I suck at RB, should I even try the Pro Guitar???

[Sixthbutton]

I'm a major fan of music games, played every one since the beginning as much as anyone. The best I ever played was way back when GH2 was out and I was hitting most of the notes on expert. Never FC'd song, always make several mistakes.

For the past 4 or 5 years I haven't gotten any better, I'm actually worse now. I feel like I hit the wall after 6 months of playing and never got any better.

I'm getting bored of only having 5 buttons but I've tried a real guitar and it's pretty pathetic. I have very little dexterity, rythem, or natural ability. I would however love to be able to play the guitar someday and only see RB3 as a way for me to learn since I'm extremely impatient.

I'm just wondering if I should spend the money or invest my time with the pro guitar. Basically, can anyone play or does is take a certain amount of natual ability?

Thanks!

[Alternity]

Well, if you plan on getting the mustang, you won't hear yourself at all, you will learn finger positionning and chords through the game, but you will never how well you play them. If you plan on finding a squier (good luck btw), It is a full 22 fretted guitar, so you can plug it into an amp, or anything analogic if you have the Big jack -> mini jack adapter, and hear you, and hear your mistakes. If you get the mustang however, you can plug it into a computer via MIDI and play it, and hear it, but you can't do that while playing RB, it's one or the other.

As for the learning curve, you will swear, swear and swear, but it worths it, since you learn the real thing. The challenge is way higher than the 5 button thingy, and despite the horrible difficulty, this is really, really fun to play.

Since I bought the keyboard and the mustang, I totally stopped playing any basic instruments for 2 reasons: 1- Pro takes all the time I have to play RB, because I need to learn the songs, and keep playing them in order to stay good at them. 2- I now find 5 button thingy boring.

[rkbdgurl]

It depends on how much you enjoy playing RB. If you are still a dedicated rkbd'er at heart then you might find the mustang to be fun and challenging enough to hold your interest. The price is actually pretty reasonable. The squier is virtually impossible to find now, and will pretty much cost your firstborn to purchase.

Another option for learning real guitar might be"Rocksmith" You'll need a real guitar, but I've heard good things about it from beginners wanting to learn how to play. There are several people in this community that have gone that route, and I believe there is a large thread in here somewhere.

Final thought. Sucking at something doesn't mean you can't enjoy it just as much as someone who plays like a pro. It's your own personal satisfaction that is important here. What does your gut tell you to do? Go with that. =)

[googleimage]

As long as you can accept that there won't be instant mastery, then to my mind there's no instrument that's more rewarding.

In terms of requisite skills, you'll need to have some knowledge of musical theory and a good dose of finger dexterity to play Expert well. But they're all skills you can develop along the way - if you don't have that classical training then you can find a suitable level and work your way up, and get tons of enjoyment all the same.

[ZoiloCruz]

Well all I've got to say it takes LOADS of practice :/ But if you're patient you'll be surprised what you can do, especially since Rock Band has some songs where you go like, "WTF that was so easy."

[Backbeat60-62]

Just get the Mustang and start off on Easy, do some stuff in the Trainer sections to get going.

On Easy it is closer to 5-button than anything. You might even want to go to Medium on some songs if you are getting close to FC on 5 button Expert.

[nuttzo31]

I would say if you are someone who likes to work on songs/sections and wants to learn guitar then it will be worth it but i found when i had the pro guitar i was someone who would prefer to just sightread songs and i play mainly for fun.

I can probably gold star most of the easier songs on expert 5 button with a sightread but i don't really work on mastering songs/sections and if you have the pro guitar you will be playing yoshimi,i love rock and roll and most of the easy rb3 songs until you can't stand the sight of them.

I also have found that i have gotten a little worse on the 5 button compared to a couple of years ago but i also have drums,keys,mic and 1032 songs and i am happy to play for fun.

[Sixthbutton]

My ultimate goal is to be able to play the guitar. Not shred, I just want to learn to play an instrument. I've tried a real one a couple of times but got bored very quickly. I'm hoping the game will keep my interest long enough to get fairly decent at it. then move over to a real one.

I just bought a new Mustang, it'll be here in a week.

[Alternity]

My ultimate goal is to be able to play the guitar. Not shred, I just want to learn to play an instrument. I've tried a real one a couple of times but got bored very quickly. I'm hoping the game will keep my interest long enough to get fairly decent at it. then move over to a real one.

I just bought a new Mustang, it'll be here in a week.

As long as you don't mind doing bad for a while you should be good, it's all about dedication and learning the songs You'll get it soon or later if you keep at it, most people I know with a mustang (including me) don't play enough :|

[Ahielia]

For the past 4 or 5 years I haven't gotten any better, I'm actually worse now.

How much have you actually played in that timespan?
I practised 2-3 hours a week starting 2 years ago

I'm getting bored of only having 5 buttons but I've tried a real guitar and it's pretty pathetic.

Think about this for a little bit. On the plastic guitar, there's 5 buttons that will correspond to all 22 frets of the 6 strings on a guitar. Quick headcount makes 6x22=132.
Naturally, going from 5 buttons to (essentially) 132 buttons will make you feel like a total newb, and pretty pathetic. The key is to stick with it. If you don't, you'll never get better.

I have very little dexterity, rythem, or natural ability.

That's what I thought when I first started playing with my mate (drunken AC/DC stand-offs), but eventually I got my own Rock Band, practised on my own, and now I'm better than he is. He hasn't been practising at all.

I'm just wondering if I should spend the money or invest my time with the pro guitar. Basically, can anyone play or does is take a certain amount of natual ability?

Thanks!

You should spend both the money and the time, as it's well worth it.
Anyone can play, as long as they practise a bit. Naturally, not everyone will be as good as Angus Young (AC/DC, Synyster Gates (Avenged Sevenfold) and the likes, but it'll still be meaningful, as you'll be improving yourself.

Remember, as you'll get better, you'll want to play more. And in that way, you'll play something that challenges your abilities, and through that, you'll get better. Because you want to.

tl;dr
Keep at it, you'll be loads better in a few months' time.


E: one thing I kind of forgot:
If you aren't afraid of failing, how will you learn new stuff+
Because when you do learn new stuff, you will fail. There is no question that you will. The question is; will you get back up? Because that's what counts.