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What would any collection of licks be without a tasty treat from Metallica's guitar wizard Kirk Hammett. This lick comes from the intro solo to the song "Fade to Black". It is straight out of a B natural minor scale at the 14th fret.

For more information on how to read this, check out the lesson on reading Internet tablature.

Left hand fingers
   |
   2  1  4  1  2  3  2  1  2  1  4  2  1  3  1________   1  3  1
E:----14-19-14-------15-14----------------------------------------
B:-15----------15----------15----17-15-14-------------------------
G:----------------16----------14----------16-14b(16)r14--14h16----
D:-------------------------------------------------------------14-
A:----------------------------------------------------------------
E:----------------------------------------------------------------

slower (60K) get realplayer

faster (78K) get realplayer

The red numbers are the notes that you should use as your guide. In this case the red notes are all B notes, since this is a lick in B minor.

If picking all of the notes in the first part of the lick proves to be to much of a challenge at first, try adding the pull-offs indicated below. This will make the lick a little easier.

Left hand fingers
   |
   2  1  4  1  2  3  2  1  2  1  4  2  1  3  1________   1  3  1
E:----14-19p14-------15p14----------------------------------------
B:-15----------15----------15----17-15-14-------------------------
G:----------------16----------14----------16-14b(16)r14--14h16----
D:-------------------------------------------------------------14-
A:----------------------------------------------------------------
E:----------------------------------------------------------------

Here is the B natural minor fingering that this lick is out of. The numbers in the scale chart indicate what fingers to use. The notes in red are a B note (the root of the scale).

B natural minor scale

|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|-4-| -1st string
|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|---|
|-1-|---|-3-|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|---|
|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|---|
|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|---| -6th string
  |
 14th fret

You can also associate this lick and scale with a B minor barre chord, root on the 5th string. This chord is not played at the 14th fret very often, but you are just using the chord shape as a reference.

B minor barre chord, root on the 5th string

|-1-|---|---|-1st string
|---|-2-|---|
|---|---|-4-|
|---|---|-3-|
|-1-|---|---|
|---|---|---| -6th string
  |
 14th fret

If you are transposing this lick to some other keys, you may find that the high note is just to much of a stretch for your 4th finger when lower on the neck. You might lowering the 3rd note in the lick by 2 frets to make it more finger friendly when played lower on the neck.

Left hand fingers
   |
   2  1  4  1  2  3  2  1  2  1  4  2  1  3  1________   1  3  1
E:----14-17p14-------15p14----------------------------------------
B:-15----------15----------15----17-15-14-------------------------
G:----------------16----------14----------16-14b(16)r14--14h16----
D:-------------------------------------------------------------14-
A:----------------------------------------------------------------
E:----------------------------------------------------------------