Helpless
as played by Metallica
Rythmn Fig 1. Bridge into chorus
|| Hold These chords
A B F# Repeat|| A B F# D E F# D E F#
e|------------------------------||----------------------------------|
B|------------------------------||----------------------------------|
G|-2-4--(4)--------------------*||-2-4--(4)------7-9---11-7-9-------|
D|-2-4--(4)-----4-----4-----4--*||-2-4--(4)---4--7-9-4-11-7-9-4-----|
A|-0-2-0h2p0----4-----4-----4---||-0-2-0h2p0--4--5-7-4- 9-5-7-4-----|
E|------------2-2-0-2-2-0-2-2-0-||------------2------2--------2--2--|
|
|
Pick real Fast and alot
By this ( ) I mean hold the B chord with your ring finger and just perform the
hammer and pull-offs with your index finger. Repeat This rythmn figure until
you hit the bridge to the chorus. The Bridge into the chorus has a bunch of
power chords which are held. Listen to the tune and you'll get the picture....
Chorus (Lyrics go 'HELPLESS....!')
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
A repeat 3x| A G | A G A
e|---------------------------------|------------------|-----------------
B|---------------------------------|------------------|-----------------
G|--------------------------------*|-----------------*|-----------------
D|------------------7p5---------5-*|-----------5-5-5-*|-----------5-5-7-
A|----------------------7-6-7-6----|-----------5-5-5--|-----------5-5-7-
E|--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-3-3-3--|-5-5-5-5-5-3-3-5-
By this I mean play Part 1 three times, then play Part 2. Then you play Part 1
three times again and finish the chorus with Part 3. Work with me on this
one... I'm not sure about the part 1 section... but this is close....
Now return to ryth. Fig 1 amd play it till you hit the chorus a second
time... do the chorus again and then play rythmn Fig 1 again until you hit the
little Newstead bass solo, after which you hit a second bridge. I prefer to
enter into this section with a jumping, banging pick slide. In other words I
bounce the pick off the low E, A and D while sliding the edge down the
fretboard... Anyway it sounds real cool...
Bridge 2
|<-------Repeat 4x |<------Repeat 4x|<------Repeat 4x|<------Repeat 4x|
e|------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|-----------------*|---------------*|---------------*|---------------*|
D|-----------------*|---------------*|---------------*|---------------*|
A|----0-2----0h2p0--|---2-4---2h4p2--|---3-5---3h5p3--|---5-7---5h7p5--|
E|--2------2--------|-4-----4--------|-5-----5--------|-7-----7--------|
|<-------Repeat 2x|<------Repeat 2x|
e|-----------------|----------------|-----------------------------------
B|-----------------|----------------|-----------------------------------
G|----------------*|---------------*|-----------------------------------
D|----------------*|---------------*|---------------7-9---5-7---3-5-----
A|----3-5---3h5p3--|---5-7---5h7p5--|---3-5---5-7-9-----7-----5---------
E|--5-----5--------|-7-----7--------|-5-----7---------------------------
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/m/metallica/helpless_tab_ver_2.html ]
| | Rythmn Fig 2. || End ryth. Fig 2
| | ||
End bridge2| |<----Repeat 3x| ||
e|----------| |--------------|--------||--------------------------------
B|----------| |--------------|--------||--------------------------------
G|-4---2-4--| |---4p2---2-4-*|-7---9--||--------------------------------
D|-4-5-2-4--| |---4p2-4-2-4-*|-7-7-9--||--------------------------------
A|-2-5-0-2--| |-------4------|-5-7-7--||--------------------------------
E|---3------| |--------------|---5----||--------------------------------
Rythmn Fig 3.
| F#A B D C#A F#A B E F#A B D C#A F#A B D C#B |<--------Repeat 2x |
e|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------|
G|---2-4-7-6-2---2-4---------2-4-7-6-2---2-4-7-6-4-|6-----------7-9-7-*|
D|-4-2-4-7-6-2-4-2-4-2-2-2-4-2-4-7-6-2-4-2-4-7-6-4-|6-----------7-9-7-*|
A|-4-0-2-5-4-0-4-0-2-2-2-2-4-0-2-5-4-0-4-0-2-5-4-2-|4-4-4-4-4-4-5-7-5--|
E|-2-----------2-----0-0-0-2-----------2-----------|-------------------|
Rythmn Fig 3a. |
| End Ryth. Fig 3
C# D E F F# E C#C B A |
e|-------------------------------------------------|--------------------
B|-------------------------------------------------|--------------------
G|-6-sl.\---7-sl.\---9-sl.\--10-sl.\--11-9-6-5-4-2-|--------------------
D|-6-sl.\---7-sl.\---9-sl.\--10-sl.\--11-9-6-5-4-2-|--------------------
A|-4-sl.\---5-sl.\---7-sl.\-- 8-sl.\-- 9-7-4-3-2-0-|--------------------
E|-------------------------------------------------|--------------------
Ok, Lots of explaining to do... first of all the bridge: play each section
marked for repetition and then proceed to the next bar... do not go back to
the beginning of the bridge each time... I just was lazy and didn't want to
write it all up... listen to the song and then try to figure it out...The
bridge ends with four power chords: B, G, A, B. Then the song heads into
rythmn figure 2.
Rythmn Fig. 2 is played FAST! Repeat it a bunch of times until you hit the
second set of lyrics. Then break into Rythmn Fig 3 followed by Rythmn Fig 3a.
After the lyrics then back to Rythmn Fig. 2. This entire thing is repeated
twice (I think.... Check out the song).
Now we head towards the guitar solo. Rythmn fig 2 is played once and followed
by rythmn Figure 1. Ryth. Fig 1 repeats a bunch of times and the intro to
the solo starts with an E power chord on 0th fret. Rythmn Fig 1. is played
behind the solo until near the end of the solo the Rythmn changes to rythmn
figure 4.
Rythmn Fig 4.
|<-----repeat 3x| |<---------repeat 2x |
e|---------------|-------------|--------------------|-------------------
B|---------------|-------------|--------------------|-------------------
G|----2-4-------*|---2-4-7-6-4-|-6-----------7-9-7-*|-------------------
D|--4-2-4-2-2-2-*|-4-2-4-7-6-4-|-6-----------7-9-7-*|-------------------
A|--4-0-2-2-2-2--|-4-0-2-5-4-2-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-5-7-5--|-------------------
E|--2-----0-0-0--|-2-----------|--------------------|-------------------
Now finish the solo off with Rythmn Fig. 3a....
The lead for the solo is basically a blues based Hammet solo in F#.
Most of it is played on 14th fret, and Kirk does his standard drop down to F#
on the 2nd fret.
Well I'm almost done.... Now the song finishes with Rythmn Figure 1 being
played a couple of times and then a slowed down, slightly varied version
ends the song....
Well as ususal, this is by no means perfect... I am still kinda busy with
midterms and shit so this is the best I could do for now...
If anyone has any questions relating to this tab please don't hesitate to
e-mail me. Please inform me of any errors or typos so that I can correct them.
