Is This HETFIELD "Live-Hack" the Down-Picking Solution We All Needed?

Is This HETFIELD "Live-Hack" the Down-Picking Solution We All Needed?
Worked like a charm for me and I know it'll help you keep up too.
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[@anephemeralcollation3865]

Glad to hear that Kirk is taking care of the notes in between. He's come a long way.

[@DanielOakfield]

But is he playing all of the other strokes or just those James leaves out?

[@Creatine_Shits]

I understood that reference

[@leodileo]

underated joke. bravo. lol

[@typicalkyle3085]

Kirk has gotten a lot better. I mean, I think he was always great but he’s gotten a lot tighter when he plays.

[@wendellpowell5838]

Which is more than we can say about Lars.

[@imonlyhumanafterallspinningguy]

James is almost 60 years old, makes me sad knowing they won't be around forever.

[@guitarplayer1495]

Me too man. Though personally their newer albums are not my type so I feel like they died at the black album. But them personally I love them all. Especially kirk and Rob.

[@mikemorrisonmusic]

I feel that. He’s one of my guitar heroes.

[@michaeltian]

nobody lives forever. enjoy things while they still around. ik it sounds generic and cliche but its really something to live by

[@lovemetal2467]

He'll be 60 in a year. He just turned 59 on the 3rd. James is the reason I became a guitarist 22 years ago. Metallica Forever! 🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@rainerdietwerner5048]

its just life, biatch

[@steveort2105]

He's been doing this for YEARS. At least since the late 90s. I think it mostly simplifies his playing whilst singing.

[@craigquik]

Came here to say this. All except the pause in the main riff. He's been letting the power chords ring out a bit since the black album tour.

[@neonblack211]

it was in all the guitar pro tabs too

[@emartinezr]

Singing, plus a WHOLE live set... night after night. That is exhausting. You can muscle it in the studio; but no way they can sustain all that live.

[@punanipie6969]

nah, he simplifies it because he's not really that good at guitar and they recorded every track in 30 second sessions for the albums

[@taxationistheft2.0]

@@punanipie6969 davemustaine said he was a great rhythm player. DAVE SAID THIS “As far as rhythm guitar players are concerned, there’s James, there’s me, there’s Malcolm Young and there’s Rudolf Schenker. There’s no one else that touches the four of us. We’re the fantastic four.” Dave Mustaine said.

[@alexandregarot2782]

Getting rid off the "notes in between" should be called a Hammet hack, actually ^^

[@balu.92]

Lmao, is this a reference to his "it's the notes in between that are f*cking with me"? 😂

[@cihadkibris8674]

hahahah

[@javierlozada4689]

@@balu.92yes

[@llluuuyyyooo]

Kirkmaoo

[@paulwright4535]

According to Mr.Beato, they actually recorded MoP detuned, and slower. It was then sped up to concert pitch and the vocals layered on top. This gives the song a more "precise feel" and also, meant James could downstroke all the parts and not missing out notes.

[@matthewj3892]

Perhaps, but then you look up live videos of them in 1986 and they're not only playing all the notes, but playing the songs faster than the album.

[@srhatfield]

Also according to the recording producer of the album: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn7OfYOGfNOMiMk

[@brandonjackson5865]

Yeah I found it fascinating they actually tuned down and sped the tape up to pitch and speed they couldn’t play the songs at album speed live when it was recorded but they could play it faster than album speed after a few months of touring it. I think what makes the first five Metallica albums so cool is they were recording songs beyond their technical ability and it forced them to get better. And Justice just got stupid and they’ve never played as much from Justice as the other albums. The slower recording hack really surprised me. I used to be able to make it to the verse using down strokes it’s the second riff around that f5 that always wore me out.

[@thrash1337]

@@brandonjackson5865 I don't think it's a matter of skill as they already had many FAST songs that they both recorded and played live really fast. Just look at Kill 'Em or RTL. I think they wanted to visit the holy lands of TIGHTNESS and 99% precision with MoP and AJFA, and they utilized a few tricks here and there. Compare the late 80s stuff to Hardwired and you'll notice how much they stopped caring about being just tight, their guitar and drum tones have also loosened a lot.

[@robertdelgado8230]

@@brandonjackson5865 I think they were always able to play at that speed but the reason for playing it slower on the track and then speeding it up was to get a super precise recording. Like you said I think it definitely made them progress and force themselves to get better nevertheless!

[@JohnnyCashavetes]

James has been "cheating" a lot in 2022 footage. He's still faster and mightier than everyone else, but it humanizes him in a way to see that he's finally slowing down a bit. Just a tiny bit.

[@rozza105]

I’d rather him still be able to play the songs than for him to risk an injury

[@The_Crooked_Path]

Yeah I've noticed a lot of him not playing chords and just the bass note

[@CMHobbies]

@@The_Crooked_Path me too. Kirk is playing more of the parts now. Makes sense-Kirk is around the same age but has taken better care of himself for longer.

[@pfzt]

People have a surprisingly hard time grasping that you can't do things in your 50s anymore that you did in your 20s.

[@CleberHarrisonGuitar]

@@rozza105 this is just technique to make the live performance better. I'm sure he can still do the downstrokes in the studio when he needs to. It's just a natural more comfortable way of playing when you're standing AND singing. It's worth to say that when he recorded master of puppets, he wasn't singing the parts as well.

[@ink5943]

I don't always play the last two notes of the main riff to make it easier for me. Finding out that James does it like that makes me feel better lol

[@arrrrrran3043]

yo yo mr white

[@Ezper-2099]

​@@arrrrrran3043it's cookin' time

[@MeatCatCheesyBlaster]

I am the one who downpicks

[@charlesxcalibur]

Jesse, we need to shred​@@MeatCatCheesyBlaster

[@gngrblls2thwall]

He skips a lot of notes in Creeping Death too. He actually plays it live the way my ears heard it on the album when I was a guitar noob before I looked at the tabs. So he’s basically skipping the notes that only the guitar nerds can hear anyway.

[@dyt2581]

I'm a total guitar noob, I felt that he was skipping some notes in live performances, but I didn't know if it was only my ears betraying me. And even after watching this video, I'm still not sure if it was not just my impression... lol (I mean, I don't think I would genuinely be able to tell if he skips notes or not...)

[@kingoflebanon1986]

i notice him skipping notes but it doesn't bother me, i'd rather him do that than make a tonne of mistakes

[@Mboogie69]

I hear ya. I played the early stuff wrong for years back when the albums came out. Even after I learned the “right” way, I still defaulted to what my forearm and ears wanted. Basically doing some of these hacks out of necessity. Lol.

[@Syldar]

Claude Debussy: « Music is the silence between notes » Nothing else matters 😉

[@thejoker-go3fh]

Thats the thing to do man. Music is the only thing that matters

[@mason12075]

Thank you for your deep analysis on Hetpicking, this and your previous videos on downpicking have really helped me improve!!

[@TheBranDingo]

I always figured he did these sorts of things in his songs to help him focus on his singing rather than just making it easier to play.

[@camhalen]

He's played the verse this way for a while - all the way back to the original S&M shows at least (and presumably before). My first time hearing the song was from that album so the "live way" has always sounded and felt better to me.

[@Swampster70]

He was "missing" the odd note or two, in the name of clarity and dynamics I'm presuming, even back in the late 80's. The "Seattle" show has similar notes missed in order to add to the punch in some places. The speed they played Master back then was such, as they found out on the tour for Master of Puppets, it turned into mush. Skip a few notes and add punch, especially with the sliding chord part.

[@tomt.5799]

There seems to be another hack, pointed out by Ben Eller and visible on this Metallica show: that James plays the downstrokes not so much "down" as "out", moving his hand, like, away from guitar, to save time and effort not having to return the pick above the string to initial position

[@TheLucidDreamer12]

He also doesn't use his wrist for downstrokes. His downstrokes are mostly in his shoulder, and his wrist muscles simply keep his arm locked. Since this motion is more natural than the common forearm motion most people use, he's managed it for 40 years

[@BatFan1]

I noticed that too, It's like he's literally attacking the string, not plucking or strumming in the traditional way.

[@Classic_DionysuS]

It's not a hack... You don't want get stuck between the strings so he slants the pick downward

[@vladimirnikonov5684]

> James plays the downstrokes not so much "down" as "out" He actually plays "in" guitar rather than out. Watch Master of Puppets live on the Howard Stern Show. It is clearly visible. > He also doesn't use his wrist for downstrokes. No, he does use his wrist. Watch the same live video. It is clearly visible he uses his wrist and plays in guitar. The moment, when he uses his shoulder are either for emotional moments of for hard 1 time attacks, not for the whole downstroke riff.

[@var_guitar]

If you watch Troy Grady’s paid course he goes into ludicrous detail about the body mechanics of flicking your wrist out like that. Definitely recommended if you want to level up your picking technique

[@Chazzs]

I feel like this is also similar what Johnny Ramone did when trying to get breaks in when doing all of his downstroke rhythms. I think James is doing this to help him focus more on singing in his later years which is very understandable.

[@guilhermerafael7838]

It's different because when the 90's came Johnny was literally playing half of the strokes (Marky on the drums simplified as well). The songs got faster but it just didn't had the same aggression. I get it, tho. It was probably not wise for a 40-year-old to play 2000+ downstrokes every night

[@j_freed]

@@guilhermerafael7838 It’s very cruel drumming, but they wrote unplayable drum parts.

[@Chazzs]

@@guilhermerafael7838 he still took breaks in between during the 70s and 80s too.

[@blindguitarfox]

Johnny has a swing in his downstrokes that is often overlocked. Like james, the first downstroke hangs on slightly longer than the rest. If you try to play the ramonss stuff without that little swing it does not have the same effect,

[@JoeChadburn702]

It's Exactly What Johnny Did. I use the Same Technique in My Ramones Trib Band. Iv Studied that Guy down to the Down n Dirty Nits n Grits

[@raffaeleguido2828]

James also uses the "three finger picking" technique, he said it helps him a lot in downstroking

[@luk8918]

I tried the three finger picking and it feels awkward. I don't think I'll ever get good with it. 😄

[@NebMunb]

James is a rhythmic GOD!! Those micro-pauses, augmenting notes & note length....so good. You can definitely tell the difference between live and album when you hear it, but it's understandable that he had to change the rhythm up a bit 😅

[@robertocruz9677]

I am sooooo happy you put this video out. I noticed precisely the same thing recently in some video they posted and thought "Damn!!! Is it just me or is James playing it it differently?" Glad to see it wasn't me. I'll let you know how it goes. Been playing full version building up speed and am so far at 85-90/100

[@eustathiap3291]

I think he does these things for maintenance, not just because he is singing at the same time but also because he is the frontman and main communicator to crowd, so he holds a show, parallel with singing vocals and his classic downpinking. Sounds as you said normal . Saw phantom lord November 2022 was amazing my opinion

[@razeezar]

My MOP hack is in the (edit: pre verse) riff - Whenever it is the end of a bar with the two 8th note B notes (A string 2nd fret), upstroking that last B note helps heaps. As an added bonus, the notes on this string are not played muted anyway during this riff, therefore a sneaky upstroke here and there makes little to no compromise on how the riff should sound.

[@De-flammatory]

i do this too!

[@linuskangas9791]

NO UPSTROKES ALLOWED lol

[@jameshetfieldtm8887]

I've been playing this song for almost 3 years now, and I still have to warm up to get every note in time! One hell of a song, and super challenging.

[@BatFan1]

Ive been playing since the 90s and still need to work my way up to playing MoP; it cant be the first song I play right as I pick up my guitar cold. it will sound like $#%^..

[@jamesb95]

Great video as always! I’ve been playing this song for 35 years and have never been able to play the intro full speed all down picking perfectly. Someday I hope, but time is not on my side.

[@jamesb95]

I get close but eventually the wheels fall off the bus.

[@40fit38]

Mike, your attention to the smallest details like these are reasons your channel is my favorite guitar channel on KZbin. Thanks man!!

[@PhobosDDeimos]

Mike and Ben Eller are pretty much the best at this.

[@k1775]

Been doing this for a year after watching James live (Especially on Creeping Death) and its a lot of fun to do.

[@erikbailey2525]

This is a fantastic video! I used to play in a Ramones tribute band, and found similar little "hacks" to help me get through songs. I'd typically skip the second downpick on each chord change. It not only kept my arm from falling off, but it helped accentuate the chord changes a bit more.

[@jacobramseyer5275]

It'd be easier to play in a Led Zeppelin tribute band than a Ramones tribute band. I don't know how Johnny did that and he looked so relaxed down picking like that

[@DaveBloodstream]

I always had to figure out this type of hacks when trying to play many Iced Earth riffs up to speed and full songs.... Never made me feel any lesser but more appreciative of Schaffer's bionic wrist, so I think the same principle can be applied here hahaha

[@angeloscalzo8944]

Jon Schaffer is a GOD

[@fredlaroche6969]

Jon Shcaffer has a very different ''hack'' built right into his song writing. He uses a lot of anticipation inducing pauses in his riffs so that is flows, grooves and breathes better. A classic and perfect example is the main riff in Burning Times. The power chords and the tight muted notes are spaced so that the chords accentuate the muting (anticipation). A more extreme example is Pure Evil, the chords in the main riffs offer anticipation for the listening experience but gives much room for the actual picking of the triplets.

[@maumau161]

Hetfield is good, but Schaffer is an underrated god.

[@Locknar77]

Great job breaking this down. I believe Het has been incorporating up strokes and employing some of these hacks for quite a while. As a guitarist and fan since the beginning, it does hit my ear wrong at times, but I accept that most of the audience doesn't care, and I'd rather have him playing the songs in this manner than not at all. This stuff is really un-chartered waters, as there's no one on the planet whose played hi tempo trash rhythm guitar in concert as much as him, and as I'm 53, I know you have to make some of these moves for the sake of self-preservation, and he hung in there for quite a while. LOL, you could also do a 3 hour video on "drum parts and fills Lars no longer plays" as he started making his live playing easier to manage a long time ago, but then again, some say he was always the "smart" one in the band.

[@Hoscitt]

He's done this quite a bit for a few years now, starting alternate picking some parts as well. Age catching up!

[@haydnthrelfall8394]

Hey thanks so much for sharing all these tips for MOP. My 11 yr old son is just beginning to learn the first few riffs with his guitar teacher and we all have taken on board your observations and tips. Cheers! 🤘🤘❤

[@DeanOMiite]

I have been playing this song for almost 25 years and when i was learning (self-taught) I didn't realize how important it was do all the down strokes. I played this with down-up-down-up forever and I'm trying to relearn it now and it is EXHAUSTING

[@kooldawg6]

For him to play not only MOP, but probably half of their catalog after 30+ years, he's definitely earned a break here and there! It still amazes me how anybody from the metal community who tour so much can still do their older stuff justice after a 25+ year career! Being almost 50 myself and literally growing up with Metallica since '87, it will definitely feel weird knowing they're not touring and making music anymore when they call it quits😲

[@ExposingEvil_]

You could do the same thing with songs like Holy Wars Instead of doing two bars of 16th notes straight, you could do one bar of full, and subtract an upstroke from the second bar as a means to help you not make your hand fall off. After enough practice, you should get the full thing.

[@justinwhidden5189]

I first noticed this "hack" if you will while watching them play MOP on the first S&M concert, and I was really struggling to get all the way through that song playing it like on the album, so once I figured that out it definitely made it a little easier. It's amazing how just those small little breaks make such a big difference lol

[@l33lduck]

I can get through the whole thing exactly how it sounds on the album, no issues. once you've been downpicking so long you can eventually micro-downpick and that's how I manage so my wrist doesn't even hurt at all for the most part. I've actually noticed a lot of what you brought out in even earlier live performances so I've already been trying to implement mostly the upstroked power chords cause i just thought it looked cool.

[@andrew6978]

What the hell is a micro downpick. Either you pick or you don't.

[@edwardmackinnon2685]

Loved the ‘subtle shade’ thrown over Lars - lol!

[@metaljay2896]

He is also singing through most of those parts, so it makes sense to coordinate all his muscle movements differently live

[@kevindelatortoise7526]

My band is covering this soon! Thanks for the super awesomely timed video haha

[@dominicteixeira6949]

Got a talent show on this song in 2 days,downstroking endurance is my only flaw with this song. This is definitely gonna help me out

[@Lowpros96]

Love how detailed this is, makes sense to play it this way

[@4seiken-594]

Man your guitar tone is so sweet, the mutes sound so sharp and perfect

[@BM5556]

Thank you so much for these kinds of videos, they are very interesting and informative. This is actually really cool to see that James is just human like the rest of us.

[@brpadington]

They have been known to simplify some riffs during live shows. I had not noticed the little picking tricks though. Great video.

[@gentelmanjunkie542]

This is why you need to do a full lesson on this song. I already saw 2 things that are differient than how I learned it from other videos (and sound better and more album correct). It's maddening, every time I think I finally have it I see something differient somewhere. PS- ...And thanks for this! Awesome getting us (me) these tips to Master the MOP.

[@verstamp]

I've seen some recent TikToks where James has modified the spider riff a bit too - he's pulling off from the 4 to the open A string, which saves him an 8th note to downpick and is not noticeable unless you are really listening or watching his hands.

[@ruschm]

Cool video! I feel like these changes are things that have naturally happened in a live setting over the years, tightening up and emphasizing parts with Lars

[@marcinmcula99]

He also does it for the one machine gun double time riff (first hit is a quarter note instead of a triplet). You could do a video on another Hetfield trick that he used on the unforgiven, to live is to die and a few other songs where he hides the pick inside his hand to go from picking to fingerstyle. Steve vai and John Mayer also do it quite a bit

[@frikerjimenez]

The "economy of movements" he did in the past, now this "hack" is the "live version" of the songs...a more "loose" and "groovy" approach to the riffs almost pairing the vocals. Very well explained here. Congrats!

[@shanegillis3592]

This is brilliant. I came to this after trying to play along with Behind the Crooked Cross. Relentless downstrokes.

[@leependragon6647]

I just watched this video. Yesterday was the first day I'd ever been able to play through Master of Puppets full speed all the way through without stopping and with minimal mistakes. After all the practice to get this up to full speed I don't know if I'll use the full hack but upstroking some of the power cords is something I'll definitely try.

[@zacm6173]

such a good video! you’re so right, on-stage players end up with all these little shortcuts

[@acigarbar]

I’ve known about the skipped down strokes for the extra chonk sound for a long time. My ear picked up on a Iive version of Am I Evil when they’ll released Garage Inc. You can here more open notes in the galloped middle section. I always took as his way of freshening the song after playing it for so many years.

[@Cx0318]

I kind of settled to a similar style after playing along with the track for years. Playing guitar is just a hobby for me and I do understand that in a studio environment you need to do a lot more. When it comes to Metallica, I love both the live and the studio versions of their songs and I think they have incredible depth still after all those years.

[@joecafarellamusic]

Great video! As a metal singer / guitarist, this also makes sense in a live situation to be able to pull off a song via the studio.

[@pers0nman366]

I've been playing guitar for roughly 3.3 years, and I never did anything fancy but played along to the studio recording and made lots of mistakes but overtime of just doing it over and over I got there and i'm really good at playing the entire song all down picking :)

[@uppercaseJackal]

another thing i've noticed about how he plays master of puppets, and you can see it in this clip, is that he plays the verse riff with single notes instead of sliding power chords. It's way easier to play.

[@fichshreds2661]

He's older so he's saving energy. It's amazing he's still playing this good (while singing) at almost 60. Also, I don't know if Lars plays it too fast or not but drummers shouldn't torture guitarists by playing faster live... Personally, I was never drawn to play the song with downstrokes only (even when people would tell me I'm playing it ''wrong''). My hands just weren't built for these rhythms. Doesn't mean I can't absolutely crush 16th notes riffs (upstroke downstroke etc...) at high speeds.

[@zorkan111]

I've always used the trick of sneaking an upstroke here and there or doing some alternate picking where it doesn't matter too much. It really helps on giving your picking hand a bit of relief.

[@greganderson9618]

Well analyzed! Those brief 'breaks' definitely make all the difference to the pain/endurance factor. I'm a hack home-player in his 50's but even I was able to get Creeping Death up to speed without cheating during covid work-from-home days when I'd take 10-15min guitar breaks once or twice a day. The problem is you lose it soooo fast if you don't do it most every day, especially when you are old. It was cool to see that I COULD do it though.

[@guitaR..]

Good tips for sure! Definitely helps to have little breaks especially if you're playing live or getting tired during the song!

[@mattfire83]

I don't play so much metallica anymore, but the downstroke rhythm is an exercise you need to do everyday in order to keep your chops up to speed! I also notice that wearing the guitar strap low is helpful for rhythm....but wearing it higher up is much better for soloing!

[@sinteger]

Wow, I basically implemented a couple of these many years ago when "learning" the song... the tabs I had were barely guidelines so I improvised where I had to in order to get through it. I've never realized the upstroke on the power chords though, genius.

[@Fiction_Supreme]

I started using his technique of two fingers and the thumb on the pick (like a Lego man claw) to down pick Master of Puppets and it works. Then I just upped the tempo to get myself used to the actual tempo of the song later.

[@sairaleblanc5329]

I get so hung up on doing it right that I forget that it just has to feel right. Thank you for the reminder!

[@MrHoopz23]

I honestly think he does it as a musical change not a break from down picking. He’s been doing it for years.

[@mattdad8429]

Right, that's what I think too. He obviously can play as tight as ever, but sometimes these efficiency hacks are more for swing, vibe, and feel. It's more about what feels right, and not what's note-for-note on the album because frankly they probably get bored with copying the album night after night.

[@DeweyJHall1]

Yeah, many bands change little things here and there to make things interesting

[@Tybren]

Yeah, this guy is reaching and reading too much into it, in my opinion.

[@Kylora2112]

That, and when you're playing for 2 hours, that stuff matters.

[@gonzalo7783]

Exactly, there are many interviews where they talk about variations on live versions.

[@morsteen]

I've been playing to this album since high school. It just takes a lot of endurance training. But it totally can be done, and becomes second nature to fit all the downstrokes in.

[@WAFFLEMAN38]

Interesting! I had always thought these little riff changes were to keep the songs fresh for the band after playing 'em every night for 40 years. Now that I think about it, this definitely makes sense for energy-saving. I can barely make it through these 8 minute songs, let alone for 3 hours lol Really cool video

[@LayerDan]

Learning that the album version was sped up in the studio was a breakthrough moment for me. I stopped trying to play perfectly and started playing "good enough."

[@mambatabac]

I remember watching a vid years ago of Creeping Death where the camera was behind Lars, and the guitars were clearly seperated by the stereo - and I remember noticing then that James was missing notes here and there to make life easier, but you couldn't tell because whatever he missed Kirk played. I always wondered if they did that with other songs, and this vid has just answered that question!

[@jamesnewton485]

Saw video of James playing the main riff only on the low e string. He wasn't playing any power chords. He wasn't sliding into the notes either. His hand was in the position where his index finger was above the 3rd fret. Ring finger over the 5th and pinky over the 6th fret and those were the only notes he played.

[@TheSoulWithin7]

This is encouraging to see even james mix it up a little bit

[@mcgamescompany]

2:21 i feel like this, even though it makes it easier to play with all downstrokes, its main purpose is to make it easier for james to sing and play.

[@13Drumsticks]

4:53 That`s just crazy, what a technique. Thanks for figuring this out!

[@scootinand]

I noticed little change ups like that in some songs, but I always figured that just came from playing the songs a little looser live, or that it adds a little hang time in certain spots, which is a fun little thing to do in a song

[@sscotthamilton]

Take a look at his left hand in the verse in that video for another hack. Playing the powerchord riff with just the top string. Helps a ton when trying to sing it.

[@streifig]

I noticed that Mustaine and other Megadeth guitarists do that upstroke on chords in Tornado of Souls as well. The chugs are picked with downstrokes but the chords accents are played with upstrokes. Well, when they play it in proper tempo and not 25% faster where they just go all the way alternate like it’s a campfire song :) Thanks a lot for your vids on Master of Puppets. They really helped me grasp that fast downstroke mechanic. The one in particular where you use the “basketball bounce” analogy, it helped me realize that the nature of the picking motion is entirely different. I would also describe it ton myself as “pecking” because at speed it feels more like a directional movement instead of a pick swing.

[@ErwinAgustin]

He also did this in the recent live versions of Atlas Rise! With some notes left behind, others with alternate picking.

[@scottstever8]

this helped me get through creeping death seattle 89, thank you!!

[@joeldodson5238]

Once I learned how to bounce the pick off of the string and sit with my guitar in the classical position my forearm doesn't burn anymore. I sit classical because it creates a nicer angle to pluck the strings with your pick. I also switched to using a jazz iii for I find it gliding faster over the strings compared to larger picks. Something you may want to experiment with.

[@daved2352]

I have some tendon problems in my hands and to save my hands and make them last a whole set I did a lot of Hetfield Hacks to my riffs and only played them as I wrote them during the other guitarists solo sections or in intros when I was leading. It really saved me but now I'm doing physio and working my way back to full strength by playing a bunch of Metallica like how I originally learned guitar as a teenager.

[@EclipseAtDusk]

Funnily enough, I listened to the S&M version of Master so much as a kid, I internalized a lot of this into how I played the song - because even in the 90s, he was doing this!

[@v0ver]

Awesome! I love the details!

[@nistgo]

I think “the hack” is due to his age. He kind of said it himself. He had his doubts about playing live because of his speed. So more likely, they, as a band, figure out that this little breaks, could also be used to emphasize different parts and give extra power to the song. Geniuses!!!

[@coolintruddle]

Don't forget James' picking technique. If you watch, you can see that he picks down AND away from the strings. It really does make songs like Master and Creeping Death easier to play at speed.

[@machine-madedog5059]

I'm lucky in that I was a drummer before I played guitar, hence my picking hand is the same as my ride/hi-hat hand, gave me a bit of an advantage for downstroke picking. Even from day one it felt like a natural action, I didn't really know it was a "thing" until after I'd been playing a couple of years 🤣

[@James-bj2km]

You're so cool ! I tried this a lot. But never got this like you !

[@flavy1000]

Geat point Mike...and it´s due,, to keep up rocking...

[@smandez2023]

Regardless of James’ then and now technique, can we just be amazed that it was once done with all downstrokes? I’m guessing that many fans of this channel have seen the interview where James is asked about his downstroke preference, especially when so many others were employing alternate picking for speed. James demonstrates right then and there the differences by playing a riff both ways. All downstrokes seemingly have more “fang” to them, but like one tone over the other is not the point. This style sets James apart from them all. Legendary \m/_ o.O _\m/

[@Aidan.w]

I've always had a tendency to play power chords with upstrokes when my arm starts to hurt so its cool to see James doing it too lol

[@cassiooliveira9429]

I noticed this during several live performances but thought I was going crazy

[@leviathan_is_me]

I use the massive part of "One" to explain the "1 stroke makes a world of difference" thing. Try playing the "left me with life in hell" part and skip 1 simple stroke...changes everything. Some places you can skip and embellish, others you just HAVE to do. Knowing where, when, and why is what makes you.

[@shelbylover1359]

These Hetfield hacks really help. I can finally get through the whole song

[@danielehartmann2787]

I think this is a GREAT way when you are just not able to maintain this incredible album speed. For beginners, old people or just people who CANT this is perfect. I don't know what you are thinking but for striving new guitar players which are able, they should be aiming for the original version.

[@BullShark1579]

Another big Thang that James does is he holds the pick with 3 fingers and Not the regular 2. I'm so surprised u didn't Mention this. That's a big help also in Maintaining Stamina in the wrist and fore arm for all the Down picking.

[@InsomniacMatt]

I remember when teenage me used to be able to play it at album speed, teenage me also was the Mario Party button mash champ between my friends

[@mitchellprovow1859]

You’re rather brilliant for elucidating this nuance and disparity in versions and technique. I’ll never be able to listen to the live version the same way again! 😂 But in all seriousness, excellent job.

[@MikeysMorgue]

0:02 James singing like Scooby-Doo! 😆

[@costa7087]

i've been playing guitar for like 10 years (since i was around 11) and i still can't play puppets downpicking everything. i always take advantage of long chords (like in the chorus) to take micro rests on my picking hand and do some upstrokes so i can finish the song lol this song has been around for almost 40 years and it's still the best downpicking exercise we could ever ask for. it takes years of consistent practice to play it flawlessly till the end

[@klaycottis8516]

Your little Marshall speaker behind you reminds me. My band opened up for a matallica cover band so there was a wall of Marshalls. Somebody said to me there is nothing better than a Gibson through a marshall. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was a boss katana I was using

[@bradcollier3040]

In my opinion he’s almost made the riffs more percussive doing it this way. I’ve always heard it but this breakdown makes it clear to me that it’s been happening for awhile. Maybe since s&m og or slightly after. I dig it

[@dnmoscato92]

And just think. He's played master of puppets almost 1500 times. Freaking INSANE

[@Jayteaseepiirturi]

Another li'l thing you might want to consider is doing those downstrokes in bursts. Think the "spider riff" before every verse of Puppets. The stroke on the A-string is bigger than the rest, and the rhythm of the strokes is something like: X-x X-x-x- X-x-x X-x-x X-x-x X-x ... You're doing it in bursts of three strokes. If you think of the verse riff, bursts of three would work nicely, because there are 9 hits before you hit the G5. So, this might cause a dynamic difference between those notes at first, but it's something I've been experimenting with and it seems to wield the desired effect. You will be doing all the downstrokes, but as some of them in between are a bit weaker, you have some leeway. The great thing about metal tones here is that the difference will be minimal. Experiment with different number of hits during a burst and find the one that suits you best.

[@stefanloof1643]

Fantastic, Mike! Downstrokes yet economic. Cheers from Sweden! 🇸🇪