“Nothing Else Matters” is one of Metallica’s most beloved songs and a beautiful introduction to playing in E minor — one of the most common keys in rock and folk music. Em is the home chord here (the “i” chord of the key), and the song spends most of its time orbiting around that one chord, with brief visits to D, C, G, A, and B7 along the way.
Six chords sounds like a lot, but the changes follow a consistent pattern that becomes very natural once you’ve practiced it a few times. The bigger challenge here is speed — chords change quickly, often two or three within a single line. That makes “Nothing Else Matters” a great song to step up your transition skills. This is the same arrangement I teach in my 30 Day Guitar Chord Fluency course. Let’s dive in!
The Chords You’ll Need
Chord Chart
Verse 1 Em D C So close no matter how far Em D C couldn't be much more from the heart Em D C forever trusting who we are G B7 Em and nothing else matters Em D C never opened myself this way Em D C life is ours, we live it our way Em D C all these words I don't just say G B7 Em and nothing else matters Em D C trust I seek and I find in you Em D C every day for us something new Em D C open mind for a different view G B7 Em C A and nothing else matters Chorus 1 D C A never cared for what they do D C A never cared for what they know D Em but I know Verse 2 Em D C So close no matter how far Em D C couldn't be much more from the heart Em D C forever trusting who we are G B7 Em C A and nothing else matters Chorus 2 D C A never cared for what they do D C A never cared for what they know D Em but I know Verse 3 Em D C never opened myself this way Em D C life is ours, we live it our way Em D C all these words I don't just say G B7 Em and nothing else matters Em D C trust I seek and I find in you Em D C every day for us something new Em D C open mind for a different view G B7 Em C A and nothing else matter-ers Chorus 3 D C A never cared for what they say D C A never cared for games they play D C A never cared for what they do D C A never cared for what they know D Em and I know Solo Em D C (x2) Em D C G B Em Verse 4 Em D C So close no matter how far Em D C couldn't be much more from the heart Em D C forever trusting who we are G B7 Em no, nothing else matters Outro Em
About B7 (the V7 chord)
B7 is what’s called a dominant 7th chord — and in E minor, it acts as the V7 chord
that pulls the song back to its home (Em). You’ll hear this in every “and nothing
else matters” line: G → B7 → Em. That B7 creates a moment of tension that resolves
beautifully when the Em arrives. We cover B7 and the other dominant 7th chords in
Module 3 of the course.
About the original recording
Metallica plays “Nothing Else Matters” fingerstyle on the original recording —
James Hetfield picks the strings individually rather than strumming. That’s part
of what gives the song its haunting, intimate quality. You can absolutely play the
chord chart above by strumming, and it’ll sound great. Once the chord changes feel
automatic, try fingerpicking: thumb on the bass strings, fingers on the top three.
It’s one of the most rewarding fingerstyle pieces a beginner can learn.
Practice Tips
- The verse cycles a single phrase: Em → D → C → Em → D → C → G → B7 → Em. Loop that progression on its own at slow tempo. Once those changes feel smooth, the entire verse will fall into place.
- Pay special attention to the G → B7 → Em move at the end of each “nothing else matters” line. That’s the song’s emotional resolution, and it needs to land cleanly. Drill it on its own a few times — finger 2 can actually stay anchored on fret 2 string 5 (A string) throughout that entire sequence!
- The chord changes happen quickly — often two chords on a single line. You don’t need to play full strums on every chord; sometimes a single, clean chord change is enough. Listen to how Hetfield lets each chord ring before moving to the next.
- Once the song feels comfortable strummed, try playing it fingerstyle. Use your thumb on the bass strings (low E, A, D) and your index, middle, and ring fingers on the G, B, and high E strings. Slow it way down — half tempo or less — and let the notes ring into each other. That’s how the song was meant to be played.