what kind of learning curve is it to get the soundslice with tab going etc?
Definitely easier than learning the solo 
No but really I think you’ll find it quite intuitive if you have used tab software before!
PS only took me a while to figure out how to use the sync points, will write more later!
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I think that was fantastic! Well played.
I was reading through your notes, where you said you used your standard UWPS for the fast alt-picked passages, and I thought to myself, “That looked like downward pick slanting.”
So I watched again, and now I see it! Pretty sure I saw some switches to the downward version in there too.
I’m struggling a bit with DWPS – it’s awkward for me, and the pick feels loose. UWPS seems to come easier to me, smoother, and with less unnecessary movement.
After watching this, I feel like I need to focus on the UWPS and get that more refined.
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Yes, it was very good. Congratulations.
Tommo, what is your next big solo you plan to do this with? Do you have any ideas for what it will be? I’d like to see you learn I Am A Viking.
I know Tommo is just one of the Petrucci fans here, there are a bunch of them here. This made me wonder about the possibility of a Masters Of Mechanics with Petrucci. I’m sure he’s been asked. Does anyone know what he said, regarding if he’s open to doing it at some time in the future? I think that would be one of the most anticipated Masters Of Mechanics interviews in CTC history.
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Thank you both (and everyone else in this thread) for the kind words! It’s funny that I objectively think that I recorded good takes, yet when I listen to them I can only notice the small imprecisions - well I’d better relax 
@fergieprs indeed I am using both UWPS and DWPS in that solo, but what I was referring to is that UWPS is my fastest/most comfortable setting. I’d definitely encourage you to do more of the things that come easy - it will make you more motivated IMO. That doesn’t mean you should give up what feels more difficult, but just don’t make it your only focus because it can become very frustrating (ask me how I know 
).
@Acecrusher , I am now working on and off on three Vinnie Moore songs (Daydream, Thinking Machine and In Control) - but they are really hard and Vinnie’s crazy legato is well beyond my left hand capabilities, so I am planning to write some of my own licks to replace the impossible legato parts. To be honest, I bet that even Vinnie forgot what exact notes he played in some of his 1980s wildest solos! Dunno how long it will take me to get these songs to a recordable standard as my practice time is significantly reduced these days - but one day I’ll get there!
Regarding I am a Viking, I always found Yngwie’s playing very hard to conceptualize, because he is not very “mathematical” in the way he subdivides the beats - and obviously he is also very very fast. But I’ll have a listen and see if there is any hope for me to learn it
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Really great playing here, it must have taken a lot of work to get it to this level. Any Petrucci lead is like the holy grail of picking for me. It feels so close yet so far for me, but this gives me a boost to show that its possible.
I look forward to more of your videos Tommo.
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Out of interest, when you started working on this, did you already have the speed? (albeit with simpler, less acrobatic string skips).
Ah good question. Looking back at it, that statement seems imprecise: it is of course the combination of the speed and the athletic jumps that makes it very hard.
I was already able to hit 13/14 notes per second on simpler licks (say, on one or two strings with one-way pickslanting), but in general I always found it exhausting to pick above the 12 notes/second mark.
With the erotomania 5s lick I found that some days I was able to sustain the speed for the whole lick (albeit with imperfect timing in the string skips - see my mega post above :-D), on some other days no chance.
PS: I haven’t practiced this monster solo it since I made the video, so I assume I would totally fail at it if I tried it now
Cool, thanks for the reply. I have started to the learn the 5s bit (I have always wanted to play the beast), but my top speed speed for scalar licks have rarely gone above 16ths at @180bpm (and that is relatively simple lines). However, as you mentioned, the endurance issue is an issue - it makes it very hard to practice, a handful of reps and I’m done!!! Any ideas? I’m thinking that this might need to lower my expectations and aim for a lower bpm target until my overall speed improves through practicing each individual chunk. I have a habit of getting obsessed with a particular lick/exercise/song section and burn out!
Hey @PickingApprentice, sorry for the delay! I’ve been thinking a bit about this type of issue - let’s say “speed above which your nervous system struggles”. From my experience with this solo, I don’t think this can be solved by playing at a slower tempo.
Probably a good idea is to take another lick that is about the same duration but a bit easier for the picking hand (say - using only your favourite pickslant/escape path -possibly covering all 6 strings along the way). Or, simply add some legato “cheats” here and there in the 5s lick itself (like I did), to make it fit better your current technique.
Then, try to play this simplified lick at, or a bit above, the speed of the “5s lick”.
The idea is to remove all other obstacles (difficult string changes and so on) and get used to the feeling of that speed.
Once you have experienced that speed, you can try to go back to the original task and add the additional complications.
Disclaimer: just my ideas, no real science here
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An idea is unwritten science in my book! Thanks for the post, it makes a of sense. I like the idea of simplifying it to give my nervous system a chance to get a feel for it (and feel some progress!)
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I think @tommo’s idea of initially simplifying a complex lick or phrase to get then feel, and then adding in the additional complications, is a good one. I think this concept can also be applied to complicated rhythmic phrases in, say, Yngwie’s solos, which are full of diverse mashups of odd note groupings. For something like that, the idea might be to fiest learn the solo in something like all 16th notes. Then once it’s under your fingers, you can start checking out the more complex note groupings.
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@tommo, I forgot to ask… did you find getting the 5s licks timing difficult when you practiced? I like to use a metronome periodically to get a ballpark figure of what my top tempo is currently, bit I’m finding it difficult to get it. Do you think it is worth trying to get the 5s in time now or convert it to 16ths, work on the speed and worry about the 5s later?
In my case I was reasonably comfortable with the 5s as it made intuitive sense to me in terms of phrasing/accenting - but that is probably because I had practiced 5-note groupings in the past.
Definitely try the 16th version, in the spirit of removing obstacles to get to the desired speed Also, the central musical idea of this lick is based on a group of 20 notes, so it works nicely both with 16ths and with 5s.
The click should be 195bpm for 16th notes, 156bpm for 5s.
Hi Tommo
I want to get an impression of how outstanding difficult and therefore also of what beauty this Solo is. I have the hal Leonhard Transkription. Are they a good starting point to figure it out. Or do you have netter tabs with for the left hand and perhaps for the up and downstrokes and swipes?
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Hey @nikita1504, this solo is really hard for me, and I think even the great John Petrucci has some difficulties playing it live (sorry for the blasphemy ).
I transcribed my cover on soundslice and included details on the pulloffs; plus some swipes that I am aware of are also notated. Have a look and I’d be happy to answer any questions on upstrokes, downstrokes and swipes
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Oh dear, just came across this. I’ve finished playing the guitar for today 
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May be a case of “grass os greener on the other side” with the two of us
Also while I’m happy with the overall result, you can definitely find little issues here and there if you wanted to… but it may be that when it’s someone else playing we are more willing to let these things go
PS: note how I didn’t pick everything in the final lick, there’s a few pulloffs here and there that I notated. Since you are DSX like me, give them a try and see if they make the lick easier to play at tempo.
I know that also Andy James plays the final lick with a pulloff every 10 notes and I never saw anyone complaining about his rendition:)
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Well, you can pick and play this on tempo, and I’m really far from that. 
I do not consider doing a pull off here and there or altering a lick to fit your primary picking motion, thanks to the progress I make based on your feedback.
So, amazing playing as usual and even the dry signal version sounds super clean to me … and honestly, at these tempos, I don’t think anybody can hear the “inconsistency” of the volumes of the notes, especially with gain added (and that’s how it should be played). I’m super jealous and happy for you that you could pull this off.
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POT TO KETTLE MY DUDE!
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