Spring Sale: Pro Access 80% OFF
0
days
:
09
hrs
:
04
min
:
19
sec

For Whom The Bell Tolls Bass

by Metallica
439,443 views, added to favorites 9,238 times
Tuning: E A D G
Capo: no capo
Author JenoUnion [a] 459.
3 contributors total, last edit on Oct 25, 2024
We have an official For Whom The Bell Tolls tab made by UG professional guitarists.
Check out the tab
For Whom the Bell Tolls
By: Metallica
Tabbed by: Kane Bochatyn (JenoUnion)
 
This is based off of the master bass track of For Whom the Bell Tolls
on the Ride the Lightning album. The link for the bass alone is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH5Ad0_Ajw8
Keep in mind that during the intro, it changes slightly and I
did NOT tab this, since the generalized pattern is the same and Cliff
didn't play these subtle changes live.
 
EDIT: Took longer than I planned on it being, but I've updated this tab. The chord were
originally tabbed as A5 chord, but they're really E5 chords. Thanks to Zaqq for bringing
this to my attention! \m/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Note: In the bass intro, there is a sustained 16th fret note, then you have to
hammer-on to the 19th fret and pull-off to the 16th once more WITHOUT plucking.
When using wah on this, it should make that wisping sound that you can hear when
Cliff plays.
 
 
[Intro]
   Bass 1      /               Play x7                  \
G|-----------|---------------------|---------------------|
D|-----------|---------------------|---------------------|
A|-----------|---------------------|---------------------|
E|-2-2--2-2--|-0-------------------|(0)--------2-2--2-2--|
 
G|---------------------|---------------------|
D|---------------------|---------------------|
A|---------------------|---------------------|
E|-0-------------------|(0)-------------/12\-|
 
   Bass 2   (Use distortion and wah for this)
G|------19-18-17-16----h19p16-|-------19---------------|
D|----------------------------|-17-16------------------|
A|----------------------------|----------17-16~-----\--| x8
E|-0--------------------------|------------------------|
 
 
[Transition Riff] (Play x4, clean bass)
G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-0-3-2-1-0-3-2-1-|-0-3-2-1-0-2-3-5-|
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|---------------2-|
E|-0-3-2-1-0-3-2-1-|-0-3-2-1-0-2-3---|
 
 
[Verse Intro] (Play x1, distorted bass)
G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|-----------------|--------------------|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|-----------------|--------------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3---------------|-3*----------10h12\-|
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----5-----------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|-----------------|-------------7---|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|-----------------|-3---------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3-------------3-|---------5-------|
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|-------------------|-----------------|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|-------------------|-----------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3---3-------3-3-3-|-3*---------/12\-|
                                                   \ 3 /
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|-----5-----------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|------------------|-------------7---|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|------------------|-3---------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3---3-3-3--3-3---|---------5-------|
                                               \ 3 /
 
[Chorus Riff] (Play x2)
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-0-0-0-3-----0-0-0-5-----|-0-0-0-3---0-6-----2-----|
   \ 3 /       \ 3 /         \ 3 / \ 3 /
 
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-0-0-0-3-----0-0-0-5-----|-0-0-0-3-0-0-6---2---1---|
   \ 3 /       \ 3 /         \ 3 / \ 3 / \    3    /
 
 
[Verse 1]
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|-----------------|--------------------|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|-----------------|--------------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3---3-----------|-3*----------10h12\-|
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|-----5-----------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|-------------------|-------------7---|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|-------------------|-3---------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3----------0-3--0-|---------5-------|
                                               \ 3 /\ 3 /
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|--------------------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|------------------|--------------------|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|------------------|--------------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3----------0-3---|-3*----------10h12\-|
                                               \ 3 /
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|-----5-----------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|-------------------|-------------7---|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|-------------------|-3---------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3------------3--0-|---------5-------|
                                                    \ 3 /
 
[Chorus 1] (Play x2)
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-0-0-0-3-----0-0-0-5-----|-0-0-0-3---0-6-----2-----|
   \ 3 /       \ 3 /         \ 3 / \ 3 /
 
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-0-0-0-3-----0-0-0-5-----|-0-0-0-3-0-0-6---2---1---|
   \ 3 /       \ 3 /         \ 3 / \ 3 / \    3    /
 
 
[Bridge]
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------------|
D|-9---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------------|
A|-7---------------|-7---------------|-7---------------|-----------------------|
E|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0----------/12\-|-3*---3-3-3-3*---3-3-3-|
                                                              \ 3 /      \ 3 /
G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-0-0-------------|-7---------3/12\-|
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------------|
A|-----------------|-7---------------|-----------------|-----------------------|
E|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0-----------12\-|-3*---3-3-3-3*---3-3-3-|
                                                              \ 3 /      \ 3 /
G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-0-----------2-/-|-7-----------7\--|
 
 
[Verse 2]
G|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|--------------------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|-------------------|--------------------|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|-------------------|--------------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3----------0-3--0-|-3/12*-------10h12\-|
                                               \ 3 /\ 3 /
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|-----5-----------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|-------------------|-------------7---|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|-------------------|-3---------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3----------0-3--0-|---------5-------|
                                               \ 3 /\ 3 /
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|--------------------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|-------------------|--------------------|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|-------------------|--------------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3---3------3-3--3-|-3*----------10h12\-|
                                               \ 3 /\ 3 /
 
G|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|-----5-----------|
D|-----9-------9---|-----9-------9---|--------------------|-------------7---|
A|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|--------------------|-3---------------|
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3---3--3-3--0-3--0-|---------5-------|
                                           \ 3 /\ 3 /\ 3 /
 
[Chorus 2] (Play x2)
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-0-0-0-3-----0-0-0-5-----|-0-0-0-3---0-6-----2-----|
   \ 3 /       \ 3 /         \ 3 / \ 3 /
 
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-0-0-0-3-----0-0-0-5-----|-0-0-0-3-0-0-6---2---1---|
   \ 3 /       \ 3 /         \ 3 / \ 3 / \    3    /
 
 
[Outro] (Repeat until fade out/end of song)
G|-----------------|--------------------------|
D|--------11--11---|--------11--11---12--12---|
A|--------9---9----|--------9---9----10--10---| (x10-11)
E|-0---------------|-0------------------------|
 
That's about it! Cliff used distortion for most of it (mainly all but the
transition and the chorus), so flip some of that on and it sounds better. This is
not 100% correct, but it is damn close.
 
 
************************************
 
|  h   Hammer-on
|  p   Pull-off
|  ~   Vibrato
|  /   Slide up
|  \   Slide down
|  *   Staccato
| (0)  Hold note over bar line
| \ 3 /  Triplet timing
 
************************************

X
By helping UG you make the world better... and earn IQ
Create correction
Please rate this tab
 
×
For Whom The Bell Tolls – Metallica
How to play
"For Whom The Bell Tolls"
Font
23 comments
Dethfret
In the intro, on the 4th time(0:22-0:24) and 8th time(0:39-0:41) he ends with a A string 17-16 trill playing each note roughly four times, its quick and subtle but pointing it out. and on the 6th (0:29-0:30) Cliff plays each note twice quickly, tough to hear. Just me being a perfectionist :)
+11
Zaqq
Isn't the verse should be: G|----------------------------------------------------| D|-----9~---9~---9~---9~---9~---9~---9~---9-----------| A|-----7~---7~---7~---7~---7~---7~---7~---7-----------| E|-0*-----------------------------------------3~----3-| Eight E5 chords?
+3
SlashOwns
Best Bass tab for this song by FAR and GREAT master bass video!!!!!
+2