Rocksmith, now on PC

[MephitBlue]

I have Rocksmith for the XBOX and I can say it has improved my playing. It got me playing styles of music I hadn't played before and really pushed me to try and learn solo's note for note. The speed of my playing has gone up since I started playing the game and it introduced me to some new ideas that I've incorporated into my own playing.

I have learned songs by ear before. However, with the new Rush songs they added, there were nuances in how the chords were played that I missed when learning by ear, but I can now tell the difference in how much those little changes in how the chords are played impact how the song sounds. The way I played it by ear was certainly good enough for anyone familiar with the song to recognize it, but the way Rocksmith is teaching me to play the song sounds almost spot on.

Saying Rocksmith is a good learning tool for some isn't a knock on any other method of learning. I've taken years of lessons and would encourage anyone who wants to improve their playing to work with a good guitar teacher. Rocksmith certainly isn't a substitute for the knowledge a good guitar teacher can impart. However, it is a great motivational tool to get you playing your guitar and actually learning a song note for note. Plus, it's fun.

There are many things that could be improved with Rocksmith and I hope are in a second version. My pet peeve is how it handles arppegios. I'd love for it to show the actual chord above the single notes. This would help with learning several of the songs that come with the game.

I'm an IT professional, which means I've got money but don't have time. Rocksmith gets me playing with the limited time I have and that is a good thing.

[LGK_Dude]

I do like the idea of the game, but there is one MAJOR flaw - NO TEMPO CONTROL!! I'm a beginning guitarist, so my sight reading / note location skills are not very good right now, so I was hoping I would be able to slow down a song to half speed and learn it SLOWLY. Instead Rocksmith makes you dive head first into a song at full speed, and then will take away / add notes depending on how you're doing!

When sight reading a song, because its going so fast (to me at least) I end up hitting TONS of wrong notes, start to stress out, grip the guitar harder, etc when playing through a song for the first time. Over the course of 3-4 play throughs of the song know it enough to pass, but I still make TONS of mistakes. Talk about learning bad habits!! The correct way to practice would be to take the song slow, very VERY slow, play it perfectly, and then slowly increase the speed until its at tempo. This way your muscles are learning it correctly, not learning bad habits / wrong notes, and you slowly add speed.

So though I think its a fun game to play, I'm actually worried it might be doing more harm than good! Though the lessons in the technique section are VERY well put together (videos explaining the techniques, real time feedback if you're doing them correctly, etc) they explain the different guitar techniques quite well IMO. I just wish there was speed control when practicing a song!! How is that not in there?!

[Canadian Jeff]

I'm not going to bother quoting, but this is a reply to those who have quoted me. Learn however you want if it gets the job done. If you think Rocksmith gives you more than the lessons/book learnin' method than you're either taking lessons with the wrong teacher or reading the wrong books (or reading those books with a cursory eye). The best players I know all had more than a few teachers and solid foundations in theory. I'll clarify by saying that by "the best" I mean those with the most sheer technical ability. I know lots of uneducated musicians who rip it up damn fine though.

Oh, and just for the record, if you're going to call someone wrong, you should at least type a few words about why they're wrong.

[rockbot]

 

Originally Posted by LGK_Dude

I do like the idea of the game, but there is one MAJOR flaw - NO TEMPO CONTROL!! I'm a beginning guitarist, so my sight reading / note location skills are not very good right now, so I was hoping I would be able to slow down a song to half speed and learn it SLOWLY. Instead Rocksmith makes you dive head first into a song at full speed, and then will take away / add notes depending on how you're doing!

 

Perhaps it has been a while since you've tried the game, but an update came out a while back that allows you to select your speed and mastery level in the riff repeater and replay it as much as you want. I've been using it to master the intro to Plug In Baby. It works well.

You can't slow down the whole song, but it's probably better to tackle it in chunks anyway.

[TunerAddict]

 

Originally Posted by Canadian Jeff

If you think Rocksmith gives you more than the lessons/book learnin' method than you're either taking lessons with the wrong teacher or reading the wrong books (or reading those books with a cursory eye).

 

No one ever said that. That is a strawman you've created to justify your assault on Rocksmith and tout your way of doing things as the objective "right."

[cheezit66]

 

Originally Posted by Grantus

I disagree with your contention that playing guitar should be hard work.

 

Playing the guitar once you have enough skill to do what you want is blissfully easy. Getting that skill is hard. If all you want is to play cowboy chords (which is totally fine) then maybe the hard phase doesn't last that long.

We live in a get-rich-quick world with movie stars who are famous for being famous, singers who can't sing, and people who buy 'herbal viagra'---just a whole lot of people getting suckered by something-for-nothing, shortcuts and instant solutions. I don't believe that real life works that way. So for me, I view playing as a craft.

If Rocksmith works for you, awesome. If it really helps that much, then you'll outgrow it, and then you'll need to figure out where to go next.

[Grantus]

 

Originally Posted by cheezit66

If Rocksmith works for you, awesome. If it really helps that much, then you'll outgrow it, and then you'll need to figure out where to go next.

 

I'm not sure what your point is.

I'm in my mid-40s, I've been playing guitar for about 10 years and never advanced much beyond the late beginner stage for several reasons: other commitments, lack of focus, etc. etc. Rocksmith has me playing and practicing a lot more than I ever did in the past.

At this point in my life, I'm not particularly interested in in-depth study of music theory or becoming a highly technical player. I'd settle for becoming a competent guitar player. I figure that anything that keeps me playing regularly is a good thing.

[brandass]

^^^

What he said.

[cheezit66]

 

Originally Posted by Grantus

I'm not sure what your point is.

I'm in my mid-40s, I've been playing guitar for about 10 years and never advanced much beyond the late beginner stage for several reasons: other commitments, lack of focus, etc. etc. Rocksmith has me playing and practicing a lot more than I ever did in the past.

At this point in my life, I'm not particularly interested in in-depth study of music theory or becoming a highly technical player. I'd settle for becoming a competent guitar player. I figure that anything that keeps me playing regularly is a good thing.

 

And I'm not sure what your point is. It works for you? Great, as I said, that's awesome. My beef is with the idea that it is automatically better than other ways to learn because it's new and fancy and game-ified. It might be faster for some people at some skill levels to learn some songs. Sounds like that's a good fit for where you are.

I'm also not a spring chicken but I started when i was maybe 15 and have played pretty much every day since, even though now I have a ton of obligations (including a fulltime+++ job and homeschooling two kids). So I'm just coming at this whole thing from a different place.

[cheezit66]

 

Originally Posted by Grantus

I'm not sure what your point is.

I'm in my mid-40s, I've been playing guitar for about 10 years and never advanced much beyond the late beginner stage for several reasons: other commitments, lack of focus, etc. etc. Rocksmith has me playing and practicing a lot more than I ever did in the past.

At this point in my life, I'm not particularly interested in in-depth study of music theory or becoming a highly technical player. I'd settle for becoming a competent guitar player. I figure that anything that keeps me playing regularly is a good thing.

 

And I'm not sure what your point is. It works for you? Great, as I said, that's awesome. My beef is with the idea that it is automatically better than other ways to learn because it's new and fancy and game-ified. It might be faster for some people at some skill levels to learn some songs. Sounds like that's a good fit for where you are.

I'm also not a spring chicken but I started when i was maybe 15 and have played pretty much every day since, even though now I have a ton of obligations (including a fulltime+++ job and homeschooling two kids). So I'm just coming at this whole thing from a different place.

[TunerAddict]

 

Originally Posted by cheezit66

My beef is with the idea that it is automatically better than other ways to learn because it's new and fancy and game-ified.

 

Once again, no one said that.

[rockbot]

I love food but am not a very good cook. I enjoy the convenience and taste of the food from my local deli.

1. If you're going to eat food, you really should learn how to cook.

2. It was difficult to learn to cook, but now I can just toss whatever I want in a bowl and it tastes amazing.

3. You should never go to the deli. Take cooking lessons. You'll eat terrible food for a few years, but eventually you'll get the hang of it.

4. These days you can replay cooking shows on your DVR. That's way better than going to the deli.

5. Why are you saying that going to the deli is better than learning how to cook?!

[thecornman]

 

Originally Posted by cheezit66

Playing the guitar once you have enough skill to do what you want is blissfully easy. Getting that skill is hard. If all you want is to play cowboy chords (which is totally fine) then maybe the hard phase doesn't last that long.

We live in a get-rich-quick world with movie stars who are famous for being famous, singers who can't sing, and people who buy 'herbal viagra'---just a whole lot of people getting suckered by something-for-nothing, shortcuts and instant solutions. I don't believe that real life works that way. So for me, I view playing as a craft.

If Rocksmith works for you, awesome. If it really helps that much, then you'll outgrow it, and then you'll need to figure out where to go next.

 

I totally agree with everything you said! You get what you put in like everything in life. I have never felt like I needed to be the best at something, but if I am going to do something I am going to do what I need to do to do it the best I can. What people like us need to realize is not everyone has the kind of drive or ambition to do things that way and accept it. Some are content with very little and that is their choice. If it makes them happy good for them. I would not be happy if I did not improve at something in my life so I push myself to and feel good with the results. There is no universal way for all people to live.

[thecornman]

 

Originally Posted by rockbot

I love food but am not a very good cook. I enjoy the convenience and taste of the food from my local deli.

1. If you're going to eat food, you really should learn how to cook.

2. It was difficult to learn to cook, but now I can just toss whatever I want in a bowl and it tastes amazing.

3. You should never go to the deli. Take cooking lessons. You'll eat terrible food for a few years, but eventually you'll get the hang of it.

4. These days you can replay cooking shows on your DVR. That's way better than going to the deli.

5. Why are you saying that going to the deli is better than learning how to cook?!

 

I love music and not very good at playing it. I enjoy the convenience and sound of the music on my local radio.

1. If you're going to enjoy music, you should learn how to play.

2. It was difficult to learn how to play music, but now I play whatever I want and it sounds amazing.

3. You should never listen to the radio. Take music lessons. You'll sound terrible for a few years, but eventually you'll get the hang of it.

4. These days you can replay music lessons on your computer. That's way better than listening to the radio.

5. Why are you saying that listening to the radio is better than learning how to play?!

Or something like that!

[Canadian Jeff]

 

Originally Posted by TunerAddict

No one ever said that. That is a strawman you've created to justify your assault on Rocksmith and tout your way of doing things as the objective "right."

 

I'm simply never going to suggest that somebody half-asses it when it comes to taking up an instrument because being able to play a diddy and being able to play the instrument are two different things. Which one you're able to do depends on which approach you take and how much you're willing to work for it. Like I said, do it however you want. I stand by my opinion on gimmics like Rocksmith being a bad way to do it. If you don't like it just stop replying to me - I won't persist.

[LGK_Dude]

 

Originally Posted by rockbot

Perhaps it has been a while since you've tried the game, but an update came out a while back that allows you to select your speed and mastery level in the riff repeater and replay it as much as you want. I've been using it to master the intro to Plug In Baby. It works well.

You can't slow down the whole song, but it's probably better to tackle it in chunks anyway.

 

Thanks for the tip! Will try that out!

[RifRandall]

 

Originally Posted by Canadian Jeff

I'm simply never going to suggest that somebody half-asses it when it comes to taking up an instrument because being able to play a diddy and being able to play the instrument are two different things. Which one you're able to do depends on which approach you take and how much you're willing to work for it. Like I said, do it however you want. I stand by my opinion on gimmics like Rocksmith being a bad way to do it. If you don't like it just stop replying to me - I won't persist.

 

I think you're missing the point. It's not a teaching tool so much as a drill tool. Yes you can learn songs but really it's about a fun way to practice with scoring. As an example there's a chord game, starts with basic chords with changes at a slow pace, it gets faster and faster, adding more difficult chords, bigger distances between chords, etc. What that drill inforces is proper fingering of the chords as well as training you to do quicker and quicker changes between them. it also reinforces that you can play the same chord on different parts of the neck. There's a similar scale drill with the choices of major, minor, major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, harmonic minor, mixalodian, etc that you can play in the key of your choice. There's another drill to teach you to hit the right fret on the right string which trains you not to look at the neck of the guitar. Practical skills training muscle memory.

The other thing that I find it good for is enforcing proper timing. The game is clear when you are too early or late and rewards you when you are in the pocket. Also when learning songs with bends in them, it lets you know when you're bending right and when you're missing the note. Same with finger slides and glissendos.

The trainers for learning songs and slowing bits down is cool. I downloaded the allman bros Jessica because I wanted to get the timing down on the licks and actually learn the whole song, not just the bits that I knew. Yes I could have sat there with the mp3 and figured out the leads but this was easier. The trainer breaks it down into sections, you can slow them down and work on individual sections, you get feedback on how well you're doing. plus it's showing you the tab as the song goes along. As I said, more of a drill tool for getting a skill or song down in a way that is fun and offers rewards for improvements in skill.

What it doesn't do is teach you any reasons behind what you're doing. There's no theory, no real explanations. It doesn't replace a teacher. It does offer a good way of practicing and drilling skills.

The other thing that no one mentions is that it's got some good amp models and effects and basically turns your ps3 or xbox into a practice amp. For $80 it's not a bad investment. What I'd like to see is someone figure out the cable output and feed it into midi software as a controller or tab/notation software so that it would tab it out as you played.

[Drastion]

I have been using this for the past few months. I think it is perfect for beginners. It makes it easier and fun to play. Plus it gives you instant feedback. Constantly tells you are getting better and keeps you from getting discouraged and keeps you playing. That's the most important thing of all keeps it fun and you keep picking up the guitar.

After a while it ends up like people have already said a simple drill game. But once you are at this point you have more confidence and desire to get even better. Obviously its not for improving the skills of a veteran player and it was never ment to be.

Anything that keeps you playing improving and enjoying yourself is well worth the time.

[Grantus]

The next thing you know, those youngsters will be resorting to gimmicks like electrifying guitars! And then, there will be electric tuners, and fuzz pedals, and modeling amps, and online tab. Gimmicks, all of them.

[Virgman]

Rocksmith intrigues me. I'd like to try it but don't want to buy it and find out it's not for me.

It would nice if you could import your own tabs or songs but of course that would kill the revenue stream for the makers. People are trying to make it so and will no doubt succeed in cracking it, at least for the PC version.

I can see how it would work.

Technology has always been used to learn. Years ago people played records over and over, slowing them down, etc. Radio, records, CDs, Mp3s, DVDs, YouTube, now Rocksmith. It's all good.

If you really want to go back to basics just learn by observing live players. Only live music or sitting down with another player. Or read sheet music like Segovia. That's how they learned in 1850s. You could still do it. I suppose even sheet music is a form of technology, using a printing press, etc. You'd have to go back before the printing press was invented to be totally organic.

Right now I learn a lot using GuitarPro and YouTube vids, transcribing using slowdowner programs (technology).

I've watched a few of the Rocksmith videos and it looks cool. Probably not any better then other methods but if it's fun and if it gets you playing it's all good. Practicing can be drudgery at times. It takes me a month to learn a technical GuitarPro song learning a few bars a day. From what I've seen it's about the same with Rocksmith. No faster but maybe funner. Enjoyment is why we play. Many of the guys playing Rocksmith kind of stink but that goes for anything. They will get better and better with time spent playing.

If I can score a deal I may buy it to check out. On the fence.

[jds22]

My son got the PC version for Christmas. It seems kind of fun but I'm having trouble with latency. I just play too damn fast for the PC to keep up.

I tried a few of the tips posted on other forums and that helped a bit but I have not tried the more involved solutions such as editing the .ini

Maybe this weekend I'll mess with it some more.

[RedJamaX]

RockSmith (and/or Tablature) vs... Standard methods of learning... such as a lessons, reading music, training your ear, etc...

Bottom Line... RockSmith is fun! the game provides a method of teaching muscle strength, muscle memory, and precision in an easy-to-understand format while playing along with popular music which provides a significant amount of motivation. When I was 12, I begged my parents for a guitar and I got an acoustic for Christmas. I played for about 2 weeks... because that was all I could handle of {censored} like "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Happy Birthday"!! When I was 17, I got a cheap electric w/amp combo pack made by Kramer... That combined with Tablature opened a whole new world or musical exploration for me.

I am a hobbyist...

Like many other people here, I like to "play guitar". I do not consider myself a "musician", "guitarist", or a "Player" (by Les Paul's definition). I have been playing for 17 years and the peak of my skill is somewhere around Carlos Santana and Pink Floyd. And I'm OK with that I spend hours playing guitar... and playing video games... and making home improvements... and spending time with my family... and studying for some new certification for my career (Server Engineering)... and watching movies... and a whole bunch of other things that I really enjoy which aren't worth the sacrifice (time and/or money to do all of those things, etc.) to improve my guitar playing skills.

Professionals

For those of you who make money with your music, maybe you just play gigs on the weekends, maybe you teach, or maybe you just want to be the best you can be at playing guitar as that relates to everything in regard to being a guitarist... I think that is awesome! You can spend hours training your ear, learning to read standard sheet music, practice for hours and hours or get lessons until you can fly up and down the fretboard with lightning precision as you jam along with your MP3 of Joe Satriani in the background.

But don't presume that everybody wants the same thing out of it that you are trying to gain. If somebody comes here to asks how to become a professional guitarist, or be the best guitarist possible, then by all means, inform them of all the widely accepted methods of learning to play guitar in the traditional sense that will help them to overcome some obstacles that many of us self-taught, blaspheming tablature addicted, RockSmith playing hobbyists will probably not succeed beyond (fingering techniques for example).

My point is ...

We lowly "Hobbyists" don't care if you think things like Tablature and RockSmith are "bad methods" of learning to play... Or if our single cut-away guitar isn't as expensive as your Gibson Les Paul... or if our modeling amp isn't up-to-par with your Marshall All Tube Amp. We just want to play, and enjoy playing. Sometimes the things we have are all we can afford... and the most rediculous advice ever of "Just save up" really isn't an option, (saving 5 months for a $500 guitar is equal to saving 20 months for a $2000 guitar, that's a long effin time!) Most of us probably already have a career and don't care to do it the "right" way as defined by the leading authority, we just want to do it the "fun" way.

my two cents...

[Virgman]

I'd say that reply was more like 99 cents than 2 cents.

Good post though.

I already know all that other stuff like fancy jazz chords and sheet music and what chord substitution is but I still think Rocksmith looks cool and I'd like to try it. However I don't want to get sidetracked on my continuing journey to Zen guitar master.

And I'm cheap. Which is the #1 reason.

We all need to be open minded about new things. Put that hairband on your guitar if it helps quiet the strings for example. Get a thicker pick perhaps. Buy a Chinese guitar for $49. Take anabolic steroids.

Whatever.

[drawdeep]

All this fuss over a silly game...

That being said, I have been interested in getting this for the Xbox for some time but I knew that I would never be able to wrestle it away from my son. I did not know it was out for PC and it is actually on sale at Best Buy now, so I ordered it today.

I think it will be a cool way to get exposed to some music and playing styles I would not have otherwise. Looking forward to it.

[darkinhas]

 

Originally Posted by jds22

My son got the PC version for Christmas. It seems kind of fun but I'm having trouble with latency. I just play too damn fast for the PC to keep up.

I tried a few of the tips posted on other forums and that helped a bit but I have not tried the more involved solutions such as editing the .ini

Maybe this weekend I'll mess with it some more.

 

This kinda confused me, or maybe I misunderstood what you were trying to say...

What the high latency causes is the notes you play have a noticeable delay between the instant you pick the string and the instant the note actually plays ingame. The best way to reduce that is to follow this: http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php...h-on-PC-Forums (like you mentioned, .ini editing)

Is that what you meant by "playing too fast for the PC"?