That riff from Fight Fire With Fire by Metallica you could never figure out! Weekend Wankshop 137

unclebeneller
twitter/instagram @BenEllerGuitars
Skype lessons? email [e-mail]
Hey kids! Remember that riff from Fight Fire With Fire by Metallica that you could never figure out? Pepperidge Farms remembers, just like Uncle Ben does. So on Weekend Wankshop 137, i'm gonna show you all the right way to play this SUPER MYSTERIOUS riff that i have seen played and transcribed incorrectly SO MANY times!
The tone on the original makes it REALLY hard to hear whats going on with this riff, but after listening to the isolated guitar track as well as Cliff Burton's bass track, as well as seeing a bunch of live videos, i think i've discovered what James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett were up to on this one.
Its tough! Be sure to wait to the end of the video for picking tips as well as play thru's with the original guitar track as several different speeds.

[@xleatherfoot3338]

The major version of Kill Em All in the background tho

[@TonyJuanPailos]

Jump in the water

[@ColonelPatchy1]

@@TonyJuanPailos LOL

[@ajrod3047]

Seek and Repair

[@roberto3491]

@@ajrod3047 lmfao

[@pfzt]

@@ajrod3047 rofl

[@AndriyVasylenko]

You could do this with the main Blackened riff. The album and live versions are different, guys are often confused because of that

[@BenEller]

Andriy Vasylenko already have, my man!

[@AndriyVasylenko]

Wow, gonna explore your stuff more carefully!) Thanks for reply \m/

[@ZekaSpalcev]

+Andriy Watch them all, Ben is pretty much the best uncle in the world.

[@chrisrodriguez2636]

Andriy Vasylenko Yeah I had brought that up in one of your videos where you compared album riffs and live riffs.

[@Jorzef2]

Man you're everywhere xD

[@AndriyVasylenko]

Thanks man. One of the best gifts for my Birthday!

[@vidiac2012]

Andriy Vasylenko Happy birthday dude, I've watched some of your videos before and they're awesome, keep on rocking!

[@HellAngel275]

I also watched some of your videos! C dnem rojdenia, drug :)

[@victorachim3951]

Late Happy Birthday!

[@metalslayer777]

Andriy Vasylenko, У этого чувака обновление по поводу второго рифа You Can't Play That Riff! Ep 3 Fight Fire With Fire

[@kartikchandrasekhar2762]

To me, this is James's most difficult riff. He was around 19-20 when he wrote it too. He was always a rhythm machine from an early age.

[@KrwiomoczBogurodzicy]

_Dyers Eve_ tho

[@CruciatusVXS]

@@KrwiomoczBogurodzicy to Kirk

[@rustinpeace770]

@@KrwiomoczBogurodzicyEasy compared to this

[@KrwiomoczBogurodzicy]

@@rustinpeace770, I find it hard to believe. I can play it, but can't play _Dyers Eve_ for shit. Even at słowem tempo, the staccato and the following disolaced accent throws me off.

[@RyanMaziarz]

The Leper Messiah intro could use this treatment too - no one gets it right.

[@BenEller]

Ryan Maziarz very true

[@KingWTFuck]

Indeed

[@TJCombo67]

Underrated track for sure

[@johnbrenton6972]

disposable heroes.

[@SilentScreamer79]

Yeah the bridge riff!!

[@chrisrodriguez2636]

Hetfield is a riff God!

[@coldvoid]

Totally!

[@remnant24]

*was

[@coltallic3114]

Facepalm Still is dumbass

[@chrisrodriguez2636]

Facepalm lol yeah ok I guess all the riffs on Hardwired suck huh?

[@remnant24]

Chris Rodriguez You're kidding right? The riffs on Hardwired are bland as fuck.

[@bestboy897]

you're doing God's work uncle Ben

[@tyr4489]

fazeel ashraf Uncle God

[@MartyDadRiffs]

BAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[@barrycooper8640]

Which God are you on about +fazeel ashraf ? Allah would want you dead for listening to this. I bet you left that shit and are now a free rocker.

[@bestboy897]

Barry Cooper very true man

[@ilir96]

Why do people always have to attack religions and beliefs as soon as someone just pronounces the word "God"?

[@shanemiller2046]

Fght fire with water.

[@profileone5655]

Shane Miller fight fire with wind

[@adonisguy3243]

Fight fire with petroleum

[@lenoxx891]

Fight fire with gas station

[@j_freed]

Don't fight fire, report it to the police.

[@shanemiller2046]

@@j_freed I am a firm believer in NEVER CALLING THE.POLICE.

[@scottofsc]

It cracks me up that Kirk can apparently play this riff without issue but that one triplet riff from Some Kind of Monster gave him so much trouble. Great video Ben!

[@chikinonfrydai]

to be fair, trying to do it the way james explained it in that video is extremely confusing

[@guitarwizzz]

@@chikinonfrydai But James explanation is how I learned how to play the riff correctly. XD

[@chikinonfrydai]

@@guitarwizzz everyone learns differently ig, i’m personally able to play the riff just fine from listening to it, but when i think about it the way james explained it i end up doing the same thing kirk does

[@WillyWylde1919]

Triplets can be tricky man.

[@skaruts]

When I read that title I knew instantly what riff you were talking about! :) Probably so did everyone else that ever tried to play that song. I had the official tabs though...

[@IvanVallebona]

where did you get the official tab?? i need it!!!!

[@skaruts]

There were these books at the time (mid 90s), and me and my friends had photocopies of them. Someone had the originals. Sadly I only still have the black album's copy. They probably got scattered from borrowing. I've no clue who they actually belonged to. :) You could probably find them on ebay or something (beware that some only come with the standard music notation and no tabs. Ours had both, so those do exist!).

[@IvanVallebona]

thank you!! i live in argentina and we dont have ebay here. guess i will stick to the tab on songsterr lol

[@skaruts]

Or you can buy at metallica's website. www.metallica.com/store/books-mags/6594/ride-the-lightning-guitar-tablature-book (the stuff written on the top left and top right of that book are exactly the same as what I see on the copy I have from the black album, so that book there is probably the one I had a copy of) I googled for pdf versions, but I couldn't find Fight Fire With Fire. abysslord.com has two from ride the lightning, but not that one...

[@IvanVallebona]

ooh thank you man!! im gonna try looking for pdf versions!!

[@Dovahkiin0327]

Hardcore fans know what riff it was immediately

[@greenbaysixxstring5008]

Viking2797 no doubt!

[@Sako-Taco]

I knew RIGHT AWAY, lol.

[@pedro3115]

Jajaa

[@marcaisseziraelbaptiste7566]

*guitar players lmao

[@arglbargl]

ok now do it at mid-80s coked out of their minds live metallica speed

[@Floral_Green]

arglbargl Underrated comment

[@caretheis6779]

Lars was the only one that did coke lmao

[@haydenboisvert3738]

Don't get how Hetfield could play this at 1.25 speed without coke?

[@Beatdownkioskman]

@@haydenboisvert3738 james didn't do coke he just drank

[@Beatdownkioskman]

@@raymanthewolf hammett only did coke not heroin

[@burnsZY85]

Now try playing this whilst singing. Hetfield is amazing.

[@Djazzy419]

I blame Tom green for my weirdness They simplified the tabs for live because it's too hard to sing and play

[@DoubtingThomas333]

except they don't sing during these riffs.

[@guitarplayer8918]

while*

[@Djazzy419]

Thomas I'm talking about the riffs when Hetfield sing and the Metallica performance in live

[@Walamonga1313]

I blame Tom green for my weirdness It's easy. Why? Because the hard riffs are played when he isn't singing.

[@AsherM4L]

bro thank you this riff actually drove me insane I could never play it right.

[@metfan4l]

Very helpful video, thanks for doing these!

[@polaris_northstar318]

Just before actual tempo, it oddly enough sounds like a Megadeth riff.

[@f2detaboada]

jonny j but can you be 100% sure?

[@DEFKNIGHT]

it sounds more like a Mustaine riff. Hetfield likes coming up with riffs that have more power chords going on with a simpler bent, whereas Mustaine likes more complicated riffs played as fast as possible. My two cents. Id love to be able to ask them.

[@dannyherrera1598]

James McClellan very true sounds a lot like a Mustaine riff but who knows! this has that same riff feel/sound as the intro & verse riffs for Holy Wars... a true Hetfield riff would be like Blackened or Master of Puppets.. :)

[@chrisrodsa210]

Danny Herrera Half Right, Blackened riff is actually Jason

[@markrogers7304]

Has that holy wars era mustain sound to it. Pretty sure its a dave riff. Similar to call of kuthula and hangar 18

[@bdwitt66]

Love these riff breakdowns!

[@DigitalReplicaOfAPerson]

Thanks Uncle Ben! A day spent learning a metallica riff is never a day wasted :)

[@BearSharkDude]

Well timed video Uncle Ben. Yesterday I dusted off Ride the Lightning, it's refreshing to hear some standard tuning thrash after binging on so much drop tuned chugging lately.

[@drewskidooo9954]

Daniel honestly tho

[@jclark1693]

Eddie The Head but C Standard is so goooood

[@Walamonga1313]

Mark Chang SOAD uses Drop C I think and it sounds good. Other than that, it's either D standard or up for me. There's a band called Vektor that tunes to F standard. Pretty uncommon!

[@Yaroslav_Grohot]

Greetings from Kyiv! respect that you show slowly and how to play correctly. This is important today because many people play it wrong.

[@AFXAcid37]

Kinda funny, I actually decided to learn that riff about 2 weeks ago. It's way easier than it seems. Also, glad to see you do slide the power chords at the very end, it seems like no one else does it in any other video I've seen, yet you can clearly hear it on both the record and live performances. Kudos, good sir.

[@a.j.garrett9639]

DUDE! I honestly can't believe you did this because , yeah... I'm a bass player who likes to fool around on the guitar and this is one of those riffs that eludes me. THANK YOU

[@eagleeye2391]

im always excited when I get a notification for a new Uncle Ben's video!

[@ChunderHorse]

This must be what it felt like when Howard Carter was the first to open the sealed burial chamber of King Tutankhamen.

[@BenEller]

ha!

[@KaoswareMetal]

Thank You so much for that !!!

[@Warlock73]

I'm old school Metallica... So thank you for mentioning Cliff!! Also awesome lesson as always!

[@AR-mq5oz]

Are you old school Metallica?I'm a fan of yours!

[@RickGrimesS5]

Dank I'm dying lmao

[@TobyKBTY]

I love to dj0nt and CHUGGA as much as the next modern metalhead, but GATDAYUM I super appreciate how you're taking these now overlooked classic thrash riffs and giving them great lessons! There's still something special about hearing those nasty riffs from old Tallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Testament and the rest.

[@sam8404]

You were correct, I did know exactly which riff you were talking about. It was the riff that made me quit trying to learn the song a few years ago, but hopeful I can get it this time!

[@mrmustard4478]

YESSSS, Uncle Ben!!! I can't say enough. MORE METALLICA!

[@GogiRegion]

Thank you! Now I finally have more of this song down! Now for the solo…

[@Nestalgica]

A lifetime of confusion finally cleared up, thanks dude!

[@UneedaMedicalSupply]

YES. Thank you dude, I always had trouble playing this riff and trying to figure it out on my own. Most tabs I've read never made sense either. The guitar tone on this album is awesome and makes this part sound like a wall of sonic noise (in like, a good way)

[@Franknbeanie]

Talent= Ben ...my absolute favorite you tuber. Thank you sir.

[@JimVincent]

Thank you, Ben! I've been playing for 28 years and never could figure this riff out. I'll finally play this correctly this weekend! You're awesome, keep up the good work! Edit: nope...this riff still kicks my ass.

[@jackbauer3948]

Love that guitar some kind of crazy ass zebra shit

[@bernieorbust6104]

Jack Bauer killed a zebra for it

[@keithderinger7140]

What a fucking rad riff.

[@mikek464]

Uncle Ben is the coolest youtuber in my opinion, he even took the time to help me with a tune I was stuck on and Im eternally grateful. \m/ UNCLE BEN ROCKS! \m/

[@theywantuniquebodies]

Hetfield's rhythmic phrasing is insane, always has been. There's always just a little something shifted around to make it really interesting.

[@WillyWylde1919]

That little weird style is what makes a good riff a great riff.

[@MKDumas1981]

You could also describe the picking pattern as "Down Down Al-ter-na-ting Down Al-ter' Down Down, Down Down Al-ter-na-ting D-own D-own".

[@mrmustard4478]

Can you PLEASE break down the bridge riff in Damage Inc? The one that's been tripping us all up for years. Or THAT riff in Frayed Ends of Sanity. Seriously, that thing is a fucking monster. Help us, Uncle Ben. You're our only hope.

[@ShadowMantraSteve]

Time to go back learn Fight Fire with Fire I guess! Very helpful video!

[@smilinachya]

Best free guitar lessons on the net.

[@Sako-Taco]

DooooooD!!!! I've been trying to play this riff for an eternity and the tabs never jived with the actual riff! You're a life saver! I can finally shred this gnar riff. Thanks for the excellent breakdown of this legendary riff by the godfathers of metal!

[@pjg238]

One of my fav Metallica songs! Good stuff Ben!

[@mikeramos6272]

GREAT breakdown! One of the best on the net! Good shit.

[@chase.trevino03]

I like how you read my mind, the title really got my attention here

[@MrJaymzhet]

Was looking for close-up covers to try to figure it out and saw the title. Exactly what i need!

[@Longjocks]

Damn your timing on this one. After not being able to figure it out back in the 90s when I first tried it I never got back to this song. Two nights ago I finally worked it out. If I just waited you could have done all the work for me.

[@bvc11111]

Finally someone who knows how to play it and teach it correctly! Thanks so much man, it helps a lot! Can you do a video for Disposable Heroes by Metallica (the riff before the solo), and Looking Down The Cross by Megadeth (the complex and melodic riff)

[@jeffadunn]

I've been saying how weird this riff is since for over 10 years haha

[@Lexsoufz]

one of the coolest videos I've seen!

[@rudyvinkemulder9860]

Great video, I love your attention to every detail. Even a great Ride The Lightnining time. Well done.

[@guitardavepdx]

the breakdown just before the solo in Blackened

[@TWISSTR]

guitardavepdx dude check out songsterr if you haven't already. The tabs for the breakdown part on there are 100% accurate. Most of their tabs are 95% accurate I'd say. But your ear can always tell if a tab is wrong. The app is $5 for mobile (if you look up tabs often, definitely worth it), but desktop is free!

[@davidzamora9973]

"Here's ramming speed."😂 Ben Hur quote ftw!

[@Jonw8222]

Love these style of videos that you do.. great work as always.

[@chewybang]

Precisely this. Years trying to figure this one out. Thanks dude!

[@mr.timebombman2230]

When I was learning back in the 80's, the clean intro to this song I wanted to get down.

[@Iheartdgd]

😂😂😂 I was smiling through that whole intro, because yes, we knew exactly what you were talking about, and goddammit this riff is so good

[@MisterSausage1]

Sweet Suhr! A guitar brand that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

[@nEdragUnn]

I have spent many days worth of my life trying to play Metallica guitar parts and songs, this really clears it up.

[@VHDT10]

Awesome, how about Architecture Of Aggression (verse) I love that riff shifting over, to switch the up and down beats, for the second half. Such amazing ingenuity for the same thing to sound badass both ways!

[@rollforeverderbs]

Please do the Frayed Ends of Sanity, that crazy riff towards the middle/end of the song that leads into the solo

[@BenEller]

rollforeverderbs EXCELLENT riff! And nobody plays it right. Coming soon.

[@Walamonga1313]

rollforeverderbs Know what's an even better riff? The rhythm behind the solo. Sorry Kirk, but my ears are completely on James when the solo comes on.

[@roopher2]

" Coming in Hot...." Love it!

[@jc8178]

Jesus... I knew it couldn’t only be me struggling with this part!!! The Blackened riff being mentioned would be helpful, too! Thanks for always loving your kids the way a REAL dad should. Lol

[@lampshadecover6895]

cool!.. this is my favorite song from them..true, there a couple of ghost notes I didn't hear when I listened to it.. I've been playing along with the riff for some time.

[@IOxyrinchus]

I love your channel, being the guitar perfectionist that I am. Every riff video that you make is one less excuse to learn a riff incorrectly

[@jrstormont]

THANK YOU!! I've been trying to sound that out for years!

[@Druffmaul]

You really got us pegged, sir. I gave up trying to figure this out almost 40 years ago!

[@guitaripod]

Easiest subscription ever on KZbin. Keep this shit up man

[@raoulmeynard666]

Thank you ben, i didn't know how to play this riff.

[@EdwardFlores]

boah... i see that and remembered of myself playing that like 15 years ago... really cool piece to learn

[@dmitryWeirdo]

I am still pretty sure that in the first part, the note before G is actually F#, so the "burst" is 0-5-0-2-3 instead of 0-5-0-0-3.

[@Messier31NGC224]

DUDE, I LOVE THIS!!!! I'm a huge metalhead, and have always wanted to know how to play metallica's complex riffs correctly.

[@Gunma_garage]

Cliff liked classical music and hes the one that brought the influence. They always had a very structured sound and when i read that it made sense imo

[@dhruvlevel9641]

I love the major version of jump in the fire

[@johnhorne925]

Awesome, awesome, awesome - thank you very much! This old man can now play one cool riff!

[@diatonicjon]

You rock, Uncle Ben.

[@intoit1074]

I LOVE THIS RIFF. Thanks for breaking it down!!

[@sykodx469]

Uncle Ben does it again.

[@mrchow5047]

I could never figure out what was going on there but I love the riff

[@TTIX3]

Thank you man !!! This video made me subscribe ! Awesome work !!

[@RyanMcKayWaroona]

This is great, love your work and love this riff!!!

[@martin.coronado]

Great stuff! It helps a lot to understand this mindblowing riff. Thanks!

[@rohitravi2989]

That version of seek and destroy in the background though 😂😂

[@TheVanDammeFan2009]

Holy shit, that riff is even better than i thought

[@franklinlee5667]

The right reason to subscribe to this awesome channel

[@nopotato4217]

I really like you as a guitar player because you play riffs correctly. It really bothers me when I watch youtube covers of guitarists playing things that are even slightly incorrect. I always wonder, do they think what they are playing sounds right? My guitar playing is very well related to yours.

[@GogiRegion]

(+No Potato) I personally know I'm playing differently, but sometimes I prefer my modifications. 🤷

[@averageautist4926]

Then don't watch it you nitpicking fuckface

[@Walamonga1313]

AverageAutist Or better yet, make a cover/lesson to teach others how to play it correctly.

[@georgewalker3702]

I thought at first that the riff you were talking about was that harmony. At least this is one of the two riffs out of the way!

[@lozsmb18]

Thanks so much for this! Always had trouble figuring this riff out. Love this song so much, when you look up thrash metal in the dictionary this song should be next to it!

[@Freyja_M4106]

Ye got some great skill an awesome perspective hon. Rock On!!!

[@scottcollins5240]

I gave up the axe out of laziness years ago. You just convinced me to dive back in.

[@tomflake6141]

You helped me with the lepper messiah a ton. I actually, sort of, figured this one out. I still can't get it to sound like the tape. Keep doing these. I love them.

[@greentree916]

Thank you Ben, that RIFF had always been a mystery up until now. \m/ Cheers!!!

[@Alx61710]

Dude you're a really good teacher..

[@josephkane2312]

Thanks Uncle Ben

[@fabiGBOtown]

dyers eve? I know you did a video where you said it was hard as hell to play it. WHIPLASH would be awesome as well. thank you for doing this. Btw, if you ever want to get more melodical, I'd love to see Mr Brownstone played properly.

[@leftyzappa]

Step-dad speed? James Hetfield *is* your step dad. The Amazing Slowdowner was high science fiction when all the future step dads of the world were sitting in front of their record players trying to figure this out before saying "Fuck This" and going back to Kill Em All and the rest of Ride the Lightning/Master Of Puppets. I dare you to figure out how to play (all of it) R.E.S. (Cardiacs) without the Amazing Slowdowner...hehehhee At any rate - you have done it. You have unlocked the Maddening Secret of This Goddamn Riff. CHEERS!

[@gatordogcustoms3706]

mind blown! thank you!

[@GreedySupperFast]

This video is fantastic, well explained, easy to follow and you're super fucking chill. What a great find.

[@el_wilder8860]

Love this song... lol I myself have watched and scrutinized many live videos and eras just to figure out and get this riff down. The intro/verse riff too is probably one of the most simplest but heaviest badass sounding riffs theyve ever come up with. "Do unto others as they've done to you But what the hell is this world coming tooooo'eRAH?" 🤘🏾🎸