In The End — One String Guitar Tab
Linkin Park
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Practice Tips
- 1Start slow — use the 0.5x speed option
- 2Focus on one note at a time
- 3Keep your fretting hand relaxed
Similar Melodies
About This Melody
In The End by Linkin Park is one of the defining rock songs of the early 2000s. Released in 2001 on the album Hybrid Theory, it became a global anthem thanks to its mix of rap, metal, and one of the most recognizable keyboard hooks in modern rock. That opening piano line is simple enough to translate to a single guitar string — and it still sounds instantly familiar. This one-string version uses the 1st (high E) string and frets 0 through 7. The melody is built from one nine-note phrase played twice in a row, so once you learn the first half, you already know the whole song.
How to Play
- This melody uses just the 1st string (high E string) of your guitar. The fret sequence is: 0, 7, 7, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 0, 7, 7, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3.
- The entire melody is two identical phrases. Learn the first nine notes first: open string (0), fret 7 twice, fret 3, then fret 2 four times in a row, then fret 3.
- The repeated fret 2 notes are the heart of the hook — keep them even and steady, like the steady pulse of the original piano part.
- After fret 3, the phrase resets: open string (0), and you play the same nine-note shape again — 7, 7, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3.
- The biggest move is from the open string up to fret 7 — practice this jump until your finger lands cleanly without buzzing.
- The original song sits at a moderate tempo (around 90 BPM for this melodic line in context). Start slower and focus on even spacing on the four 2s. Once the first phrase feels automatic, loop both phrases together without pausing between them.
Common Mistakes
Playing only three 2s instead of four — the hook uses fret 2 four times in a row each phrase. Count them out until it is automatic. Rushing the jump from open string to fret 7 — give the open string a clear attack, then place fret 7 firmly; the gap is wide for a beginner, so practice the 0-to-7 move on its own. Making the final 3 too short — the phrase ends on fret 3 before repeating; let it mark the end of the line. Picking too hard on the high E string — use a controlled, medium attack so the repeated 2s stay clear and not scratchy.