Expert Guitarists/Bassists who also play the real thing...

[16BitAlex]

Has the game helped or hurt your real instrument playing? My poll lets you pick both because it has both helped and hurt me.

It has helped me learn the actual songs. Often the bass part in particular is mixed very low on the real song and is boosted in Rock Band. Case in point: ...And Justice for All. With No-Fail or Practice Mode, I can isolate rhythm from lead guitar as long as the game's version of the song was mixed so that they are separate. The note charts give me an advantage over just learning by ear by giving me hints of the rhythm. The game has also exposed me to genres of music that I would have never found on my own, and in particular has cured my fear of metal music. Before the game I thought any metal that wasn't "hair metal" was death metal. Hell, when I was much younger (6 or 7) I thought the Beatles were some kind of metal.

It has hurt me because the volume I play the game has taken away from time with the real instruments.

Drummers probably do not get to answer. Expert Drummers are already playing the real song, minus cymbal, hi-hat pedal, and second bass pedal. I am not a full Expert Drummer so I would not really know, though.

[overdriveguitarman]

neither

[J3st3r 360]

To be honest, with drummers, it's not different then playing a real drum kit or vis versa. With me, I actually started playing drums because of Rock Band and it's helped me a lot. Not only that, but it somewhat helps a tad bit with guitar, in my opinions because I've started to learn and I've already got the whole like fingering thing down I guess.

[16BitAlex]

Not only that, but it somewhat helps a tad bit with guitar, in my opinions because I've started to learn and I've already got the whole like fingering thing down I guess.

Didn't see it from that point of view. I actually played the real instrument before I ever picked up the plastic one.

[Mega-Tallica]

I've played guitar and bass for about 8 years now and playing rock band doesn't really do anything. It's not nearly as realistic in the guitar/bass department as it is in the drum department.

Really on guitar there is an endless amount of different chords you can make, on RB those only a handful of chord possibilities because of only 5 buttons which act as 5 frets, but on an average guitar there are 22 or 24 frets. Not very realistic at all.

[Ferocious Q]

Ughhh expert everything, real drummer

[oogabooha]

Uh, I play bass IRL, and it HAS helped my pinky gain strength (Raining blood trills, and TTFAF trills), but thats it really :-/

[timmay9]

Not even comparable. I gave up playing the plastic guitar a long time ago.

[Zeke2005]

I've played drums for about 9 years now. Imo, the 'drum trainer' has helped give me a few new beats and fills that I can actually use on my real set. And playing on Expert drums allows me to learn when to hit my bass/snare/fills when I play those same songs on my real drums.

[davidstead]

lol playing expert on my rhythm games on guitar gets my fretwork hand up to speed and i seem to be able to play faster with power chords etc, so at these times i usually play Motivation by Sum 41 lol. After real guitar i kinda get worse at the virtual guitar lol, I guess rock band and guitar hero get me more in the rocking mood. might be why i play better, i dunno