5 Things You're Playing Wrong in The Thing That Should Not Be (Metallica) - Weekend Wankshop 198

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unclebeneller
Hey guys! On Weekend Wankshop 198, Uncle Ben Eller here is gonna be showing you all 5 things you may be playing wrong in The Thing That Should Not Be by Metallica! This song is probably the heaviest tune off Master of Puppets, i LOVE it! But unfortunately, there's so many bad tabs and lessons floating around out there for it. But now you'll be able to get all the tiny details right and nail this song!
In this video, you'll learn the way James and Kirk make it all sound so sick, including:
1:11 the tuning
2:00 main riff tags
4:20 pre chorus chords
7:19 chorus/outro/solo riff chugs
9:22 those tricky unison riffs after the solo
So dive in and get rippin!
What other Metallica tunes stump you? Let me know in the comments below and i will cover them in a future guitar lesson!

[@BenEller]

Thanks for playing The Thing That Should Not Be the RIGHT way!!! What other Metallica songs have you stumped that you want a lesson on? Post em up!

[@SantiagoSkywalker98]

Dyers Eve and the acustic parte of One.

[@jc8178]

I'd love to see the Mercyful Fate riffs broken down into something teachable. Thanks for this vid!

[@betolicks4071]

Trapped under ice fight fire with fire for sure

[@gazwhitley125]

Ben Eller The day that never comes

[@GUSVITOR]

Please Máster of Puppets solo, but the official transcription guitar book (8va is to two strings, but in a lot of covers is a single string)

[@siddharthghosh3963]

So, shouldn't the title be "The 5 things that should not be in The thing that should not be?"

[@martyg8137]

SID G brilliant 😄

[@FreeTheJambon]

@MrOnionCock Yes.

[@abrahamlincoln3826]

The best comment i have ever seen

[@ronaldothomejunior3702]

I think it should not be;)

[@christianwistberg]

"The title that should be The five things that should not be in The thing that should not be"

[@jahtherevlimitr3783]

If you want to play it like the Seattle 89' Concert and probably most of the concerts in the late 80's and '90s, you can also tune down to C# Standard. They had lowered it half a step extra for Seattle. The studio version was in D Standard

[@AndersonWave17]

I'm so glad you mentioned the tuning. I'm pretty sure I was yhe only one that knrw it was in d standard. Sad but true is also in this tuning

[@thalamusDecimation]

Did you have a stroke?

[@Dasdickehuhn]

Yes only you

[@mihneazoican2479]

It’s funny to me that people play it in drop D when there’s that really old video of Kirk showing riffs from MoP and he clearly plays it in a standard-type tuning (not sure if it’s D or C# in that video but it doesn’t matter)

[@Balltongue84]

The main riff in Opeth's Blackwater Park is notoriously tabbed wrong, I have literally never seen anyone play it correctly on KZbin. Maybe you could do that one in the near future.

[@Owlun]

Fun fact: This song was actually recorded in C# standard, not in D standard. Because of recording methods to increase clarity at the time tapes were sped up a bit which in turn caused a slight increase in pitch. If you listen to live recordings, particularly Seattle 89' you can hear that they're actually playing the song in C# standard.

[@peterschmidt3463]

In a recent interview with Rick Beaty Kirk stated the song is tuned to C#.

[@usagi666_]

I’ve always thought the outro “chugs” end up becoming short pick scrapes just as the song starts to fade out, similar to the pick scrape effect Mustaine uses in the post-solo section of Megadeth’s Skin O’ My Teeth . At least it sounds like Metallica used pick scrapes on the record.

[@KaineSpawnX]

On the album, it's an overdub that fades in and pans left and right while the chugs continue. Live (see Seattle '89), Kirk is "sawing" the muted strings with his picking hand. There's still a chance it was pick scrapes in the studio, though. In early live performances (1986-1988), he kicked on a flanger, but in that '89 show and onward he uses his trademark wah-wah pedal, which sounds more like the studio version effect. Really cool, creepy stuff to close out the track.

[@mihneazoican2479]

I always thought that scratchy sound was an overdub low E (D) chug with a flanger. That’s what it sounds like to me at least

[@POOKIE5592]

Thank you for doing this! I was watching videos about a month ago trying to figure out the correct way of playing this, and you swooped in and saved the day!

[@SpectrumAudiophile]

Such a gnarly tune. Thanks for busting this one open for everyone!

[@alexallen6143]

Perfect, detail drives me crazy when I see these covers , I feel like I have to play it the way it was written. Awesome!

[@goldotom]

Nothing is better than Uncle Ben confirming the way you play the song ! I was right for Damage Inc, Leper Messiah and this one. The song Crack the Skye need your inspection deer uncle !

[@kartikchandrasekhar4181]

That pre-chorus riff is one of my favorite Metallica riffs. I wonder who wrote it, James or Kirk. Since both are credited. Maybe even Lars came up with the idea and then James jammed something over it. They both liked it and they decided to use it. It's those little facts I love! :D

[@SamBarvels]

I must admit I'm a victim of learning this song on inaccurate tabs. Thank you Uncle Ben!

[@ashtweth]

Just watched Ben stoned, just noticed how nice, mellow and detailed he is at teaching....Great Job support the channel ...

[@VacantSpirit]

Where is Andriys comment xD

[@5150serg]

I have been waiting for this lesson!

[@mg682]

Hey uncle Ben, One riff I always was stumped on was the one in disposable heroes where he harmonizes with Kirk's solo twice before going back to the interlude rhythm section

[@justaguyherefortunes1661]

I love your channel so much man. Especially the comedic stuff. I dont subscribe to alot of channels. But I wish I could subscribe to yours twice. Keep up the good work man. Much love from an amateur guitarist

[@RichieRichOverdrive]

Gah, I knew i wasn't playing that chuggy chorus part right! Can't thank you enough for this!

[@TrueLink1]

Hey Uncle Ben, I think it would be cool to do a This is Why You Suck at Guitar lesson highlighted around things "you may not know you're doing wrong". Drawing attention to certain aspects of playing like certain habits that carry a lot of tension, excessive movement or just efficiency of playing mechanics, fingering choices, etc. I was thinking of little stuff like that to where a beginning player might learn some good habits to keep with them, and an advanced player might be able to free some of the shackles from their playing.

[@pyroseed13]

Nice Intronaut shirt! And cool video. This is one of my favorite Metallica songs.

[@Metalltool]

Always had trouble hearing the right chords. Hetfield chugs very hard on the recording, bottomless heavyness. Thanks for another great lesson!

[@whereTheRiversFlowNorth]

Nicely done, young Warrior

[@muaythai4lifelife]

Only juicy things from Uncle Ben! Fantastic video! If I can suggest you another similar video for the future, there are also songs like Battery, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), even MOP and TTTSNB as well, showed on the January 2006 issue of Guitar World by Kirk himself. The video of that lesson is available here in YT but the tab on the GW issue is important to get the riffs. Thanx Cheers from Italy!

[@phantomlord5707]

thank you so much, this is gonna help a ton!

[@dman3d]

Meticulous research pays off once again, thanks for all you do

[@rolfeinarhallingstad477]

Great upload, this was helpful. 😁👍 I always knew that the tab book was wrong! That’s why I never bothered to learn from that. I can believe that anyone uses it. Let your ears be your guide! ✌️🎸🤘

[@henrisonkajarvi7354]

How about the solo on this one for the next lesson? In other news cracking Machine Heads Burn my eyes (the whole album) would be nice.

[@AyBi_Studio]

Amazing song and one of the craziest solos ever written!

[@furiouzzzz]

this is pure gold

[@TheMikeakers]

I remember having the master of puppets tab book (official) and it said to play in DADGBE, so I learned it that way, saw them live and realised it was D-standard, but because I’ve played it that way for years it’s hard to adjust to the correct way, I know you’re right, Metallica know you’re right too, but I’m pretty damn sure the official master of puppets tab book says drop D 🧐🤔

[@BenEller]

mike akers man, that tab book is worthless. It’s full of fake news.

[@revsharp777]

Same here

[@flint1768]

I think I have the same Cherry Lane tab book of MOP and I know they put the song in dropped D. That's why I hardly ever play my favorite Metallica song. I didn't like tuning to dropped D, but now I'm gonna learn it the right way!!!

[@MrJak427]

Flint 1768 just buy a cheap Ltd. Eclipse with the 81/60 combo and leave it in that tuning I’m thinking about doing this myself as I have a ec1000 I got real cheap and I don’t like the guitar that much but it may serve its purpose in a different tuning saves me wrecking a good but on my good guitar

[@paulkline3011]

I had the same book. Drop D is what I've been playing this song in for 30 years.

[@tommacmillan8831]

This is great, as it always is. the use of the thumb is new to me (oo-err!), I had never considered that. part 4 is the bit that showed me it was not recorded in drop D (you can make most of the rest sound pretty good in drop D)

[@ComatoseMN]

Hey Uncle Ben!! One of my favorite breakdowns you do, (I'm not sure if it was a "Wheekend Whank Shoppe" Episode or not), is Metallica's Blackened!! As an accuracy player myself, I love that you do these. Through the years, I used to intently listen to songs for little nuances people missed all the time too. I think it was too many trips to listen to the Guitar Center customer absolutely MURDER these things... Anyway, Kudos my friend!! Keep up the amazing work!! >M

[@maxtree6700]

That tone is great!

[@southernlongleafoutdoors6304]

Thanks so much, this is awesome. You rock!

[@vs4ntroy421]

I’m loving the intronaut shirt

[@thefog7067]

Passion & Warfare lurking in the back there 😍

[@spyroschristoulakis6296]

Hey Ben! Quick comment here; I've actually noticed that this C power chord you're playing at 2:26 into the video is actually *_*2*_* C power chords played as a 16th one, followed by an 8th one, but ONLY for the very first time this main riff kicks in. It happens right after the intro, and right after the chorus. I'm actually making a short video showcasing the intro as we speak. Thanks for decoding this majorly overlooked gem!

[@m4nu003]

You're absolutly right. I heard this in the only guitar track. \m/

[@spyroschristoulakis6296]

@@m4nu003 Ben actually commented on my video just today, essentially confirming it! kzbin.infoUcWYvoHiS5U

[@YashVardhanTanwar]

Thans Uncle Ben! I learnt this one finally!!!

[@joncbartlett]

I've wondered when you were gonna make this video. Thank you.

[@OldManDoom]

Jesus Ben, I never thought of playing that riff with the thumb over the top. It was always so cumbersome and hard to mute the other strings. You’re always showing us some hen house shit that just makes all these songs so much damn easier. Gee whiz.

[@vangeljankulovski7128]

Thumb power chord, I'll need few years for that

[@vangeljankulovski7128]

update: I'm getting better faster than expected

[@vangeljankulovski7128]

final update: I have mastered the thumb power chord

[@kinniecas9004]

nice

[@AndyFairlie]

Thanks, uncle Ben! This really helped me, gee whiskers!

[@zgamer1154]

I'm glad somebody finally acknowledges that the tuning is in D Standard, you kickass dude keep making good vids!

[@jackburton9653]

Started trying to learn this song in 1995 at the age of 13. No KZbin back then and smaller, skinnier fingers. Drop D sounds perfect for about 70% of this song but then half the transitions don’t make any sense.Took me 20 years and several KZbin viewings of James playing live before I realized it was standard and not drop. Thanks for the vid!

[@daddylifebr]

Ooh thanks dude, I always had doubts about It.

[@pauloanhaia]

Excellent!

[@mattrosenboom4810]

That ibanez is bad ass!

[@UnderGun81]

Gracias Tío Ben

[@sollyharr]

Stop telling us we are shit and we all need to listen to you Uncle Nobface !! Just continue your great lessons and updates on songs etc...got it?

[@mayara.mp3]

Thank you so much. You really helped me :D

[@SixString_J5]

Thanks Uncle Ben! @5:30 was a straight facepalm moment for me. The thumb needs to pull its weight on this one.

[@Sergio2006A]

In the "unison" riffs, it's actually 3-5 on the 6th string rather than 3 (6th string) 0 (5th string). I know it's the same note, but if you watch how they play it live, you'll see.

[@XbninjaXIV]

I play the pre-chorus as a barre chord, I still get the same sound

[@oisinmcphillips2090]

This and Sad but True are Metallica at their heaviest, such great plodding riffs

[@inspectorbudget]

Oisin McPhillips Yes!

[@Top10Dylan]

I hate when people confuse heavy and brutal The thing that should not be=heavy Fight fire with fire=brutal

[@oisinmcphillips2090]

@Hidde Veldkamp frayed ends is unlistenable for me with those ridiculous viking chants at the start

[@TheBfutgreg]

Not even as cool as vikings, it's from the fucking guards in the Wizard of Oz

[@jeffjimenez7545]

Hey uncle Ben , can you do the tapping part of the firts solo of blackened ?

[@skummtoons6686]

Beastly, just Beastly 👍👍

[@jakeyjake5258]

very nicely played! love the riffs in this song. Only one thing i would add is let your groove out man feel it in ur pick hand and lead hand.. Lotta groove in these riffs that require alot of feel to make it sound right on. One of them riffs where if you aint head banging/slamming them strings with a forceful palmute while jamming it its not gonna feel right lol.. Good shit!!

[@DimTim81]

I've been playing it wrong all this time! Well, I probably haven't played it in two decades and definitely not in front of people so I guess I'm safe. On a serious note, finding out this wasn't actually in drop D (like in the tab book) is one hell of a revelation.

[@glennpillsbury3262]

I dunno. James may play it in standard D, but Drop D -- the way it's written in the tab book - remember, that's pre-video days so they're trying to figure it all out entirely by ear -- Drop D is so much more efficient in terms of hand motion though, on the main riff. You just barre your finger across the two low strings and use middle and pinky to play the higher power chords - it's very fluid (something akin to what Mustaine might do). Sliding a huge static power chord shape for all the chords the whole time is just a waste of motion. It also makes it consistent with the pre-chorus shapes. My point is: someone should tell Hetfield he's been making it too hard on himself all these years...

[@georgewalker3702]

The tab book is notorious for getting the songs wrong.

[@gabriel77196]

Ben and Andrrriy for Metallica tabbing justice!!!!!

[@lgab]

Break down the solo of The Shortest Straw! Metallica just released a live video from '92 where you see the solo pretty good. Looks like a fun solo to play.

[@Thundercloud_Jackson]

Man could you do Among the Living by Anthrax I swear I have never heard anything sound like the recording.

[@tatunyman242]

There was once a quiz in finnish music magazine, and even they got the tuning wrong. 😄

[@TheSultan69]

DUDE I FUCKING LOVE YOU ITS LIKE YOU MAKE VIDEOS JUST FOR MY NICHE INTERESTS. THANKS UNCLE B

[@ZedChuva]

Way back in the 80s, when my band covered this, we played it in drop D, cause it was "easier" to do. Just drop that E down, and go, instead of needing a guitar tuned to D-Standard for one song. I suggested just tuning down to D all the time, but the other guitarist wasn't digging the idea.

[@tvalla]

get other guitar in D and play Sad But True too haha

[@LEE_MILLARD]

hi ben good vid, how come you don't barre your index finger across all six strings to do the pre chorus riff, seems to work for me ???

[@NBTKDA]

I hope one day you do a lesson on the verse riff for Divinations by Mastodon -- or hell even the whole song haha

[@Ozzie9877]

Disposable heroes galloping riff please.

[@themightymcb7310]

0 000 0 0 0 00000 000 0 0 0 00000 000 0 0 0 00000 000. Basically each gallop lasts as long as a normal 8th note would. The pattern remains consistent after the lead in chug and gallop. The riff starts on the 3 8th note chugs, followed by 5 double time chugs, a brief rest (like one taken between gallops), and then a gallop. Then it starts over again. Just start slow and play to a metronome. Then work on endurance once you've got the speed.

[@BenEller]

The key is the picking pattern. I should do this one.

[@Xplora213]

Ozzie A play it with drums. MUCH easier. James sings while playing this, and live they have played it faster than the album. It's hard to get the halftime feel with just the guitar.

[@Ozzie9877]

@@BenEller Info such as the way to hold or angle the pick would be really helpful to get that kind of scrape sound James gets. And the timing. I can play the riff up to speed but it just doesn't sound right!

[@KonStafylides]

People have trouble with this? Ive been able to play the whole song since i was 2 months into guitar. Im not trying to brag but what throws yall off?

[@The_Crooked_Path]

Would be awesome to get the solo for this song

[@MrRobRocker]

Wow! Thanks for this lesson Maestro! I've been playin this song in Drop D for years; and the Tab Notation I used (via GTR Magazine 1999 / 2001) matches the tonality (tuning?) of the "Studio Version" perfectly.. although I often add a little Octave Divider FX on the solo to fatten it up for a simulated 2 Guitar Feel. Are you absolutely sure it's not Drop D ? ? \m/

[@MrRobRocker]

I actually found an Accurate TAB Notation of this song in Standard D Tuning via "Guitar One" Magazine dated April 4, 1995, but the solo might be missing a few nuances...

[@BenEller]

Robert Rocks I’m positive about the tuning; watch any live footage, there are no one finger power chords; also, that open low G note in the chorus is a giveaway.

[@henryshulo7608]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@jacktowers7533]

5:26, I can’t tell you the number of times when I learnt a part the way the artist played it, and that way would make it easier than how you’d conventionally move from a chord to a particular part, and someone would tell me I’m cheating because I’m playing smarter not harder even when that’s how the artist does it

[@manus.208]

Hi uncle Ben, please make a Video of „harvester of sorrow“ please.👌 i think there‘s Dome Tricky parts in it too.

[@MrChuckd6]

Thumb double stops up!

[@billyshity4045]

You know what's funny your lesson is actually easier the ones played wrong right or wrong hahaha

[@c0lorless]

the fact that he was giving note names on E standard and i was immediately understanding what he meant XD

[@russellward4624]

I think the tuning issue comes from people not understanding what drop tuning means. I’ve seen a lot of people calling Eb or D tuning as drop.

[@burnsZY85]

Always had it in my head that the song was tuned down at C sharp, could of swore i seen that in an interview with james but hey ho.

[@odysseaspapantonakos9461]

They play the song live in c# standard tuning. The original tuning used in the recording is actually d standard.

[@jbisch272]

Nope, you are correct. It was recorded in C#

[@SatyamKumar-jq6iz]

How about that solo, uncle Ben?

[@cpottervlog8122]

You should do the solo sometime

[@jeremyjamesdewitt]

So, I just slowed down the actual recording, and I think on the second time they do the single note riff after the solo, it’s C D, not D C. So, 3rd fret to the 5th on the A.

[@ronfigg1]

Uncle Ben is The Master of Puppets!

[@ralphralpherson9441]

This is precisely how they play it live... BUT I have seen interviews with Kirk and James separately stating that they actually recorded the song in a Drop tuning and then had to transpose it so they didn't need separate guitar swaps to play it live. (C# or some bullshit). And if you attempt to play the song in a drop tuning, it actually feels really natural in most parts. OF course live, I have only seen it performed how you instructed. Interesting.

[@outerheaven4082]

!!!Dyers Eve!!!

[@mazklassa9338]

Are you using the EVH for this? If so it sounds f'ing brutal

[@Cordova-kq8pq]

Hello there today's lesson was wonderful but are you telling me that I've been playing this song wrong for the past 36 years? I'm going to check the book that I bought back in 1982. as far as I know but it's only the E string that tunes into D and the rest of the chords are normal.

[@BenEller]

Cordova1985 that book is full of garbage, my man. Watch any live Metallica videos, you won’t see any one finger drop d power chords. I promise.

[@franknatas2480]

I have played that song live in both drop D and regular D tuning. I have to say it sounds closer to the album version in drop D.. I know they play standard tuning live. Playing it live in drop D is awkard. I have to say it is still plausable that they did in fact record it in drop D. ?

[@drej1714]

Great song! But that Ibanez is go'geous!!!!

[@cloneboy42]

Do one for Roots Bloody Roots! Almost everyone, including the guitarist for Soulfly, gets the verse riff wrong.

[@JohnDoe-ij7et]

Fuck that’s a dope guitar, nicest blue

[@feralshe-male6858]

its D tuning, but is it still at 442hz like the standard tuned stuff?

[@rembo96]

Yeah, I got that, it's the notes in between are fucking with me!

[@ZsoltSapi1]

"one of the songs I see most frequently butchered by online tabs and lessons" - pretty much sums up youtube guitar tutorials

[@tworivers71]

I agree Uncle Ben......best song Metallica ever wrote!

[@NoQuadsNoMasters]

James played this on his jackson king v that was tuned to c#. Maybe that was just a live thing!??!

[@frenchthrasher]

For the vocals now in live he play in Eb not in E. So for this song C# not D. But on the original recording it's in D

[@JoseGutierrez-mj4mx]

Uncle Ben, Kirk in his latest "idols" interview said that the song was in C# 🤔

[@Hoscitt]

It's way easier to play this drop D, but still using the notes that Uncle Ben does. Do yourselves a favour and play it that way, it's still correct!

[@CrisKRA]

Hey Ben, on the prechorus, wouldn't it be easier if you just barred the hole fret? And used your ring finger for the A string?

[@BenEller]

yeah you can, you gotta be careful not to get any bleed over from that root note of the power chord into the double stop and vice-versa.

[@CrisKRA]

@@BenEller omg you actually replied, thank you

[@CrisKRA]

@@BenEller greeting from Argentina, love your channel

[@BenEller]

Cris KRA thanks a bunch!

[@gior2507]

What's the intro song?