Something about seeing people using only their thumb to strum, with their hand spread across the guitar just bothers me.
Right there with you. That screams "I dont know what the fuck I'm doing with this thing, I've never seen a real or fake guitar in my life".
Getting used to playing that way would just make it that much harder to alt-strum later on, the hand position for alt strumming would feel alien.
I started on the GH2 Xplorer, and my fingers felt most comfortable resting along the little bottom ridge of the raised area the strum bar was set on, so when I started making myself alt-strum fast bits it wasn't too awkward. I should have started trying it much earlier than I did, though. I beat nearly all of hard in GH2 before I started doing it regularly. I still only do it for really fast bits.
Okay guys, I took the dive on this (Pricematching the 109 deal certainly didn't hurt) and the drums are kicking my ass outside of easy. Though I'm getting better. I think I'm already an addict of the highest caliber, I "Just one more track'd" until 12:07 A.M. Starting at about 8:30. Ack.
If you have any sense of rhythm, starting on Medium is probably better. You don't really start "playing" with the song until you hit Hard. Medium pretty much just show you some really basic stuff. Easy is just really unhelpful if you want to play drums. It's probably good if you've never played any rhythm game whatsoever.
Oh... I was feeling good that at least I was doing well at easy. =( That's depressing to hear, thanks.
Though admittedly, neither my wife or I have ever played a rhythm game (aside from the occasional failing attempt at Dance Dance Revolution at a friends' house, if that counts as the same category)
Hmm. Well, I'll definitely give it a shot. Though admittedly, I've never played an IRL guitar, so indeed I am foreign to its ways.
If you play standing up, make sure your strap is holding the guitar at a comfortable level. I personally play sitting down and rest it on my lap without using a strap. It seems to me that most people who use the hand-splayed-across-the-whole-guitar method seem to feel they must hold the guitar up with both hands, like any other controller. Let your strap/lap do the work for you, and just use your right hand for the strum bar. Tumb on top, index & middle finger on the bottom. Alt strumming is easiest for bits that are a very regular beat and the same note over and over, so start working your technique on songs like that.
Also, if you just bought RB2, go rent RB1 and pay the 5 bucks to do the disc export so you can get the 58 songs on the RB1 disc to add to your collection. Your RB2 manual also has a code to redeem for a free download of a 20 song pack (they're all pretty much indi songs you've probably never heard, but there's some good ones), and there's what... 4 songs now that are free to download through the music store.
Oh... I was feeling good that at least I was doing well at easy. =( That's depressing to hear, thanks.
I think he was mostly replying to Mechanical, re: drums. Don't feel bad about your progress on easy. We pretty much all started there too, and my old roommate used to fail songs on easy regularly.
You do want to start challenging yourself and pushing to move up to the next difficulty as soon as you feel yourself getting comfortable. Make the jump from medium to hard ASAP. It will be a fail-fest for days. Possibly weeks. The orange button is a huge hurdle. Arikado is exactly right though, once you start playing on hard, you'll realize what a modest representation the medium and easy note charts are of the actual song. Hard+ really starts feeling like you're playing the song instead of strumming along to the general beat. I think having my "breakthrough" moment where I finally "got" hard mode while playing Monkey Wrench in GH2 was probably one of my top 5 most awesome gaming experiences ever.
Ahh, good dealin' Aye, I'm taking your guys' advice and switching over to Medium (because I do feel comfortable on easy now), and my wife said she wants to do the same on the drums... so we'll keep pushing ourselves
I grabbed the bonus pack and 4 extra free songs as you noted, fantastic! It's funny, I don't know most of them... but I like them. In a way, Rock Band is expanding my musical interests. I like a lot of this indy/punk music that I've never heard before.
I'll be swinging by Blockbuster, possibly tonight, to try and grab RB1 so I can do that transfer. 55 songs for 5 bucks + the cost of a rental = win. Thanks!
In a way, Rock Band is expanding my musical interests.
Get used to it. About half the shit on my Ipod now is on there because of Rock Band. It was stuff I'd never heard or didn't really care about until I started playing it.
Oddly enough, I started playing this with downstrumming using my thumb. I can get through about 80% or so of Panic Attack on Expert this way. But yah, alt strumming is the thing I've been teaching myself lately, along with better hammering. Right now, the bane of my existance is Joker and the Thief. I fucking love that song, but I HATE trying to play it. That opening riff destroys me.
Anyways, alt-strumming. How are you supposed to hit some of the ridiculous triple clusters in songs like that one from Silversun Pickups? I don't get it. I mean, I can't imagine that you're supposed to strum three distinct notes that fast. Are you? Really?
Oddly enough, I started playing this with downstrumming using my thumb. I can get through about 80% or so of Panic Attack on Expert this way. But yah, alt strumming is the thing I've been teaching myself lately, along with better hammering. Right now, the bane of my existance is Joker and the Thief. I fucking love that song, but I HATE trying to play it. That opening riff destroys me.
Anyways, alt-strumming. How are you supposed to hit some of the ridiculous triple clusters in songs like that one from Silversun Pickups? I don't get it. I mean, I can't imagine that you're supposed to strum three distinct notes that fast. Are you? Really?
You mean like those on Master Exploder between the really fast strum parts? I do it like that anyway. A good song that helps train on those chord changes is Bad to the Bone. Um, maybe Everlong on Expert too. God knows at this rate I'll never FC that song because of that GB > GO > GB > GO bit.
Right now, the bane of my existance is Joker and the Thief. I fucking love that song, but I HATE trying to play it. That opening riff destroys me.
The one time I made it through the song (did have to get saved once near the end) was the sight read the first time I played it. Haven't been able to make it through the opening riff since.
Sin Wagon is going to make my wife cry. She got all excited that it was coming for RB2, and then she was like "Oh god..." after watching them play it.
I'm actually really good at doing the chord changes on most songs, like Everlong, or fast note changes, like on Where Did You Go. It's fast strumming that gets me, I don't know why. My wife is getting better at it, but she got so frustrated the first few times when I kept going "slow down... more... go like half speed!" "I'M DOING THAT!!!" "No, you're not!" "WATCH!" "I'M WATCHING!" "SCREW YOU, PLAY FLOAT ON AGAIN!!!" "Yes, dear."
Or was I the only one who really dug "Dead on Arrival"?
I actually like it too...
All American Rejects, Paramore, Fallout Boy, Panic at the Disco... all bands I couldn't have given two shits about... all some of my favorites to play in Rock Band. Meanwhile my favorite band NIN basically sucks to play. Damn you Rock Band... damn you straight to hell.
I don't mind the song, but the note chart can get fucked.
Basically any song which consist of alot of repetitive chord strumming is a menace to society.
Go with the flow, for example, can fuck right off.
It really depends on the song. Go With The Flow is a shit chart. De-Luxe is fucking fun. I even don't mind Seven too much.
Some of the note charts just feel clumsy due to the tempo of the song. I notice that songs which swap chords on an odd number of strums (5 strums, change chord, 5 strums, change chord, etc) tend to be more fun and less frustrating as you're always changing after the downstrum. Songs which change chords after an even number of strums are much more of a pain in the ass to keep the pattern going.
Or is it the other way around?
Shit, now I can't remember.
EDIT: Yeah I think it's even strums that are easier, now that I think about it.
Basically any song which consist of alot of repetitive chord strumming is a menace to society.
Go with the flow, for example, can fuck right off.
Go With The Flow and Little Sister are so much fun to play! Well, other than the redonkulous guitar solo that closes out Little Sister. I absolutely love those chord changes in the chorus of Little Sister. Can we please get No One Knows or First It Giveth, please?! Either one. I'd prefer No One Knows cuz I love that song, but I think First It Giveth would be a blast to play.
I don't mind the song, but the note chart can get fucked.
Basically any song which consist of alot of repetitive chord strumming is a menace to society.
Go with the flow, for example, can fuck right off.
I actually kinda like 'em because I can zone out and just really enjoy the song. Stuff like PDA and Alex Chilton are some of my favorite songs on Guitar. Again, YMMV if you only down strum it. I remember I used to hate with a passion anything by the Ramones in RB. Altstrumming completely changed that tho and now they are some of my favorite songs.
I haven't touched a guitar in over a month but all this talk of alt strumming makes me want to... nope still just want to bang on the drums... never mind.
PDA is such a fantastic song. Anyone know if Interpol's other stuff is like that at all? I may have to pick up that CD someday, cuz that song is just awesome.
PDA is such a fantastic song. Anyone know if Interpol's other stuff is like that at all? I may have to pick up that CD someday, cuz that song is just awesome.
I love Interpol and I don't even think PDA is one of their best songs.
PDA isn't an amazingly challenging song by any means, but being that this was the first plastic instrument game I really had ever played (and owned), it was a lot of fun for being one of the "transitional" songs. It just grew on me quite a bit, I love the guitar. But, I have odd taste in music, so... that's just me I guess.
From PDA to PSA, you would all do well to listen to Mansun if you've never heard them. I just recently dug my copy of Kleptomania (their never-finished fourth album sessions) out and have been listening to it non-stop for days.
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obolon84Good news, everyone!I just blue myself.Registered Userregular
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Right there with you. That screams "I dont know what the fuck I'm doing with this thing, I've never seen a real or fake guitar in my life".
Getting used to playing that way would just make it that much harder to alt-strum later on, the hand position for alt strumming would feel alien.
I started on the GH2 Xplorer, and my fingers felt most comfortable resting along the little bottom ridge of the raised area the strum bar was set on, so when I started making myself alt-strum fast bits it wasn't too awkward. I should have started trying it much earlier than I did, though. I beat nearly all of hard in GH2 before I started doing it regularly. I still only do it for really fast bits.
Oh... I was feeling good that at least I was doing well at easy. =( That's depressing to hear, thanks.
Though admittedly, neither my wife or I have ever played a rhythm game (aside from the occasional failing attempt at Dance Dance Revolution at a friends' house, if that counts as the same category)
If you play standing up, make sure your strap is holding the guitar at a comfortable level. I personally play sitting down and rest it on my lap without using a strap. It seems to me that most people who use the hand-splayed-across-the-whole-guitar method seem to feel they must hold the guitar up with both hands, like any other controller. Let your strap/lap do the work for you, and just use your right hand for the strum bar. Tumb on top, index & middle finger on the bottom. Alt strumming is easiest for bits that are a very regular beat and the same note over and over, so start working your technique on songs like that.
Also, if you just bought RB2, go rent RB1 and pay the 5 bucks to do the disc export so you can get the 58 songs on the RB1 disc to add to your collection. Your RB2 manual also has a code to redeem for a free download of a 20 song pack (they're all pretty much indi songs you've probably never heard, but there's some good ones), and there's what... 4 songs now that are free to download through the music store.
I think he was mostly replying to Mechanical, re: drums. Don't feel bad about your progress on easy. We pretty much all started there too, and my old roommate used to fail songs on easy regularly.
You do want to start challenging yourself and pushing to move up to the next difficulty as soon as you feel yourself getting comfortable. Make the jump from medium to hard ASAP. It will be a fail-fest for days. Possibly weeks. The orange button is a huge hurdle. Arikado is exactly right though, once you start playing on hard, you'll realize what a modest representation the medium and easy note charts are of the actual song. Hard+ really starts feeling like you're playing the song instead of strumming along to the general beat. I think having my "breakthrough" moment where I finally "got" hard mode while playing Monkey Wrench in GH2 was probably one of my top 5 most awesome gaming experiences ever.
Yeah, whatever. Picky bastard.
I grabbed the bonus pack and 4 extra free songs as you noted, fantastic! It's funny, I don't know most of them... but I like them. In a way, Rock Band is expanding my musical interests. I like a lot of this indy/punk music that I've never heard before.
I'll be swinging by Blockbuster, possibly tonight, to try and grab RB1 so I can do that transfer. 55 songs for 5 bucks + the cost of a rental = win. Thanks!
Get used to it. About half the shit on my Ipod now is on there because of Rock Band. It was stuff I'd never heard or didn't really care about until I started playing it.
Anyways, alt-strumming. How are you supposed to hit some of the ridiculous triple clusters in songs like that one from Silversun Pickups? I don't get it. I mean, I can't imagine that you're supposed to strum three distinct notes that fast. Are you? Really?
Yea, thats what you get.
You mean like those on Master Exploder between the really fast strum parts? I do it like that anyway. A good song that helps train on those chord changes is Bad to the Bone. Um, maybe Everlong on Expert too. God knows at this rate I'll never FC that song because of that GB > GO > GB > GO bit.
The one time I made it through the song (did have to get saved once near the end) was the sight read the first time I played it. Haven't been able to make it through the opening riff since.
Dixie chicks can sure play that banjo…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDl4_oDu44M&feature=channel_page
I'm actually really good at doing the chord changes on most songs, like Everlong, or fast note changes, like on Where Did You Go. It's fast strumming that gets me, I don't know why. My wife is getting better at it, but she got so frustrated the first few times when I kept going "slow down... more... go like half speed!" "I'M DOING THAT!!!" "No, you're not!" "WATCH!" "I'M WATCHING!" "SCREW YOU, PLAY FLOAT ON AGAIN!!!" "Yes, dear."
Yah, I miss having my 360.
All the songs in this Going Country pack are ranked 7 and higher.
So is Paramore RB2's Fallout Boy then?
Or was I the only one who really dug "Dead on Arrival"?
All American Rejects, Paramore, Fallout Boy, Panic at the Disco... all bands I couldn't have given two shits about... all some of my favorites to play in Rock Band. Meanwhile my favorite band NIN basically sucks to play. Damn you Rock Band... damn you straight to hell.
Basically any song which consist of alot of repetitive chord strumming is a menace to society.
Go with the flow, for example, can fuck right off.
Fall Out Boy has its moments.
It really depends on the song. Go With The Flow is a shit chart. De-Luxe is fucking fun. I even don't mind Seven too much.
Some of the note charts just feel clumsy due to the tempo of the song. I notice that songs which swap chords on an odd number of strums (5 strums, change chord, 5 strums, change chord, etc) tend to be more fun and less frustrating as you're always changing after the downstrum. Songs which change chords after an even number of strums are much more of a pain in the ass to keep the pattern going.
Or is it the other way around?
Shit, now I can't remember.
EDIT: Yeah I think it's even strums that are easier, now that I think about it.
Go With The Flow and Little Sister are so much fun to play! Well, other than the redonkulous guitar solo that closes out Little Sister. I absolutely love those chord changes in the chorus of Little Sister. Can we please get No One Knows or First It Giveth, please?! Either one. I'd prefer No One Knows cuz I love that song, but I think First It Giveth would be a blast to play.
I actually kinda like 'em because I can zone out and just really enjoy the song. Stuff like PDA and Alex Chilton are some of my favorite songs on Guitar. Again, YMMV if you only down strum it. I remember I used to hate with a passion anything by the Ramones in RB. Altstrumming completely changed that tho and now they are some of my favorite songs.
I just can't seem to get the timing down.
edit: what a silly mistake.
De-Luxe, man. Alt strumming makes De-Luxe a joy to play.
I love Interpol and I don't even think PDA is one of their best songs.
Check this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgROCTkVHJY
From PDA to PSA, you would all do well to listen to Mansun if you've never heard them. I just recently dug my copy of Kleptomania (their never-finished fourth album sessions) out and have been listening to it non-stop for days.
You could always take a class at the base through UNO