Metallica is a legendary heavy metal band that has been rocking out since the early 1980s. If you’re a guitarist who loves their music, you might be interested in purchasing a Metallica guitar tab book. These books contain sheet music and tablature for some of Metallica’s most famous songs, including “Enter Sandman,” “Master of Puppets,” and “One.”
Metallica guitar tab books are an excellent way to learn how to play the band’s music on your guitar. They provide detailed instructions on how to play each song, including chord progressions, solos, and other guitar techniques. With a Metallica guitar tab book, you can learn how to play your favorite Metallica songs just like the band does.
Why Metallica Guitar Tab Books?
Of course, you can find tab online for free, and you can find some great YouTubers that teach you songs. However, I have a library of books and here is why I still use them.
- Though each book can vary in accuracy, I find most books are more accurate
- A lot of online tab and youtube lessons do not include solos
- Sometimes its just so small that I can’t read it on a phone or tab. Or I find myself constantly scrolling
- Its nice to just have a library in your home so when you want the tab, you grab it and go rather searching 10 sites for good, complete tab.
When purchasing a Metallica guitar tab book, it’s essential to pay attention to the level of difficulty. Some books are designed for beginner guitarists, while others are more advanced. It’s also crucial to check the accuracy of the tablature to ensure that you’re learning how to play the song correctly.
Whether you’re a seasoned guitarist or a beginner, a Metallica guitar tab book is an excellent investment for any fan of the band. With detailed instructions and accurate tablature, you can learn how to play some of Metallica’s most famous songs and rock out like a true metalhead.
Best Metallica Guitar Tab Books
As a huge Metallica fan, I bought most of these books in a music store back in the early 1990s. I still have them today. So I thought it would be helpful to put together a list of the best Metallica guitar tab books available on Amazon. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the top Metallica guitar tab books on the market.
Metallica for Easy Guitar with Lessons, Vol. 1
Pros
- The book includes easy-to-follow lessons for beginners.
- The tablature is accurate and easy to read.
- The book includes some of Metallica’s most popular songs, including “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters.”
Cons
- The book only includes a few songs.
- The book was published in 1995, so it doesn’t include any of Metallica’s more recent hits.
- The book is only suitable for beginner guitar players.
If you’re a beginner guitar player and a fan of Metallica, you should definitely consider purchasing Metallica for Easy Guitar with Lessons, Vol. 1. This book is a great way to start learning some of the band’s most popular songs. The book includes easy-to-follow lessons for beginners, and the tablature is accurate and easy to read. Additionally, the book includes some of Metallica’s most popular songs, including “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters.”
Metallica: 1983-1988 Guitar Play-Along Volume 195 Book/Online Audio
Pros
- The guitar tablatures are easy to read and accurate.
- The online audio tracks sound great and allow you to jam along with the music.
- The book is part of the Guitar Play-Along series, which is highly regarded in the guitar community.
Cons
- The book only covers Metallica’s music from 1983-1988, so if you’re looking for tabs for their later work, you’ll need to find a different book.
- The book is relatively short at only 88 pages, so it may not have as many songs as you’d like.
Overall, Metallica: 1983-1988 Guitar Play-Along Volume 195 Book/Online Audio is a cool book if you want a good chunk of songs. The online audio tracks are a helpful twist that these other guitar tab books won’t come with.
This book includes the following old-school Metallica songs: Seek & Destroy, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Battery, Creeping Death, Fade to Black, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Master of Puppets, One
Metallica Guitar Tab Books – Sorted By Album Release Date
For reference, here is the list of Metallica’s studio albums and release dates. The guitar tab books are listed below.
- Kill ‘Em All (1983)
- Ride the Lightning (1984)
- Master of Puppets (1986)
- …And Justice for All (1988)
- Metallica (The Black Album) (1991)
- Load (1996)
- Reload (1997)
- St. Anger (2003)
- Death Magnetic (2008)
- Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2016)
- 72 Seasons (2023)
Metallica: Kill ‘Em All Guitar Tab Edition
Pros
- The book is well put together.
- It features accurate transcriptions of Metallica’s songs.
Cons
- Some reviewers claim tablatures are incomplete.
- The tablature can be confusing and requires some skill in reading notation to understand.
- Some of the tabs are misleading and will have you playing the right-sounding riffs in the wrong place on the fretboard.
Metallica: Kill ‘Em All Guitar Tab Edition is a comprehensive guitar tab book that features accurate transcriptions of all the songs from Metallica’s debut album, Kill ‘Em All. The book makes a great resource for anyone looking to learn how to play Metallica’s early music.
Metallica: Ride the Lightning Guitar TAB Edition
Pros
- The book includes accurate transcriptions of all the songs on the album.
- You can definitely get all the rhythm sections down.
Cons
- The book’s layout and design could be improved, as the tabs can be difficult to read in certain sections.
- Some of the tabs may be challenging for beginner guitar players, so this book may not be the best choice for those just starting out.
Overall, if you’re a fan of Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning” and looking for an accurate guitar tab book, this option is definitely worth considering. Note that Amazon also has the “Play it like it is” version that is missing songs like Ride the Lightning. So I think this is a better guitar tab book.
Master Of Puppets Metallica G/V With Tablature
Pros
- Accurate tabs for Metallica’s Master Of Puppets album
- Good for both beginners and advanced guitar players
- Easy to follow and understand
Cons
- Some tabs may sound slightly off
- Songs not organized properly
This guitar tab book is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to play Metallica’s Master Of Puppets album.
Metallica – …And Justice for All
Pros
- Great for also learning to read music notes and hand positions.
- Includes a key at the beginning of each song.
Cons
- Some of the transcriptions are flat out wrong, most notably on Blackened.
- One of the more difficult Metallica guitar tab books
This would not be the book to start with. If you can master Master (you see what I did there?), then you can step up and start working on songs from And Just For All. You can sharpen your skill as there are some really complex songs using multiple guitar tracks. Its not just James and Kirk. They both were playing additional guitar parts in the mix.
Blackened is a disaster. I’m not sure how they printed this. I suggest skipping that and going online and watching YouTube videos, like this one from Uncle Ben (a must-follow if you dig 80s rock and metal).
Metallica: Black, Guitar Tab
Pros
- Easy to read music notation and tablature
- True to the songs and more accurate than others
Cons
- No additional features like audio or video lessons
- May not be suitable for advanced players
The music notation and tablature are easy to read, and it includes lyrics with the tablature, making it a great purchase for beginners.
Metallica Guitar Tab Book – Black
Pros
- Affordable price.
- Decently accurate
Cons
- The print quality is poor, with blurry and hard-to-read pages.
- Some of the images appear out of focus.
- Some pages have been scanned from other books, making them smaller and harder to read.
The Metallica Guitar Tab Book – Black includes a selection of 14 Metallica songs for under $20. Its not as good as the previous book and there are some cons. However, I wanted to include it because its generally accurate and cheaper, if you don’t mind some blurry pages.
Metallica – Load (Play-It-Like-It-Is)
Pros
- Accurate tablature for all songs in the album
- Includes a poster inside
- Easy to follow and play along
Cons
- Some songs may be challenging for beginners
- Not suitable for those who prefer sheet music
This book contains accurate tablature for all songs in the Load album, making it a great resource for Metallica fans who want to learn to play their favorite songs. The included poster is a nice bonus for fans who want to decorate their practice space with some Metallica memorabilia.
Metallica: Re-Load (EZ Guitar With TAB)
Pros
- Easy to follow tabs and chords
- Includes all the songs from the album
- Suitable for both beginners and intermediate players
Cons
- Some errors in the transcription
- Caters more towards rhythm guitarists
- Paperback cover may come damaged
Metallica: Re-Load (EZ Guitar With TAB) is a great book for anyone who wants to learn how to play the songs from the Re-Load album. The tabs and chords are easy to follow, making it suitable for both beginners and intermediate players.
If you want every detail of the lead guitar parts then this book probably won’t cut it. It might get you part of the way.
Metallica – Death Magnetic Songbook
Pros
- Accurate transcriptions of all the songs from the Death Magnetic album
- Includes tabs as well as chords
- Easy to play riffs that are fun to play
Cons
- Some parts are written for two guitars that could have been consolidated for one
- Some tabs are simplified for easier playing
- Some riffs are not tabbed correctly
The book contains accurate transcriptions of all the songs from the album, including both tabs and chords. However, like many Metallica songs, there are often 3-4 guitars recorded where they overdubbed the added guitar. This book tends to provide tablature as though a single guitar was played. This can be OK unless you wanted to record each guitar separately.
Metallica – Hardwired…To Self-Destruct
Pros
- Accurate transcriptions of the songs
- Easy to read tabs
- Affordable price
Cons
- Some parts may require improvisation to sound exactly like the recordings
The tabs are easy to read, making it a great choice for both beginner and advanced guitar players. The price is also affordable, making it a great value for Metallica fans.
Metallica – 72 Seasons
Pros
- 5 star rating
- Easy to read tabs
Cons
- It’s so new that there’s not a lot of information about
- It’s a little more expensive than other books
Overall, this album book just got released in 2023 and so if you buy it, you may not be 100% sure if it’s good as there aren’t many reviews. However, I don’t believe there are a lot of great guitar tabs online, either. So at least you’d have all the songs in one convenient book.
Conclusion
There’s really nothing more to say. Metallica has some great songs. I’m a big fan of every song in their early days from Kill Em All to Black. I’ve had all the Cherry Lane books for those albums at one point in my life. After that, I only like a few songs, so I prefer to just look them up online.
But when you want to learn all the songs from the albums, I prefer the books. Otherwise, I’m scrolling too much and spending too much time must looking up tabs that aren’t always what I want.
