Learn to play "Enter Sandman" by Metallica on guitar!

Enter Sandman by Metallica is an absolutely classic rock song, definitely one of the great rock songs. In this lesson, we'll check out all the iconic guitar riffs. You ready to rock 'n roll? :)

Enter Sandman: Riff 1

Fingers 2 and 4 stay put all the way through the first riff. Finger 4 goes on 5:7 (string 5, fret 7), while finger 2 goes on 4:5 (string 4, fret 5). This will feel stretchy! Make sure fingers 2 and 4 are right up next to the fret, and keep them fingers in place while you play the other parts.

This is a great exercise for working out your little finger. You'll build finger independence by holding down fingers 2 and 4 while you manipulate the others. But if this feels too stretchy, use finger 3 on 5:7 and replace 4:5 with the open G string (the notes are the exact same).

Here's riff 1 in TAB: Tabs for the Enter Sandman riff by Metallica for beginners!

Finger 3 plays 6:6 and finger 1 plays 6:5. For the easier version, play 3:0 instead of 4:5, and use fingers 2 and 1 to fret the notes on string 6.

Enter Sandman by Metallica: Riff 2

Let's check out the second riff. We start by strumming the open E string with all downstrums and some palm mute. The rhythm is 1 + 2 + 3 + 4. After the downstrum on beat 4, finger 1 goes on 5:5. Pick, then slide up to 5:7. We return to a downstrum on the E string on beat 1. The rhythm for this is:

4 e + a 1
D 5:5 5:7 D

Keep finger 1 down on 7:7, using the underside of the finger to mute strings 4, 3, 2, and 1. Keep playing the same rhythm on the open E string, then play 5:7 with finger 3 followed by 4:7 with finger 1.

💡 Palm Mute – It's crucial you use the correct amount of palm mute. You should still be able to hear the chord.

Enter Sandman by Metallica: Riff 3

The next riff involves an F power chord (13XXXX). Strum it, then flick off both fingers to reveal the open strings (00XXXX). If you find this tricky, you can simplify it by just playing 6:1 and flicking off to 6:0.

The rhythm for this is:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 e + a
D D 5:7 5:5 D D D 6:1 6:0

Enter Sandman by Metallica: Riff 4

Riff 4 is almost identical to riff 3, except we play an extra note: 6:5 after 5:5. The rhythm is:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 e + a
D D 5:7 5:5 6:5 D D 6:1 6:0

On the last rep of that, don't play the F power chord or the flick off. Instead, the riff goes into number 5.

Enter Sandman by Metallica: Riff 5

The next part starts with an E power chord (02XXXX). Use finger 1 to play 5:2 and mute the other strings. Then we play 5:7, 6:6, 6:5. Here's the rhythm:

+ 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

E5 E5 5:7 6:6 6:5 E5

I also tend to a do a little mute on beat 4. Repeat this three times, then it's what I'll call riff 5b. This part appears throughout the song.

+ 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

G5 6:0 F#5 6:0 F#5 G5 F#5 E5

Use palm mute throughout, except for the E5 chord.

☑️ Listen, Listen, Listen to the original recording. Not only will you learn the order of the song, you'll get a much better idea of what the rhythm is.

Enter Sandman by Metallica: Riff 6

Time for the riff that you can hear under the verse vocals. This one is real simple. All you need is the low E string, an F power chord, and riff 5b:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
6:0 6:0 6:0 6:0 6:0 6:0 6:0 F5

Play this for three bars. On the final bar, start riff 5b on the "and" after 4.

Enter Sandman by Metallica: Riff 7

This one is the hardest riff in the song, but it's still pretty easy. Don't be upset if it sounds different to the original – there are several layers of guitar in the original take. This is a blend of the various parts.

Barre the four thickest strings at fret 2 with finger 1. Then put finger 3 down at 4:4. Pick strings 6, 4, and 3, then put finger 2 on 5:3 and lift it off to reveal 5:2. Then pick string 4.

When you pick 5:3 and 5:2, lightly touch the thumb of your fretting hand against string 6 to mute it.

Enter Sandman by Metallica: Riff 8

For this one, we'll need an F#5 (244XXX), C5 (X35XXX), and B5 (X24XXX). I tend to play the three-note F#5, but you can also go for the two-note version of F# (24XXXX) and the three-note grips for C5 (X355XX) and B5 (X244XXX). Your call!

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
F#5 C5 B5 F#5 C5 B5 F#5 C5 B5 E5

Let the E5 ring out for one bar, play the last bar of that sequence again and let E5 ring out again. Then play riff 5b, but with E5 on beat 1. The music sounds a bit bare when the E5 chord is ringing out. Add this Kirk Hammett fill:

Finger      3 1 3 3 3 3 – 
TAB      |----------------|
         |----------------|
         |--------------0-|
         |----5---7---9---|
         |--7---7---7-----|
         |----------------|
Rhythm    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

We switch back to F#5 on beat 1.

Put It All Together

Now we've covered the eight riffs, it's time to put them all together. I definitely suggest you make TAB for each of the riffs, listen to the original song, and write down how many times they repeat and when. Pay close attention to the structure later on in the song. ;)

Time for you to go and enjoy this one! What an awesome rock song, just fantastic. Playing along with the original is great for mastering the timing and feel, and it's loadsa fun. Laters. :)

🎵 Want chords, tabs, and lyrics to follow along with my song tutorials? Check out JustinGuitar Tabs!