
D|o-777777777p5---------5-|-%-|-%-|-77777777-----------o-|
A|o-------------7-6-7-6---|---|---|--------------------o-|
E|------------------------|---|---|----------2-2-R-4-4---|
Main Bass Fig. 10X
Pre-Chorus, Chorus
Main Bass Fig. 4X
Bass Solo (Break) 8X
G|------------------|
D|------------------|
A|----0-2p0---0-2p0-|
E|-2--------2-------|
4X
G|------------------|
D|------------------|
A|----1-3p1---1-3p1-|
E|-3--------3-------|
4X
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|---2-4p2---2-4p2-|
E|-4-------4-------|
4X
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|---3-5p3---3-5p3-|
E|-3-------3-------|
2X
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|---2-4p2---2-4p2-|
E|-4-------4-------|
2X
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|---3-5p3---3-5p3-|
E|-5-------5-------|
G|-----------------------------------------------|
D|--------------5----3----3----------------------|
A|---2----3---7----5----1------------------------|
E|-4----5--------------------5-3-5-7---3-5-7---0-|
3X, then
G|-------------|-------|
D|-------4444\-|-------|
A|-5-3-5-------|-5-3-5-|
E|-------------|-------|
Now, after that huge break, there's a whole new part to the song...you do
this really long part twice, starting below.
4X
G|-------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------2-|
A|---------------------2-2-2-2-2-5-2---|
E|-2-2-2-2-2-5-5-5-5-5-----------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/m/metallica/helpless_btab_ver_2.html ]
G|-------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------2---|
A|---------------------2-2-2-2-2-5---5-|
E|-2-2-2-2-2-5-5-5-5-5-----------------|
G|----------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------|
A|---------------------2-2-2-2-2----------|
E|-2-2-2-2-2-5-5-5-5-5-----------0x-0x-0x-|
G|-------------------------------------|---|
D|---------------------------------2---|-%-|
A|---------------------2-2-2-2-2-5---5-|---|
E|-2-2-2-2-2-5-5-5-5-5-----------------|---|
G|----------------|---|-------------|-------------|
D|------------2---|-%-|-------3\-2\-|-4-2---------|
A|-44444444-5---5-|---|-4\-5\-------|-----4-3-2---|
E|----------------|---|-------------|-----------5-|
(That is the end of the big part you do twice-----/ )
Now do below, which is basically Main Bass Fig. 4X, with a little fill
on the 4th time.
G|---------------------------------|---|---|-----------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|-%-|-%-|-----------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|---|---|-----------------22222-------|
E|-2-2p0-0-2-2p0-0-2-2p0-0-5-7-7p5-|---|---|-2-2p0-0-2-2p0-0-------0-0-0-|
Now do Main Bass Fig. 8X, which is part of the beginning of the guitar
solo; the rest of the guitar solo is below.
G|-------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------2---|
A|---------------------2-2-2-2-2-5---5-|
E|-2-2-2-2-2-5-5-5-5-5-----------------|
G|----------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------|
A|---------------------2-2-2-2-2----------|
E|-2-2-2-2-2-5-5-5-5-5-----------0x-0x-0x-|
G|-------------------------------------|---|
D|---------------------------------2---|-%-|
A|---------------------2-2-2-2-2-5---5-|---|
E|-2-2-2-2-2-5-5-5-5-5-----------------|---|
G|----------------|---|-------------|-------------|
D|------------2---|-%-|-------2\-3\-|-4-2---------|
A|-44444444-5---5-|---|-4\-5\-------|-----4-3-2---|
E|----------------|---|-------------|-----------5-|
Now, right when guitar solo stops and you're done with the above, go
back to Main Bass Fig. 4X
After that, do below lick, slowly and loudly.
G|-------------------------|---|-----------------------------|
D|-------------------------|-%-|-----------------------------|
A|-------------------------|---|-----------------------------|
E|-2-2---2-2---2-2---2-0-0-|---|-2-2---2-2---2-2---2-2---2-2-|
Do this slowly also, but fade out.
|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------------|
|-2-2---2-2---2-2---2-2---2-2-|
OK, the above is a quite good bass transcription of this song. However,
there is one part I am unsure about. It is the Bridge to the Chorus or
Pre-Chorus. I know it is something like I showed, but the bass is complex
and hard to hear in that part, so that'll have to do. If somebody gets it
right, please mail me the corrections, I'd like to have it right.
