Rock Band / Guitar Hero

[Quadcam79]

I play both drums and guitar and Rock Band/ Guitar Hero are fun but they have little in common with actually playing the instruments. I actually find it faster and easier to learn the real song on a real guitar then to memorize the button strokes on those games.

same with the drums, although they seems to synch up just a little better than the guitars. Still nothing like the real thing. I could see where it may help someone who has never played before learn some independence and it may help with reading as your playing, in terms of actually having to read some type of notation and not lose concentration while playing.

[Quadcam79]

Originally Posted by crazymanwithaplunger

I reckon we could find one or two that you'd get addicted to - it's a male thing. Any man no matter how old can get addicted to some form of video game - just gotta find the right one....



BTW - this does not mean women can't become addicted to game either. It's just not a given.

World of Warcraft, 'Nuff said

I have a Ion Drum Rocker and play RB and i actually enjoy the game for the music but that's about it. I know i'm just a rookie drummer but i think people should take RB for what it is....a game.

[Pwinnington]

Originally Posted by Wile E Coyote

I have a Ion Drum Rocker and play RB and i actually enjoy the game for the music but that's about it. I know i'm just a rookie drummer but i think people should take RB for what it is....a game.

This is exaclty what I mean. People tend to take them way to serious. I mean there these people trying to get 100% on these crazy songs. I guess if thats what their into, I'd much rather practice on my kit then worry about my percentage on a song in the game. Also I will say it bugs me when I tell people I drum and they try to explain how they could play a song on my real kit because they can do it on rock band.

Originally Posted by Pwinnington

Also I will say it bugs me when I tell people I drum and they try to explain how they could play a song on my real kit because they can do it on rock band.

Yeah i agree with ya there. And those same people have never set behind a real drum kit. I have to laugh when i hear people say things like that.

[Mellon Collie]

It's ridiculously frustrating looking for covers on Youtube only to find kids sitting behind a real kit playing along to what they see on the screen... and sucking hard because the game doesn't teach you timing or rhythm.

Ugh.

[concrete Building]

if anyone doesn't already know, you can set the timing on rock band. They knew about that and that's y they put it there. Just go into options and configure timing there.

[oaktree137]

I just started playing drums about 5 months ago, probably a little more, and I've been having a great time and I think I'm doing well for that amount of time. Before I got the real drumset, though, I played rock band for about a year. Although it doesn't help certain things as you are just following colors, and it doesn't teach you important things like rudiments, I think that rock band really helped me. Although it is very hard for me to go back to rock band now that I have played the real drums (because the timing in the game is a little off), when I played rock band, my timing was helped quite a bit. I just had to transfer it from the game to the kit, which wasn't too hard. Secondly, I learned many basic rock beats from the game- basic 4/4 and 2/4 beats. When I got on the real kit I learned how to do those beats quite easily and accurately, and that has helped me progress on the real kit quite a bit. Now I am learning new beats easier partly because of my experience with rock band.

Although rock band is a lot different from real drums, I think that if you play it BEFORE the real drumset, it can help you with a couple basic things and get you started on the real set. It can't teach you anything really technical or important, though, and once you have started drums there is nothing to learn from rock band.

[gretsch]

id just like to say, rockband drums are not the same as real drums, i can play most songs that are on rockband on real set but cant play half of them on the rockband drums.

[drummer]

Thanks for keeping this thread from getting out of control (like before). The whole Rock Band / Gutiar Hero is always a good debate but we've been able to successfully keep it in the middle. - Thanks again!

Originally Posted by gretsch

id just like to say, rockband drums are not the same as real drums

I totally agree with ya Gretsch. They are not even close in opinion.

Originally Posted by gretsch

i can play most songs that are on rockband on real set but cant play half of them on the rockband drums.

I'm right the opposite. I can play RB drums much better than my acustic but that may be because i played RB alot longer than the time i've had my acustic. I'm also still training my ear for music. I can listen to a song and get it down to where i know the notes but here is where it gets weird. I can play the song better without useing my headphones and just going on memory and feel better than i can by trying to play it while listening to it with my headphones on. I really hope that made sense because i don't know of another way to explain it. lol

[topdog63]

Wile E.,
The reason for that is probably because if you listen in your headphones as opposed to just sitting and playing without the music, you have to keep in time with the song that your listening to. Look into some play alongs. You can get songs with the drum track removed and it makes it alot easier cause you can improvise a little.

Thanks for the advice TopDog and yes i agree with ya on keeping time with the drummer. That's been my biggest problem since i started playing acustics. As frustrateing as i get sometimes trying to learn a song and play with the drummer i also realize i am still developing as a drummer and i still have alot of things to learn. One word that you will never hear from me is quit. I practice everyday and even though i have a hard time keeping time with the drummer on the CD i keep plugging at it until i learn it. Thanks again for the advice TopDog!

[Fades Away]

Here's MY opinion so it's the law. The game is fun for alot of people, and has inspired whether you like it or not, people to look into taking lessons. I currently have two students that have been inspired by the game, one of which really wants to learn proper technique, and also is working really hard on learning how to read music. Now for a moderate drummer, it doesn't help at all EXCEPT, it DOES help with coordination. There's no denying that either. But i too agree that the game can give false impressions. So there, discussion ended. the almight Matt has given the word that is now LAW! ha ha so who's going to be the first one to disagree??? LOL

[crazymanwithaplunger]

I find it amusing that people are sitting here saying that a computer doesn't have the right timing.

Heres the facts, the timing on the game is as steady as it is for a metronome. They then leave window for when the player hitting will still count as having successfully hit in time. Your ability to recognise the circle passing over the button and then hitting in time with that is the issue - NOT the game. The games timing in itself is about as perfect as it can be, depending on if the recording uses a click track aswell, or not, as believe it or not, this actually does cause issues.

I'm also amused by the "Obviously the GAME is the problem because I can play it on a real kit" mentality. No, maybe your playing of that song on a real kit isn't as spot on as you think it is, and maybe your timing isn't as perfect as you think it is, and until you have something like a computer game calling you on your missed hits and slightly off time strokes, you don't realise it. I know that I cna get away withplaying Dammit on a live kit. Whack me on GHWT on expert and I fail out at about 70% through the song becuase my foot can't actually keep up. On a real kit, you don't notice allot of things, or you find ways to cover for them. On the game it forces you to play it as per the recording (with the exception as already noted about open hi-hat, or specific toms and cymbals). Stop blaming the game. Either realise it's just a game and it really doesn't matter, or practise heaps and build up the muscle memory so when you play the game you do well - then who knows - maybe on a real kit you'll be even more kickbutt than you already are.

Please also note I am not saying technique and things will be taught by the game either - nothing is as good as lessons and good practise method for playing a real drumkit.

[livewire80]

Originally Posted by crazymanwithaplunger

I find it amusing that people are sitting here saying that a computer doesn't have the right timing.

Heres the facts, the timing on the game is as steady as it is for a metronome. They then leave window for when the player hitting will still count as having successfully hit in time. Your ability to recognise the circle passing over the button and then hitting in time with that is the issue - NOT the game. The games timing in itself is about as perfect as it can be, depending on if the recording uses a click track aswell, or not, as believe it or not, this actually does cause issues.

I'm also amused by the "Obviously the GAME is the problem because I can play it on a real kit" mentality. No, maybe your playing of that song on a real kit isn't as spot on as you think it is, and maybe your timing isn't as perfect as you think it is, and until you have something like a computer game calling you on your missed hits and slightly off time strokes, you don't realise it. I know that I cna get away withplaying Dammit on a live kit. Whack me on GHWT on expert and I fail out at about 70% through the song becuase my foot can't actually keep up. On a real kit, you don't notice allot of things, or you find ways to cover for them. On the game it forces you to play it as per the recording (with the exception as already noted about open hi-hat, or specific toms and cymbals). Stop blaming the game. Either realise it's just a game and it really doesn't matter, or practise heaps and build up the muscle memory so when you play the game you do well - then who knows - maybe on a real kit you'll be even more kickbutt than you already are.

Please also note I am not saying technique and things will be taught by the game either - nothing is as good as lessons and good practise method for playing a real drumkit.

Well said Crazy. If there is anything that anyone can take from this game, it is the timing aspect and developing a sense of rhythm. The timing on the game is as perfect as you will get it.

PS..sorry for been out for so long everyone, been really busy and pc is playing up, even as I type this post

[topdog63]

I think when they mention the timing, they are talking about the lag you can get from when you hit the drum and when it registers on the TV. There is a calibration option in the game to compensate for that though depending on the TV you have. But as far as timing "musically" it is right on.

Here's a way that a friend of mine suggested for Rockband or Gh to help with real drumming, If you can set your real kit up in front of the TV. Put the game in practice mode on expert (in practice mode you don't have to play the RB drums at all cause you can't fail out.). Knowing that red is usually the snare and yellow is usually the hi hat and so forth, select your song and start it, play on your real kit hitting what would be the coresponding drums. It may not be note for note with the actual song but it will at least teach you the basic beat of the song and some sometimes tricky footwork. Of course if you can get the tabs or sheet music for the song, you can learn it that way too but using the RB/gh games will help with timing too cause you have a wide range of times in which you can practice and when you get to 100 percent speed, you have the rest of the band with no drum track. Haven't tried it yet but it makes sense.

Here is a friend of mine doing just that TopDog! His name is David Sheck and he plays in a band called Wounded Soul. He's a very good drummer who also enjoys RB. Enjoy!!

[topdog63]

Now see that is cool and a great use for the game as it applies to real drumming! He's hilarious too and I like how he synched the gameplay screen in the vid.

[crazymanwithaplunger]

You want another way to make it like playing a real drumkit?

Use this:

[concrete Building]

ya i saw that in a preview by Gameinformer magazine... I hav the regular RB2 kit, but where do u get the cymbs?

That's exactly what i use to play RB with and they are a blast!! I never have set it up like a drum set though. I stayed with the RB configuration. Here are a few picks of my ION but they are old. Since this was made i sold my cymbals to by stuff for my acustic kit. lol Oh well it's still a cool kit anyway. I bought a Roland KD-8 to go with it so i could actually have a bass to kick. I always thought it was kinda lame to press the bass pedal and not have a beater on it hitting something. Just my opinion.

Ha, Ha i haven't seen this picture in a long time. My Ion and my Pearl kit the day i bought it. I had no idea how to set up a drum kit. I look at this pic and how my acustic looks now and WOW it doesn't even look the same. As you can see things started primitively...i was useing a desk chair and a kitchen chair for a throne! lol


[

Originally Posted by concrete Building

ya i saw that in a preview by Gameinformer magazine... I hav the regular RB2 kit, but where do u get the cymbs?

You can buy ION cymbals on Ebay and i think through RB Parts. Google ION Drum Rocker Cymbal and you can find them at alot of places. My kit came with two cymbals..i picked up the other two off ZZ Sounds. You can pick up cymbal packs for your RB2 kit at Game Stop for around 30 bucks. The ION cymbals are going 50 bucks per cymbal.