Learn Music: Helpless bass tab - Metallica tabs

All lyrics are property and copyright of their respective owners and are provided for educational purposes only. This site is a not-for-profit project. All advertising proceeds are used to maintain its servers.

 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-----------------|
 
 
 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.

All lyrics are property and copyright of their respective owners and are provided for educational purposes only. This site is a not-for-profit project. All advertising proceeds are used to maintain its servers.