Tricks for guitar playing

[Micker]

I was wondering if people use tircks to play songs in RB. I am new to guitar playing games like this, and I thought that maybe there are tricks to playing that makes it easier for people?? I am not looking to make the game easier, I don't see the point in cheating, I would get nothing from that. I just noticed that when playing it seems you don't need to take your fingers off the fret last played to register the new fret note or something like that. I could be wrong, but it made me wonder if there were shortcuts people use to make it easier??

[elmo0823]

play the tutorials it tells you all the tricks of the trade

[Bakkster]

Take the following:

GR---
-R---
GR---
-R---
I just hold down both the G and R frets and strum them all the same. Any time I can keep the fret down to play an upcoming note, I do.

[DesiredFX]

When you're working your way up to Hard and Expert, it's best to start your "home row" with your index finger placed on the Red fret button rather than the Green. It's much easier to stretch your index finger down from Red to Green than it is to stretch your pinky up from Blue to Orange.

[Apples]

First, I suggest all the tutorials if you haven't done those.

The advanced tutorials discuss "hammer ons" "pull offs" ... those are essential elements as you work up to hard/expert.

It should also discuss the idea that you can hold down a lower color when playing a higher one. (For example, you can hold down green-blue for a single blue note... can be useful for fast switching)

Other than that, there is no substitute for practice/experience. I remember playing medium level guitar parts for a month before I really understood the mechanics well enough to move up a skill level.

[erickOnasis412]

hmm.. practicing is the best way.. learning how the game guitar fret is set up, you'll be able to focus more on the notes rather than your fingers.. hammer-ons and pull-offs are by far the best trick for solos.. not that they're a secret at all, but they will definitely come in handy for quick notes, so i'd say practice those a little.. and just work your way up.. start on medium, get used to it, then maybe go to hard or even expert.. i started on medium and after playing through just about 2 weeks i could go up to expert.. it's just a matter of becoming comfortable with knowing where your fingers are without looking at them or thinking about it

[devo193]

You can hold frets higher on the neck and play notes that are lower, but not the other way around.

For example, you can play what Bakkster said but CAN'T hold down a yellow note and play a green one.

Also, you CAN'T do this for chords. You can't hold a green note while a R/Y chord comes up.


EDIT: Dammit, Apples!

[Micker]

You can hold frets higher on the neck and play notes that are lower, but not the other way around.

For example, you can play what Bakkster said but CAN'T hold down a yellow note and play a green one.

Also, you CAN'T do this for chords. You can't hold a green note while a R/Y chord comes up.


EDIT: Dammit, Apples!

Yeah, this is what I noticed. I wasn't really looking for tips, just wondering if there was some trick/cheat that everyone was using that made playing much easier. I played all the way through on medium and a few on hard so far with not many problems.

As far as HO/PO go, do you have to do them on the lower frets only or can I do them on the normal upper frets??

[Apples]

You can do HO/PO's on the upper set of frets... the lower set just has the special HO/PO like functionality during guitar solos when the background turns blue.

[KingNuclear]

http://community.rockband.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=13911

Read

[Micker]

You can do HO/PO's on the upper set of frets... the lower set just has the special HO/PO like functionality during guitar solos when the background turns blue.

Dam, I didn't know that. I thought you had to use the lower frets for ho/pos. Can you only do ho/pos during solos?? I know, I ask a lot of questions lol.

[Apples]

You can do HO/PO's any time during a song when a note indicates it can be.

A note is indicated as HOPO'able when it is slightly smaller in length than a regular note.

Many times this happens during guitar solos, because HOPO's routinely occur when there a groups of notes in quick succession (such as during a guitar solo)


You may not notice this phenomenon a lot until hard/expert difficulty... but it can be quite valuable.

[Micker]

Hehe, I never noticed smaller notes ever, even on hard.

[DesiredFX]

You can do HO/PO's on the upper set of frets... the lower set just has the special HO/PO like functionality during guitar solos when the background turns blue.

Hey, does that mean when I hit Bass Groove and the background turns blue, I can shift my hand up the neck to the minifrets and just play the bass there until I miss one?

;)

[Apples]

It's a rather subtle distinction... they also have a slightly different border around the edges. Once you're looking for them... you'll see. ;)

[Micker]

Hey, does that mean when I hit Bass Groove and the background turns blue, I can shift my hand up the neck to the minifrets and just play the bass there until I miss one?

;)

I believe that you don't even have to shift to the lower frets, you can just use the same frets as normal and not have to strum them. From what I gather, the lower frets on the neck are just to look cool ;p.

[DesiredFX]

Micker, I was being facetious with that one. As far as I know, there's no time when you're playing bass that you don't have to strum.

If anyone wants to correct me, I'm cool with that, though.

[Apples]

http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/957/957262/img_5093518.html

Take a look at the first orange note on the right hand player's side... that's what a HO/PO note looks like compared to a regular strummed note.

[Armhunter]

Honestly, just keep practicing. That is all anyone can say. Everyone is going to have their own way of playing.
The best players know where there hand is at all times, meaning what finger is on what color at all times.
I will shift my hand all over the place, if you can do this and remember where your hand is, you will be playing expert no problem.

Keeping your hand in one location and trying to reach the orange, or green if index is on red, is really not the best way... You should shift your whole hand when a green notes come by, or shift down one when an orange comes by. Sometimes I will shift my hand down two frets when i know the next few notes are going to be Y,B,O, then shift back when done...

You will get it... i used to sit there and watch expert mode, thinking there is no way in hell i can do that... Well, I beat GH2 on expert almost done with GH3 and nothing on RB gave me a problem yet..

[The Rooster]

Best tip I can offer is...

DONT PANIC!

When you get to a fast solo, or some people have a problem with a part of the song "Creep", whatever fast part you have a problem with, just calm down and hit what you can. Just smacking buttons will only make it worse, plus you don't learn anything that way.

If you just don't know the song, do it in practice mode, or play it on Easy so you actually learn how the song is supposed to go. Then when you get to the solo, you'll see the colors match up with the notes in your head that you know are coming. Then just relax and don't play too fast. That seems to be the biggest problem people have, expecially with "Creep", they just try to play it too fast. Hitting too few notes is better than hitting notes that aren't there. Then just play until you get it.

[chupa]

One thing you can try is to hold the fret buttons down low at the bottom, and to use the tips of the fingers rather than pressing the whole finger across the button.

Makes it much easier to react quickly for me, especially on extended HO/POs like the ending solos in Green Grass and High Tides.