Comprehensive Guide to Through the Fire and Flames Hard

**gleepdiddly** · Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 72

UNFINISHED! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!
I proudly present to you a guide to help you pass, 5 star, or FC Through the Fire and Flames on Hard. It will cover every inch of the song with comprehensive techniques.

Gleepdiddly's best score: 715,658, -2
As you can tell, I am somewhat experienced with this song. Enough with my random comments, let's get to the gold!

General
TTFAF on Hard is a song that, while underestimated, is a forceful song that has never been FCed. This guide was created to help the hard players who struggle on this song.
First, identify the section you are struggling on. For some, it may be the intro, while for some it may be Herman's or Twin Solo. This will play a great step in allowing me to help you.
Next, locate the section of the guide that corresponds to the part. Section titles are in large text, making them simple to find.
Following that, practice the section. Practice mode can be a lifesaver, as many know. For sections that are harder for you, you may need to begin at a slower speed.
Once you have gained an understanding of how to consistently do well on the section, begin taking it into real runs.
Finally, don't give up. As previously stated, this is an underestimated song.
Let's begin!

They're Hammer Ons (Which they're not.)

1231234342312121
Begin the riff in second position and slide down for the greens. Slide back after the second green. Down strum this if you are a quick downstrummer; alt-strum it if you must. This riff repeats itself about 7 and a half times, then you are faced with this:

4321234323212
Basically, slide for each bit. This bit moves into Post Insanity, an intense strumming section, so I begin alt-strumming on the ending red.

Post Insanity
This section consists of strumming at 13.8 NPS. Yes, sounds scary, but it's not really that fast, for 1/3 of the notes are Hammer-Ons. My preferred method of hitting this is to hold green at all times, and put down the other frets a bit early, so the hammer-on is used, preventing overstrumming.
At the end of this section, this faces you:

-----
2123 234 4
Hold green and press red as you did during the strumming for the first two notes. Stay in first position for the notes up to the orange, then slide your pinky. If you're going for a 5*, this is a star power phrase, so I'd highly recommend that you learn how to do this.

Post Insanity II
The first part of this section is the same as Post Insanity I. See previous section for details.
This tidbit is thrown at the end:

--------
432 123 321 121 4
Hold green for the last burst.

Cold Winter Morning
This section begins with some slow chords, then a slightly hard part containing an SP phrase:

1 1 11 12 23432 1124 3
3 3 33 34

Most of this passage should be spent in the second position, with one finger quickly sliding to green and back.

Following this, you have a lot of yellows and some other notes. Hold down yellow and press the blues and oranges. This way, the YB chord at the end will not throw you off. As I stated for the intro, downstrum it it you can; alt-strum it if you must.

Next, you are faced with an easy SP phrase. Finger a GY chord with the index and middle fingers after completing the previous bit. Strum the next two notes while holding it, then drop the yellow and strum the rest of the greens.

You will now be pit against some more chords. Do these all in second position.

At the end of this section, there is another part that may be considered hard:

4 342211
4 34222
Finger a GR chord at the first red.

Fighting High!
After Cold Winter Morning, you'll just have moved into first position, and will be pit against some single notes. Index slide to hit the reds, then remain in second position until you see green notes.
Slide back into first position to hit these notes. Hold green down and press the other buttons as needed, playing them like chords.
When you see a string of four red notes, index slide into second position. Play the non-red notes as you did the non-green notes previously. When there is a yellow followed by a red pull-off, keep the red held down and PO as explained in the tutorial.

Next, we have the hardest part of Fighting High. Play the BO chord with fingers 3 and 4 as a downstrum. Let go of orange and use the pull-off. Alt-strum the blues at a steady pace, ending on a downstrum.

Fighting High concludes with some chord changes. They're not that fast, I slide to go from BO to YB and switch fingers for the rest.

Blackest Waves
Blackest Waves is a simple section up until the end. Play these notes like you did the beginning of Fighting High, all in first position.
Towards the end, there will be some quick slides. Slide to hit them with your three strong fingers.

**Amanwithapencil** · Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 476 Location: Tennessee

Looks good so far. This is the last 5* I need for hard, so hopefully it'll help.
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**timmy335** · Joined: 17 Feb 2008 Posts: 163

I suggest posting this is the official TTFAF thread also, because I GUARANTEE that a mod will lock this.

On a positive note, the guide looks very nice, and could potentially help a lot of people improve on TTFAF on hard.
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xgoodxdayx wrote:

All of the people who are able to go from slowest to full speed dragon force intros in a matter of hours astound me, as I am possibly retarded.

**Amanwithapencil** · Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 476 Location: Tennessee

Since it's a thread for TTFAF on hard, wouldn't it be admissble? I think the sticky is just for expert.
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**gleepdiddly** · Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 72

**zsjostrom35** · Joined: 17 Feb 2008 Posts: 2130 Location: Columbus, Ohio

I'm not very familiar with the Hard chart, but this looks very good so far. I've noticed you seem to be having a few issues getting your fingerings to line up; check out the Guide to Writing Guides link in my sig for more information than you'll ever need on that and much more. It'll also show you how to make a table of contents with links if you want one.

Other than those small issues, everything looks good. The sections are well-organized and the information seems solid. Good luck with the rest of it.
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Accomplishments Thread--GH80sX: Fifteen new FCs; OP updated with new 80s section and Best Of lists!
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Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series Quote of the Week wrote:

Téa: (Thinking) Look at him undressing me with his eyes! I wonder what he's thinking...
Yami: (Thinking) MAN, I hate milkshakes! (Squeezes milkshake cup) Die, milkshake, die! That's right, milkshake: you have been defeated! Now you go to milkshake prison!

**Yewb** · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 3020 Location: Plymouth, UK

**iglooman1** · Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 783 Location: Wisconsin

i wish i had this way back in the day

anyways it's looking good.
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Currently playing:

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (i'm doing the Uber Challenge oh my god it's so amazingly hard)

Guitar Hero 2 (61 FC's is my goal)

**gleepdiddly** · Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 72