Below is the lesson for “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath.

Helpful Tips

Learn one of the most iconic heavy metal riffs of all time! With this fingerstyle arrangement, I (Andrew) wanted to stay true to the original recording, honoring the parts that Tony Iommi, the guitarist from Black Sabbath, plays. This arrangement has a sound, feel, and playing style that’s much closer to guitar than a typical ukulele adaptation.

So what does that mean for you? If you’ve never played guitar before, it might be a bit challenging coming from only a ukulele background. But stepping out of your comfort zone and tackling something a little different is one of the best ways to grow as a musician!

Note: This arrangement can be played in free time, meaning you don’t have to stick strictly to a metronomic beat. For example, the outro moves at a significantly faster tempo than the rest of the tune. Likewise, in Evan’s performance, you can hear the tempo jump at the start of the first Bridge. Feel free to follow that approach or experiment with a gradual increase in tempo that unfolds over an entire section.