Creeping Death

As performed by Metallica
From "Ride the Lightning"
Copyright (c) 1984 Creeping Death Music

Words & Music By : James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Cliff Burton, & Kirk Hammett

Musical Definitions at the end of file.

Typed by : Christopher Sean Forgeron
Spread this around all you want.

Tempo = Fast Rock = 184 bpm

Intro
(Ryth Fig 1) (end Ryth Fig 1)

&-#---||----------------|---|-----------------|----||
&-----||----------------|---|-----------------|----||
&---4-||o-----------%---|---|-----------%-----|---o||
&---4-||o-----------%-9-|-9-|-----------%-9-7-|-7-o||
&-----||--------------9-|-9-|-------------9-7-|-7--||
&-----||--0-0-0-0-0---7-|-7-|-0-0-0-0-0---7-5-|-5--||
~~~~~ ~~~~~

w/Ryth Fig 1 (once) (two guitars)

||-------------------|-----------|------------------|----------||---------|
||-------------------|-----------|------------------|----------||---------|
||o-------------%----|-------%-}-|------------------|-----%-}-o||-}-------|
||o-------------%-9--|-9--9--%-}-|-----------%-9--7-|-7-7-%-}-o||-}-------|
||----------------10-|-10-10-----|-----------%-10-9-|-9-9------||---7-5-5-|
||--0-0-0-0-0-0------|-----------|-0-0-0-0-0--------|----------||---5-3-2-|
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~

(Ryth Fig 3) (end Ryt Fig 3)(Ryth Fig 4) (end Ryth Fig 4)
x8 x4
||------------------|----------------------||-------------|------------------||
||------------------|----------------------||-------------|------------------||
||o-----------------|---------------------o||o------------|-----------------o||
||o-----2-----2---2-|-----2---------------o||o------------|-----------------o||
||------2-----2---2-|-----2---2-3-2-3-2-0--||-----5-----5-|------------------||
||--0-0---0-0---0---|-0-0---0--------------||-0-0-3-0-0-3-|-0-0-2-2-2-2-2-2--||
H P P

You then play Ryth Fig 3 four times, and then continue.

|---|---|---|---------|
|---|---|---|---------| The singing starts. Keep playing Ryth Fig 3
|---|---|---|---4-6---| until the singing stops (16 bars later) then
|-2-|-2-|-2-|-2-4-6-4-| start playing Ryth Fig 4 four times.
|-2-|-2-|-2-|-2-2-4-4-|
|-0-|-0-|-0-|-0-----2-|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Chorus

E5 C5 D5 F5 G5 @

||---|-------------|---|------|---|-------------|---------|---|-------------|
||---|-------------|---|------|---|-------------|---------|---|-------------|
||-9-|-9-------5-7-|-7-|-7/10-|-9-|-9-------5-7-|-/10-12\-|-7-|-7-------5-7-|
||-9-|-9-------5-7-|-7-|-7/10-|-9-|-9-------5-7-|-/10-12\-|-7-|-7-------5-7-|
||-7-|-7-------3-5-|-5-|-5/8--|-7-|-7-------3-5-|-/8--10\-|-5-|-9-------3-5-|
||---|---0-0-0-----|---|------|---|---0-0-0-----|---------|---|---0-0-0-----|
~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~

w/Ryth Fig 3 (twice)

---|------|---|-------------|---|---------|---||
---|------|---|-------------|---|---------|---|| Go back up to the part where
-7-|-7/10-|-9-|-9-------5-7-|-7-|-7-4-6-4-|-4-|| the singing starts
-7-|-7/10-|-9-|-9-------5-7-|-7-|-7-4-6-4-|-4-||
-5-|-5/8--|-7-|-7-------3-5-|-5-|-5-2-4-2-|-2-||
---|------|---|---0-0-0-----|---|---------|---||
~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~

Lotsa solo stuff. Damned fast, but not hard. Usual pentatonic minor soloing.

Bridge
(Half Time Feel)

(This is the "Die, by my hands..." part)

Each chord is a half note, except the E which is 4 quarter notes using only
the bottom string. The progression is like this:

E5 E E E E F5 D5 E5 E E E E G5 F5 (x3)

Then it's Ryth Fig 3 for 6 bars. On the sixth bar, another gutair plays the
following:

|-----------|
|-----------| Go back to where the singing originally started. Play it
|-[~3~]-7\--| through with the third verse, and when you hit the @ sign,
|-2-3-5-7\\-| go to this next part.
|-2-3-5-5\\-|
|-0-1-3---\-|

Ryth Fig 9

|------------------|------------|-------------------|------------||
|------------------|------------|-------------------|------------||
|------------------|------------|-------------------|------------||
|------2-----2---2-|-(2)----2-2-|-----2-----2-----3-|-(3)----0-0-||
|------2-----2---2-|-(2)----2-2-|-----2-----2-----3-|-(3)----0-0-||
|--0-0---0-0---0---|------------|-0-0---0-0---0-0---|------------||

(Following Can be played by 2 guitars, one high, one low, but one can do it)
 w/Ryth Fig 9

/\ x3
||---/--\--------|----|------/\---------|------||
||--15--15-13-12-|-12-|-12-12--12----13-|-13---||
||o-14--14-12-11-|-11-|-11-11--11-14-12-|-12--o||
||o--------------|----|-----------14----|-----o||
||---------------|----|-----------------|------||
||---------------|----|-----------------|------||
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

x3
--------------|---|-----------|---||------------|---|-----------|----||
--------------|---|-----------|---||------------|---|-----------|----||
-----9--7-5-4-|-4-|-4-5-4---5-|-5-||o-5-9-5-7-4-|-4-|-4-5-4---4-|-4-o||
-----9--7-5-4-|-4-|-4-5-4---5-|-5-||o-5-9-5-7-4-|-4-|-4-5-4---4-|-4-o||
-----7--5-3-2-|-2-|-2-3-2-0-3-|-3-||--3-7-3-5-2-|-2-|-2-3-2-0-2-|-2--||
-0-0----------|---|-----------|---||------------|---|-----------|----||
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~

Something for 4 bars... Probably one of the above riffs.

Ryth Fig 2 (twice) Then it's free time.

Then it's 4 chords, with a slight retard:

-----|-----|---|
-----|-----|---|
-*---|-----|---|
-*---|-----|-2-|
---7-|-5-5-|-2-|
---5-|-3-2-|-0-|
Tremolo picking

Now, in the Exact same bar where the E5 Tremolo picking starts,
this scale starts, with two guitars.

|-------------|-------------|-14-15--14----|-------------|----------|----|
|-------------|-------16-17-|--7--8---7-17-|-16----------|----------|----|
|----------14-|-16-17--8--9-|------------9-|--8-17-16-14-|----------|----|
|-14-16-17--7-|--9-10-------|--------------|----10--9--7-|-17-16-14-|-14-|
|--7--9-10----|-------------|--------------|-------------|-10--9--7-|--7-|
|-------------|-------------|--------------|-------------|----------|----|
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
H H P P

And of course, it ends with 2 hard E5 chords, and a slide to nothing.

% = Quarter Rest O = Whole Note / = Quarter Note \ = Thirty-Second

} = Full Rest o = Half Note | = Sixteenth

-||-- --||- ---|---

-||-- --||- This is the repeat ---|--- A tied note. You only
 -||o- -o||- loop. It is repeated ---|--- play it once, and hold
-||o- -o||- 1 time (x1) unless -2-|-2- it.
-||-- --||- otherwise marked at -2-|-2-
-||-- --||- the top. -0-|-0-
begin end ~~~~~

--- --- --- --- ---/\---

--- --- --- --- --/--\-- Bend up
-%- Quarter -}- Full -*- 1 Beat -*- 2 Beat -12--12- a full note
-%- Rest -}- Rest --- Rest -*- Rest --------
--- --- --- --- --------
--- --- --- --- --------

--------
---/\--- Bend up
-12--12- a half note
--------
--------
--------

- That's it.. Enjoy.

===================================================================================
=

Creeping Death - Solo

From the Album "Ride The Lightning"

Tab by Christian Theves
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Pit/1570/index.html

Triplets (next 2 bars)

|--------------------------------------|----------------------19h20h22--|
|--12-13-15-17p15-13-14-15-17-19p17-15-|-15-17-19-17-19-20-22-----------|
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------|

|--22b24----22b24----22b24----|--22b24--r22----22b24-r23-b24--22--19--|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------|

|--22--20--19-\17--21--19--17-\15--19--17--15-\14--17--15--14-\12--|
|------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--15p14--------------------------------------------------|
|---------17p15--15p14p12h14--12-\10--10------------------|
|------------------------------------------12b14-r13-b14--|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|

|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|--------10--15------15---12--------------|-----------------------------------|
|--(14)------14b16---14---12------12--14--|--14b16--r14--12b13--------12--14b-|
|-----------------------------14----------|-----------------------14----------|
|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------12--15p12--15p12--------------12--15p12--15p12--|
|--b16---------------------14b16-(16)--------------------|
|---------------------------------*----------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
* : hold bend and strike note

Triplets (next 2 1/2 bars)

|------------------------------------------12-|-15p12----12----------------------
14-|
|---------12--15p12--15p12--15b17----(17)-----|-------15----15-12-15p12----
12-------|
|--14b16------------------------------*-------|-------------------------14----
14----|
|---------------------------------------------|------------------------------------
-|
|---------------------------------------------|------------------------------------
-|
|---------------------------------------------|------------------------------------
-|

|-17p15-14-15p14----14-------12-------|-------------------------------------|
|----------------17----17p15----15p14-|-15p14-12-14-12----------------------|
|-------------------------------------|----------------14--12------12--14-/-|
|-------------------------------------|------------------------14-----------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|

Sweep picking
|----------17--19-/22-~-~-22-~-~-|---------12--17p12-----------------12--
17p12-------|
|------18------------------------|-----13-------------13---------13------------
13----|
|-/19----------------------------|-14---------------------14-14-------------------
14-|
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------
--|
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------
--|
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------
--|

|----------12--17p12-------------------12--17p12------|
|------13-------------13-----------13-------------13--|
|--14--------------------14-14-14---------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|

|--
12h15p12---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|-----------15---12----12-15p12-------------|--15------15------15-------------
(15)\--|
|-------------------14----------14-12----12-|--14b16---14b16---14b16-r14-b16--
(14)\--|
|-------------------------------------
14----|----------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------
--|
|-------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------
--|

|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|--7--7-7-8-8-8-8-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-10-9-10-9-10-9-11-10-12-11-12-11-12-11-13-12-|
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------11-|
|-14-13-14-13-14-14-15-15-14-14-15-14-14-14-15----|
|-------------------------------------------------|

|----------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------12/14--|
|-11-12-11-12-11-12-12-12-12-13-12-13-15-15---15-15--------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|

[-----Triplets----]
|-------------------------------------14-|-
17p14-------------------------------------|
|-------------------14-17-14----14-17----|-------17-14-----14---
17p14----------------|
|--17--14--13-14-16----------16----------|-------------16--------------16-14------
14-|
|----------------------------------------|------------------------------------
16-----|
|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------
--|
|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------
--|

Triplets (next 1 1/2 bars)

|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|-16p14----14-------------------------|------------------------------------|
|-------16----16p14-16p14----14-------|----------------------------12--12--|
|-------------------------16----16-14-|-16p14-12-14p12-----12--14----------|
|-------------------------------------|----------------14------------------|

|-------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------
-|
|-------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------
-|
|-------------11--12--14--|--(14)----12----12-h-14-p-12--|--------------11--12--
14--|
|--14------14-------------|------------------------------|--12------
14--------------|
|-------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------
-|
|-------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------
-|

|----------------------------|--12--------12-/14--15--17--|
|----------12----13----15----|----------------------------|
|--(14)----------------------|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|

trem. pick
|--(17)----15----14----------|--/17--------17--19----20--|--(20)--19----17----15-
14h15-|
|----------------------
17----|---//----------------------|-----------------------------|
|----------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------
----|
|----------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------
----|
|----------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------
----|
|----------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------
----|

Triplets (next 6 bars)

|-15p14p12-15p14p12-15p14p12-15p14p12-|-15p14p12-15p14p12-15p14p12-15-12/14-|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|

|-17p15p14-17p15p14-17p15p14-17p15p14-|-17p15p14-17p15p14-17p15p14-17-15-15-|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|

|-19p17p15-19p17p15-19p17p15-19-15-16-|-20p19p17-20p19p17-22p20p19-22p20p19-|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|

|--22b24----22b24----|--22b24----22b24--22b24-~-|------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|--14-\-\-\--|
|--------------------|--------------------------|--14-\-\-\--|
|--------------------|--------------------------|--12-\-\-\--|

To Bridge

Here's an addition sent in by MetGuitar@aol.com

The first one is the part where Kirk plays the high part, right before they play
the intro riff to end the song.

e--------------------- (8 times)
B----19p16p0----------

e-------------------- (8 times)
B----20p17p0---------

(you just those repeat those twice, the 20p17p0 is only 4 times the second
time)

* When he plays it live, after those first parts he plays this:

e----------------19p16p0--- (4 times)
B---19p16p0----------------

e----------------20p17p0---- (2 times)
B---20p17p0-----------------