Nothing Else Matters

How to play Nothing Else Matters by Metallica on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 7 you play Am, G, F, C, E, Em and more, the shapes the player above shows.

Nothing Else Matters is a great song to learn because it sounds big and emotional while staying built from simple shapes. You get a strong, steady feel that rewards clean changes and even timing, so it is satisfying to play once the part starts flowing.

Most of the chart uses open shapes like Em, D, C, and G, with B and Bm as the harder barre shapes. The main thing to watch is the move into and out of those barre chords, since they can slow you down if your hand is not set early. The opening progression Em - D - C - Em is a good place to focus on smooth transitions.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly, making each chord ring clearly before you speed up. Then add the barre shapes in short bursts, and finally play through the full song at a relaxed tempo until the changes feel automatic.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.