Two guitars, no bass.

[moracnoy]

I was thinking about trying to chart some songs that my various relatives have put out, and I ran into a problem. My aunt does vocals and guitar style music, and I think people might like it on Rock Band. But, It might be annoying to people to have only two instruments, so I thought it might be possible to chart the second, more rhythm-like guitar that's on some of the songs, to bass.

Is this flat-out not allowed? Or would it be allowed under certain circumstances?

[DanB91]

not allowed

[shadowracer]

It would totally not work.

[MarsPhoenix]

I know the circumstances are different in this case, but could Harmonix comment on Big Bottom, since Guitar is playing a Bass there? I know that Guitar is the 'more important' instrument in RB and that the Bass in question is played as a lead guitar in ways, but I think it would be good to note this as an exception in the docs, or something.

[Markleford]

From Rock Band Network - Developer Quotes and Clarification:

We've done some creative charting before. Piano or Organ solo on Guitar for example. I think it will be encouraged as long as it's tasteful. I have a song coming out for RBN where a bleepy synth is authored to guitar. There's no guitar in the track so it's tasteful.

I don't think people are right in saying "not allowed" or "would totally not work".

The key, in fact, is whether it *does* work, namely for the benefit of the players. Does it make sense? Is it more fun to play than sitting out entirely? And (as HMXEnosity indicates) is it done tastefully?

Historically, HMX has charted alternate instruments primarily when one of the usual parts is not represented in the original song, or if such a part is minimal when another more "active" instrument is available.

If the original song has no bass, but *does* have two guitar parts, then tracking both guitar parts makes a heck of a lot of sense to me. Otherwise, you're making one person sit out of a four person game, *and* eliminating it for set-lists entirely if you have two guitarists. That's no fun, which is the purpose of the game, remember?

- m

[Alright_Computer]

To the people saying it's "not allowed", check out the Sleater-Kinney song on the main Rock Band platform. No bass, just two guitars, but it has a playable "bass" part in the game. As long as it's tasteful, like HMXEnosity said, it should work. That means no weedly-weedly guitar solos charted to bass, but if the second guitar is mostly low notes, then you should go for it.

Oh, and like others have said, they charted bass to guitar on Big Bottom, so it would make sense that the reverse would be true as well.

[Ultrace]

To the people saying it's "not allowed", check out the Sleater-Kinney song on the main Rock Band platform. No bass, just two guitars, but it has a playable "bass" part in the game. As long as it's tasteful, like HMXEnosity said, it should work. That means no weedly-weedly guitar solos charted to bass, but if the second guitar is mostly low notes, then you should go for it.

Oh, and like others have said, they charted bass to guitar on Big Bottom, so it would make sense that the reverse would be true as well.

Sleater-Kinney is different; the second guitar for them was played as a bass. In the OP's case, he is talking about using a guitar which is played as a guitar and putting it on bass charting. Unless the guitar is downtuned or otherwise effect-ed to make it sound like a bass, it won't be allowed. Can we say, in black and white, what's not allowed by the rules? No, but we can say what won't pass review if it's put out there, and a second straight-up guitar charted on bass won't.

[MarsPhoenix]

Yeah, it'd be nice to get something official. If the guitar is low enough, I think it should get the okay.

[Alright_Computer]

Sleater-Kinney is different; the second guitar for them was played as a bass. In the OP's case, he is talking about using a guitar which is played as a guitar and putting it on bass charting. Unless the guitar is downtuned or otherwise effect-ed to make it sound like a bass, it won't be allowed. Can we say, in black and white, what's not allowed by the rules? No, but we can say what won't pass review if it's put out there, and a second straight-up guitar charted on bass won't.

Well, I think we'd actually have to hear the songs to see if the second guitar is "bass-y" enough to pass peer review. I was just saying that it could work in theory.

[moracnoy]

Thanks for the responses! I'm not sure if it would work yet either, but I did think it was odd that the first two people to comment said it absolutely wouldn't be allowed. I thought it would be like the other people said, and if there was no bass at all, and the other guitar was bassy enough then it might work.