Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Nothing Else Matters on piano
By Metallica
- E minor
- 6/8
- 81 BPM
- 1991
- Medium
Learn Nothing Else Matters in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – C – A – D – C – A
Nothing Else Matters sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: D is D, F# and A; C is C, E and G; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DVIICVIAIVDVIICVIAIV- DD · F# · A
- CC · E · G
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Swelling 6/8
Rises to the top and falls back in one rocking six-note wave. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 81 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: C – D – Em
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm- EmE · G · B
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Questions about Nothing Else Matters
What chords are in Nothing Else Matters?
The loop is D – C – A – D – C – A (VII – VI – IV – VII – VI – IV) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Nothing Else Matters in?
E minor, at about 81 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Nothing Else Matters?
Swelling 6/8: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Nothing Else Matters easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Nothing Else Matters?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.