# Tornado Of Souls - Wide Stretch!



## ArtDecade (Jun 6, 2012)

Hey everyone...

I have smaller to normal sized hands and I am having a bugger of a time with this solo. In particular, I can't play this pattern:

--17h10---
--------12-
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I am able to nail the 16th fret at speed, but I'm screwed when it comes to the 17th. I have found that it is easier to play on my Les Paul than my Telecaster. I am guessing that the scale length might be coming into play... or its mental. 

I don't want to overstretch my hand and cause long term problems. Should I attempt to play it as written or adjust the notes to other areas of the neck? What to do? Thanks!


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## MrPepperoniNipples (Jun 6, 2012)

ah i remember this entire solo giving me a ton of trouble back in the day

the reason i was having trouble with it was because with the preceding shapes, i would hold the middle finger down on the B string so that it would be easier to play clean

Once i stopped that and took the time to clean it up, the shape became easier to play and over time felt more natural


but if you're already doing that, it's clear that you need some stretching exercises. 
don't be so quick to blame the guitar, you should learn to play it even on the Tele


some exercises that helped me stretch were going up and down a whole tone scale,
and then advancing to 3 note per string pentatonics

and once that felt natural i learned the second Jeff Loomis solo in "Enemies of Reality," the diminished pattern around 3:53 in the song


like Skwisgaar Skwigelf says; you are only cheating yourself by taking the easy way out
i think you should do the exercises and learn to play it the way Marty did


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 6, 2012)

Unless you're missing the fret by a few hundredths of an inch, the scale difference is all mental. Though, the neck shape on the LP may be helping you a little. I'd substitute for another D myself, the 15th fret of the second string would probably be the best choice.


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## Blake1970 (Jun 6, 2012)




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## viesczy (Jun 6, 2012)

ArtDecade said:


> Hey everyone...
> 
> I have smaller to normal sized hands and I am having a bugger of a time with this solo. In particular, I can't play this pattern:
> 
> ...



Play the notes on other strings. 

17 on E is an A, 10 on E is a D and 12 on B is a B, right? Keep the A on 17, get the D on 15 on the B & the B on 16 on the G. I suck @ tab as nothing evens out once I post but:

17------
--15----
----16--

Or top the A even if you want to play it in the position you have shown. 

IMNSHO as long as the notes are correct, doesn't matter on which string/position you hit those notes. 

Derek


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## theCurse (Jun 6, 2012)

first of all, congrats on learning one of my favorite megadeth songs. of course all of Rust in Peace is the shit, in my op the best metal album ever made.
if you are following the hal leanord tab book, what they put down for the solos is not always right and sometimes actually much harder than the way marty actually plays it. its been a long time since i played that solo so im not sure exactly which part you are referring to , but check out this dude playing it pretty much correct on his telecaster and you can see some of the easier fingerings compared to the tab.
ok i just watched it again and i see the dude is making the 10-17 stretch towards the end there. just work that slow for a while and you'll get it man.


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## ArtDecade (Jun 6, 2012)

Thanks everyone. I guess I am just going to have to do as many stretch exercises as I can without hurting myself. I remember how Adrian Vandenberg blew out his hands years ago by doing finger stretches. It scares me a bit, because I don't know that he has ever fully recovered. Plus, his injury led to Vai basically stealing the show on that tour! 

Its funny... just when you think that you are getting where you want to be as a player, you create your own stumbling blocks!


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## ChronicConsumer (Jun 7, 2012)

Those stretches are all about positioning your wrist and thumb in the classical way. The 'blues' grip, with the thumb over the neck, is something you should avoid in this scenario.
And here's a video of what is (in my opinion) the coolest cover of the solo!


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## EcoliUVA (Jun 7, 2012)

I have somewhat-larger-than-average hands and that bit was (is) still a pain, so don't feel too bad, haha.

No one's mentioned the obvious, so I thought I would: It can be tapped. Cheating, perhaps, but if you absolutely can't make the stretch you could set your index finger on the 7th fret B, tapping the 10th fret D with your ring or pinky finger, and the other alternating frets (14, 15, and 17) with your picking hand (all on the high E string).

Of course, it IS possible to increase stretch distance over time. I've never spent extensive time on this, but the more I play this particular passage (the original way), the easier it gets. You could try alternating between the two methods just for practice anyway, never hurts!


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## edsped (Jun 7, 2012)

That wide stretch has always been a pain for me. I can get it sometimes without fucking up but not often. I suggest just doing it on the B and G strings instead. 

Also Adrian Vandenberg fucked up his hands by trying some kind of weird conditioning or stretching method or something IIRC, I wouldn't worry about that.


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## ArtDecade (Jun 8, 2012)

ChronicConsumer said:


> And here's a video of what is (in my opinion) the coolest cover of the solo!



That was really, really awesome. That cat was totally enjoying the crap out of that solo!


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## ChronicConsumer (Jun 8, 2012)

ArtDecade said:


> That was really, really awesome. That cat was totally enjoying the crap out of that solo!



Yeah, I know right? He doesn't play it exactly like Friedman does, but that's kind of what makes it so cool, he really made it his own. And that tap harmonic dive bomb @ 0.38 is just outta this world.


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## ArtDecade (Jun 8, 2012)

I don't know who he is, but he has buckets of talent. He was like a blend of Marty and Nuno. Pretty sick!


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## ChronicConsumer (Jun 8, 2012)

ArtDecade said:


> I don't know who he is, but he has buckets of talent. He was like a blend of Marty and Nuno. Pretty sick!



His name's Andi Kravljaca, we talked a few years ago and so all I know is he is a teacher in Sweden and he is (or was, not sure) in a prog/power band called Silent Call - ironically, not as a guitarist but as a vocalist. Oh, and Aeon Zen.
Here's one more video of him, playing and singing one of Periphery's songs. I know this is kind of far from the original topic and I apologize, but this guy deserves to be heard.


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## ArtDecade (Jun 9, 2012)

The original poster (me!) appreciates the info. That guy is talented! Thanks for the heads up.


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## Stealthtastic (Jun 9, 2012)

You could always tap it, it's what I would do personally lol.

When in doubt, tap. lol


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