Drumming way too easy?

[MidwestDrummer]

I know the RB demos out there are only the drum pads without a pedal, but c'mon. I've played all 15 demo songs on expert, and I've 5-starred them all. Granted I've been playing drums for about 11 years now, but I thought these songs would at least present a challenge to me. I'm really looking forward to playing with a pedal, and I really hope that the rest of the songs on the full version of the game are a little bit more difficult.

[jq71586]

I know the RB demos out there are only the drum pads without a pedal, but c'mon. I've played all 15 demo songs on expert, and I've 5-starred them all. Granted I've been playing drums for about 11 years now, but I thought these songs would at least present a challenge to me. I'm really looking forward to playing with a pedal, and I really hope that the rest of the songs on the full version of the game are a little bit more difficult.

I'm pretty sure thats your key right there, alot of people here have 4* or 5* "Tom Sawyer" on expert, I've seen a few threads on that.

Anyone with above average hand/eye coordination can hit 4 pads with two hands. You are a pretty experienced drummer so you'll be more advanced than others but the kick pedal makes all the difference in the world.

[MdubMedia]

I dunno man....I think the pedal is gonna add hella difficulty IMO...I may be wrong, but I think it will be just right. And I think it's more fun to be able to play it consistently rather than always messing up....

[monstrado]

I know the RB demos out there are only the drum pads without a pedal, but c'mon. I've played all 15 demo songs on expert, and I've 5-starred them all. Granted I've been playing drums for about 11 years now, but I thought these songs would at least present a challenge to me. I'm really looking forward to playing with a pedal, and I really hope that the rest of the songs on the full version of the game are a little bit more difficult.

Harmonix has said that the drums in the game is very similar to real life drums. Even on expert mode the game is like a beginner version of r/l drums.

You just got done saying that you've played drums for 11 years...there is your anwser

[Tigerbot]

The key phrase in your post was "without a pedal"...

[vtjustinb]

Yes it's not hard to fivestar expert with drumming experience--I did the same.

But... the game played the bass hits for you. And some of those parts are decently tough.

And you know 5star is all about multiplier, and never ever having your multiplier broken with a missed bass note definitely helps. :P

Like other people in the thread I agree to wait for the retail--it'll definitely be a challenge.

[AdamBomb629]

You just got done saying that you've played drums for 11 years...there is your anwser

You should expect to 5 star them. If they ever make a KEYBOARD HERO (which they had better not), I should 5 star everything. I would expect NO challenge at all (been playing for more than 15 years).

[MaineDrummer]

So...Your a god drummer (I only assume with 11 years XP) and your finding the drum portion of the game easy!?!

Pardon my shock.

[rockst01]

The pedal adds ALL the difficulty, I really mean all of it. I could pass Tom Sawyer on expert easily without the pedal but after I played it with the pedal I was barely passing on medium.

[MidwestDrummer]

I really don't see the pedal giving me any problems. If I do encounter any, it'll be because I'm so used to playing with a double bass pedal. I'm not quite sure how significant that will be.

[Supergeek]

The fact that you can easily pass the game on expert (sans pedal of course) after 11 years of playing the drums seems perfectly logical to me. It would be to the game's detriment if you couldn't; that would mean the drums weren't very close to the real thing.

[Bakkster]

1) How do you have 11 years experience on drums? You look 11! Does this include infant pot-banging ;) (j/k)
2) Since you are a drummer, I thought you would appreciate the difficulty gap between 2 and 3 limb independence. I must be mistaken.
3) Also, as a drummer I thought you would understand that drumming usually consists of keeping a steady, simple pattern interspersed with fills. Again, my mistake.
4) Listen to the songs in the main setlist. Tom Sawyer is kiddie stuff compared to The Reaper.

[MasterTick]

I 5* Tom Sawyer on expert on my second try, and I never played drums a day in my life.

Here's hoping the bass pedal makes it more difficult.

[AdamWill]

On Drummania, the difference between manual bass and autobass is around 20-40 levels. In GH / RB terms, I'd expect it to be one entire difficulty level (i.e. Expert with autobass is equivalent to Hard with manual bass). It's a very big difference.

Yeah, if you're a real life drummer you're not likely to have trouble playing the game. Real drums are *harder* than any game yet made, for 'normal' songs (well, except Doogi Doogi), so it's not exactly surprising. The only tricky thing in a game, for a drummer, is learning to sight-read in the game's particular format, and if you played GH before you obviously have experience with that already.

[ThePaska]

Since you are that experienced of a drummer, you personally probably wont run into too much trouble on any of these songs.

While I would say songs like Tom Sawyer and a few others are pretty advanced in drumming, the game only goes so far, its not going to make the drums difficult for the sake of being difficult, they'll make it as natural and realistic as possible. So if you can play Tom Sawyer on drums in real life, most likely you'll be able to dominate it on expert.

[holyground]

having played drums on the tour vs BB, It really is the kick pedal, and I'll tell you why:

The bass pedal doesn't follow a rhythm you can just tune away. It's hard getting that 3rd limb under control (for non drummers).

saying that you don't think the pedal is going to hurt you any is probably correct: you've been playing them before . for anyone unused to drumming, the pedal doesn't operate how you think it should. It really is where the difficulty lies.

[JarethLegend]

I know the RB demos out there are only the drum pads without a pedal, but c'mon. I've played all 15 demo songs on expert, and I've 5-starred them all. Granted I've been playing drums for about 11 years now, but I thought these songs would at least present a challenge to me. I'm really looking forward to playing with a pedal, and I really hope that the rest of the songs on the full version of the game are a little bit more difficult.

Well unless the last unannounced songs are some difficult prog or jazz fusion bands then I don't think you or any seasoned drummer will have any problem with the current song lineup. I've been drumming my entire life and the demo was no problem of course. I don't plan on having any difficulty with any of the songs announced so far. The most we can hope for difficulty wise is with dlc and even then we are limited by the RB drum set in the first place. I really am getting this game to jam with my non-musically inclined friends. Although some of my friends who have been playing many instruments for as long as I have play rhythm games anyways and we still have some fun when we aren't jamming for real.

[MidwestDrummer]

1) How do you have 11 years experience on drums? You look 11! Does this include infant pot-banging ;) (j/k)
2) Since you are a drummer, I thought you would appreciate the difficulty gap between 2 and 3 limb independence. I must be mistaken.
3) Also, as a drummer I thought you would understand that drumming usually consists of keeping a steady, simple pattern interspersed with fills. Again, my mistake.
4) Listen to the songs in the main setlist. Tom Sawyer is kiddie stuff compared to The Reaper.
1. I'm 22 ;)
2. I don't really think about the difficulty gap between 2 and 3-limbed playing, because2-limbed playing has never really crossed my mind as long as I've been playing drums. 2-limbed playing would be like playing guitar with 3 strings in a 1-octave range. It's simply not a realistic option (in real life of course).
3. Of course that's what I think. Playing the drums centers around time. That's what a drummer does. They key, though, is keeping that time, while adding flare.
4. I can't wait for the full setlist.


having played drums on the tour vs BB, It really is the kick pedal, and I'll tell you why:

The bass pedal doesn't follow a rhythm you can just tune away. It's hard getting that 3rd limb under control (for non drummers).

saying that you don't think the pedal is going to hurt you any is probably correct: you've been playing them before . for anyone unused to drumming, the pedal doesn't operate how you think it should. It really is where the difficulty lies.

I agree with you on part of what you're saying. Keeping time with the pedal isn't really all that different than keeping time with the hi-hat or snare. It's just keeping the time from a totally different angle. It may seem like adding just another limb to the mix, but for drum noobs, it's going to be a whole other realm that that of adding the fifth button on the guitar.

[foolosophy]

It's not like the drum charts were dumbed down, if I recall they are actually really accurate if not completely to how it would be played on a real drum kit.

[TreoRock_]

If u r a real drummer and a real guitar player I don't see how this game will be fun for you. It will be like giving superman a jetpack so he can fly.

[JackBNimble]

I know the RB demos out there are only the drum pads without a pedal, but c'mon. I've played all 15 demo songs on expert, and I've 5-starred them all. Granted I've been playing drums for about 11 years now, but I thought these songs would at least present a challenge to me. I'm really looking forward to playing with a pedal, and I really hope that the rest of the songs on the full version of the game are a little bit more difficult.

Your also playing the DEMO version.No demo plays the same as the final product.

And you claim to be a drummer,so what do you exspect?

[jtuarus]

If u r a real drummer and a real guitar player I don't see how this game will be fun for you. It will be like giving superman a jetpack so he can fly.

you know ive talked to one of my friends that plays mean guitar in a small band and he says that playing GH is tuff for him cause he wants to play like the real guitar but after playing awhile he can jam its just going from one to the other he said can screw him up sometimes

[Quinarvy]

I would just compare the lack of a pedal to oh say...taking away the orange button on the guitar?

[batsu336]

I agree that it is your drumming experience that makes it so easy for you. I played guitar in a band for 9 years, and we would often mess around on each other's equipment after practice. I just plain stink at drums, and my drummer would know how to finger a Dm chord to save his life. But our singer would practice on the drums a lit bit every practice, and it made a huge difference over the course of a year. So I think drums will be a good challenge for me.

[AdamWill]

quinarvy: it's a *way* bigger difference than that.

[MidwestDrummer]

I would just compare the lack of a pedal to oh say...taking away the orange button on the guitar?
Not at all. Adding the orange button on the guitar would be like adding a 5th drum pad. For people who don't play either instrument, adding the pedal would be like adding another neck to the guitar controller.

[MaineDrummer]

If u r a real drummer and a real guitar player I don't see how this game will be fun for you. It will be like giving superman a jetpack so he can fly.

I too have played drums since about age 11, giving me 26 years XP. Will the game be fun for me? Yes, and I'll tell you why...

Playing the drums, or any other instrument IS fun. So now I can have fun at home, any time of day, with my wife, kids, and friends that don't play a RL instrument. I can get drunk and play, play alone with a full band anytime, learn new songs without first having my guitarist play with the mix until my head wants to explode.

Plus it may inspire a few others to learn and play drums in RL which for me has been a very rewarding experience. The fun begins in 12 days, pass me a beer.

[ImUrDaddy]

you know ive talked to one of my friends that plays mean guitar in a small band and he says that playing GH is tuff for him cause he wants to play like the real guitar but after playing awhile he can jam its just going from one to the other he said can screw him up sometimes


I dunno about that, Being a musician and being able to pick out the guitar or bass line and being familiar with a song depends on how well you do in this game. (Also good hand-eye coordination helps) Being a real guitar player on the guitar parts does not help any more in my opinion since they are radically different hand movements.

As for GH "screwing up" people's guitar skills, I think a lot of people who try the game first and are guitar players get dissapointed because they don't rock expert and so the excuses fly about timing and hand movements and so forth. I know a couple people who said this at first (they were guitar players), but the more they played the video game, the more they left the excuse of screwing them up. They just realized that it is a video game and not a guitar simulator!

An a side note, I picked up a real guitar after getting addicted to these games and I would have to say it HELPED me because it increased my finger independance. Granted that won't help a seasoned pro, but it reduced my learning curve.

Any other real guitar players on this forum that thinks these type of games screw up your normal playing ability?

[Bakkster]

4. I can't wait for the full setlist.

The main setlist has been announced. We're just waiting on 5 bonus songs to be announced.

[vtjustinb]

Not at all. Adding the orange button on the guitar would be like adding a 5th drum pad. For people who don't play either instrument, adding the pedal would be like adding another neck to the guitar controller.

I don't know if I buy that analogy. The difficulty of the 5th button wasn't in that you just had another location to hit, but it was that it required you to move your hand and lose your previously static frame of reference. That's why it messed up most of our worlds the first time we tried hard after destroying medium.

The pedal is going to add difficulty, but not in just playing it. You have the limb independence to play it, but parsing the rhythms out with the interface is really the challenge. If the drum parts on expert were written in conventional notation there's no doubt I could five star all of it too with pretty much no effort, but understanding how the notes translate to rhythms does require a little processing and with the pedal added that'll trip us up a bit.

I've been playing since I was 11 too (26 now), so I can empathize with the concern--but I sitll think it's going to be plenty to keep us busy, at least as long as GH3 kept me busy with as much GH experience as I have.

[IOIHUMMERIOI]

I wound up 5 starring Dani California and knew that once the pedal was put into play I was going to be screwed. Sure, 4 pads, 2 hands = not much of a problem, but throw in something for my foot into the mix and I know I'll screw things up.

Looking forward to the game!

[Smidget]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned in here:

It is an in-store demo meant to draw people into the game and enjoy it so they will want to buy it. The demo isn't geared toward us "hardcore players." If the demo had harder songs on it than TS, average folk would get scared away. It is a sales tool.

I'm also a drummer and I too 5* all the songs the first try. But I know for a fact that it gets much harder having played it at PAX, so don't worry :) When the bass pedal gets thrown in there, its a whole new ball game. To give you an idea; in a GH teir-type difficulty layout, I would expect TS to be in the second or third (at most) teir, leaving plenty of room for difficulty growth (the only thing that makes it hard is the constant beat. As soon as people realize its all in the wrists and not the arms they'll be set). That may even seem a bit too far but just remember, this is the first RB and making the drumming too hard too fast = not fun for non-drummers; their has to be good difficulty progression. It may take a little while of playing for songs to become challenging for experienced drummers but they will become challenging.

[miketoast]

I can't wait to get my hands on this drum kit! I need to build up my skillz on the DL so when I get over to my cousins (who plays in a band) I'll act all nonchalant and sit down behind his kit to "mess around" and start rocking the crap outta it big time!! Kick Azz!!!

[AdamWill]

Here's a really simple example of why bass is such a big difference, for those who don't play drums and haven't played DM or something. A basic alternate bass pattern.

Sit down and play - air drum, with your fingers, whatever - a simple rhythm like this:

1 right hand

2 nothing

3 both hands

4 nothing

5 right hand

6 nothing

7 both hands

8 nothing

(the most basic rhythm around, dum-BAH-dum-BAH-dum-BAH etc etc etc).

dead easy, right?

now try this:

1 right hand + right leg

2 nothing

3 both hands

4 right leg

5 right hand

6 right leg

7 both hands

8 nothing

the hands are *the same* but it's a really, really simple alternate bass rhythm. any drummer can play it in his sleep. It'll probably take you several hours of practice to learn to play it, it did for me.

[MidwestDrummer]

The main setlist has been announced. We're just waiting on 5 bonus songs to be announced.

I was referring to playing it.

[Bakkster]

I was referring to playing it.

Ah, I get you now :D

[Adrenalinedrumma]

so ive been playing drums for 7 years, and i played the demo and was like wtf when i 98% TS on expert but then i was like hang on....and played it again and tapped my foot where the bass drum hits....its fricken sick nasty haha...not saying it was impossible but still harder none the less.....just some food for thought, go try it to get a better idea...