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Rocksmith, now on PC


Grantus

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When the Rocksmith video game came out a couple of years ago, there were complaints about it being available only on xBox and Playstation. It's been released for PC this fall.

I really can't say enough good things about this game. If you don't know what it is, it allows you to play along with a bunch of songs using a real guitar, not a fake one with plastic buttons.

It comes with a good range of songs, and you can download additional songs (through the Steam interface) for a low fee. Black Keys, Queen, Velvet Revolver, Megadeath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rolling Stones, Rush, Pantera, White Stripes, David Bowie, the Police, Pearl Jam, etc etc.

I play way more guitar these days connected to Rocksmith than I do connected to an amp. I'm finding it a great practice tool.

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I think it is a good game for people just getting into playing! Other then that I really don't see much use for it. I would rather just throw a song I really want to learn on and figure it out by ear myself. I did not like how you have to start out with the dummied down version before it lets you play the rest. I like to learn a song at a much faster pace.

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Quote Originally Posted by thecornman

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I think it is a good game for people just getting into playing! Other then that I really don't see much use for it. I would rather just throw a song I really want to learn on and figure it out by ear myself. I did not like how you have to start out with the dummied down version before it lets you play the rest. I like to learn a song at a much faster pace.

 

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I find it very useful.
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Yeah, I have had PC version for a while. probably the PC port is worse than console versions in many ways, for example I can't use my high quality sound hardware on the computer, it doesn't support it, I have to switch speaker plugs and change hardware settings, and latency ends up being poor.

The whole thing seemed like a mediocre package to me, song choices weren't bad but lacking in the famous guitar songs you would expect. Arcade stuff I thought was junk. I thought it should give you statistics like how good your timing was, instead it seems to just say like, 90 or 100 percent even if timing was off a bit. It's really just a song drill and feedback device rather than a game. But it's the first of what will probably be many 'real instrument games' so we'll have to wait for better stuff.

One of the highlights for me was a hidden song called Space Ostrich, it's tricky, I'm at 92% but getting better.

Quote Originally Posted by thecornman View Post
I think it is a good game for people just getting into playing! Other then that I really don't see much use for it. I would rather just throw a song I really want to learn on and figure it out by ear myself. I did not like how you have to start out with the dummied down version before it lets you play the rest. I like to learn a song at a much faster pace.
Oh, almost for got about that. Yeah some songs that feature is OK, others it's like learning the wrong riff before the right one. Very bad idea. For those that don't know, it is possible to start a riff at 100% in riff repeater, you pause and set mastery to 100, and in accelerator you can slow down the riff etc. which is better than learning part of it first.
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Quote Originally Posted by Grantus

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I do agree that the interface could be better, but I'm also willing to forgive it. I'd like to see a way for people to submit their own tabs, but I suppose that runs into song licensing issues.

 

It
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Quote Originally Posted by Canadian Jeff

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I'm confused. What's wrong with playing along to an MP3?

 

For some of us with a decided lack of talent, that's hard. By the time I'd figure out where the first note is on the fretboard, the song would be half over.
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1. The game format encourages improvement and practice.
2. Watching the tab on screen encourages one to commit the fretboard to muscle memory (no time to look for the 7th fret, just gotta hit it).
3. Helps the player to learn to play songs at full speed.

Nothing wrong with other methods, but I've practiced (and improved) more the past year with Rocksmith than in the last 10 years.

Granted, it's not perfect, but the good outweighs the bad in my opinion.

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Not to sound like a dick, but people that say they are tonedeaf or don't have the talent do know they can train their ear I hope! When I started playing I was far from a natural. This was 26 years ago before the net so if you wanted to learn songs you put on the tape or record and used your ears. I joined a band early so I had no choice, but to put the time in to learn how to use my ear. If you put the time in you will learn and get better at it. In time it will become second nature. In my mind this is a must do if you are at all serious about becoming a better player and much appreciated by people you play with. I am sure there is tons of advice out there now on things you can do to help train your ear. Something that can help is to play a note and find the pitch with your voice at the same time and keep doing this with all the notes on the fretboard.

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Quote Originally Posted by thecornman

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Not to sound like a dick, but people that say they are tonedeaf or don't have the talent do know they can train their ear I hope!

 

Ear training is like modes and sight reading. It makes sense if you want to be a musician. I just want to play guitar.
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Quote Originally Posted by Grantus View Post
For some of us with a decided lack of talent, that's hard. By the time I'd figure out where the first note is on the fretboard, the song would be half over.
I can relate wave.gif

Quote Originally Posted by thecornman View Post
Not to sound like a dick, but people that say they are tonedeaf or don't have the talent do know they can train their ear I hope! When I started playing I was far from a natural. This was 26 years ago before the net so if you wanted to learn songs you put on the tape or record and used your ears. I joined a band early so I had no choice, but to put the time in to learn how to use my ear. If you put the time in you will learn and get better at it. In time it will become second nature. In my mind this is a must do if you are at all serious about becoming a better player and much appreciated by people you play with. I am sure there is tons of advice out there now on things you can do to help train your ear. Something that can help is to play a note and find the pitch with your voice at the same time and keep doing this with all the notes on the fretboard.
I'm serious about being a better player and while I might be better at learning by ear it is very very far from natural for me (and I'm sure a lot of others). Things like other instruments make it very hard for my non musical brain to figure things out. I am more likely to stumble on a song that I am to figure it out intentionally. I also started before the net and tab and really struggled as a result. Those that have musical talent really cannot relate to those that do not because they cannot see why it is so hard for some...believe me it is and I work at playing every day. It's hard to want to be a musician when you are a musical idiot cry.gif

However all that aside while I am not familiar with Rocksmith I wonder how it differs from getting tabs and backing tracks that don't have the guitar (from guitarbackingtrack.com for example) which is what I use a lot to try and work out songs that I want to play. I'm all for more methods to learn if they can help.
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Quote Originally Posted by rockbot View Post
1. The game format encourages improvement and practice.
2. Watching the tab on screen encourages one to commit the fretboard to muscle memory (no time to look for the 7th fret, just gotta hit it).
3. Helps the player to learn to play songs at full speed.

Nothing wrong with other methods, but I've practiced (and improved) more the past year with Rocksmith than in the last 10 years.

Granted, it's not perfect, but the good outweighs the bad in my opinion.
That was the biggest bonus for me. Rocksmith has really helped my ability to sight read.
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Quote Originally Posted by jpnyc

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Ear training is like modes and sight reading. It makes sense if you want to be a musician. I just want to play guitar.

 

Exactly my attitude. I want to play guitar, not learn to transpose. Just because people had to learn songs by ear 20-odd years ago doesn't mean I have to go through the same difficult process today.
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I can relate wave.gif



I'm serious about being a better player and while I might be better at learning by ear it is very very far from natural for me (and I'm sure a lot of others). Things like other instruments make it very hard for my non musical brain to figure things out. I am more likely to stumble on a song that I am to figure it out intentionally. I also started before the net and tab and really struggled as a result. Those that have musical talent really cannot relate to those that do not because they cannot see why it is so hard for some...believe me it is and I work at playing every day. It's hard to want to be a musician when you are a musical idiot cry.gif

However all that aside while I am not familiar with Rocksmith I wonder how it differs from getting tabs and backing tracks that don't have the guitar (from guitarbackingtrack.com for example) which is what I use a lot to try and work out songs that I want to play. I'm all for more methods to learn if they can help.[/quote

Again I was not trying to cut people down! I know some have a natural ear and some don't. I didn't, but with time and actually using it that changed. Anybody that can hear can do it.

You use your ears to listen to music! Does it not make sense to use them to play music.
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Quote Originally Posted by Grantus

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Exactly my attitude. I want to play guitar, not learn to transpose. Just because people had to learn songs by ear 20-odd years ago doesn't mean I have to go through the same difficult process today.

 

My point was it is not a difficult process once you have put a bit of time in it! If you just want to play guitar and don't care what you are hearing why bother tuning it?
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