The Shortest Straw

Tab

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Tab2

Bass1

This is tablature — fret positions rather than chord names. Wide lines scroll sideways on their own, so the page never does.

================================================================================

M E T A L L I C A

T H E S H O R T E S T S T R A W

================================================================================

...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL

http://www.metallica.com/

Standard Tuning

E A D G B E

Tempo = 140 BPM

Time Signature = 4/4

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

Transcribed by

PADDY MCMULLAN

pmtabs (@t) gmail [dot] com

Version 1.1 [30th August 2012]

(Corrections Outlined at Bottom of Tab)

Date Tabbed

26th May 2012

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

Tablature Symbols Used:

(/) - Legato Slide (Blank space indicates length of slide)

\ - Slide Down to/Down From

/ - Slide Up to/Up From

( ) - Ghost Note/Tied Note/Implied Note

REST - Rest and sustain rest for duration of blank space

|_3_| - Triplet Notes

P.M... - Palm Mute

5b6 - Bend

6r5 - Release Bend

13b' - Quarter note Bend

13b; - Three Quarter Note Bend

5~~ - Vibrato

<5> - Harmonic (Natural & Pinch Harmonics indicated with N & P)

x - Dead Note/Muted Note

% - Whammy Bar Articulation

5h7 - Hammer-On

7p5 - Pull-Off

* - Staccato Notes (Bring the indicated note(s) to an abrupt end)

|__[1,2] - Alternate Endings

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Intro: Guitars 1 & 2 (Distortion) [ Time 00:00 - 00:14 ]

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1 2

... .... ... .... ......

3 4 5

... ... ... ...... ... ...

6 7 8

.... ...... ... ... ... ......

The 1/16 bar is only there to accommodate the first pre-beat note of the song;

the song proper (i.e. the first down-beat) starts at the first whole bar.

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Part 1: Guitars 1 & 2 [ Time 00:14 - 00:46 ]

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.... ............ .... ... ...

.... ............ .... ...

.... ............ ...

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Part 2: Guitars 1 & 2 [ Time 00:46 - 01:05 ]

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Guitar 1 Only

|______3____| |________3____|

||----------------------------------------|------------------------------| |
||----------------------------------------|------------------------------| |
||----------------------------------------|------------------------------|*|
||--------------8----(7 b8)----8----------|------------------------------|*| x 2
||--2---- /7------------------------7\ ---|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-3--(3)-3--| |
||--0-------------------------------------|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-1---0--1--| |

.................

After the first repeat the first E5 chord becomes a single open string.

Guitar 2 plays a single open E5 chord in tandem with the first chord played by

Guitar 1, but only for the first repeat, after which it rests until the full

band kicks in below:

Guitars 1 & 2

|______3____| |________3____| |______________________________[1]

||----------------------------------------|------------------------------| |
||----------------------------------------|------------------------------| |
||----------------------------------------|------------------------------|*|
||--------------8----(7 b8)----8----------|------------------------------|*| x 3
||--2---- /7------------------------7\ ---|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-3--(3)-3--| |
||--0-------------------------------------|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-1---0--1--| |

.................

|______________________________[2]

|------------------------------| |
|------------------------------| |
|------------------------------|*|
|------------------------------|*|
|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-5--(5)-5--| |
|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-3---0--3--| |

.................

|______________________________[3]

|------------------------------| |
|------------------------------| |
|------------------------------|*|
|------------------0-----------|*|
|--2--2--2-2--2-2--0-7--(7)-7--| |
|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-5---0--5--| |

.................

|--------------------------------|----------------------------||
|--------------------------------|----------------------------||
|--------------------------------|----------------------------||
|---------------8---(7h  8p7\5)--|----------------------------||
|------------7-------------------|--5--5--5-5--5-5--4-4--3-3--||
|--0-- /5------------------------|--3--3--3-3--3-3--0-2--0-1--||

..............

================================================================================

Part 3: Guitars 1 & 2 [ Time 01:05 - 01:32 ]

================================================================================

||------------------------------|------------------------------|
||------------------------------|------------------------------|
||------------------------------|------------------------------|
||------------------------------|------------------------------|
||--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-3--(3)-3--|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-5--(5)-5--|
||--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-1---0--1--|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-3---0--3--|

................. .................

|------------------------------|--------------------------| |
|------------------------------|--------------------------| |
|------------------------------|--------------------------|*|
|------------------------------|--------------------------|*| x 2
|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-3--(3)-3--|--2--2--2-2-2--5---4---3--| |
|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-1---0--1--|--0--0--0-0-0--3---2---1--| |

................. ...........

||-------------------------------|------------------------------|
||-------------------------------|------------------------------|
||-------------------------------|------------------------------|
||-------------------------------|------------------------------|
||--4--4--4-4--4-4--4 /5--(5)-5--|--4--4--4-4--4-4----7--(7)-7--|
||--2--2--2-2--2-2--2 /3---0--3--|--2--2--2-2--2-2--0-5---0--5--|

.............. ..............

|-------------------------------|--------------------------| |
|-------------------------------|--------------------------| |
|-------------------------------|--------------------------|*|
|-------------------------------|--------------------------|*| x 2
|--4--4--4-4--4-4--4 /5--(5)-5--|--4--4--4-4----7---6---5--| |
|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2 /3---0--3--|--2--2--2-2-0--5---4---3--| |

.............. ...........

================================================================================

Part 4: Guitars 1 & 2 [ Time 01:32 - 1:39 ]

================================================================================

|______3____| |________3____|

||----------------------------------------|------------------------------| |
||----------------------------------------|------------------------------| |
||----------------------------------------|------------------------------|*|
||--------------8----(7 b8)----8----------|------------------------------|*| x 2
||--2---- /7------------------------7\ ---|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-3--(3)-3--| |
||--0-------------------------------------|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-1---0--1--| |

.................

|----------------------------------||
|----------------------------------||
|----------------------------------||
|--4--4--4--4--(2h3p2p0)-(2h3p2p0)-||
|--2--2--2--2----------------------||
|----------------------------------||

.......

Only Guitar 1 plays the legato runs in the final bar; Guitar 2 rests after the

fourth B5 chord.

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Part 5: Guitars 1 & 2 [ Time 01:39 - 01:46 ]

================================================================================

||-----------------------------|------------------------------------|
||-----------------------------|------------------------------------|
||-----------------------------|------------------------------------|
||--9-------9-----(9 / 10)-----|--(4 /5)--5-----(2h3p2p0)-(2h3p2p0)-|
||--7----0--7--0--(7 / 8 )-----|--(2 /3)--3-------------------------|
||-------0-----0------------0--|-------------0----------------------|

... ... ... ...

|-----------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------||
|--2----2--2-----(9 / 10)-----|--(4 /5)--5-----(2h3p2p0)-(2h3p2p0)-||
|--0----0--0--0--(7 / 8 )-----|--(2 /3)--3-------------------------||
|--------------------------0--|-------------0----------------------||

... ... ... ...

================================================================================

Part 6: Repeat Part 1, ignoring the final two bars. [ Time 01:46 - 02:16 ]

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Part 7: Repeat Part 2, ignoring the first two bars. [ Time 02:16 - 02:29 ]

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Part 8: Repeat Part 3. [ Time 02:29 - 02:55 ]

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Part 9: Repeat Part 4. [ Time 02:55 - 03:03 ]

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Part 10: Repeat Part 5 [ Time 03:03 - 03:10 ]

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Part 11: Repeat Part 1, ignoring the final two bars. [ Time 03:10 - 03:39 ]

================================================================================

Part 12: Repeat the first two bars of Part 2 [ Time 03:39 - 03:46 ]

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Part 13: Guitars 1, 2 & 3 (Distortion) [ Time 03:46 - 03:58 ]

================================================================================

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

Guitars 1 & 2:

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

||-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
||-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
||-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
||-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
||--2----------------|--3----------------|--0----------------|
||--0----------------|--1----------------|--2----------------|
|----------------------| |
|----------------------| |
|----------------------|*|
|----------------------|*| x 2
|--5--------5---4---3--| |
|--3--------3---2---1--| |

.........

---------

Guitar 3:

---------

||-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
||-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
||-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
||--------7------8---(7h 8p7)----|------7------8---(7h 8p7)----|
||-- /7--(7)--7---------------7--|--8--(8)--8---------------8--|
||-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
|------7---9--10--- /12---12-12-|--12~~---------------12-------|
|--9----------------------------|--------10---9--10--------9 \ |
|-------------------------------|------------------------------|

...

|-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|--------7------8---(7h 8p7)----|------7------8---(7h 8p7)----|
|-- /7--(7)--7---------------7--|--8--(8)--8---------------8--|
|-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------------||
|-------------------------------|----------------R--         --||
|-------------------------------|----------------E--         --||
|------7---9--10--- /12---12-12-|--12~~----------S--         --||
|--9----------------------------|--------10---9--T--         --||
|-------------------------------|------------------------------||

...

================================================================================

Guitar Solo 1: Guitars 1, 2 & 3 (Distortion) [ Time 03:58 - 04:41 ]

================================================================================

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

Guitars 1 & 2:

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

| |-----------| |------------------------------|------------------------------|
| |--R--    --| |------------------------------|------------------------------|
|2|--E--    --|4|------------------------------|------------------------------|
|/|--S--    --|/|------------------------------|------------------------------|
|4|--T--    --|4|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-3--(3)-3--|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-5--(5)-5--|
| |-----------| |--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-1---0--1--|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-3---0--3--|

................. .................

|------------------------------|--------------------------| |
|------------------------------|--------------------------| |
|------------------------------|--------------------------|*|
|------------------------------|--------------------------|*| x 2
|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-3--(3)-3--|--2--2--2-2-2--5---4---3--| |
|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-1---0--1--|--0--0--0-0-0--3---2---1--| |

................. ...........

||---------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
||-----R--    ---------------|--R--    ---------------|--R--    ---------------|
||-----E--    ---------------|--E--    ---------------|--E--    ---------------|
||-----S--    ---------------|--S--    ---------------|--S--    ---------------|
||--2--T--    -----3--(3)-3--|--T--    -----5--(5)-5--|--T--    -----3--(3)-3--|
||--0-----------0--1---0--1--|-----------0--3---0--3--|-----------0--1---0--1--|

... ... ...

|------------------------| |
|------R--  -------------| |
|------E--  -------------|*|
|------S--  -------------|*| x 2
|--2---T--  --5---4---3--| |
|--0----------3---2---1--| |
||-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
||-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
||-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
||-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
||--4----------------|--5----------------|--2----------------|
||--2----------------|--3----------------|--4----------------|

|______________________[1]

|----------------------| |
|----------------------| |
|----------------------|*|
|----------------------|*| x 2
|--7--------7---6---5--| |
|--5--------5---4---3--| |

.........

|_____________________[2]

|-----------------------|-----------------------||
|-----------------------|--------------R--    --||
|-----------------------|--------------E--    --||
|-----------------------|--------------S--    --||
|--7--------7----6---5--|--5----4---3--T--    --||
|--5--------5----4---3--|--3----2---1-----------||

..........

Guitar 2 replaces the last bar with the following:

|-----------------------||
|--R--    -----R--    --||
|--E---   -----E--    --||
|--S--    -----S--    --||
|--T--    --3--T--    --||
|-----------1-----------||

---------

Guitar 3:

---------

/% % \ % / %/ %/ %/ %/ %/ %/

| |---------------| |--&lt;5>----------------|-------------------------14-|
| |--5p  0--------| |---------------------|-------------------- /15----|
|2|---------------|4|---------------------|--9----7----14--------------|
|/|---------------|/|---------------------|----------------------------|
|4|---------------|4|---------------------|----------------------------|
| |---------------| |---------------------|----------------------------|

|___3___| |__3___| |__3___|

|--(17p15p14)----12-(15p14p12)----10-(14p12p10)----10-(12p10p8p0)--|

|-------------15---------------14---------------12-----------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------|

...

N %/ %/ %/ %/

|--&lt;7>----------------------------|
|-------&lt;7>-----------------------|
|------------&lt;7>-------&lt;5>--------|
|-----------------&lt;7>--&lt;5>--------|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|--------12-----0--------------------------0--------12--------------0--|
|--12--------15p12--------(12h15p12)-19p12-17p12-15-12--------12h15-12-|
|-(14b16)----------(14b16)-----------------------0-----(14b16)---------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|

|___3____| |__3____| |_3__|

|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|--14p12----12--------------------------------------------------|
|--------15----15-14-12-(12)-14p12-(14)-12-(12h14p12)----12--12-|
|------------------------12---------14----------------14--------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|

|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|--&lt;12>b14--------------------------------------------------|
|------------&lt;14>b18----------------------------------------|
|---------------------&lt;14>b15--&lt;13>b15---&lt;12>b13------------|
|--------------------------------------------------&lt;14>b15--|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------7/   19-|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|

|--<13>b'--<12>b;--<12><10>b11--<13>~~-----------|

|------------------------------------------------|

|_3__|

|--22--20--19p17--17--20--19-17-17\15-15--15h19--17--15\ 14--17--15 \-------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------12/ 17|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|_____3___| |_3_|

|------------------------------------------------------------------------12/ --|

|-17h20-24-22-20--19--19h22--20--19\17-20--19p17-17\15-15-15/19-17\15-15\12/ 17|

|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|___3____| |___3____| |__3___|

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------12-|
|--17--20--19--17\ 15--15--19-17-15---15\13--17--15--13----15--13--12-12-12-12-|
|-------------------------------------------------------16---------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--17 p 12---12h15 p 12--14 p 12-------0-----------------------|
|---------------------------------14 p 12-(14b16)~~   \--------|
|--------------------------------------------------------9/12--|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------|

|--(16p12)-(15p11)-(14p10)-(13p9)-(12p8)-(11p7)-(10p6)-(9p5)-|

|------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------0-(2p0)-----------|
|--(8p4)-(7b'p3)-(7p2)-(6/5p0)-------(2p0)-2-----|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|

|__3___| |__3___| |___3____| |____3___| % \ dive

|-------------------------------------------12--|--15-----------------|
|-------------------------------12--11---x------|----------R--      --|
|---------------7 / 10------13------------------|----------E--      --|
|---------9--7----------14----------------------|----------S--      --|
|--7--11----------------------------------------|----------T--      --|
|-----------------------------------------------|---------------------|

.......................

|--9p6-(6)-9p6-(6)-9p6-9p6-(6)-9p6-(6)-9p6-|

|-------7-------7-----------7-------7------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|

|--10p7-(7)-10p7-(7)-10p7-10p7-(7)-10p7-(7)-10p7-|

|--------8--------8-------------8--------8-------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|

|--12p7-(7)-12p7-(7)-12p7-12p7-(7)-12p7-(7)-12p7/|

|--------9--------9-------------9--------9-------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|

|--12p9-(9)-12p9-(9)-12p9-12p9-(9)-12p9-(9)-12p9-|

|-------10-------10------------10-------10-------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
||---------------------------------|------------------------------------|
||---------------------------------|------------------------------------|
||---------------------------------|------------------------------------|
||------9------10---(9h  10p9)-(9)-|-------9--------10---(9h  10p9)-(9)-|
||--9--(9)--9-------------------9--|--10--(10)--10------------------10--|
||---------------------------------|------------------------------------|

... ....

|----------------------------------|--------------------------||
|----------------------------------|-----------------R--    --||
|----------------------------------|-----------------E--    --||
|-------9---11--12--- /14----14-14-|--14~~-----------S--    --||
|--11------------------------------|--------12---11--T--    --||
|----------------------------------|--------------------------||

================================================================================

Part 14: Repeat Part 1 once [ Time 04:41 - 04:55 ]

================================================================================

Guitar Solo 2: Guitars 1, 2 & 3 [ Time 04:55 - 05:11 ]

================================================================================

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

Guitars 1 & 2: Repeat Part 1 again, adding the following bar to the end:

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

| |-------------------| |
| |-----R-------------| |
|3|-----E-------------|4|
|/|-----S---->--------|/|
|4|--2--T----2--------|4|
| |--0-------0--------| |

Fade in from silence

---------

Guitar 3: With Wha-Pedal

---------

Whammy Bar Vibrato

||-----------------------------|----------------------------------|
||--(17b' )--------------------|-(17)-----------------------------|
||--(17b19)--------------------|-(19)-x-(19  r17h15)-17--15~~-----|
||-----------------------------|----------------------------------|
||-----------------------------|----------------------------------|
||-----------------------------|----------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|------------------------(18b|
|--(18b20)--(18b 20)-----(20 r18h15)-|--18------------------------|
|------------------------------------|-(17b19)------------x\ -----|
|------------------------------------|--------------------x\ -----|
|------------------------------------|----------------------------|
|------------------------------------|----------------------------|

* * * * * *

|  20)--18--18p17--15------15--18--|
|----------------------18----------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|--18 p 15----15--18 p 15-------------------------------------------------|
|----------18-------------18 p 15---------15--18 p 15---------------------|
|---------------------------------(17b19)--------------17--15--15h19--15--|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|---18------(15b17)----18--18--15b'------|
|--(17b19)--(15b17)----17--17--15b'------|
|------------------------------------17--|
|----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------| |--------------| |
|--15--17-----------------15b'-------------| |--------------| |
|--15--17--(17b19p15)-----15b'-------------|2|--------------|3|
|---------------------17--------17--15~~---|/|--17---- \----|/|
|------------------------------------------|4|--------------|4|
|------------------------------------------| |--------------| |

================================================================================

Part 15: Repeat Part 3 [ Time 05:11 - 05:37 ]

================================================================================

Part 16: Repeat Part 4 [ Time 05:37 - 05:45 ]

================================================================================

Part 17: Guitars 1 & 2 (Variation of Part 5) [ Time 05:45 - 05:52 ]

================================================================================

||-----------------------------|------------------------------------|
||-----------------------------|------------------------------------|
||-----------------------------|------------------------------------|
||--9-------9-----(9 / 10)-----|--(4 /5)--5-----(2h3p2p0)-(2h3p2p0)-|
||--7----0--7--0--(7 / 8 )-----|--(2 /3)--3-------------------------|
||-------0-----0------------0--|-------------0----------------------|

... ... ... ...

|-----------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------||
|--7-------7-----(9 / 10)-----|--(4 /5)--5-----(2h3p2p0)-(2h3p2p0)-||
|--5----0--5--0--(7 / 8 )-----|--(2 /3)--3-------------------------||
|--------------------------0--|-------------0----------------------||

... ... ... ...

================================================================================

Part 18: Repeat Part 1 once, adding the following 2 bars: [ Time 05:52 - 06:13 ]

================================================================================

|------------------------------|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|------------------------------|
|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-3--(3)-3--|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-5--(5)-5--|
|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-1---0--1--|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-3---0--3--|

................. .................

================================================================================

Outro: Guitars 1, 2 & 3 [ Time 06:13 - 06:35 ]

================================================================================

Guitars 1, 2 & 3 repeat part 13. Guitars 1 & 2 continue with the following:

---------

Guitar 1:

---------

|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-3--(3)-3--|
|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-1---0--1--|

.................

|----------------------------||
|-----R--  ------------------||
|-----E--  ------------------||
|-----S--  ------------------||
|--2--T--  -----2---2--------||
|--0--------0-0-0---0--------||

...

---------

Guitar 2:

---------

|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|--2--2--2-2--2-2--2-3--(3)-3--|
|--0--0--0-0--0-0--0-1---0--1--|

.................

|-------------------------------||
|-----R--  ---------------------||
|-----E--  ---------------------||
|-----S--  -----12---12-- \ ----||
|--2--T--  -----10---10-- \ ----||
|--0--------0-0-----------------||

...

================================================================================

End

================================================================================

Tab summary: Intro

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 7

Part 8