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No contest: A real multi-instrumentalist vs. Rock Band
1:08 PM on 05.20.2008, Niero 51 comments

     Things gamers do
 
If you think Rock Band had a tricky learning curve for gamers, you may want to see it from this talented musician's point of view. Sure, playing a real instrument can be infinitely more complex, but you can't discount the added hand-eye coordination this game requires you to put in before you learn the songs and can rock out like a professional six-year-old. 
 
While this may not completely shut up the haters who say, "Go play a real instrument," it does give us sofa musicians a little ammo. 
 
[Via Waxy] 

Next page: More Rock Band stories




Itchy's Avatar
Itchy at 05/20/2008 13:15
Wait, I think I've seen him somewhere before...
DaedHead8's Avatar
DaedHead8 at 05/20/2008 13:18
I'd trade all my video game skillz to play Guitar like he does.
Usedtabe's Avatar
Usedtabe at 05/20/2008 13:27
As someone who plays real instruments(guitar,Bass,vocals) and has just recently got awesome at Rock Band and Guitar Hero, I can attest that both take practice. Some songs are even easier to plat in real life than their game counterparts, especially if Neversoft is charting the notes. In the end though, they are both very fun in their own ways.
mix's Avatar
mix at 05/20/2008 13:29
I think knowing how to play a guitar helped me with the game somewhat as I started on a medium dificulty as easy was painful and it clicked and I never had troubles. it took my girlfriend a little longer on the learning curve but now she wails and does Hard and Expert on everythign guitar.

Rockband and the drums is a different story though as I suck in the RL with drums.
monosylabik's Avatar
monosylabik at 05/20/2008 13:35
yeah but which one is going to get you laid?

thought so.
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 05/20/2008 13:47
As a musician I find it extremely difficult to play any instrument on RockBand higher than easy. Because you are not allowed to improvise, nor can you play according to how the song sounds, you have to conform to the shitty colors that truly don't match the music. Drums are really hard for me to NOT press the bass pedal on the beat, that'll get me a crappy score.
bruceleethree's Avatar
bruceleethree at 05/20/2008 13:49
EYE HAND COORDINATION IS VIDEO GAMES

TIME MEASUREMENTS AND MUSIC FEEL IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

IF YOU CANT KEEP A BEAT IN YOUR HEAD YOUR USELESS

SO F-U TO ALL THE 12 YEAR OLDS THAT THINK THEYRE MUSICIANS BY PLAYING ROCKBAND
Qraze's Avatar
Qraze at 05/20/2008 13:54
fuck everything! everything fncking huffs the chubby!
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 05/20/2008 13:54
Nice job rocking the capslock, BruceLeeThree
Technophile's Avatar
Technophile at 05/20/2008 13:55
@Bruce

You know, the all caps really brings a certain insight and strength to your argument.

Also, you are adorable when you are angry.
Matthew Blake's Avatar
Matthew Blake at 05/20/2008 14:02
Am I the only person who thinks that he staged his failure at Rock Band? Somebody that good at instruments should have enough of a sense of timing to at least play the guitar.

...And I will always defend the Vocal mode on Rock Band. On Expert, you can either sing it or you can't. Just saying.
MechaMonkey's Avatar
MechaMonkey at 05/20/2008 14:04
BruceLeeThree is correct. Let's all drink the Kool-Aid.
bruceleethree's Avatar
bruceleethree at 05/20/2008 14:05
i didnt notice caps lock was on
Big Z's Avatar
Big Z at 05/20/2008 14:05
Sure, you could invest the time and energy into learning to play a real instrument, or you could slide in the disk, plug in your remote, and rock the fuck out in front of an impossibly huge audience in front of enormous amps while fireworks go off. I won't say that Rock Band is the cure for cancer, but does it have to be? Who ever asked for an arcade-y simulator to be 100% realistic?
JACK of No Trades's Avatar
JACK of No Trades at 05/20/2008 14:13
This is a very very fucking dumb comparison. Only people that don't play real instruments thinks this is funny.

Why don't you guys go master a "real guitar" then tell me which is harder lol wow idiots. Everytime I try Rockband or GH it makes me want to play my real guitar not vice versa.
bruceleethree's Avatar
bruceleethree at 05/20/2008 14:15
amen jack of no trades
Usedtabe's Avatar
Usedtabe at 05/20/2008 14:23
@Matthew Blake

It does look staged to a degree. I have to disagree with vocals on expert though, as the supposed tones on screen rarely match the tone of the singer for some songs. Almost like Harmonix made it hard for hard's sake. The Clash(should i stay or should i go ) is a perfect example, almost monotone the entire song, yet the phrase charting is all over the place.
Huangism's Avatar
Huangism at 05/20/2008 14:26
obiviously rock band will get you laid!
Huangism's Avatar
Huangism at 05/20/2008 14:27
@Jack of all trades
so why dont you go play your real guitar and stop complaining. at least rock band gets you laid!
JACK of No Trades's Avatar
JACK of No Trades at 05/20/2008 14:34
Sorry USEDTABE

"Some songs are even easier to plat in real life than their game counterparts"

I call bullshit.

Lets say you play an easy song like Glycerine by Bush. It only uses four chords, but if your just starting out it would take you hours to learn finger placement for each chord (if your a beginner). On GH or RB all you do is press colored buttons which only takes you minutes to learn.

Its dumb to compare five colored buttons to 6 strings and 20 frets.
JACK of No Trades's Avatar
JACK of No Trades at 05/20/2008 14:39
@HUANGISM

I can complain if I want to. When stupid people think mastering Rock Band is the same as mastering a real guitar it makes me mad enough to comment.

Heres something we can do. How about we make our own songs. You use Rock Band and I use a real guitar and see who wins.

Or how about we go to a concert and get onto the stage. You do a solo using your five button plastic guitar and I use my Ibanez RG.
JayTapp's Avatar
JayTapp at 05/20/2008 14:43
Blitzkrieg Bop in real life is awfuly easy to play on real guitar.

It is harder on rockband.

If you can chain 3 barre chords(power chord even easier if you like), you can play perfectly most Ramones songs :)
cbre88x's Avatar
cbre88x at 05/20/2008 14:43
Tone
Musical Phrasing
Intonation
Dynamics
Technique
Rhythm and Note Reading
Listening Skills (pertaining to the ensemble you're with)
Muscle Memory
Internal Pulse
Knowledge of Chordal Structure
People Skills

Just a small list of the things you need to have a knowledge of to be an accomplished musician. Us musicians don't just push buttons to on screen commands.
power-glove's Avatar
power-glove at 05/20/2008 14:49
JONT, you are coming off as a troll. Let people live there lives how they see fit. I have several years of musical experience and I think the rhythm game genre should be welcomed by musicians. Come off of your high horse, and let people have fun.

It gives the music industry a new way for consumers to experience the music that they love in a new way and open them up to trying out new genres of music that they have not tried yet.

BTW, there are not many that think Rock Band will magically turn you into a musician> Where did you get that idea?
JACK of No Trades's Avatar
JACK of No Trades at 05/20/2008 14:56
POWER-GLOVE

I've been on this site for a long time now. I AM NOT A TROLL for what I said. I only commented to those that thought mastering RB is like mastering a real guitar. Sorry, but I could care less what these idiots think about my FACTUAL STATEMENTS! There are plenty that would agree with me.
Pixel Blue's Avatar
Pixel Blue at 05/20/2008 15:08
Wait, guys. I've seen this argument over and over and I can barely believe people are arguing.

Does anybody in here really think that playing Rock Band makes you a musician? I have honestly never heard anyone say that. Except for people who are basically modern versions of the little dweebs that thought their Counterstrike experience made them better at handling firearms (ha ha ha -- no).

I like to play real instruments and rock out. I like to shoot real firearms and play FPSes. They are totally, totally, totally different.
Pixel Blue's Avatar
Pixel Blue at 05/20/2008 15:11
... I forgot to say that just because playing Rock Band doesn't make you a musician doesn't mean it isn't fun, or worthwhile.

All the people who say that Rock Band is a waste of time/energy are very confusing to me, because this is a gaming site. We're wasting time and energy on everything in here. They exist purely for fun and enjoyment - if they are fun, and you enjoy it, that makes the Rock Band as legitimate as any game.
FreedomToast's Avatar
FreedomToast at 05/20/2008 15:12
@JONT
Rock Band gives you a better understanding and appreciation for actual musicians, for me personality ever since I started playing rock band, guitar hero etc I just want to learn the real thing. Not sure who is saying you can magical play real instruments if you play rock band, but they be wrong ofcourse.
Respectable Gentleman's Avatar
Respectable Gentleman at 05/20/2008 15:19
Ya, I have a friend who is a wicked sick righteous guitarists but he sucks at Guitar Hero. That little plastic guitar is not a musical instrument.
Teta's Avatar
Teta at 05/20/2008 15:20
Wait, you are telling me that real guitars don´t come with 5 coloured buttons?
monosylabik's Avatar
monosylabik at 05/20/2008 15:40
why is this still a topic? its just a game...people take shit way to seriously sometimes...even in means of satire.
Kris's Avatar
Kris at 05/20/2008 15:54
One of the real difficulties in Rock Band and Guitar Hero, is that you always have to be pressing something. In a real guitar you can also make notes without using the left hand at all.

Example: the intro to Stockholm Syndrome by Muse is SO much easier on a real guitar.
PaperBowser0's Avatar
PaperBowser0 at 05/20/2008 15:55
Yeah, great find on the video, and I think it just depends on what difficulty your playing the game on, what song your playing, because one can definitely be easier or harder than the other.
Usedtabe's Avatar
Usedtabe at 05/20/2008 16:02
@JONT:
Actually, as an accomplished guitar player, when I first started playing Rock Band it was easier for me to play "Enter Sandman" on a real guitar than it was in the game. As I've gotten better at the game, that's changed. But songs that have really fast strumming are easier on real guitar, mostly because their is no combo counter if you mis-strum. Plus, while playing real guitar, you are not bound by rules that apply to the game.
Clockwork's Avatar
Clockwork at 05/20/2008 16:24
Yeah I remember watching that GH3 interview with Slash and how he was saying that if he didn't play the real guitar before he played GH3, he'd be a lot better at Guitar Hero.
mix's Avatar
mix at 05/20/2008 16:44
I find sweet child o mine (only the intro) easier on a real guitar than Guitar Hero but it took me a while to get it down pat when compared to GH and 5 buttons.

Also remember you dont play one string with your right hand on a real guitar, there is six of and you need to be able to pick them out, one at a time.
Triphoppin's Avatar
Triphoppin at 05/20/2008 17:15
great vid N...so true for all of us who can't play a real instrument (me guitar that's it), but who can keep up the hand eye coordination for GH or RB
Cubilone's Avatar
Cubilone at 05/20/2008 19:04
I can't see how there's even a question about it: you get good at something entirely different when practicing something like Guitar Hero and when practicing playing a musical instrument. It's very similar to telling everybody that you can dance just because you can get an A on every song in DDR on Super Hard.
Matthew Blake's Avatar
Matthew Blake at 05/20/2008 20:00
You play Madden? Stop wasting your time and go play pro football.
You play Gran Turismo? Stop wasting your time and buy your own sports car.
You play Call of Duty 4? Stop wasting your time and go join the Army.
You play Monopoly? Stop wasting your time and go run your own corporation.

We get it; Rock Band skillz =/= real music skillz. Can we move on now?
el moco's Avatar
el moco at 05/20/2008 21:44
meh.
fluc02's Avatar
fluc02 at 05/20/2008 22:20
My favorite thing about the RB haters is that they keep attacking these phantom people that think they are learning a real instrument by playing Rock Band.

These people DO NOT EXIST. No one thinks like that, anywhere, at all. Everyone who I have ever met who has played Rock Band says "Oh, this is a fun game" and then has a blast with their friends. They don't say "Oh, this is a fun game, and I am certain that I am now skilled enough to be a professional musician."
kevinski's Avatar
kevinski at 05/21/2008 08:08
Nobody can touch McRorie as far as playing multiple instruments goes. He's fucking awesome.

http://mcrorie.net/Pages/Videos.html
Zac Bentz's Avatar
Zac Bentz at 05/21/2008 10:42
The first (and last) time I ever played Rock Band, it was the drum part for Epic on extreme. I got 93%. The only reason I didn't score higher was the awkward placement of the drums, and my (and my wife's) embarrassment that I was playing WAY to fucking hard (in BestBuy) for those tinker-toy plastic drum pads. It sounded like I was installing shelving or something.

Now granted, Epic is a simple song, so maybe I should have tried something else. But Epic is also an AWESOME song, and that's why I picked it.

I've been playing drums for something like 20 years though, so I guess that explains it. The thing is, ALL of these games are meant for drummers, not guitar players. They are nothing like playing guitar, but EXACTLY like playing drums. If you enjoy them, then learn the drums, not guitar.

Every guitar player I know hates these things. They can't play them AT ALL because they are nothing like actually playing a guitar. I love them, because they are exactly like playing the drums.

Well, insofar as it's like having sex with 25 condoms on, but hey, it can still be fun. Right?
namtastic's Avatar
namtastic at 05/22/2008 15:01
@fluc02, that's because poser musicians have poor self-confidence, and pick up the guitar so it'll make them cool and special, and will rail against anything that threatens that. ;) the best thing that these games have done is weeded out the new generation of posers from getting into music in the first place

but yes, you have to unlearn your instrument before you can play the rock band equivalent. even on the drums, there's location issues (hi-hat alternating between yellow or blue when it is usually left of the snare) and even in expert not all drum hits are represented, so if you're familiar with a song, you're more likely to be hurt than helped by your knowledge.

"hey, we used to cover Superman, this'll be easy.... crap crap crap what the fuck"
coffeesash's Avatar
coffeesash at 06/15/2008 21:48
If you already know the song on the real guitar or drums, then the lack of notes on the game version puts you off, you'll press buttons when there's no note on the screen. This especially happens on the drums, you have to play it on expert for it to even make sense.
ridley80's Avatar
ridley80 at 06/26/2008 20:54
Oh god people....It's a friggin videogame.....video...game

no one goes "I'm awesome at Nascar 09, I'll easily make the sprint series!"
karizma's Avatar
karizma at 11/05/2008 05:39
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