I found this video and I am curious why this kid has tape on his drums? I wonder if it makes them feel more realistic or something, anyone else have any speculation?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ9XLiMfBRo

Pretty sick.

Interesting. I was actually going to post something about what I think could be a problem with the first and last (red and green) drums. On my kit, these two pads are...a little floppy, while the middle two drums are solid. I had played the game a day before I noticed it, so I'm not sure if they came like that, or if I had broken them. I would like to hope it's unlikely that I broke them, because I play VERY lightly. It does worry me, though. It might appear the guy in the video has a similar problem like mine....although a little worse, as his requires taping.

I let the "problem" go (until now, I guess) because I rationalized that because these two drums would get the harder hits, that the developer purposely made them a little more giving than the others. Maybe someone else could check their drums for me? If they're supposed to be solid, I fear I might have to break out the "drum tape" soon, myself! :o

I found this video and I am curious why this kid has tape on his drums?

If you clicked more he says:

The tape is on my drums because the drums were faulty out of the box; the tape holds the pad closer to the sensor inside of it, which allows for more sensitive hits for the time being, until I get it replaced.

My yellow drum pad makes a real bad vibrating sound when hit. The other one's are solid and I can't really here it if the music is turned up enough, but it's just one of those imperfections that us A/V enthusiasts get irritated with. If you turn over your set, you'll notice that the end drums have a different backside then the inside one's. Just an observation.

I would like to ask that kid in the video what prompted him to tape his drums, maybe he knows something we don't......aside from being able to play Metallica on expert.

If you clicked more he says:

The tape is on my drums because the drums were faulty out of the box; the tape holds the pad closer to the sensor inside of it, which allows for more sensitive hits for the time being, until I get it replaced.

Thanks.

My yellow drum pad makes a real bad vibrating sound when hit. The other one's are solid and I can't really here it if the music is turned up enough, but it's just one of those imperfections that us A/V enthusiasts get irritated with. If you turn over your set, you'll notice that the end drums have a different backside then the inside one's. Just an observation.

I would like to ask that kid in the video what prompted him to tape his drums, maybe he knows something we don't......aside from being able to play Metallica on expert.

Maybe these end drums aren't defective....maybe they've been designed like this. (To give them more give for harder drum shots.) I looked underneath, and you're right Pikasuace, the end drums are different. Are you able to lift the edges of these end drums up a little? In other words, wiggle them? The upper lids of the pads on my end drums have a lot of wiggle to them, while the middle two can't be moved at all. I wonder if this is something I should contact EA about. They seem to work just fine. For now!

You could always contact them quick and they may tell you that it is perfectly normal, or they may tell you that it is not normal at all, but at least you'll know :)

I first noticed the difference when I attempted to take apart the yellow pad and put it back together thinking that might fix the vibration i am hearing. After removing all the screws I still couldn't dissassemble it. I might try adding some weight to it somehow, it's like a resonation or something.

My yellow drum pad makes a real bad vibrating sound when hit. The other one's are solid and I can't really here it if the music is turned up enough, but it's just one of those imperfections that us A/V enthusiasts get irritated with. If you turn over your set, you'll notice that the end drums have a different backside then the inside one's. Just an observation.



My red makes an annoying vibrating sound when hit. But once I get into the drumming I'm so focused on the screen i don't notice anymore.

My red makes an annoying vibrating sound when hit. But once I get into the drumming I'm so focused on the screen i don't notice anymore.

It's probably the same vibration that I'm hearing. Like I said, I don't notice it when the music is loud and I'm fully emerged, but it's just an annoyance. I might send them back for a replacement before the warranty is up.

holy crap. I can't even do easy yet with the drums. that was amazing.

holy crap. I can't even do easy yet with the drums. that was amazing.

Yeah, that guy is sick!

I've progressed midway through the medium tour. It took a while, because every time I had to use the bass pedal, for whatever reason I had to hit a drum pad also. It's like my leg and hand were tied together. :rolleyes:

Some things that really helped me with the bass drum:

1) In between pedal kicks, I leave my foot on the pedal, with the pedal pressed down. Makes a HUGE difference for me.

2) The vast majority of time, I lift my entire leg up and down to do the kicks. Before, I was trying to leave my heel on the floor and only lift the front of my foot up and down, and my leg was getting tired way too fast. Of course, you need to make sure you don't stomp so hard on the pedal that you break it. But for whatever reason, lifting my leg up and down is much easier.

3) I learned to sit close enough to the drum set so that my leg is straight up and down over the bass pedal. I had my foot too much out in front before (for me, anyway).

Just thought I'd post these tips in case they might help someone else. I love this game!

Dan

Tthe YouTube poster's own words about the tape on the drums:

"The tape is on my drums because the drums were faulty out of the box; the tape holds the pad closer to the sensor inside of it, which allows for more sensitive hits for the time being, until I get it replaced."

2) The vast majority of time, I lift my entire leg up and down to do the kicks. Before, I was trying to leave my heel on the floor and only lift the front of my foot up and down, and my leg was getting tired way too fast. Of course, you need to make sure you don't stomp so hard on the pedal that you break it. But for whatever reason, lifting my leg up and down is much easier.


I'm no drummer, so please take the following with a grain of salt but...

Your kick drumming method sounds like it's good for power playing, but might hurt you in the long run for this game. Once you get a couple tiers into the Hard solo tour, there's a lot of finesse needed on the kick drum that might be harder to do with the power method you described.

A real drummer might want to chime in here, but for now I'll throw my 2 weeks experience in and recommend to learn the "gas peddle" method for the kick drum and pivot with the heal.

Anyone know why there's tape on the drums in the video? :D

Read two posts up.

Read two posts up.

I think the smiley gives it away as sarcasm at post 14 having somehow missed the same cut & paste in post 4.

real drummer here to chime in....You don't want to lift your entire leg for the bass pedal, you should be rotating at the ankle. You may be able to keep up in slower songs, or maybe through all the songs on rock band, but with real fast bass drum notes you need to have as little motion involved with your leg as possible, known as twitch muscles to respond so fast. Moving your leg will get you tired after a few minutes.

real drummer here to chime in....You don't want to lift your entire leg for the bass pedal, you should be rotating at the ankle. You may be able to keep up in slower songs, or maybe through all the songs on rock band, but with real fast bass drum notes you need to have as little motion involved with your leg as possible, known as twitch muscles to respond so fast. Moving your leg will get you tired after a few minutes.

Timberdoodle, being that you are a real drummer, how well do you think the drums on RB translate to the real thing? We've heard many times that if you can master the drums on expert, you can pretty much play the drums, do you think that holds true? Also, what difficulty do you play on?

Timberdoodle, being that you are a real drummer, how well do you think the drums on RB translate to the real thing? We've heard many times that if you can master the drums on expert, you can pretty much play the drums, do you think that holds true? Also, what difficulty do you play on?I'm no drummer either, but I think there are a probably at least two big differences. 1) The kit is much simpler (fewer pieces). It's missing a kick pedal for hihat and at least one more pad from being a pretty bare-bones real set. I imagine transitioning to a more realistic set wouldn't be >that< bad except maybe for the extra kick pedal (yikes)? 2) The kit is (obviously) pads and not real physical drums. I imagine this is much like learning to play on pads instead of a real kit -- it doesn't teach you anything about what it feels like to hit a real drum, cymbal, etc.
I'd be curious to know if I am at all on-point or not...

...on the other hand, I can feel my rhythm improve each night I play the game -- it's always been a musical trouble spot for me. Working with drumsticks is starting to feel more natural.

And even though there are less pads, the available pads often do double-duty... a tom for one song might be a ride cymbal for another.

The hi-hat pedal is the biggie.

I used to be a drummer in middle school for 3 years and in a jazz band during that time. 10 years later, I still got it! I can do all the songs on hard and some on expert.

As soon as I picked up the sticks the nostalgia hit. Its like riding a bike, you never really forget.

For the most part, the songs are pretty accurate and if you could play all the songs on expert you wouldn't have any problem playing the drums in real life. You'd have to get used to the positioning of everything but the main draw back is that rock band doesn't teach you how to use the hi-hat pedal.

Its mainly just the rhythm and coordination that you need to learn to be a good drummer, which you'll definitely learn from Rock Band.

For the bass pedal, keep the pedal held down and lift up your ball of your foot so the pedal goes up about half way then press down. Keep your left foot in front of you too, the balance will make it more comfortable to play. If your shin is getting tired really fast you might have the drums too close to you. I like to keep my leg bent at my knee just over 90 degrees. Also make sure you're not sitting too low either.

Obviously it's not going to translate identically to a real kit, but it seems that a large part of learning the drums is the timing - i.e. getting your hands and foot to work independantly and on seperate rythms. I believe that expert can at least teach you that.

Pikasauce, unfortunately I'm not getting rock band until Christmas.

However, just from the technical aspect of it, yes you will definitely develop the mechanics for playing, however I think that in developing your skills via hitting the pad to the color, you gain little sense of a rhythm or fundamentally what the drum's purpose is.

Also, although the drum pads are not set up like a drum set, you are really only moving your arms into different locations and half the battle is developing the twitch reflexes instead of swinging your arms.

Tips for people on holding the sticks, hold them about 1/3 up from the base by pinching the stick in between your index finger and your thumb.
Instead of grasping the stick tightly, maintain a loose grip for it to move freely in your palm. Your arms should not be moving, they should maintain a parallel relation to the floor.

Your kick drumming method sounds like it's good for power playing, but might hurt you in the long run for this game. Once you get a couple tiers into the Hard solo tour, there's a lot of finesse needed on the kick drum that might be harder to do with the power method you described.

Good timing on this post. I ran into some songs last night that did indeed cause problems with my method. Looks like I'm going to have to rethink this.

The good news is that, at least so far, any time I've come up against a song that I thought I'd never be able to get through (and this includes guitar also), I've been able to eventually get through with a little patience and practice. I played "Enter Sandman" last might for the first time, on medium on guitar, and at first I thought there was no way I'd ever be able to get it. But I practiced at 70% for a while, then gradually increased the speed, and I eventually got it. I just had to learn when to move my hard, and when to use all four fingers.

So I'm sure the same will be true for the drum songs I have issues with. Although I'm not sure I'll ever learn how to do a drum roll. Eh, who needs "Ballroom Blitz" on expert anyway, right? :p

Dan

Good call on the drum roll. I tried Cherub Rock on expert and I don't see how anyone can hit all those notes in the opening sequence.

Has anyone successfully done this on expert?

Your kick drumming method sounds like it's good for power playing, but might hurt you in the long run for this game.

Can't tell you how much this helped me, and the timing was indeed perfect. Yesterday I got to some of those harder songs, and keeping my heel on the ground did indeed help. I probably wouldn't have gotten through them without it. Now if only I could fire my foot completely independently of my hands, I'd have it made. :o

The only problem I'm having right now is that I seem to need to sit further away from the drums if I want to keep my heel on the ground, and sitting further away makes me tend to lean towards the drums, which fatigues my back. If It sit closer, the angle between my ankle and foot is too severe, and my shin fatigues when doing a lot of kicks.

Any tips to help this, or is it just a matter of finding the right balance, so to speak?

Dan

Good call on the drum roll. I tried Cherub Rock on expert and I don't see how anyone can hit all those notes in the opening sequence.

I saw a website mentioned a while back, may have even been in this thread, that explains how to learn to do rolls. It looked like it would be helpful, but I'm not sure it's something I'll ever learn.

Has anyone successfully done this on expert?

My guess is that people who already can do rolls can do this just fine. But I also would like to hear from people who have successfully done these songs.

Dan

The only problem I'm having right now is that I seem to need to sit further away from the drums if I want to keep my heel on the ground, and sitting further away makes me tend to lean towards the drums, which fatigues my back. If It sit closer, the angle between my ankle and foot is too severe, and my shin fatigues when doing a lot of kicks.

Any tips to help this, or is it just a matter of finding the right balance, so to speak?

I'm having the same problem, albeit shoulder and neck cramps. Like you, to do finesse foot rhythm ("finesse" used loosely! :o) I have to push my chair back a little. A solution, I would think, is to sit a little higher so you can bring the set closer. This requires an adjustable drum throne, while I'm on a simple chair.



A warning to those progressing on solo Hard drums: the songs in the later tiers require a lot of practice to get through. The tendency is to think "what can I skip to get through this song?" My advice... ignore that thinking and try to nail the difficult passage(s), because later songs might build off that initially difficult section.

Don't be afraid to take the trouble sections of songs, go into practice mode, slow it down a lot -- concentrate on just the kick... then kick and only left hand (usually snare)... then kick and right hand (usually high hat and cymbals)... then bring it together with kick and both hands... then speed it up a notch. Rinse and repeat.

Right now the final measure of "Don't Fear the Reaper" is kicking my @$$, but I occasionally get the rhythm... only to loose it again and have it fall apart. I have almost no problems getting through this song 'till the final fadeout :eek: (or at least what was a fadeout on the original record). Only practice and holding that rhythm for longer stretches will get me through this trouble part.

One last thing I like to do... I have a lower-tiered song or a few songs that really works well for me and use them has a warm-up to start a session and a "happy ending" ;) when I'm done practicing. That way I'm looking forward to coming back and trying again. :) My go-to song is almost always "Dani California": it's not because I love the song -- it just feels real good to play. :cool:

I just started the hard songs, and I'm back to using my entire leg instead of keeping my heel down. It just works easier for me. Of course, they're still kicking my butt, and yes, practice is the only answer to that.

Dan

I just started the hard songs, and I'm back to using my entire leg instead of keeping my heel down.

Dan...

I know what kind of kick drumming you are going to be up against in the next couple tiers... trust me when I suggestion to learn to pivot your foot at the heal.

The effort you put into learning proper technique now will reward you when you get to the more tricky and constant bass drumming. ;)

I can't do the heel thing in faster sections. I've tried. I just don't have the control for the double kick parts...can't do the two notes fast enough. So I kinda bounce my leg for those. Works pretty good. Drums aren't my instrument, but I've been in many different recording studio sessions, and dabbled a little on the drums, and it's how I use an actual kick drum, too. So far, I'm about half-way through hard....Finding 5 stars manageable. Well, so far, anyway. Expert, however, is a whole other story!

Pfffft nobody uses the hi-hate pedal and there's nothing wrong with heel-up just keep your foot at the bottom of the pedal (Metal).

That video is just ri-****in-diculous.

Really shows you how much you suck at these games.

Interesting. I was actually going to post something about what I think could be a problem with the first and last (red and green) drums. On my kit, these two pads are...a little floppy, while the middle two drums are solid.

My set are the exact same way. Unfortunately I think my red pad requires a little harder tap in order to register a hit sometimes. My friend's drumset isn't like that.

My set are the exact same way. Unfortunately I think my red pad requires a little harder tap in order to register a hit sometimes. My friend's drumset isn't like that.

Well, mine register their hits pretty evenly. I don't think I've ever missed a note that I've hit right on time. Cysquatch has already checked his drums for me, and I think his are the same as mine/ours too. If you look underneath the 1st and 4th drums, you will see 4 little screw-like nubs. You can bend them a little from side to side, and on mine you can push them up somewhat. On my kit, pushing one of these nubs up, raises the drum pad up slightly. That's the wobble I'm talking about. To me, it seems like this is how the pads are actually constructed. As some kind of dampening system, to help ease the harder note hits these two drums would endure, over the middle two drums. At least that's what I'm trying to convince myself of. :p

I did phone customer support and they were more than willing to send me out a new kit. However, I live in Canada, and crossed the border for the game. Harmonix won't UPS anything out of the States, so I'm kinda out of luck. Well, for now, anyway. Fortunately, once the game comes out in Canada, I can contact customer service here for a replacement, if I should so choose.

I actually beat and justice for all on hard this weekend. I mean this guy annhilatted it on expert but at least I can hope now. the foreplay portion of foreplay/so long is still kicking my ass. I can only get that damn gallop cetion once in a while then I lose it and fail.

That same guy in the youtube video performs "Maps" on expert as well. It's a pretty cool little drum track; I enjoy playing it.

Good that i don't have Rock Band or even Guitar Hero. I'd suck really bad at these games.
I find it really amazing how people are really good at these games. For me is like trying to learn nuclear engineering in russian, or something like that :p

Well, at least I'm not that bad playing FPSs and sports games.

Just finished justice for all on expert (%98) :D

blackened is still kicking my ass though. I find drumming on a real kit much easier than on rockband to be honest. the position of the pads are a real challenge to me after years of playing on a real set.

I also found playing on hard to be harder than expert. On hard it drops notes that should be there. Expert is very close to playing the real drum track of the songs.

If any of you guys want to jam add me up. PSN id: anm8

Just finished justice for all on expert (%98) :D

blackened is still kicking my ass though. I find drumming on a real kit much easier than on rockband to be honest. the position of the pads are a real challenge to me after years of playing on a real set.

I also found playing on hard to be harder than expert. On hard it drops notes that should be there. Expert is very close to playing the real drum track of the songs.

If any of you guys want to jam add me up. PSN id: anm8

SheepFactory, would you say that the drum portion of RB could teach you how to play the drums for a certain song? i.e. let's say you couldn't play Blackened on a real kit, but you were able to practice and 5-star it on expert, could you then play it on real drums?

I am just curious cause I really am enjoying playing the drums and it's even peaked my interest into getting a real set. I just want to know how well it correlates.

Well, I finally got to watch the video in the OP, and I talked to real drummer (graduated from Boston's Berklee School of Music on drums) about raising the leg for kick drum. He says he both pivots at the ankle AND raises his knee... which is how he says to get speed. It looks like the dude in the YouTube vid is doing both also.

So I'll shut up about the pivot thing and just learn to incorporate both. :o

I remember reading last year a post on a Guitar Hero website about advice for improving from medium to hard to expert. The thing I always remember about that advice was the statement - "determine how little you can push the buttons to trigger them" - this proved to be useful on the really fast sections when you learned that you did not have to push every button all the way down to make it "trigger" or work.

Now, I have translated this advice to the drum pedal in Rock Band. I agree that the "stomp" method might be an easy way to start, but you need to move to an ankle move for the faster sections. I have learned how to hold the pedal 2/3 of the way down - it does not trigger it - and then lightly push when it's a bass drum beat. It makes it easy to do quickly and repetitively.

Advice on the internet - take it or leave it...

SheepFactory, would you say that the drum portion of RB could teach you how to play the drums for a certain song? i.e. let's say you couldn't play Blackened on a real kit, but you were able to practice and 5-star it on expert, could you then play it on real drums?

I am just curious cause I really am enjoying playing the drums and it's even peaked my interest into getting a real set. I just want to know how well it correlates.


Yes and No. Rockband will teach you drums and rthym definitely but I dont think you will be able to sit down on a real set and get going right away with blackened. The main reason for that is in rockband you are following the song and on real drums you are driving the song (which is sooooo much more fun than rockband can ever hope to be trust me) and also the placement and feel of drums will take getting used to if its your first time not to mention the hi-hat pedal.

But yes keep playing rockband drums on expert and you will pick up drumming easy. I also should give props to harmonix for the really excellent practice mode for drums. That stuff is priceless. Go in there in expert mode and slow the song down %50. It also cuts out all other instruments and vocals unless you are playing full speed which helps so much when learning.

Good luck and have fun!

My son just beat And Justice for All on expert (5stars, 372K i think. It was 7k better than the youtube guy) and NEVER played drums other than messing around on a electronic kit. He will be proof positive that if you can beat a majority of the songs on expert, you're pretty much a drummer. Not a great one but one that could pick it up pretty quick.

He's having trouble with Run to the Hills and I Get By. I Get By has to be the biggest change in difficulty from hard to expert than any other tune. Crazy.

He's having trouble with Run to the Hills and I Get By. I Get By has to be the biggest change in difficulty from hard to expert than any other tune. Crazy.

"I Get By"...? :confused: I'm not familiar -- which artist is that?

"I Get By"...? :confused: I'm not familiar -- which artist is that?

Honest Bob and The Factory to Dealer Incentives. Pretty cool song on drums. They kinda have a Dead Milkmen sound to them. Soy Bomb was another song of theirs on GH2.

I have learned how to hold the pedal 2/3 of the way down - it does not trigger it - and then lightly push when it's a bass drum beat
I've been leaving my foot all the way down when not using it. I thought one of the Tip screens you get while waiting for a song to load mentioned it. Much easier for me than trying to hold the pedal down slightly, but of course I'm only starting on Hard, so YMMV.

As for the issue of whether to lift the foot or use the heel method, I'm beginning to think this is one of those things that can work both ways. There are some songs that I'm keeping my heel down on, and some I'm lifting my entire leg. It turns out that the songs that require multiple kicks in short succession are the ones that I can't leave my heel down on. I'm just not quick enough. I am not going to rule anything out, and I will certainly try whatever will work to get through the tough songs.

But honestly, which foot method to use is the least of my problems. The thing I have the hardest time with is fast songs, where you alternate between kicks and snares, or worse, kicks and share/hi hats. After a short period of time, my foot and hands want to hit at the same time, and when that happens, I'm screwed -- just cannot get back on track. I end up feeling like such a klutz, and wonder if I'll ever get it (and of course I will eventually).

You want to know the craziest thing about this whole Rock Band experience? I'm a guitar player and lead singer, and have had bands in the past. I always hated -- HATED -- practice. Working on a song over and over and over was something I just couldn't do. And I could never imagine going on tour for a long period of time and doing the same songs night after night. So what am I doing with Rock Band? The very thing I hated in real life. What a crack-up.

Dan

The thing I have the hardest time with is fast songs, where you alternate between kicks and snares, or worse, kicks and share/hi hats. After a short period of time, my foot and hands want to hit at the same time, and when that happens, I'm screwed -- just cannot get back on track. I end up feeling like such a klutz, and wonder if I'll ever get it

A big +1 ^^ there!

I'm surprised that kick/hit syncopation is in the first tier (OK Go). :eek:

^^I can't seem to get this either. As soon as I got to hard I started falling apart b/c of this. I start out OK most of the time but for long passages I'm screwed too.

But honestly, which foot method to use is the least of my problems. The thing I have the hardest time with is fast songs, where you alternate between kicks and snares, or worse, kicks and share/hi hats. After a short period of time, my foot and hands want to hit at the same time, and when that happens, I'm screwed -- just cannot get back on track. I end up feeling like such a klutz, and wonder if I'll ever get it (and of course I will eventually).Dan

Oh, man....add me to the list! I'm doing hard, and any time I have to do that quick alternating thing with the kick and whatever else...Just like you, I start to do them both at the same time! By about the third bar I'm finished! Yeah, once you get off in these sections, you are very much screwed. Not sure why, but my brain just can't handle trying to get the timing back. Even just trying to get the kick drum back in time is impossible (so far) because the missing notes of the snare keep making me think I'm missing the kick....and before I know it, I'm booed off the stage!

Not sure, but I'm hoping a little more practice will help. Or I'm done for! :p

Oh, man....add me to the list! I'm doing hard, and any time I have to do that quick alternating thing with the kick and whatever else...Just like you, I start to do them both at the same time! By about the third bar I'm finished! Yeah, once you get off in these sections, you are very much screwed. Not sure why, but my brain just can't handle trying to get the timing back. Even just trying to get the kick drum back in time is impossible (so far) because the missing notes of the snare keep making me think I'm missing the kick....and before I know it, I'm booed off the stage!

Not sure, but I'm hoping a little more practice will help. Or I'm done for! :p

I found this tip interesting. During a loading screen, it mentions during difficult parts of a song, focus on the kick and snare (red) first and that the crowd won't mind as much if you miss the yellow, blue, and green pads.

I found this tip interesting. During a loading screen, it mentions during difficult parts of a song, focus on the kick and snare (red) first and that the crowd won't mind as much if you miss the yellow, blue, and green pads.

Yeah, I saw that same tip! Although I thought it was in the tutorial section? Not sure. Anyway, I do try and think of that. 99% of the time it actually works to help get you back into the rhythm of something. Focus on the basic rhythm first, then add the extra notes once you're in the groove, so to speak. And I try to do this with the kick/snare slap thing. For whatever reason, though, once I get off, I have a hard time just getting even the kick drum back in time. I guess I start to panic, and over-think it, and before I know it....my lead singer is throwing his mic down on the stage! Love that, by the way. You even hear it bouncing around! :p

Oh, man....add me to the list!

THANK YOU to all of you who showed me I'm not alone! It really helps to know it's not just me.

Strange thing happened last night. I went back through some of the Medium songs I hadn't gotten 5 stars on. I couldn't believe how much easier they were! I felt really encouraged that I'm obviously getting better. There's still tough parts in all of them, but I actually felt fairly coordinated most of the time. That was scary, and one of the most fulfilling things I've ever experienced in game play.

I guess it's true that practice really does help (duh). I play acoustic guitar and so does a friend. I remember once when my friend was playing a really cool riff from a song we both knew, and I was totally depressed that he could do it and I couldn't. It made me feel like he was just way more talented than me. I finally got up the courage to mention this, and he laughed out loud! He told me he'd spent probably 40 hours working on that one riff. At the start he couldn't do it either. So it turned out the only thing my friend had over me was the patience (and time) to practice. (And yes, I eventually learned it also.)

I'll never forget that experience, and it continues to remind me that practice can cure a lot of problems.

So we need to remember to never give up! Well, I suppose there is a time to give up, but NOT YET!

Dan

THANK YOU to all of you who showed me I'm not alone! It really helps to know it's not just me.

Strange thing happened last night. I went back through some of the Medium songs I hadn't gotten 5 stars on. I couldn't believe how much easier they were! I felt really encouraged that I'm obviously getting better. There's still tough parts in all of them, but I actually felt fairly coordinated most of the time. That was scary, and one of the most fulfilling things I've ever experienced in game play.

I guess it's true that practice really does help (duh). I play acoustic guitar and so does a friend. I remember once when my friend was playing a really cool riff from a song we both knew, and I was totally depressed that he could do it and I couldn't. It made me feel like he was just way more talented than me. I finally got up the courage to mention this, and he laughed out loud! He told me he'd spent probably 40 hours working on that one riff. At the start he couldn't do it either. So it turned out the only thing my friend had over me was the patience (and time) to practice. (And yes, I eventually learned it also.)

I'll never forget that experience, and it continues to remind me that practice can cure a lot of problems.

So we need to remember to never give up! Well, I suppose there is a time to give up, but NOT YET!

Dan

I agree; practice does make perfect (well not quite but you get my point) for the drums in this game.

So what was the riff?

How does it handle songs with double-bass?

How does it handle songs with double-bass?

Which of these songs does the drummer play on a double-bass set? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_in_Rock_Band) :confused:

I believe it just does fast bass hits. I've notice it doesn't necessarily chart each and every hit, so it might just gloss over the fast double-bass. There's really no hard core metal songs, so....

Which of these songs does the drummer play on a double-bass set? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_in_Rock_Band) :confused:

I believe it just does fast bass hits. I've notice it doesn't necessarily chart each and every hit, so it might just gloss over the fast double-bass. There's really no hard core metal songs, so....

The only two songs that I know of that would even come close to double bass are And Justice for all (one section of six to eight 16th notes) and Nightmare every now and then.

You guys should practice with Black hole sun. Such a fun song to play on expert. I think its my favorite song to play in the game along with wanted dead or alive.

So what was the riff?

At the time I did a lot of church music, and it was a riff for a song called "You Are In Control". It's actually easy for me now, because that was a few years ago and I've gotten MUCH better since then.

Sheesh, now that I think about it, it might have been 10 years ago. Wow, time flies once you get past 40! :eek:

Dan

I just did something really cool (to me) in Rock Band, and I needed to post it someplace where people would understand. I know you are those people. :rolleyes:

I played hooky today from work, to play Rock Band (yes, you can all appreciate that, I'm sure!). I had started on drums on Hard, and decided to go back through the songs on Medium to get 5 stars on everything. I just finished Cherub Rock (on medium) and I got the 5 stars. But that's not the cool part.

The cool part (again, to me) is that I think I finally understand those bass drum notes that come not on the beat, but something like 1/16th or 1/32nd after (or is it before?) the beat. Where the drum pad notes come quickly, and the yellow line is in between them. Every time they came up in the past, they totally threw me for a loop. But today it sort of clicked, and I began to "feel" where the bass drum belonged, and what rhythm it was accomplishing.

I'm not saying I've got it wired or anything, but at least I now have a clue!

That's it, but I just had to share it some place. Man, I can't believe how much fun the drums are. Never in a million years would I have ever thought I'd say that, not even in a video game. I wish the drummer from my old band could see me. He would sh&t twice and die, for sure. After he finished laughing his ass off, of course. :p

Dan

I feel ya; it's really a feeling of accomplishment when you just start to "get it." That pixies song on hard really throws me for a loop, have you tried that one?

At the time I did a lot of church music, and it was a riff for a song called "You Are In Control". It's actually easy for me now, because that was a few years ago and I've gotten MUCH better since then.
Dan

You mean they have riffs in church music? Wouldn't that just encourage raffs to show up?

Oh dear.


Believe it or not, that was actually quite funny to me.
The "stress" of this Rock Band patch must be getting to me!
:p

LOL, that was a good one. I may have to steal it from you.

I think the lack of this notorious patch is getting to us all.

You mean they have riffs in church music? Wouldn't that just encourage raffs to show up?

Oh dear.


Believe it or not, that was actually quite funny to me.
The "stress" of this Rock Band patch must be getting to me!
:p

Very funny! (And yes, some of the music is quite contemporary, to use an outdated term.)

By the way, regarding the previous discussion of the heel-down vs. heel-up method of playing the bass drum, I did some searches and found a lot of info on the subject. As with most things, the answer is NOT cut-and-dried. I liked this link:

http://www.drums-and-drum-sets.com/bass-pedal-technique.php

Although the link discusses a "real" pedal (interestingly enough, the pictures show what looks like a Roland electronic drum kit), I think most of it still applies.

Dan

PS: Playing drums on hard sucks. :o

PS: Playing drums on hard sucks. :o

Don't tell me that, I just finished medium and am getting ready to step up tonight.

Yeah, I think the kick technique varies depending on the music, and complexity. I'll do the heel down method for easy sections. When I start seeing double kick patterns everywhere, I have to get my whole leg into it. I also play with my right foot barefoot, as it seems to give me a better feel with the peddle. Often I'll forget to put my sock back on afterward, and will be walking around the house all night like that. Eventually, the sock gets lost entirely. (I'm too scared to look under my couch.)

Er, back on topic...I don't think you guys will find hard thaaaaaat much more difficult pattern-wise from medium. Mostly it's just the kick that gets harder. And those damned quick alternating kick/snare patterns....which fortunately don't show up all that often. I find those sections manageable if you go into them with full...um, health...and just hit the snare through the whole section. So far it's gotten me through all those tough sections just in time. Then you re-build your health back up again.

What I also find good, to help myself move along through songs, is to shoot first for just getting through a song. Then I try and get 4 stars on a song, then move to the next one. I try to keep songs limited to each city, before I move on. Then once I've got 4 stars on all the songs, in all the cities, I got back to the beginning again, and shoot for 5 stars. You'll be surprised how easy those beginning songs will feel, once you start them over again. You'll get those 5 stars pretty easy at first....then you'll have to work again.

Anyway, good luck, everyone!

Playing drums on hard sucks. :o

Not true!

Frustrating and demoralizing maybe... :D ...but still more fun than any other game I've played this year. :cool:

I'm having the same problem, albeit shoulder and neck cramps. Like you, to do finesse foot rhythm ("finesse" used loosely! :o) I have to push my chair back a little. A solution, I would think, is to sit a little higher so you can bring the set closer. This requires an adjustable drum throne, while I'm on a simple chair.


Hi, I've been a drummer for a few years now, (30, lol) and it sounds like a condition of bad posture. The combination of slouching, and then tensing your neck muscles to look up at the screen, without realizing you are doing it, will definitely lead to shoulder and neck cramps.

When you are seated at a chair, it's harder to keep good posture, than on a drum throne, where you can roll your hips forward a bit to keep your back straight. A way around this is to maybe fold a hand/kitchen towel 3-4 layers thick, and place it towards the back of the chair, so your butt is half-way on it. That should rotate your hips to make it easier. (sounds like ob/gyn speak, lol) Or, you could buy a drum throne, but cheap ones are junk and uncomfortable, and good ones are $$.

Above all, relax when you are playing, and sit up straight......and eat your vegetables-oops, that's another show.:D

Don't tell me that, I just finished medium and am getting ready to step up tonight.

I take back my comments about Hard sucking. I'm through about 20 songs on Hard (I had a productive day!), and it's not as bad as I thought. Mostly, anyway. Some songs truly are devious.

Yeah, I think the kick technique varies depending on the music, and complexity. I'll do the heel down method for easy sections. When I start seeing double kick patterns everywhere, I have to get my whole leg into it.

Same here.

I also play with my right foot barefoot, as it seems to give me a better feel with the peddle. Often I'll forget to put my sock back on afterward, and will be walking around the house all night like that. Eventually, the sock gets lost entirely. (I'm too scared to look under my couch.)

I play barefoot also, but the rest of your comment is TMI. :p

What I also find good, to help myself move along through songs, is to shoot first for just getting through a song. Then I try and get 4 stars on a song, then move to the next one. I try to keep songs limited to each city, before I move on. Then once I've got 4 stars on all the songs, in all the cities, I got back to the beginning again, and shoot for 5 stars. You'll be surprised how easy those beginning songs will feel, once you start them over again. You'll get those 5 stars pretty easy at first....then you'll have to work again.

Sounds like sound logic. That's basically what I've been trying to do.

And yes, this is the most fun I've ever had in any video game, and I've been playing them since before they invented electricity (well not actually, but I am 51, so that's ancient compared to most gamers!)

Dan

The Police song kills me on expert :(

And yes, this is the most fun I've ever had in any video game, and I've been playing them since before they invented electricity (well not actually, but I am 51, so that's ancient compared to most gamers!)

42 here, and at this age it's great to still have that rush when discovering something new to obsess over. :cool:

I'm not sure my love of RockBand/drums counts as a "video game" thrill, but still... I can't stop "playing". :D

Here's the same guy from the OP doing "Maps", which he is at the #1 spot for this song:

RockBand "Maps" on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IcFtJWUSIs)

One more... here's a different guy 5-starring Blackened with a modded kick drum. That peddle would be fun to try out.

RockBand "Blackened" on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwfPfvTSEZs)

Wow, that is impressive. That songs kills me on...on medium! Some of those Polics songs are very tough too.

I agree though about the foot pedal methods; it really depends on the song and the arrangement of the orange notes.

Wow, that is impressive. That songs kills me on...on medium!

I had the displeasure of playing Blackened for the first time last night in BWT. We were doing one of the mystery setlists and wound up with Ride the Lightning, Sandman, and Blackened as 3 out of the 4 songs. I got through it relatively unscathed but my bandmates (who don't have the luxury of practicing all week) were not happy campers.

One more... here's a different guy 5-starring Blackened with a modded kick drum.

That's just sick. Or, to put it more correctly, that just makes me sick! :o I couldn't watch more than 30 seconds or so before I had to quit watching.

And how come he's doing it so smoothly? Where's all the flailing, sweating, swearing and stick throwing? Or the "You've got to be f*ing kidding!" comments? Oh wait, maybe that's just me... :p

Dan

^^ Wow! That video was crazy! Ok, though...some of those sections seem pretty manageable. The double kicking parts with the alternating kick/snare bits would kill me, but they're short. Ride the kick, make it out alive through those sections if you're lucky, then build your energy back up. Haha, sounds good in theory, anyway.

can the drums be setup for left handed as could i flip the pads around to play left hand. i have not played in years and dont have a drum set any more. thanks

can the drums be setup for left handed as could i flip the pads around to play left hand. i have not played in years and dont have a drum set any more. thanks

There's a lefty setting in the options menu, so I guess your answer is yes...? Never tried it though. I'm would assume it flips the colors and hit placement on the screen too? :confused:

There's a lefty setting in the options menu, so I guess your answer is yes...? Never tried it though. I'm would assume it flips the colors and hit placement on the screen too? :confused:


No, the colours don't switch. The right drum just becomes the snare, and the cymbal moves to the left. I've tried playing that way, and it's playable, but obviously because it's opposite to what hand I am, it just doesn't feel natural.

I just learned something very cool. I read a tip from a drummer over on the Rock Band forum that said to make sure your chair (or throne) height is correct. If it's high enough, your kick foot won't have to support the entire weight of your leg, and it's much easier to do double-kicks. I tried it, and it really does help a lot!

Speaking of lefty mode, I've been playing a little in lefty mode to help speed up my left hand. It helps a lot.

Dan

Blckened is not really that hard to play with a double bass pedal if you know and played drums before. Though I dunno why they included it in the dlc because with a single bass pedal its damn near impossible and frustrating to play. You can still play it but it wont be fun and you will miss notes.

This thread's YouTube Drum Hero got a new drumset and posted a video 5-starring Run To the Hills. He says his kit broke after doing this video.

Run To The Hills on Expert 5-starred YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7Bk8kb7Pow&sdig=1)

I'm still having a rough time with finding a decent calibration setting...
Are those with a 1080P TV disabling all other resolutions on the PS3 such that
PS3 not TV is doing the upscaling, does that help? Sony 40V2500, using optical
to (old Mitsubishi) receiver for audio.

I'm still having a rough time with finding a decent calibration setting...
Are those with a 1080P TV disabling all other resolutions on the PS3 such that
PS3 not TV is doing the upscaling, does that help? Sony 40V2500, using optical
to (old Mitsubishi) receiver for audio.

I've posted a few very long-winded things in here about the Calibration issue. Or should I say "issue"? :cool: Check out the Rock Band thread. Basically, if you're having trouble, you're not going to like what you hear. And by the way, I think we're in the minority.

Basically, running optical is screwing us up. For whatever reason the process to covert...tech stuff tech stuff tech stuff...slows your signal down so much that the lag becomes noticeable in the drum fill sections. It might even make finding the perfect calibration difficult, as well. I was upscaling like you at first, and I found that running my TV at the game's native720p made things better. You won't notice and difference in PQ....not that it would matter much with this game.

Another option is to run straight red/white AV audio into your receiver. Of course, this will eliminate your 5.1 sound. Meaning, a much narrower sound scape, and things like crowd singing and cheering no longer behind you. Personally, I wanted this more than having the drum fills in perfect time.

This leaves the other option: Finding the perfect calibration. This is where a little bit of luck comes in. A couple times, I've literally spent about 2 hours, going up by 5 ms every time, then playing a song, before I've found the perfect setting. It's tricky, and time-consuming, because unlike GH3 you have to go waaaay back to the main menu every time you change the calibration. In GH3 you could switch the calibration by pausing the song.

Anyway, to make a long story short, pick a song like Paranoid, where there's basically just straight 16th notes (on hard) and keep changing the calibration until you don't miss any of the notes. Do this with the guitar, by the way....not the drums. After a while, you will find your setting. Like me, however, you might feel like throwing your guitar through the window by the end of it! :p

There's one extra complication to this. You might have a guitar with a bum strum bar...in which case, no amount of calibrating is going to help you.