Nothing Else Matters: key, vocal range and notes
James Hetfield of Metallica sings Nothing Else Matters in E minor at 69 BPM. The melody spans B2–G4, about 1.7 octaves, and 87% of the time stays between D3 and E4 — comfortable for baritones in the original key. Difficulty: 41/100, medium.
- Key
- E minor
- Vocal range
- B2 – G41.7 octaves
- Sits mostly
- D3 – E487% of singing time
- Highest note
- G413 times, first at 1:24
- Difficulty
- 41medium, out of 100
Notes of Nothing Else Matters on the keyboard
Every note the vocal line touches. The brightest keys are the ones you hold most of the time.
The melody uses 7 different notes: E, F#, G, A, B, C, D.
The whole song, note by note
The vocal melody from the first word to the last. Each colored block on top is one phrase: blocks with the same letter sing the same melody. Nothing Else Matters has 16 phrases but only 10 different melodies — learn those and you know the whole song. Tap a letter to see where it comes back.
Notes and syllables as on the Vocaberry song screen: a line joins the notes of one syllable.
- Highest note
- G4 at 1:24, 1:30, 1:31, 2:05, 2:10, 2:11, 3:27, 3:32, 3:34, 3:37, 3:43, 3:44 and later. Altogether 8 seconds in total.
- Lowest note
- B2 at 0:44, 2:46, 4:16. Keep it relaxed, don't push the low end.
- Biggest jump
- A perfect fifth, E3 → B3; first at 0:47.
- Longest note
- G4, held for 3.7 s at 3:48.
- How much singing
- 2:46 of 4:35: 318 notes in 16 phrases.
- Tempo
- 69 BPM — slow enough to learn line by line. Vocaberry Karaoke lets you change the tempo.
How long each note is sung
Seconds of singing on each note across the whole song.
Intervals: how the melody moves
Every move from one note to the next inside a phrase — 285 in total. Steps are easy to sing in tune, wide leaps are where most people miss the note.
- 89% of the moves are repeated notes or steps — the melody mostly walks rather than jumps.
- The most common move is major 2nd (85 times).
- The widest jump is perfect 5th, 1 time — 1 up, 0 down. Practise it slowly: the far note has to land exactly in tune.
The best key for your voice
The smallest key change that puts Nothing Else Matters in the comfortable part of each voice type. Don't know your type? Take the free vocal range test.
| Voice | Change | Key | You'd sing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | −5 semitones | B minor | F#2D4 |
| Baritone | original key | E minor | B2G4 |
| Tenor | +3 semitones | G minor | D3A#4 |
| Contralto | +8 semitones | C minor | G3D#5 |
| Mezzo-soprano | +12 semitones | E minor | B3G5 |
| Soprano | +15 semitones | G minor | D4A#5 |
Sing Nothing Else Matters in your key. Vocaberry Karaoke shows which note to sing and whether you hit it. Key and tempo adjust to your voice.
Get Vocaberry Karaoke
What's your range? Sing a few notes in the online test: it finds your lowest and highest notes and your voice type.
Test my rangeSongs with the same range as Nothing Else Matters
If Nothing Else Matters fits your voice, these will too: the same lowest and highest notes and the same middle.
More Metallica songs
Key, range and difficulty of other Metallica songs in Vocaberry. All Metallica songs and James Hetfield's vocal range →
| Song | Key | Range | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Of Puppets1986 | Key Em | B2B3 | easy · 34 |
| Sad But True2021 | Key Cm | A3A4 | easy · 36 |
| For Whom The Bell Tolls1984 | Key G | D4G4 | easy · 22 |
| Unforgiven1997 | Key G | E3G4 | medium · 46 |
| Seek And Destroy1983 | Key Am | A3B4 | easy · 32 |
| Welcome Home (Sanitarium)1986 | Key Em | E3G4 | medium · 47 |
Practise Nothing Else Matters by the notes
Nothing Else Matters is one of the songs in Vocaberry — Learn to Sing. The app shows in real time whether you hit the note, and lessons adapt to your vocal range.
Learn to sing with Nothing Else Matters. Real-time pitch feedback, warm-ups and exercises tuned to your range.
Get VocaberryQuestions about Nothing Else Matters
What key is Nothing Else Matters by Metallica in?
Nothing Else Matters is in E minor at 69 BPM. If it feels too high or too low, change the key: a bass lowers it 5 semitones (B minor); a baritone can sing it in the original key; a tenor raises it 3 semitones (G minor).
What is the vocal range of Nothing Else Matters?
The vocal line goes from B2 to G4 — 1.7 octaves. 87% of the singing time stays between D3 and E4.
What is the highest note in Nothing Else Matters?
G4. It comes 13 times, first at 1:24: altogether 8 seconds out of 167 seconds of singing.
Is Nothing Else Matters hard to sing?
It is rated medium — 41 out of 100 in Vocaberry. The range is wide (1.7 octaves); the tricky part is the jump of a perfect fifth up to B3.
Can a woman sing Nothing Else Matters?
Yes, in another key: a contralto raises it 8 semitones (C minor); a mezzo-soprano raises it 12 semitones (E minor); a soprano raises it 15 semitones (G minor). Vocaberry Karaoke lets you change the key and tempo of a song.
Notes, range and timing come from the vocal transcription used in Vocaberry Karaoke; the key and difficulty are Vocaberry's. Voice type ranges are the ones Vocal Range uses.