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My Curse Expert FC Guide
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zsjostrom35  





Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 2130
Location: Columbus, Ohio

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:08 am    Post subject: My Curse Expert FC Guide Reply with quote

Introduction:

I recently obtained My Curse as my 34th FC and upon posting this news in my Accomplishments Thread I received a request from ortiz1193 to write an FC guide for the song. Ordinarily, I wouldn't consider writing an FC guide, as my guide-writing strengths lie more in the theoretical aspects of songs (what's important to hit for five stars, how to tweak SP paths, dealing with mental blocks, etc.) rather than in straight technical information on how to hit things. My Curse, however, is a little different from most tough FCs. Even though it's ranked in the high 40s in both of the major FC breakdowns, there aren't really any overly difficult parts in the song. Instead, its difficulty stems from its length and the fact that it is a very taxing song to play from a physical and mental standpoint. Since that is more suited to what I like to address in guides, I decided to give this one a shot; hopefully it will turn out well.

Another important note about My Curse is that you can be very close to an FC even if you have a bad score. There are probably no more than five or six difficult patterns that make up the entire song, so learning any one of them that you couldn't hit before will boost your score tremendously and may even put you within reach of an FC. Three days before I FCed the song, my score was 313k; all it took was a little practice on some of the fills and one lucky run.

Table of Contents:

  1. Introduction

  2. Fingering Key
    1. Numbering
    2. Hand Positioning

  3. Before You Begin (The Issue of Strumming)

  4. Section-by-Section Analysis
    1. Delicate Riff
    2. Meaty Riff
    3. Breakdown of the Verses
      1. Main Riff (Basic Form)
      2. Main Riff (Variation #1)
      3. Main Riff (Variation #2)
      4. Fill #1
      5. Fill #2
    4. Verse Riff
    5. YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!
    6. Verse 1
    7. Pre-Chorus 1
      1. Gallops (with Yellow HO/PO)
      2. Green and Red Part
      3. Gallops
      4. Short Fill
      5. Long Fill
    8. Chorus 1
    9. Will You Be ThEEEEEEEEEH!
    10. Verse 2
    11. Pre-Chorus 2
    12. Chorus 2
    13. Breakdown
    14. Interlude 1 (Bang Your Head!)
    15. Interlude Pt. 2
    16. Chorus 3/Point of No Return!

  5. Star Power

  6. Conclusion
    1. Thanks



Fingering Key:

Numbering:
1 = Index
2 = Middle
3 = Ring
4 = Pinky
Underlined Numbers = Anchored finger
Red Numbers = Tapping finger
X = Strum
d = Downstrum
u = Upstrum
h = Hammer-on
p = Pull-off (I will only use pull-offs in sections that involve anchoring. If a higher note is followed by a lower note that is not anchored, I will still refer to that as a hammer-on)

Hand Positioning:
First Position: 1 on G, 2 on R, 3 on Y, 4 covers B and O (will use 24 for chords ending in YO, however)
Second Position: 1 covers G and R, 2 on Y, 3 on B, 4 on O
Second Position, Green Anchored: 1 on G, 2 covers R and Y, 3 on B, 4 on O
Third/Fourth Position: Index finger on yellow/blue, respectively. If a lower note appears, index will slide to it, then slide back. Generally used only for fast zig-zags and trills higher on the fretboard.

Note: For ease of wording, I assume that the player is right-handed (right hand strumming, left hand fretting). Apologies if this inconveniences lefties.

Back to Table of Contents
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Before You Begin (The Issue of Strumming):

Rather than deal with the issue of downstrumming vs. alt-strumming in each of the sections separately, I think it will be more efficient to discuss it all at once here. Simply put, My Curse is going to be a rough song no matter how you strum it. On the one hand, it will likely be impossible for you FC the song alt-strumming everything unless you are extremely solid on combining alt-strums with constant fret changes; on the other, you must be able to maintain constant downstrums at 6 notes per second for extended periods of time to FC it that way. Basically, it's going to be a trade-off; most people are much more accurate with their fretting when downstrumming everything, but you will pay for that extra accuracy with wear and tear on your strumming arm. Fortunately, there are sections that are easier to alt-strum than others, so it is possible to downstrum some sections while resting your arm during the more straightforward alt-strumming sections. I'll indicate which sections those are when they come.

Section-by-Section Analysis:

Since this is an FC guide, obviously every section is equally important to hit. I will be going into as much detail as I can to present different fingering methods for each section, in the hope that you'll be able to make at least one of them work for you. I will also present various alt-strumming methods to accommodate different preferences (i.e. which kind of strum should go on the beat, which kind of strum should correspond with fret changes, which kind of strum should start or end a burst, etc.). This doesn't mean that you can't downstrum everything, it just means that listing a downstrumming method is almost always a waste of time when there are no HO/POs involved.

Fingering Disclaimer:
It should be noted that I am extremely prejudiced against first position. I will attempt to present first position fingerings as best I can, but as I never use them there may be errors.


Delicate Riff:



This section looks fairly easy on paper (just a bunch of index finger anchoring combined with simple fret changes), but the chords add a certain rhythmic strangeness to it that can break your combo very easily if you're not paying attention. The problem is that most of the switches in your non-anchored fingers occur every other note, but when the chords come you'll have two of those switches in a row. The best solution to this that I've found is to be very deliberate with your strumming speed there; making dead sure your finger is on the fret before strumming. Since there is never a fret change immediately following a chord, you can use that brief respite from fingering to catch back up on your strumming speed.

The rhythm of these chords also makes this section one of the more difficult ones to alt-strum. Fortunately, this isn't too much of a problem since it's at the very beginning of the song, meaning your arm is still fresh enough to downstrum it.

The other possible trouble spot is that very first yellow hammer-on. It's very easy to skip that note on the way to fretting the RB chord and for some reason it can be difficult to know that you've missed if you're not paying attention; I've heard stories of people comboing out from this point only to realize on the stats page that they blew their FC on the second note of the song. This is another area where it certainly wouldn't hurt to be very deliberate; the first single blue provides you with an ideal place to pick up any lost time caused by fretting the first three notes a little slower than you're supposed to.

One final note—this section (minus the quick RY at the beginning) repeats itself once. The second time through, the final yellow note is changed to a blue. This should present no trouble as long as you're paying attention.

Fingering:

I'm advising anchoring everything here. While you don't have to do that, I think most people would agree that the fingering gets much easier when you only have to worry about fretting half the notes.

First Position:


111_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1
_23_3___4___3___3___4___3_2_2___3___2___2___3___3_3_3___4___3___3___2___4_3_3___4___3___3___2___3

I don't believe that even a first-position player would avoid using second for the first half of this section and anchoring green is unavoidable for the second half, so the transition is obviously going to be an issue. In my experience, getting your index finger down to green as soon as possible is best to ensure that you don't miss the GY chord; this is why the fingering I have listed uses 3 for the last yellow before that chord. It shouldn't be too hard to slide your whole hand down to first following the preceding red there. If that doesn't work for you, however, staying in second position here for a little while longer allows you to transition one finger at a time:


1_1_1_1_1_1
__2_2_2___4

Slide your index finger down to the green immediately following the first red, but leave your middle finger in second position for the yellows and the chord. When you release that fret, you can then complete the transition down to first position, using your pinky for the next blue.

The transition back to second position for the repeat will work much the same way. If you play the last yellow with your ring finger as shown, the transition from yellow with anchored green up to the next RB chord is nothing but a hand shift (you don't even have to change any fingers). If you want to make the transition one finger at a time, play the last yellow with your middle finger, and then slide your index for the chord.

Remember, the last note of this section after the repeat is a blue instead of a yellow. You're going to want to be back in second position for the Meaty Riff anyway, so try using your ring finger for that blue if the transition from pinky on blue to index on red is giving you trouble.

Second Position, Green Anchored where Applicable:


111_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1
_23_3___4___3___3___4___3_2_2___3___2___2___3___2_2_2___3___2___2___2___3_2_2___3___2___2___2___2

The various pros and cons of using this fingering for the transitions were discussed above; everything else is fairly straightforward.

Strumming:

The main issue with alt-strumming this section is that almost all of the non-anchored notes are on the off-beats, which means that if you like to downstrum accented beats you're going to be changing frets primarily on upstrums. Some people have no problem with this (or at least prefer it to upstrumming on downbeats), so I've made a strumming section for each case (note that any of these strumming methods can be reversed if you prefer the upstrum as your dominant strum).

Downstrums on the Downbeats:

With this method you have the added complication of the pickup to the first RB chord, which is the first downbeat. This presents you with three options to land on that chord with a downstrum:

Downstrum the first two notes:


dhd

This is probably the simplest method. Remember, it won't hurt you too much if your double downstrum is a tad slow; you can pick up the lost time by the next blue.

Start on an upstrum:


uhd

If you absolutely refuse to downstrum twice in a row, this is probably your best bet.

Alt-strum through the hammer-on:


dud

Use this only if you are VERY solid with your strumming/fretting coordination and timing. It's far too easy to overstrum if you are not.

From there, the rest of the section is straightforward:


d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u

Downstrums on the Fret Changes:

Since this method is essentially the opposite of the last one, the issue of trying to land the third note on a downstrum isn't a problem anymore:


dhu_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d

As I stated earlier, the only real problem with using this method is that your upstrums will fall on the downbeats. The best way around this is probably to perform a mental shift of the rhythm so that you're hearing the notes that correspond to your downstrums as the accented notes. This is actually fairly easy here, because there are no vocals or backing instruments to throw you off.

Meaty Riff:



This section looks very similar to the previous one. However, all of the chords are taken out, meaning all the fret changes occur on every other note. What this means for you is that if you're decent, but not great, at alt-strumming, this (along with two other identical sections later) is the best place to alt-strum if you're looking to rest your strumming arm.

This section repeats itself once; the second half is identical to the first.

Fingering:

More anchoring. The transition down to first position is once again an issue, especially because you're going to have to get your finger off the yellow immediately after shifting your hand (unlike the last section, in which you could anchor it because you had a GY chord instead of a single green). If this doesn't give you any problems, you can go ahead and transition the same way you did in the last section.

Another thing that may trip you up (it sometimes gets me, anyway) is trying to slide down to first position too early and failing to hit the last red because your index finger is already on green. If you're generally a first position player, the alternate fingering I've listed in the section on first position can also help with that, as it forces you to stay in second position until at least the yellow. If you're a second position player, however, the situation is more complicated; I'll deal with that when I get there.

The transition back to second position for the repeat is the same as the transition into this section from the Delicate Riff; you should execute it the same way you did there.

First Position:


1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1
__3___4___3___3___4___3___2___3___2___2___3___3___3___4___3___3___2___4___3___4___3___3___2___4

For the transition down to first position, I've again charted the whole hand shift down after the last red before the first green. If you're having trouble getting off the yellow, however, you can try using your middle finger for the first yellow and your ring finger for the second. It looks like this:


1_1_1_1_1_1
__2___3___4

Remember, this fingering can also help if you're sliding down to first position too early.

Second Position, Green Anchored where Applicable:


1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1
__3___4___3___3___4___3___2___3___2___2___3___2___2___3___2___2___2___3___2___3___2___2___2___3

As I indicated earlier, the problem of shifting from anchored red to anchored green too early is harder to solve if you're primarily a second-position player. This is because using your middle finger for the last yellow prior to the switch doesn't force you to stay in second position (since you'll always use your middle finger for yellow, even with anchored green). Unfortunately, I don't know of any quick fixes in this case; you're going to have to work it out the hard way. I would suggest practicing this transition on Monsters Bridge C (aka Weedley-Weedley) so you don't have to worry about strumming. This section in Monsters also has the added benefit of being faster, so My Curse should seem easier when you go back to it.

Strumming:

If you alt-strummed the previous section, you can treat this one as a continuation of that provided you're using the same method.

Downstrums on the Downbeats:


d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u

This method has the same pros and cons as it did before.

Downstrums on the Fret Changes:


u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d

This method can be slightly harder to execute here than it was for the Delicate Riff because the backing instruments come in and accentuate the downbeats (on which you're upstrumming). It may help you to focus your listening on the guitar part; turn the band volume down in the Audio menu if you really start to struggle.

Breakdown of the Verses:

My Curse has five different sections that could be classified as verses, each of which consists of repetitions of a main riff followed by a fill. However, variations on both the riff and the fill cause the verses to differ from one another. Rather than deal with each of these verse sections separately, I've created this area of the guide to list and address all of the variations in one place. Each of the actual verse sections will then contain links to the parts that comprise it.

Main Riff (Basic Form):



This is the second-most common version of the main riff, appearing four times out of the twelve total occurrences of all three variations, but I've listed it first because it's the simplest.

Fingering/Strumming:

Once again, anchoring can greatly simplify the fingering you need to use; reducing this section to nothing more than single fret changes every third note. The simple fingering makes this a decent spot to alt-strum if you feel yourself burning out, but you must be able to perform fret changes on every third note while doing so.

Speaking of alt-strumming, I think it's much easier if you always start these variations of the main riff with your dominant strum (I'm assuming it's a downstrum, but you can reverse the method if you like). This keeps the dominant strum on the accented beats, and doing it the same way every time can also help with your consistency.

First Position:


1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1
3_____2_____4_____3_____2
d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u

Second Position, Green Anchored:


1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1
2_____2_____3_____2_____2
d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u

Main Riff (Variation #1):



This is the most common version of the main riff, appearing six times out of the twelve total occurrences of all three variations. For the most part it's identical to the basic form, but the addition of the BBG gallop can greatly complicate the strumming and may lead to some additional fingering issues as well. Adding to the strumming problems is the fact that the green in the gallop is a hammer-on, which leads to the always-tricky (in GHIII, anyway) question of whether you should risk overstrumming by strumming it.

Fingering:

The fingering is technically the same as it was in the basic form of the main riff, but the gallop can still cause problems if you were in the habit of pulling off the blue really quickly. This shouldn't give you a whole lot of trouble if you pay attention and make a conscious effort to release the blue at the right time, but you can try deliberately pulling off to the green late if you want.

First Position:


1_1_1_1_1_1_111_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1
3_____2_____44____3_____2

Second Position, Green Anchored:


1_1_1_1_1_1_111_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1
2_____2_____33____2_____2

Strumming:

The main problem with alt-strumming this section is that the gallop can throw off your strums by switching downstrums to the off-beats. There are basically two ways of dealing with this, which I'll get to in a bit.

Even if you've decided that alt-strumming most of this simply isn't worth it, though, the gallop can still be problematic. I've also got three different downstrumming methods for the section to address that.

Straight Alt-Strumming:


d_u_d_u_d_u_dud_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d

If downstrumming on the off-beats doesn't bother you, this is the way to go. You'll have to start the following fill with an upstrum, but I'll present strumming methods for both fills that will allow you to get back to the main riff on a downstrum.

The only other issue with this method is that you'll have to be fairly precise with your pull-off to the green after the double blue to avoid overstrumming. For some reason, though, I've never had a problem with overstrumming here; you shouldn't be afraid to try it if whatever method you use now isn't consistent enough for you.

Straight Alt-Strumming, Using the Pull-Off:


d_u_d_u_d_u_dup_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u

Using the pull-off here enables you to keep the downstrums on the accented beats. You'll also have more margin for error with your release of the blue with this method.

Downstrumming, Using the Pull-Off (Method #1):


d_d_d_d_d_d_ddp_d_d_d_d_d_d_d_d

If you have a very quick double downstrum, this method shouldn't be too hard to execute. Chances are you'll be slightly late on the second blue, however, so with this method especially you need to make sure you're not pulling off to the green too soon.

Downstrumming, Using the Pull-Off (Method #2):


d_d_d_d_d_d_dup_d_d_d_d_d_d_d_d

Fairly self-explanatory. This is much easier to use if you can't execute a double downstrum at twelve notes per second (granted, you can go significantly slower than that given the timing window, but hopefully my point is clear).

Downstrumming, Strumming through the Gallop:


d_d_d_d_d_d_dud_d_d_d_d_d_d_d_d

As with the first method I gave, you'll have to be fairly precise with your pull-off to the green after the double blue to avoid overstrumming.

Main Riff (Variation #2):



This is the least common version of the main riff, appearing only twice out of the twelve total occurrences of all three variations. The only difference between this and the previous variation is the addition of a second gallop. This gallop doesn't really change anything as far as fingering, and can actually make the strumming a little easier.

Fingering:

The only difference between this and the previous section is that now you have to be conscious of your pull-off timing with two gallops instead of one.

First Position:


1_1_1_1_1_1_111_1_111_1_1_1_1_1
3_____2_____44____33____2

Second Position, Green Anchored:


1_1_1_1_1_1_111_1_111_1_1_1_1_1
2_____2_____33____22____2

Strumming:

The addition of the second gallop actually cancels out the problem of downstrums on off-beats caused by alt-strumming through everything in the previous section. Almost everything else is exactly the same; if there are no comments on a method you should refer to the previous section.

You'll notice, however, that there are some additional methods listed here. This is because the first time you play this section you're coming straight from the Meaty Riff, which means that if you were using the "Downstrums on Fret Changes" method you'll be entering this section coming off a downstrum. If you don't want to downstrum twice in a row, the last three methods are for starting on an upstrum.

Straight Alt-Strumming:


d_u_d_u_d_u_dud_u_dud_u_d_u_d_u

Straight Alt-Strumming, Using the Pull-Offs:


d_u_d_u_d_u_dup_d_udp_u_d_u_d_u

This method gets a little harder because you have to use a DU to start the first gallop and an UD to start the section. I can't think of any tricks to get around this, but there are plenty of other methods here to try if you don't like this one.

Downstrumming, Using the Pull-Offs (Method #1):


d_d_d_d_d_d_ddp_d_ddp_d_d_d_d_d

Downstrumming, Using the Pull-Offs (Method #2):


d_d_d_d_d_d_dup_d_dup_d_d_d_d_d

Downstrumming, Strumming through the Gallops:


d_d_d_d_d_d_dud_d_dud_d_d_d_d_d

Start on Upstrum, Fix on First Gallop:


u_d_u_d_u_d_udu_d_udp_u_d_u_d_u

By strumming through the first gallop and using the pull-off on the second, you get your down-strums back on the downbeats.

Start on Upstrum, Fix on Second Gallop:


u_d_u_d_u_d_udp_u_dud_u_d_u_d_u

Same principle as the previous method, but you rectify your strumming on the second gallop rather than the first. This is better if you don't want to use an UDU gallop.

Start on Upstrum, Straight Alt-Strumming:


u_d_u_d_u_d_udu_d_udu_d_u_d_u_d

With this method you alt-strum straight through everything. I have some strumming methods listed for the first fill that deal with starting on an upstrum, so you'll have to use one of those.

Start on Upstrum, Using Both Pull-Offs:


u_d_u_d_u_d_udp_u_dup_d_u_d_u_d

Again, you'll be starting Fill #1 on an upstrum.

Fill #1:



The spacing I've used here distorts the speed of the section a bit; the strumming is just as fast as that of all the previous sections. The reason I've spaced it this way is to represent accurately the speed of the quick yellow-blue at the beginning; it's over 18 notes per second.

Using that blue hammer-on also has a way of throwing off people's strumming/fretting synchronization, causing a miss somewhere in the fill. I used to have trouble with this, but I found that with a little practice and concentration I could hold it together long enough to last until the end of the fill, at which point I would execute a little fingering trick to get myself back on the rhythm (see the fingering section below). If you can't make that work, however, you can try acatisfinetoo's method, which is to hit the first YB, pause, and then come back in on the orange. You should hit the orange late and then pick up the lost time on the next blue for full effect. The reason this method works is that by adding the pause, you're mentally and physically separating the part that causes rhythmic trouble from the rest of the fill.



Fingering:

Finally, something you don't have to anchor! You can plant your index finger back on green once you hit the green here, though. This would make the transition back into the next main riff easier (since the first note of all three variations is a GY chord); however, I like to slam my index finger back on the green after the final yellow as a way of making dead sure I'm on the rhythm going back into the main riff (I alluded to this method earlier). Try out both and see which one you like better.

First Position:


34_4__4__3__2__1__2__3

First Position, Green Anchored where Applicable:


34_4__4__3__2__1__1__1
34_4__4__3__2__1__2__3

Second Position:


23_4__3__2__1__1__1__2

Second Position, Green Anchored where Applicable:


23_4__3__2__1__1__1__1
34_4__4__3__2__1__2__2

Third Position:


12_3__2__1__1__1__1__2

If you can deal with the sliding going back from yellow to green, this method will allow you to hit the troublesome hammer-on bit at the beginning with stronger fingers.

Third Position, Green Anchored where Applicable:


12_3__2__1__1__1__1__1
34_4__4__3__2__1__2__2

Strumming:

If you're coming off Main Riff Variation #1 or #2, you may be going into this section starting on an upstrum depending on which method you used there. I have several strumming methods listed here that will rectify your strumming so that you can start the next main riff on a downstrum.

Starting on a Downstrum, Alt-Strumming:


dh_u__d__u__d__u__d__u

Starting on a Downstrum, Downstrumming:


dh_d__d__d__d__d__d__d

I only really put this in to contrast with the following method.

Starting on a Downstrum, Strumming through the Hammer-on:


d u d__d__d__d__d__d__d

This is ThePriest's method. Strumming the hammer-on here can really help you tighten up your timing with fretting the blue and orange notes. Note that I've changed the spacing a bit; strumming and fretting the blue note late will reduce the risk of overstrumming, plus it's probably easier to strum a gallop than it is to strum a grace note followed by a longer pause.

Starting on an Upstrum, Method #1:


ud_u__d__u__d__u__d__u

By strumming the hammer-on, you insert an extra strum in the section that puts your downstrums back on the downbeats. There is surprisingly little risk of overstrumming with this method, that usually only happens if you fret too quickly and this hammer-on is very fast.

Starting on an Upstrum, Method #2:


uh_u__d__u__d__u__d__u

This method will work especially well in conjunction with acatisfinetoo's rhythmic alteration method discussed in the beginning of this section. Use the pause between the first blue and the orange to reset your upstrum; the rest of it will line up perfectly.

Starting on an Upstrum, Method #3:


uh_d__u__d__u__d__u__d

With this method, you'll simply end this section on a downstrum and use another downstrum to start the next section. Hey, some people downstrum through this entire song; it can't be that hard .

Fill #2:

-----

The rhythm of this section is the same as that of the previous fill (if you ignore the sustain at the end), but the fingering is different. All of the rhythmic/strumming strategies still apply, then, but the parts about anchoring don't.

I bet you figured that out already.

Fingering:

First Position:

-----
23_4__3__2__4__1__4-----

Second Position:

-----
12_3__2__1__3__1__4-----

Strumming:

This fill also has the possibility of being entered on an upstrum.

Starting on a Downstrum, Alt-Strumming:

-----
dh_u__d__u__d__u__d

Starting on a Downstrum, Downstrumming:

-----
dh_d__d__d__d__d__d

Starting on a Downstrum, Strumming through the Hammer-on:

-----
d u d__d__d__d__d__d

Starting on an Upstrum, Method #1:

-----
ud_u__d__u__d__u__d

Although you end on a downstrum here, the sustain gives you plenty of time to reset for whatever follows.

Starting on an Upstrum, Method #2:

-----
uh_u__d__u__d__u__d

Starting on an Upstrum, Method #3:

-----
uh_d__u__d__u__d__u

This method is easier to execute here than it was for Fill #1 because the sustain allows you to end on an upstrum.

Verse Riff:

-----

Main Riff (Variation #2)--Fill #1--Main Riff (Variation #2)--Fill #2

Note that I've changed the spacing back on the fills to give you a better sense of the timing involved in the section as a whole.

YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!:

-----

Main Riff (Variation #1)--Fill #1--Main Riff (Variation #1)--Fill #2


Verse 1:

-----

-----

Main Riff (Basic Form)--Fill #1--Main Riff (Basic Form)--Fill #2--Main Riff (Variation #1)--Fill #1--Main Riff (Variation #1)--Fill #2

Pre-Chorus 1:

-----------



Rather than attempt to create a single fingering/strumming section for this monstrosity, I'm going to break it up into several parts. This also will eliminate some redundancies.

Gallops (with Yellow HO/PO):

------

I don't know if these technically qualify as gallops because of the long break between the three-note bursts, but you should treat them as if they were.

Fingering:

First Position:

------
111___111___111___113------

You can anchor green for this part if you want, but it's very easy from a fingering standpoint even if you don't.

Second Position:

------
111___111___111___112------

(Was creating two separate sections for these fingerings worth it? Probably not, but I'm far too anal not to)

Don't bother anchoring green here if you're a second-position player, you'll be sliding your index finger up to red for the next section anyway.

Strumming:

These are probably too fast for you to downstrum, so strum them however you normally strum gallops. The other issue here is the yellow note at the end, which is a hammer-on. You can strum it if you feel that leaving out a strum there would throw off your rhythm, but make sure your fingering is solid if you do.

While there are technically four possible combinations of galloping methods (DUD DUD vs. DUD UDU) and whether or not to use the hammer-on, I've condensed them down to two. Mix and match if you wish.

Straight Alt-Strumming:

------
dud___udu___dud___udu

Gallops on Downstrums, Using the Hammer-on:

------
dud___dud___dud___duh

Green and Red Part:



Very simple, both with strumming and fingering.

Fingering/Strumming:

First Position:


2_1_1_1_1_1_2_1_1_1_1_1
d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u

You can anchor green for this part if you want.

Second Position:


1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1
d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u_d_u

Gallops:



Without the HO/PO, these are even simpler.

Fingering/Strumming:

Straight Alt-Strumming:


111___111___111___111
dud___udu___dud___udu

Gallops on Downstrums:


111___111___111___111
dud___dud___dud___dud

Short Fill:

-----

The first part is very easy; the second part is reminiscent of the verse fills (the rhythm is the same, but the fingering is a bit different). Remember, you can use acatisfinetoo's rhythmic alteration method for the fill if you want.

Fingering/Strumming:

I've only got one strumming method here since you can always start this section on a downstrum.

First Position:

-----
2_1_1_1_34_4_4_3_2_1_4-----
d_u_d_u_dh_u_d_u_d_u_d

Second Position:

-----
1_1_1_1_23_4_3_2_1_1_4-----
d_u_d_u_dh_u_d_u_d_u_d

Long Fill:



Slightly harder than the last fill because of the repeat of the ending part. If you're going to mess with the rhythm on the YBs you'll have to catch back up very quickly after the first one in order to hit the second.

Fingering:

First Position:


2_1_1_1_34_4_4_3_2_1_34_4_4_3_2_1

Second Position:


1_1_1_1_23_4_3_2_1_1_23_4_3_2_1_1

Strumming:

Since the section that follows this fill is identical to the Meaty Riff, you'll want to end on a downstrum if you preferred to downstrum on the fret changes there. I've included a couple methods to help you do this. If you used the downstrums on the downbeats method, you should end on an upstrum here.

End on an Upstrum:


d_u_d_u_dh_u_d_u_d_u_dh_u_d_u_d_u

End on a Downstrum, Method #1:


d_u_d_u_du_d_u_d_u_d_uh_d_u_d_u_d

By alt-strumming the first hammer-on you push the downstrums off the downbeats.

End on a Downstrum, Method #2:


d_u_d_u_dh_u_d_u_d_u_du_d_u_d_u_d

The same principle as the above method, but you may find it easier to perform the strum-direction shift on the second hammer-on rather than the first so you don't have to spend as long downstrumming the offbeats.

Chorus 1:

------------

For the most part, this section is identical to the Meaty Riff; so you should use whatever fingering and strumming technique you used there. The second time through, however, the end part is a little weird (this is what's charted there). It's not very difficult if you're paying attention, but I'm going to go ahead and waste massive amounts of space on the last measure (which is the only part that's different) anyway. This should surprise no one.

Fingering:

First Position:

------------
1_1_1_1_1_11
__3___4____2

Second Position:

------------
1_1_1_1_1_11
__2___3

Strumming:

Downstrums on the Downbeats:

------------
d_u_d_u_d_uh

Downstrums on the Fret Changes:

------------
u_d_u_d_u_dh

Will You Be ThEEEEEEEEEH!:

-----

Main Riff (Basic Form)--Fill #1--Main Riff (Basic Form)--Fill #2

Verse 2:

-----

Main Riff (Variation #1)--Fill #1--Main Riff (Variation #1)--Fill #2

Identical to YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! if you weren't paying attention.

Pre-Chorus 2:

-----------

------------------------------------------------

Identical to Pre-Chorus 1.

Okay, it's not technically identical, but I'm finally going to cut you guys a break on the length of this thing and assume you can handle those sustains in the gallops without my creating a whole new section to discuss them.

Chorus 2:



This one actually IS identical to the Meaty Riff. Really. Go look at the chart. I swear I'm not exaggerating this time.

Breakdown:

------------------------------------------

------------------------------------(Long sustain)

Something completely new! We haven't seen one of those in a while. This is probably the second-easiest part of the song, so enjoy it while you can.

Fingering:

You obviously have to anchor green for the entirety of this section, so there really isn't that much difference between first and second position here. On the other hand, when has that ever stopped me?

First Position:

------------------------------------------
1------1_1------1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1
4------4_4------4_4------4_4_4___3------3_3_3_3_4------4_4_4_4_4------4_4_4_4_4------4_4_4_2

------------------------------------(Long sustain)
1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1
3------3_3_3_2_2------2_2_3_4_4------4_4_4_4_4------4_4_4_4_3------3_3_3_3_4------4_4_4_4_4

Second Position:

------------------------------------------
1------1_1------1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1
4------4_4------4_4------4_4_4___2------2_2_2_2_3------4_4_4_4_3------3_3_3_3_3------3_3_3_2

------------------------------------(Long sustain)
1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1------1_1_1_1_1
2------2_2_2_2_2------2_2_2_4_4------4_4_4_4_4------4_4_4_4_2------2_2_2_2_3------4_4_4_3_3

Strumming:

This is a very easy section to alt-strum, so you should definitely do so if you are at all worried about your strumming endurance for the outro.

Straight Alt-Strumming:

------------------------------------------
d------u_d------u_d------u_d_u_d_u------d_u_d_u_d------u_d_u_d_u------d_u_d_u_d------u_d_u_d

------------------------------------(Long sustain)
u------d_u_d_u_d------u_d_u_d_u------d_u_d_u_d------u_d_u_d_u------d_u_d_u_d------u_d_u_d_u------

If you come into this section on an upstrum (which you will if you were downstrumming on the fret changes in Chorus 2) you can reverse this entire method or hit the second note on an upstrum as well.

Downstrum to Start Each Burst:

------------------------------------------
d------d_u------d_u------d_u_d_u_d------d_u_d_u_d------d_u_d_u_d------d_u_d_u_d------d_u_d_u

------------------------------------(Long sustain)
d------d_u_d_u_d------d_u_d_u_d------d_u_d_u_d------d_u_d_u_d------d_u_d_u_d------d_u_d_u_d------

The sustains give you plenty of time to reset your downstrum. You can reverse this method if your dominant strum is an upstrum.

Interlude 1 (Bang Your Head!):



This section repeats itself once.

Fingering:

I really don't think first position is much of an option here, so you really only have one way to finger it (I guess you could use 3 for the yellow streak, but for once I'm not going to create an entire separate fingering for that). Fortunately, the fingering in this section is pretty easy.

Second Position:


22222222222_4_2_1_4_2_1_11111111111_4_2_1_4_2_1_11111111111_4_2_1_4_2_1_11111111111_4_2_1_4_2_1

Strumming:

The streaks are way too fast to downstrum (11.6 notes per second), so everybody gets to join in the alt-strumming fun at this point.

The main issue with the strumming in this section is dealing with the tendency to strum right through the break between each fast streak and the ensuing orange. For this reason, I dislike the straight alt-strumming method here; unlike the other two methods, it doesn't allow me to slam a downstrum at the end of each burst to emphasize the break.

Straight Alt-Strumming:


dududududud_u_d_u_d_u_d_udududududu_d_u_d_u_d_u_dududududud_u_d_u_d_u_d_udududududu_d_u_d_u_d_u

If you're very solid on the break between the bursts and the oranges, this is the easiest method to execute.

Alt-Strumming, Downstrums to Start Each Burst:


dududududud_d_u_d_u_d_u_dududududud_d_u_d_u_d_u_dududududud_d_u_d_u_d_u_dududududud_d_u_d_u_d_u

Using consecutive downstrums on the end of each burst and the following orange is probably the best fix if you have a tendency to strum through that break.

Mostly Downstrumming:


dududududud_d_d_d_d_d_d_dududududud_d_d_d_d_d_d_dududududud_d_d_d_d_d_d_dududududud_d_d_d_d_d_d

If you've been downstrumming the rest of the song or have trouble alt-strumming triplets, this is the way to go.

Mostly Downstrumming, Start Burst on an Upstrum:


udududududu_d_d_d_d_d_d_udududududu_d_d_d_d_d_d_udududududu_d_d_d_d_d_d_udududududu_d_d_d_d_d_d

g0dly's method.

Interlude Pt. 2:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is probably the easiest section in the song. I'm not even going to bother with a strumming section here; alt-strum it if you're tired.

First Position:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2------1------1------4------1------1------1------4------1------1------1------4------1------1------1------4------
4------3------2------_------4------3------2------_------4------2------2------_------4------2------2------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2------1------1------4------1------1------1------4------1----------------------------------------------------3------
4------3------2------_------4------3------2------_------4----------------------------------------------------

Second Position:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2------1------1------3------1------1------1------3------1------1------1------3------1------1------1------3------
4------2------2------_------4------2------2------_------4------2------2------_------4------2------2------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2------1------1------3------1------1------1------3------1----------------------------------------------------2------
4------2------2------_------4------2------2------_------4----------------------------------------------------

Chorus 3/Point of No Return!:



Play that. It's not so bad, is it? Play it again. Now play it four more times. Play just the OYR four times. Now play that whole thing three more times. Now play the OYR THIRTY-TWO more times. Did you hit it all? Is your arm even attached anymore?

This, sports fans, is the infamous outro. It is by a long shot the most basic section in the entire song, yet it is one of the hardest for the simple fact that those triplets just seem like they're never going to stop. You're going to be fighting fatigue in both hands by the end of this (unless you're a great alt-strummer, in which case you'll only be fighting it in one hand), which will really strain your ability to stay on the rhythm. I'll try to give you whatever advice I can to help you conserve energy and keep the rhythm, but in the end this section can be as much about mental toughness as anything else. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?!?!?!

Sorry.

Anyway, I'll be talking a lot about pacing yourself and conserving energy with your fretting and strumming, so jesse0986 suggested that it would be a good idea to freticon out the whole section so you can get an idea of how long it is. The best way to think of it is probably in chunks of four measures at a time; I've added vertical lines to show you where the measure breaks are and bold vertical lines to separate off blocks of four. You'll also noticed that I've removed the blank spaces between notes; this is solely to conserve space.

||||||||

||||||||

||||||||

As you can see, the pattern is very regular and it shouldn't be too much trouble for you to learn it. Once you do, you'll be able to ration your energy much more effectively.

Fingering:

As is often the case in sections with constant strumming and fret changes on every note, keeping your fingering on the rhythm is problematic here. Ideally you'd want to slam down your finger at the top of each triplet to emphasize the beat, but unless you have superhuman fingers this will burn out your pinky very quickly. The best advice I've got is to reserve the pinky slam for when you feel yourself slipping off the rhythm, or you can try the third position fingering below.

Second Position:


4_2_1_4_2_1

While the OYGs are still happening, this is really your only fingering option.

Third Position:


3_1_1_3_1_1

Once the endless OYRs start in Point of No Return!, you can shift up to third position to shift the strain from your pinky to your ring finger. I've never actually tried this, but since your ring finger went unused in Chorus 3 it should be able to take it. Having a fresh finger for this part should help your rhythm greatly.

Strumming:

There are three main methods of strumming this; they're all difficult for various reasons.

Straight Alt-Strumming


d_u_d_u_d_u

This is very hard to do consistently because the entire section is triplets. Your fretting is probably already going to be shaky here, so a slight variance in strumming rhythm can be enough to blow an FC. On the other hand, you don't have to worry much about fatigue with this method, so you can afford a hard downstrum or upstrum at the top of each triplet. If that's enough to keep you on the rhythm, this is a very solid method.

Straight Downstrumming


d_d_d_d_d_d

This method is all about endurance. Downstrumming will likely be much more solid rhythmically in the short run, but the question is, "can you hold it for 50 seconds straight?" It's highly unlikely that your arm will have enough juice to give the top of each triplet a hard downstrum so you want to save those for when you feel like you're getting in trouble (just like you did with the fretting).

Pseudo-Gallops


d_u_d_d_u_d

I'll be honest: I've never actually tried this nor heard of anyone who has, but it occurred to me as a possibility when I was trying to think of way to alt-strum while still downstrumming the tops of the triplets. These aren't true gallops since they're straight triplets rather than three quick notes followed by a rest, but you may end up playing them like that since you have to restart the downstrum between every triplet. My hope is that this method will allow you to conserve energy while emphasizing the important notes, but like I said, I have no idea whether it actually works. I'd appreciate it if someone gave it a try.

EDIT: TheThirdDay has tried this out and he says it's not effective. He's a very good alt-strummer, so I'd say this method is at best a last resort sort of thing.

Back to Table of Contents
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Star Power:

You can safely disregard this section if you don't care about your score or are comfortable executing difficult paths even on hard songs to FC. Otherwise, listen up.

Ordinarily, I shouldn't think an FC guide would need much of a star power section. After all, a good path certainly won't help you hit notes any better. My Curse, however, has a path that can be devilishly tricky to execute and potentially disastrous to your score if you get it wrong. Take a look at the no-squeeze best path. The second, third, fourth, and sixth activations all run right up to another star power phrase, meaning you'll cripple your path by overrunning if you activate any of them late. On the other hand, you don't have a lot of room to move the activations back if you want a good score (frequent time signature changes mean that your star power will drain faster if you activate over the wrong measures). My purpose here is to tweak the star power path a bit to make it easier to execute without losing too many points. Here's how I would execute the path if I were going for a re-FC of the song (I myself fell victim to an overrun on my initial FC. I wish I'd taken some time to think of this before then):
  1. Unless you are comfortable activating really quickly in this somewhat-complicated fretting/strumming section (at worst you need to get that blue right after the second phrase under star power) I'd advise a pre-tilt here. It'll only cost you 400 points compared to activating exactly where the path says you should, and will save you a lot of headaches caused by missing here.
  2. If you're not confident in your ability to activate precisely, definitely miss this one on the early side. You can give yourself more margin for error if you don't whammy the third phrase, but that shouldn't be necessary.
  3. This is pretty clearly the second-hardest activation in the song (unless you overran the fifth phrase like I did, then it's rather easy ). It's a three-phrase activation, so you can't pre-tilt, but you need to activate as quickly as possible. One thing you do have going for you is that this section of the song is really easy, so you may be able to execute a select activation if you know how. If you're going to tilt, my only advice is to start raising the guitar before you actually hit the last yellow. Hammer that yellow early to activate as soon as possible, and try to hit the first note of the next phrase late to squeeze it out of the activation.
  4. Pre-tilt. Doesn't even cost you anything; this is the easiest activation in the song.
  5. Unless you're very solid with activating while alt-strumming, you should pre-tilt this. It actually will cost you nothing more than about 50 points' worth of ticks.
  6. Hands-down hardest activation in the song. You'll be activating in the middle of a long, whammied, SP sustain; the trick is to find a good way to count it so that you can activate in the right spot. My advice is to count along with the sustains in Interlude Pt. 2; you'll notice that there are four in each measure, so count to four each time starting at measure 105. The counting looks like this:

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    1------2------3------4------1------2------3------4------1------2------3------4------1------2------3------4

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    1------2------3------4------1------2------3------4------1------2------3------4------5------6

    Activate exactly when you hit "6," and you should get close to the 13th phrase without overrunning.

    Another method I've found is to count exactly along the beat lines on the fretboard. There are exactly six for every four chords (I have to use underscores for the sustains and change their length a bit here because you can't get a 4:6 width ratio between hyphens and anything else):

    ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
    1___2___3___4___5___6___1___2___3___4___5___6___1___2___3___4___5___6___1___2___3___4___5___6

    ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ________________________________________ ____
    1___2___3___4___5___6___1___2___3___4___5___6___1___2___3___4___5___6___7___8

    You could actually afford to activate a bit later than the "8," but you must use star power at least a quarter-beat before you get to "9." This imprecision makes me lean toward the first method as the better of the two, but figure out what works for you.
  7. You've got enough to worry about in this section without trying to precision-activate. Pre-tilt and concentrate on your strumming and fretting.

Back to Table of Contents
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion:

If you read this entire guide, I sincerely wish for you an FC, or a least a hefty score increase; you certainly deserve it. If you did not happen to achieve either of these things and have some idea how I might improve this guide so that others will, please post any suggestions or criticisms here. Questions and other comments are (as always) also welcome.

Thanks:

  • Thanks to ortiz1193 for the suggestion that I write this guide
  • Thanks to acatisfinetoo for the rhythmic alteration method for the verse fills
  • Thanks to g0dly for an additional strumming method for Interlude 1 (Bang Your Head!)
  • Thanks to jesse0986 for reminding me that even though I almost never use third position, that doesn't mean nobody else does (Verse Fill #1). Thanks to him also for the suggestion of showing freticons for the entire outro.
  • Thanks to TheThirdDay for spotting a fingering mistake in Interlude Pt. 2 and for actually trying out my crackpot strumming method in the outro
  • Thanks to NfskMjmMal2 for spotting a fingering mistake in Verse Fill #1 and for giving me some advice on formatting
  • Thanks to ThePriest for an additional strumming method in Verse Fill #1 and for input on the difficulty of alt-strumming the Delicate Riff
  • A huge thanks to SmugDuckling for his Complete Freticons for every GH3 Song. Not having to type out freticons yourself = win
  • Thanks to Invader4480 for pointing out a typo in the above link
  • Thanks to all my readers. Even if I spend well over a week on a guide for an internet forum devoted to a video game, with your amazing support I never feel like I've wasted my time.
  • Thanks ScoreHero for being such a great place. I hope I've left a positive mark on these forums with my first 1000 posts and I hope they benefit from my next 1000 as well

Back to Table of Contents
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SmugDuckling  





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PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mainly been having problems with consistency in the grace note section and the fast strumming section near the end. Let's see if this guide can help me!
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SolidGolds  





Joined: 20 Mar 2008
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pretty good guide, but it looks like you're siggesting alt strumming for the majority of the song. Alt strumming works great, but I find this song is slow enough to downstrum the whole thing (with exception to the triplets and interlude.) Sometimes I will switch off to alt strumming to conserve some energy though.
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g0dly  





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PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

um i find it much easier to downstrum the intro and the other 2 similar parts as well as the short fills. its also much easier (atleast for me) to altstrum those strings of 13 notes starting on an upstrum and then come out of them with 6 downstrums for the next few notes and do the same altstrumming for the next string (you know, that part right after those chords tward the end of the song).

it takes a TON of practice before you can altstrum this song. downstrumming can be tiring, but if you mix it up by altstrumming certain sections its not that bad because you get lots of breaks.
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zsjostrom35  





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Posts: 2130
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SmugDuckling wrote:
Mainly been having problems with consistency in the grace note section and the fast strumming section near the end. Let's see if this guide can help me!


Good luck! And thanks again for those freticons

SolidGolds wrote:
Pretty good guide, but it looks like you're siggesting alt strumming for the majority of the song. Alt strumming works great, but I find this song is slow enough to downstrum the whole thing (with exception to the triplets and interlude.)


I downstrummed almost the entire thing when I FCed it, too. The thing is, though, there's really not much of a point in listing a downstrumming method for most of these sections because downstrumming everything is self-explanatory (strum where the notes are). The only sections where I've actually explained a downstrumming method are the ones where you have the option of using HO/POs.

SolidGolds wrote:
Sometimes I will switch off to alt strumming to conserve some energy though.


g0dly wrote:
it takes a TON of practice before you can altstrum this song. downstrumming can be tiring, but if you mix it up by altstrumming certain sections its not that bad because you get lots of breaks.


That was one of the points I made in this section. Or at least I intended to make it, maybe I wasn't clear.

g0dly wrote:
its also much easier (atleast for me) to altstrum those strings of 13 notes starting on an upstrum and then come out of them with 6 downstrums for the next few notes and do the same altstrumming for the next string (you know, that part right after those chords tward the end of the song).


Sounds good; I'll put it in. I don't have any experience with this method, though, so if you want a longer description than "g0dly's method" there you'll have to give me one.
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jesse0986  





Joined: 05 Apr 2007
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks a bunch, I'm close to this even if I haven't invested a ton of practice into it. Cheers zsj.

Would anyone care to share the methods that have yielded them the most success with Fill #1? This is by far the least consistent part of the song for me. I'll try each of these methods though. zsj knows me well as I endorse a lot of YBO action where convenient, and the one time I actually tried to hit this fill from there I was able to combo it, but I haven't tried doing it consistently yet, and I'd like to try some other methods before I jump all over the place with this.

After that it's just some practice with the part and I can bag this.

Oh by the way, just to add a tip that's helped me a bunch: much like with Freya's bridge, I felt much more comfortable with the outro to this song just by knowing how long the whole thing's gonna last and by knowing the number of measures it encompasses. It also helps to break the whole final 24 measures into two parts - the first sixteen measures (starting at M113) and then the final eight (starting at M129). The first part of sixteen measures can be broken up into four-measure sequences, with the first three measures consisting of the O-Y-R-O-Y-B and the fourth measure consisting of the repeating O-Y-R. The second part consists of the eight measures of nothing but O-Y-R repeating.

I only bring this up because the notechart is a little deceiving since there are nine straight measures of O-Y-R to close out the song, when actually M128 is the final measure of the first part of the outro as I described above. It seems like common sense after you get the hang of it but it was kinda confusing the first few times I played the song since it really does seem to just go on forever.
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Invader4480  





Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 107
Location: MA

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another intense guide, zsjostrom. If anything, this will help me get the My Curse FC (if I can get good enough ). The Verses were usually where I was missing, and you covered them splendidly.
By the way, you have a broken link in your thanks. It should be:
Code:
[url=http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1053516]Complete Freticons for every GH3 Song[/url]

But really, great guide. I'm looking forward to the next one.
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-Magnum-  





Joined: 07 Dec 2007
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great guide... so many different methods!

That's good!

This will probably help me, the biggest thing I have trouble with is the very start of the intro, that thing, or whatever.

Great guide!
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jugular  





Joined: 01 May 2008
Posts: 623

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice guide! Really in-depth and detailed
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AdamTL7  





Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 430

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice, and VERY in depth! Didn't think you could go that deep with this song.

Next step : Try and use these

http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=72474
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ShadowDude27  





Joined: 19 Feb 2008
Posts: 1245
Location: In space with David Bowie

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You've done it again zsj! I think I can FC this pretty soon (not gonna be #24 though) but I will be referring to this very much.

Jesse0986 wrote:
Cheers zsj.


Cheers!

*clinks goblet*
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HangEmHigh208  





Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Posts: 81

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your guides never fail to amaze me. Excellent job, if I can ever get good enough to FC this song, I know where to turn now.
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ortiz1193  





Joined: 22 Sep 2007
Posts: 2227
Location: Shreveport, LA

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh yeah, I inspired the cool Guide Writer.

/ego

Thanks a lot , I'll have to try this out later, I'm most likely picking up 80's tonight, but its good to know this will be here to help me out when I get back to GH3.
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zsjostrom35  





Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 2130
Location: Columbus, Ohio

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jesse0986 wrote:
Would anyone care to share the methods that have yielded them the most success with Fill #1? This is by far the least consistent part of the song for me. I'll try each of these methods though. zsj knows me well as I endorse a lot of YBO action where convenient, and the one time I actually tried to hit this fill from there I was able to combo it, but I haven't tried doing it consistently yet, and I'd like to try some other methods before I jump all over the place with this.


I've never found the second position fingering very difficult to execute (it was always more the rhythm that gave me trouble), but I could definitely see third position being helpful for the beginning of that bit if you've got a weak ring finger. That blue hammer-on comes really fast.

jesse0986 wrote:
Oh by the way, just to add a tip that's helped me a bunch: much like with Freya's bridge, I felt much more comfortable with the outro to this song just by knowing how long the whole thing's gonna last and by knowing the number of measures it encompasses. It also helps to break the whole final 24 measures into two parts - the first sixteen measures (starting at M113) and then the final eight (starting at M129). The first part of sixteen measures can be broken up into four-measure sequences, with the first three measures consisting of the O-Y-R-O-Y-B and the fourth measure consisting of the repeating O-Y-R. The second part consists of the eight measures of nothing but O-Y-R repeating.

I only bring this up because the notechart is a little deceiving since there are nine straight measures of O-Y-R to close out the song, when actually M128 is the final measure of the first part of the outro as I described above. It seems like common sense after you get the hang of it but it was kinda confusing the first few times I played the song since it really does seem to just go on forever.


That's definitely a good point. I talked about pacing in this section so as to determine whether it's worth it to expend energy on a hard downstrum, but I never actually freticoned the whole thing out to show how long it was. I'll put that in.

jesse0986 wrote:
After that it's just some practice with the part and I can bag this.


-Magnum- wrote:
This will probably help me, the biggest thing I have trouble with is the very start of the intro, that thing, or whatever.


Is it really that hard? I didn't write a whole lot about that bit because it's never really given me trouble, but I could put some more effort into it if it's something a lot of people need help with.

Invader4480 wrote:
By the way, you have a broken link in your thanks. It should be:
Code:
[url=http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1053516]Complete Freticons for every GH3 Song[/url]


Good catch; thanks.

AdamTL7 wrote:
Next step : Try and use these

http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=72474


I'd rather not unless they became an official part of ScoreHero (here's hoping though, they do look nice). Maybe I'm worrying too much, but I don't like the idea of a large part of my guides being at the mercy of Imageshack.

Also, the full text of this guide (with all the code) is already enormous; it runs a full 41 pages in MS Word (single spaced). Converting each hyphen to a url would make it even more unwieldy.

jesse0986 wrote:
Thanks a bunch, I'm close to this even if I haven't invested a ton of practice into it. Cheers zsj.


Invader4480 wrote:
Another intense guide, zsjostrom. If anything, this will help me get the My Curse FC (if I can get good enough ). The Verses were usually where I was missing, and you covered them splendidly.


-Magnum- wrote:
Great guide... so many different methods!

That's good!


jugular wrote:
Very nice guide! Really in-depth and detailed


AdamTL7 wrote:
Very nice, and VERY in depth! Didn't think you could go that deep with this song.


ShadowDude27 wrote:
You've done it again zsj! I think I can FC this pretty soon (not gonna be #24 though) but I will be referring to this very much.

jesse0986 wrote:
Cheers zsj.


Cheers!

*clinks goblet*


HangEmHigh208 wrote:
Your guides never fail to amaze me. Excellent job, if I can ever get good enough to FC this song, I know where to turn now.


Thanks a lot everybody, and good luck to those of you attempting FCs!
_________________
Accomplishments Thread--GH80sX: Fifteen new FCs; OP updated with new 80s section and Best Of lists!
Ustream: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/zsjostrom35-s-GH-Show (will appear in green when online; red when offline)
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!
My guides: BIF 5* | Most Impulsive Expert Guide Ever | Guide to Writing Guides | NfMH 5* | Practice Mode | My Curse FC | GH3 Co-op Squeezing
Proud Christian


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jesse0986  





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PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Is it really that hard? I didn't write a whole lot about that bit because it's never really given me trouble, but I could put some more effort into it if it's something a lot of people need help with.


You're right, it's really not that hard at all - I just don't take the time to correct it when I play because I'm only missing out on 200 points and I'm convinced that I'll break combo at least once somewhere else in the song anyway.

Once I get the 1,396 NS I'll go back and fix it (if I haven't already smashed my guitar in disgust).

And thanks for the tip on the fill, I might just need some better rhythm for that part.
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