Best Rock Band strategies

[Nishidake]

Okay, I'm writing an article for Phase1Phaser.com (http://www.phase1phaser.com) that will talk about the best tips and tricks for wringing a few more points out of your Rock Band performance, and since this forum is filled with the most hardcore Rock Band fans ever, I figure you guys would have some great contributions.

So tell me what strategies and techniques you've got for using Energy, maximizing points etc., then tell me what name you'd like to be credited in the article (which includes a link to your blog/homepage if you want it).

For example:

The best way I've found to rack up lots of points as a vocalist during a big rock ending is actually to drum two or three fingers rapidly on the mic. It's fills the entire section with noise and it's easier than holding out a note.

For guitar and bass big rock endings the solo buttons are key. Since these require no strumming during 'freestyle' sections you can wail notes out as rapidly as you can tap. For maximum effect I use both hands so that I can rapid-tap all five buttons at once (plus you look extra rawk). When the ending nears I drop my right hand back to the strum bar so I can catch the last few notes and continue to button-mash with my left hand, squeezing every possible point out of the section.

Okay rockers, let's hear your tips, tricks and near cheats!

[ElHombreSinNombre]

to be lucky enough to own working peripherals within two weeks of launch.

[Xzyliac]

-When singing don't be afraid to be loud. Be clear and heard. Don't sing to yourself or through your nose sort of speak. This only makes it harder.

-Sing don't read. Be emotional. Even if you don't know the song at least try.

-Be energetic when playing with a band. Especially vocalist who know the song as they'll be free to move and be expressive. Your energy can really help band morale and get them feeling the music. Drummers especially need such boost as they're quite static. Everyone do their part!

[Nishidake]

-When singing don't be afraid to be loud. Be clear and heard. Don't sing to yourself or through your nose sort of speak. This only makes it harder.

-Sing don't read. Be emotional. Even if you don't know the song at least try.

-Be energetic when playing with a band. Especially vocalist who know the song as they'll be free to move and be expressive. Your energy can really help band morale and get them feeling the music. Drummers especially need such boost as they're quite static. Everyone do their part!

That'a really good one, I do that when I sing, mess around, play air guitar when the guitarist's got a bangin solo, and generally try to involve all the band members. They laugh at me, but it works because everyone gets into it more.

Nice one.

Any more?

[darkhorse09]

When I play with my cousin, we try to engage Overdrive together or have Overdrive going through the entire song (it is possible!)

[newmanator]

-Stay on 1 instrument at a time, get well good at that, then move to another.

-Don't switch around otherwise the skills will be from new when you rotate back to a previous instrument.

[Magnet]

The best way I've found to rack up lots of points as a vocalist during a big rock ending is actually to drum two or three fingers rapidly on the mic. It's fills the entire section with noise and it's easier than holding out a note.

I thought the vocalist got all available points during the first noise into the mic, making the rest of it irrelevant.

[Nishidake]

I thought the vocalist got all available points during the first noise into the mic, making the rest of it irrelevant.

Hmm...I don't know, I will check this out next time I play. Anyone else know about this?

[Shoeless]

If you're really going for points and you're playing with a full band, it seems like you need to do two things; time your overdrive to the vocalist, and make sure you've got a good bass player.

The first is because the vocalist doesn't have as many opportunities to activate overdrive and is locked down to certain phrases during the song, so if you want that 8X multiplier with everyone kicking in, you have to know the song, know when the vocalist can kick it in, and then go for it when your singer does.

The other is the bassist. Unlike the other instruments, who max out their normal multiplier at 4X, when the bassist is "chasing the blue" as some have called it, the multiplier tops out at 6X, so if everyone kicks in their overdrive, and is keeping their streak, the bassist benefits from their 6X multiplier combined with that Overdrive 8X multiplier which can monstrously bump up the score if it's a section where the bassist has a lot of notes, such as in "Are You Gonna' Be My Girl" or "Dani California." The bassist may be an invisible part of the band in a lot of respects, but when it comes to points, it can be the bassist that is critical to maximizing good overdrive streaks and getting your band that coveted gold star for full band performances.

[StiffEdub]

I usually wait for the bassist or drummer to kick in OD then as vocalist kick in OD on next chance...What I hate as vocalist is sometimes OD gets kicked in inadvertently:o..

[MANWHORE]

ok im having trouble on hitting the rapid notes on medium mode for the guitar..any tips? i flick the strumming thing..am i doing it wrong? am i supposed to hold it or something?:confused:

[HeXcoda]

As a vocalist, memorize where the gold phrases appear, and when best to activate them to max out the time you have on your overdrive bar. Best example is Dani California -- it's patterned so if you activate it just before "California, rest in peace" you can cruise through the entire chorus, activating MORE overdrive, and keeping the band scoring. If you're on that song and are on bass or guitar, fire yours at the same time.

What's needed is a "overdrive path" for each song, when it's best to activate it as a vocalist... then others memorize those spots so you can coincide. Alternatively, do the same thing but use the drummer as your root rather than the vocalist.

If you don't know the path, a good general tip is to activate it just before another gold section, to extend the time. If you know all you have coming up is cowbell city but the guitar/bass/drums are gonna be crazy, fire yours off before the cowbells so THEY can benefit from the multiplier.

[CollegeDropouts]

Our band has only got together twice, and we were number one band on the Leaderboards until today (we still have yet to play a 3rd time together) but we have a few strategies that could help a lot.

1) Learn the song, especially vocalist.

2) Activate Star Power at the same time, this is done a few ways.
A) Overdrive when the singer has an open spot, and go for the x8 multi, make SURE that the instruments are hitting their Unison Bonuses.
B) Synch the bassist (easiest overdrive) with the vocalist (hardest overdrive), and the Guitarist with the Drummer and attempt to shoot for a constant x4 multiplier. For some songs with lots of action on all 4 parts, this can boost your score more than just hitting the x8 on occasion.

3) For the Big Rock Ending, the key is keeping all 5 lights illuminated while hitting notes. If you just strumed one note, or only hit the snare, your score won't multiply even close to as fast as if you light up all the lights. We have a few strategies with our instruments on how to keep this high, but we are too greedy to share =)

4) Always hit Unison Bonus

5) On songs that don't have a lot of action, save your overdrive combo for the faster parts with more notes.

I can't think of anything else that isn't common sense. GL

- College Drop-Outs

[WiseOldUnicorn]

- If you really want to max out your points you need to know where all the Overdrive notes/phrases are, and plan out a path that'll get you the best OD usage. If you don't want to go to all that trouble, a good general rule is to activate it where there's more notes. For instance, if you're playing guitar, activate when you're at 4x and in a section with a lot of chords.

- I don't remember if I read it on here or at ScoreHero, but I remember reading somewhere that the Big Rock Ending scores you according to how long it's been since you last hit a particular color. So if you're playing drums and haven't hit green the entire ending, you'll get more points for hitting green than any other color. Seems to be true from my experience.

- When you're playing as a band, it's important to have a good drummer. Not only is the drummer setting the rhythm of the song, but he's also the one making the most actual noise with his instrument (other than the vocalist). And if his timing gets off, it can throw everyone else off as well.

[Manda]

I usually wait for the bassist or drummer to kick in OD then as vocalist kick in OD on next chance...What I hate as vocalist is sometimes OD gets kicked in inadvertently:o..

I find it best to wait for the drummer, as he has the least amount of choice when to go into OD. When I have an OD available I watch the drummer, and if I see that he's going to go into OD right before I begin signing, I use mine. Knowing the song helps a LOT when it comes to ODing, because you can have several phrases in a song (ie. Vasoline) without breaks in between for OD bars. And knowing when a break is coming up, or if you won't get one for a while, can improve your ability to go into OD with the rest of the group.

[Chris_Gonzalez]

I find it best to wait for the drummer, as he has the least amount of choice when to go into OD. When I have an OD available I watch the drummer, and if I see that he's going to go into OD right before I begin signing, I use mine. Knowing the song helps a LOT when it comes to ODing, because you can have several phrases in a song (ie. Vasoline) without breaks in between for OD bars. And knowing when a break is coming up, or if you won't get one for a while, can improve your ability to go into OD with the rest of the group.

You kids and your hip-hop lingo. Back in my day, when someone ODd, they were dead. :P

I'm the drummer, but whenever I notice everyone's got some OD I wait for a bit and then tell them all to activate it. It hardly ever fails (only when I do it on a break on accident).

[WildBillKickoff]

Couple of tips for vocal solo--

1. Memorize when and where the cowbell/tambourine sections are and try to time your overdrive to avoid them. Nothing hurts your score worse when you've got a 4x multiplier going than wasting OD on getting 50 points per cowbell instead of 25.

2. It's OK to start your phrase a hair early to make sure you match pitch. Most people have a few milliseconds where their voice "revs up", and by starting a quarter beat early whenever you can, you make sure to get the whole note and not just 90% of it. However, don't finish it late or else you may accidentally trigger OD.

3. Honest Bob and the Factory to Dealer Incentives are, in fact, the devil.

4. Eliminate vibrato as much as possible, as it will make an "awesome" into a "strong" more often than not on Expert.

[Mojo Risin]

3. Honest Bob and the Factory to Dealer Incentives are, in fact, the devil.



LOL:p I agree 110%

[JD00617]

Here's a few of my thoughts about over-drive:

1. Unlike the starpower sections in GH, if you are currently in "over-drive" and you come upon a new section of white over-drive notes you can nail this new over-drive section and it'll add to your over-drive, keeping you going longer...

2. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in BWT mode, the multiplier from over-drive is applied to all band members, regardless of who activates it, right? If so, then you really need to think about sharing over-drive to maximize the total band score. Let's say you have a song that's boring/slow on bass, but crazy on the drums, then let the drummer build up that 4x multiplier and have him tell the bassist when to turn the OD on...

A quick guitar tip that worked for me: other than the second solo of Green Grass & High Tides IGNORE the solo buttons. I'm certainly not world-class at Expert guitar, and even I could finish everything else in expert without them. I also experimented a bit with the big rock endings, solo buttons vs. regular buttons and alt-strumming, and the scores were similar. so when you consider that it's a lot easier to nail the final notes if you don't need to worry about reaching back down for the strum bar, I think it's a good idea to just leave the solo notes alone. Although this is certainly up for debate...

Drum Tip: FILL SKIP if it helps!! for those that might not know "fill skipping" is the term that's been created to describe the practice of deliberately NOT activating over-drive during the fill sections in order to skip over some notes, get a little rest, and hopefully keep your multiplier going. The game only presents these "fill" sections when you have overdrive to use (if you feel like it). If you save it, the game will continue to present these sections to you pretty frequently, and you can rest during the fill sections (which, unless I'm mistaken, you don't get points for anyway), instead of playing the notes that would otherwise be presented to you and are now "covered up" by the fill section.

Naturally, when you pass over these notes you'll be giving up the potential points you could have earned if you had played them correctly! But in some songs, like Run to The Hills for me, this will keep you alive where you otherwise might fail miserably, and it'll give you a much-needed opportunity to take a breath and focus, and maybe you can keep a multiplier going in spots you never thought you could....

Those are some things that have worked for me, but we're all still figuring this game out I think, so feel free to ignore me if you don't like my ideas... =)

[mobesE28]

I think the drummer should lead the overdrives because they only get the chance at certain times and when they get it they MUST do it right then or else the rainbow notes will keep coming up, waisting points on other notes that they missed. The singer can easily skip the overdrive while not wasting points.

[v0lum3]

Hmm...I don't know, I will check this out next time I play. Anyone else know about this?

Yep. It's true, we had nobody play anything during the rock ending and the vocalist just make some noise... only works once and then the score just sits there ;)

[sporkBrigade]

Just to clear up a few points brought up in this thread, and then at the end my own theory on when you should activate OD.

Big Rock Endings: Mic activation is a one time shot. You make a noise, activate your ending, and your done. Guitars are trickier. It doesn't matter how fast you strum. When you strum a color, that lane will light up. The trick is to get all the lanes lit up at the same time. You don't actually have to strum very fast to do this. Once you have all lanes lit up, you will maximize your score. Extra speed does nothing for you. Drums are very similiar, but you only have to light up one lane at a time. So a nice steady drum roll will get you just as many points as crashing everything as fast as possible.

A short term 8x vs. a long term 4x: Let's assume you can maintain a max streak for your instrument through a section. While some specific cases will yield more points to the 4x, the majority of the time the 8x will do more for you. Here's why:

Let's say you have two players. Each player has 4 notes, and each note is worth 25 points. Each player has half a bar of star power. The star power is just enough to last for 2 notes.

In one case, one player activates his power for the first 2 notes, then the second player activates his for the last 2 notes. In this case, each note is doubled to 50 points each(25x2 for all 4 notes), you net 200 points for the 4 note passage.

In the second case, both players activate for the first two notes, then have no power for the last 2 notes. In this case, the first two notes become 100 points each. (25x4 for 2 notes) The last two notes register for 25 each. Total is 250.

So just by timing the multipliers together you have a 25% increase in points.

So here's what's happening. When you activate by yourself, you are only doubling your points. 25 goes to 50 points, you're getting 25 extra points per note. But when someone else activates on top of you, you're now doubling that already increased value, and you're now getting 75 extra points per note. Each person who activates beyond this has the same effect, adding another 50 points per 2x multiplier, vs. the simple 25 points if everyone activates by themselves seperately.

Now combine this with your personal multipliers, and the difference in points is substantial.

As I pointed out before, there are exceptions. Sections of songs where you can't keep multipliers up, for example, can change your strategy. Sections that are heavy on points, but a fourth activation is unavailable will of course also change your strategy. But as a rule of thumb, the more you can clump and stack your activations together the better. Every time you have a "seperate" activation, you are automatically missing out on some points.

And final point I wanted to throw out there was about vocalists. The average vocal track produces just as many points as the other three. However, the vocal track on average also performs a smaller percentage of the song. What this means is that when the vocal track IS actively singing, it is worth more points per second then any of the four tracks. So beyond just activating whenever it's available for the Drummer or Vocalist, taking it a step further and timing it during Vocal heavy sections where all 4 instruments are playing will be in your best interest.

[pvtGramps]

Some tips from Epistemological Anarchy and The 4-Man Raid:

1.) Get a Manager. We actually have a 5th man essentially in The 4-Man Raid that calls out Overdrive based on Multiplier and Energy Stored. It's usually based around whether the song's vocal or drum track is less OD heavy for which we call on.

2.) The Bassist is Key. x48 is the highest multiplier available making each 25pt. note worth a max of 1200pts. This is a Grooved Bassist with everyone else in Overdrive. Add in the x32 for everyone else and you've got the idea. Get your Bassist up to Expert where if he can land triplets, you can easily break the 1,000,000 mark. We just have to GET a bassist for ourselves... *sigh*

3.) Keep the Beat in a Fill. Nothing screws a band worse than either a failed Drum Fill, a really crazy fill or an empty fill. If you're not going to use it. Play a simplified Y-RY-Y-RY to keep the beat going during a fill.

4.) Lead Guitar and Cowbell Bonus. There's bonuses awarded on the final note for both Cowbell and Solo fills. Nail them. Get an extra drumstick for the vocalist to use on their cowbell fills.

[iron_city_ap]

I've only gotten together with my band once so far (no online for me, but that might need to change) and THEY STINK! I say they simply because since I own the game I play it FAR more than them, so naturally I'm signifigantly better. That said, I picked up on a few things:

1. Know the songs. I was amazed at how few of the songs the 'music lovers' actually even could recall. Being framiliar with the detals of a song isn't a big deal, but they really didn't know many at all. THE FIX: Burn CDs or e-mail MP3s of songs that are giving the band fits. Homework. Just listen to the songs at some point to become at least a little more framiliar with them.

2. Dealing with the weakest link. Every band is going to have one, no matter how good that weakest link is. In our case, we found it works best to put the weak one on bass. I know its critical to a higher score, but we had to put her somewhere. Vocals wasn't an option, no way on the lead, and the drums just isn't her schtick either. We finally figured out she can hold her own on Bass playing in Easy. It isn't always going to be optimal, but its better than wasting Overdrive to save someone because they really don't enjoy their instrument. Once they find something they can hold their own on, they start to have fun and get into it more.

3. Its just a game. In our case, we have 6 or 7 of us that get together. We decided to just set up 4 players and rotate people in and out. At one point we had 2 playing the drums at the same time. Don't ask me how it was working, but they found a way. Like someone else mentioned, we got someone to work as a manager and call out when to go into overdrive. Find ways to get everyone involved and just say heck with it. Have some fun. Not just the natural fun of playing the game. Shake your crotch in someones face during a solo. Stick your tongue out. DRESS LIKE A ROCK STAR (its like a mini halloween). What does the score actually matter in the end? Its much more about grinning from ear to ear as you stumble out of the joint (we tend to drink a little too) knowing everyone can't wait till next time.

[capitalfn9]

why not put her on vocals on easy? bass on expert can get you so many points and easy vocals you can sing pretty much whatever you want.

[HMXChrisCanfield]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that you can use the high frets on big rock endings...

[iron_city_ap]

why not put her on vocals on easy? bass on expert can get you so many points and easy vocals you can sing pretty much whatever you want.

Our singer can't play any of the instruments for crap, and our bass player can't sing for crap. Its kinda lose/lose to swap them around. I don't care about the points, but it is nice being able to finish a song at least.

[Sonofmogh]

Here's one...if you're worried about points, play guitar hero! Rock Band is a party game and is meant to be shared with friends both online and off, besides the incredibly short timing window makes playing for points very difficult. :D

[sporkBrigade]

Here's one...if you're worried about points, play guitar hero! Rock Band is a party game and is meant to be shared with friends both online and off, besides the incredibly short timing window makes playing for points very difficult. :D

A wonderful sentiment, but sort of pointless in this thread. Despite rumors to the contrary, you can actually enjoy Rock Band as a Party game, but then still care about scoring. They're are not mutually exclusive. If the idea of caring about points bugs you, simply avoid threads like this in the future.

[Hanover]

Never assume that you know what the drum pattern should sound like just from the notes on the screen. If you're having problems with a tricky drum part, play guitar and listen to what the drum sounds like in the part you're having trouble with and play it the same way.

I had a heck of a time with the Foreplay/Long Time intro on hard. I went back to playing it on guitar and realized that I was trying to play the drum part completely wrong.

(a steady left/right-bass | left/right-bass | etc... is all it needed...rather than the ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum pattern I was trying to play.)

[MJDoja]

Here's one...if you're worried about points, play guitar hero! Rock Band is a party game and is meant to be shared with friends both online and off, besides the incredibly short timing window makes playing for points very difficult. :D

its not solely a party game.

[Frederf]

Can someone explain unison bonuses to me? I've had it give me a lot of OD to the bar as well.

[sporkBrigade]

Can someone explain unison bonuses to me? I've had it give me a lot of OD to the bar as well.

Sometimes an overdrive phrase is inserted into the game for all 3 instruments excluding mic. When one of these comes up, if all 3 instruments nail the phrase, everyone gets an extra 1/4 bar of energy on top of the normal amount you get anyway. If anyone blows it, then you don't get the bonus. But you if you nail it, and someone else blows it, you still get your normal amount.

[Frederf]

Ah so it's a special overdrive phrase.

[Nishidake]

There's some good stuff here (and a little stuff that people are incorrect on but that's ok :))
I'll compile a list of the best tips soon and post it up here.

This is gonna make a great pro tips article! You guys are awesome!