Rocksmith taught me bass. Now I need your help!

[Papa Dangerous]

I'm sorry but Rocksmith isn't teaching you how to play bass and it's not teaching you music either. Its teaching you how to play songs and I'm not even sure if it's doing that much. If that's all you want to do then fine it's working for you but don't confuse the two.

There are tons of great learning resources on YouTube for you to use. I really feel those 80 bucks could have been spent on a couple lessons to make sure your form and posture and right hand technique aren't going to be causing you problems later on

Actually, rocksmith offers many different lessons on techniques from slides, hammer ons, right hand finger techniques, etc. It does work with scales and making way around the fretboard. Has a session mode for "jamming" along with playing some songs.

Granted, it's a slow way to Learn songs but it's actually pretty decent for getting the fingers moving and Just jumping right into playing.

 

[henry2513]

Actually, rocksmith offers many different lessons on techniques from slides, hammer ons, right hand finger techniques, etc. It does work with scales and making way around the fretboard. Has a session mode for "jamming" along with playing some songs.

Granted, it's a slow way to Learn songs but it's actually pretty decent for getting the fingers moving and Just jumping right into playing.

Yeah I get you but "slides, hammer ons, right hand finger techniques" aren't learning music. Scales aren't music either.

Like I said If you just want to learn songs that's fine but you can get higher quality instruction from a well made youtube video and a few lessons.

 

[Dale D Dilly]

I'm sorry but Rocksmith isn't teaching you how to play bass and it's not teaching you music either. Its teaching you how to play songs and I'm not even sure if it's doing that much. If that's all you want to do then fine it's working for you but don't confuse the two.

There are tons of great learning resources on YouTube for you to use. I really feel those 80 bucks could have been spent on a couple lessons to make sure your form and posture and right hand technique aren't going to be causing you problems later on

Eh, I picked up a copy when it came out to see what it was like. It was so clunky that I shelved the game. Pulled it out a few days ago, patched it (which fixed the clunkiness), saw there was a bass pack and downloaded that to check out.

First, as an out-of-practice bass player who already knows how to play the instrument, the game is downright fun. it would get a noobie's hands and muscle memory into shape pretty quickly, it vaguely explains different techniques, and has mini games that develop important skills like changing positions on the fly, etc. Semi-tight timing is important if you want to score well, but the game doesn't really emphasize how to just listen for the groove. I think a lot of people who play rhythm games focus on the visual cues instead, much to their own musical detriment.

You're not going to get the theory explanations of key signatures, chord-building, and whatever else you'd get with a teacher (well, the average guy teaching at the local shop probably wouldn't provide that to a new player either), but if you're a new musician, you'll certainly get a chance to develop a musical ear, in both the song mode and mini games you have to listen to whether the notes your playing fit musically with what's going on.

Finally, the game is automatically adaptive to how well you're playing a song. You start off plucking some whole note roots, soon you're fleshing out the actual sound of the song, by the end you're paying attention to all the cool syncopated and swung notes and throwing in some pretty quick runs up and down the neck. I think that's a great way to start learning how to learn music. When you play a video game, you solve problems through trial and error, then move on to more complicated problems and repeat. This is also how we learn new songs that are a bit tough to just sit back and sight read. Rocksmith seems to combine the two well.

I don't think it's any kind of replacement for a good teacher period. I don't think it's a replacement for a bad teacher when it comes to thinking about theory and musicality, or scrutinizing technique. I do think it's a lot better than just picking up tabs and trying to teach yourself. You're right there are great youtube videos out there, but there are 10 times as many bad ones and new players might have trouble discerning one from the other. Perhaps the new-gen game consoles, with their ability to switch apps on the fly, can combine games like this with instant links to videos of good instructors covering the basics and pages of tablature or standard notation for players to grab on their own.

This game is a good thing if it gets some people over the first hurdle to learning guitar/bass; it's about as well-executed as a first attempt at this kind of thing could be. I really hope it gets better and becomes a more useful learning tool to supplement others. I just ordered the 2014 edition which is supposed to be a major overhaul instead of an update. I'll share my impression on that once I get a few weeks of playing in.

 

[Batmensch]

As Far as not teaching music, that is true, but the publishers never made that claim, all it ever said was that it teaches you to play guitar, which it does. As long as you relaise that's all it does, then it's up to you if you want to expand on that and go looking for the resources to learn music. Rocksmith is a practice tool that helps you to get into the physical and mental shape that will help you to learn, but it's not the be-all and end-all of learning, not has it ever claimed to be such.

 

[Tdubl26]

Like others have said you should correct your posture. I've put about 30 hours into Rocksmith 2014 exploring all the features and things. There are 39 videos showing you how to hold, pluck, sit, stand, slide, legato, chords and every other technique in the game including string changing, maintenance and even one on playing outside of the game. Strangely there is not a single mention of notes on the neck anywhere. Amazingly there is a video on roots, fifths and octaves that doesn't tell you anything about where they come from. It was a very strange video, sort of like using a word in the definition of the same word. Anyhow, check those out to fix those issues and turn on master mode. That will help you internalize the music so that you can focus on other things while you're playing. I use the same approach as sheet music, look for difference and repetition. Once you start looking for it you'll hear it everywhere and realize you already know song structure you just didn't realize it. There's some theory you can take away from Rocksmith. That will make it a lot easier to memorize what you need to play. Once you master a section it will fade away and then you can get away from the visual cues use your ears to work on how you sound. So, focus on what to play and when and then when master mode kicks in you focus on articulation, dynamics, groove and all the auditory stuff.
On a side note I don't understand why Rocksmith doesn't have an option for scrolling sheet music. There is no way it is that difficult to get in the game considering some of the other stuff they've managed to pull off in it. With the price of the DLC tracks it should be accessible. You can get a Jammit app on your phone that will scroll sheet music in sync and they have a mix that isolates the instrument track you're learning on. So, you can play along or pull it out completely for about the same price as each Rocksmith track. Put Rocksmith and Jammit together and you have something that every musician can use. There's no way that doesn't make money.

 

[rtslinger]

I have been playing bass for 45 years and I couldn't follow that thing! And I have played Rockband and Guitar hero. It seems too go by to fast for you to react to the notes that need to be played. I agree there are many other great learning tools on You Tube and some will only cost you your email address. They take you from simple open string exercises to different techniques and scales I suggest looking into them. Later most break the songs down so you can work on the intro, verse, chorus and lead breaks separately.

If you want to use this one you have posted I suggest watching it and retain the notes that need to be playing and than playing along with it.imo it isn't the best learning tool I have come across. hope this helps RTS

 

[Landy67]

I just got a copy of Rocksmith 2014, and I think it's pretty good. Watching for the queues is very distracting, and it really throws you off, but once you learn the riff, you can look away, and play along with the song. (I do much better that way) The game tells you how accurate you are. I haven't looked yet, but the old version let you watch what you played, so you can see what you need to improve.

I like the feature where you can create your own band to jam along with. I tried it with the bass today. I hope I can set some time tomorrow to try jamming along with my mandolin. It's way more flexible than my old fender G-DEC.

 

[Passive Jay]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGttPhPXjXg


I tryed to take as much of you guys advice as I could, what should I work on at this point?

 

[Dale D Dilly]

Ok, spent a few weeks casually playing the 2014 edition. It's head-over-heels a better educational tool than the old version.

There are instructional videos on technique ranging from how to adjust your strap to how to tap with both hands. There is a "riff repeater" that lets you slow down segments of a song until you get them down--you can even set the tolerance level for mistakes.

When you get close to 100% on a song, the game removes the visual cues and you have to play by memory: it's pretty cool to watch the notes grow increasingly transparent before they finally disappear and rely on you to play the song from memory.

The game pays attention to what you do poorly during a particular song and provides suggestions like: "review the legato lesson," or practice the bridge on riff repeater mode."

The mini-games to train various skills are fun diversions that also build useful muscle memory for running through scales, plucking clean harmonics, and a handful of other things that a new bass player should learn.

A good instructor is always best, but this game is honestly better than any beginner-based video series (youtube or dvd) or teach-yourself book that I've ever looked at. They are just videos, you can't ask questions when you're unclear on something, but they're decent, consistent tutorials. I don't spend much time on them, but the gameplay lets me have fun shaking the cobwebs off my own playing and I hope it works for a lot of young people that want to try playing for the first time.

Plus it's pretty fun to get home from work and jam out on the thing.

 

[RustyAxe]

The game lets you think you're learning to play bass. In fact, all you're learning to do is copy ... as in "monkey see, monkey do". I can see right off that the OP's right hand technique is awful (what kind of attack is that? a tickle?). The left hand isn't much better, and if kept up will result in physical injury. I bet he can't tell us what notes he was playing. Transpose up a step, please. Wha, can't?

It's a game (a fantasy game). But IF the OP really wants to learn bass he should save his tat money and take some lessons.

 

[Passive Jay]

The game lets you think you're learning to play bass. In fact, all you're learning to do is copy ... as in "monkey see, monkey do". I can see right off that the OP's right hand technique is awful (what kind of attack is that? a tickle?). The left hand isn't much better, and if kept up will result in physical injury. I bet he can't tell us what notes he was playing. Transpose up a step, please. Wha, can't?

It's a game (a fantasy game). But IF the OP really wants to learn bass he should save his tat money and take some lessons.

thanks for your help.. oh wait, that didnt actually help any.

I am looking for advice to get better, telling me that my right hand techinique is awful does not help me if you dont tell me WHY its awful.

 

[RustyAxe]

thanks for your help.. oh wait, that didnt actually help any.

I am looking for advice to get better, telling me that my right hand techinique is awful does not help me if you dont tell me WHY its awful.

That's what a teacher will do for you. What made you think it was MY job to teach you to play bass? Actually, you've made my point ... Rocksmith is NOT teaching you to play bass, is it?

 

[Dickieman]

It got the OP to pick up the bass, seek out other players after learning a few things, and ask what he/she can do to correct bad mistakes from becoming bad habits. I'd say it's getting them to learn bass pretty well.

That's what the game does best, gets people to try.

 

[SBassman]

I always wondered what the game looked like.
I was always open to buying a game if it was a valuable and fun tool.

After seeing those screen shots, my conclusion on RS is:
- Looks like some fun, but
- It should only be used as One portion of learning, definitely not exclusive.

If you're learning a bunch of songs and you're not learning why you are playing what you are playing based on the key and chord structure, you're missing out on too much.

 

[Batmensch]

Nobody is making any claims that Rocksmith is the be-all and end-all of learning guitar/bass, but it can be a valuable tool that can be a part of an overall learning agenda. Over at the Rocksmith forums, it's common to see posts about how people are subsidizing what they are gaining from RS with other learning tools available on the net. If you are serious about learning, there are plenty of resources available that can supplement what you get with RS. It must be doing something right because people who have never touched a bass or guitar are learning to play Geddy Lee bass lines ad Albert King guitar riffs. That's gotta count for something.

 

[neckdive]

Jay, your technique looks much better in this second video compared to the original and it does seem like you have taken folks' advice. Good for you. You look more relaxed with your posture (and likely feel more as well) but your left hand is still bunching up unnecessarily? I remember your issue with the pinky so I'm not talking about that. Your 3 fingers are many times hovering over just 1 or 2 frets. Try to spread your fingers out more and hover your third finger in the ready position. This will help make position jumps more fluid and faster.

You are also playing on the wrong side of the fret which is creating some buzz. For example, watch yourself hitting the Ab on the A string. You are fretting it just AHEAD of the 10th fret whereas you should fret just BEHIND the 11th fret. This will improve your intonation and help you down the road should you ever consider a fretless.

Keep improving and posting videos for more constructive feedback.

 

[jamminology101]

Hey passive...keep it up. Your left hand technique improved alot from the first video I watched...it almost looked painful. It looks more relaxed now. Try this for a really relaxed feel. Use your index finger for first fret, your ring finger for the 2nd fret and your pinkie for the 3rd fret. Up in the first position(first 4 or 5 frets,,depending if u use open string) where the frets are long you can use your 2nd and 3rd fingers for the 2nd fret and even use your first 2 fingers when holding the first fret for extra strength and relaxed feeling. This is called the old 1-2-4,fingering and u will be surprised how fluid and relaxed your hand feels after practicing it some and most importantly it will get your pinkie involved to start using all those muscles involved. Its a grest trainer for the pinkie because as u progress u will use that pinkie in harder stretched out runs where you have to cover 4 frets with all 4 digits and maybe even have to stretch further, depending on what you are playing. This will keep you busy for awhile and good luck and keep at it.

 

[hrodbert696]

I think the game has got you started, so I have nothing against it. I also think that to grow as a bassist, you'll need to move beyond the game, and you're probably about ready for it now.

Just what I notice:
Positioning - others have mentioned, I'll just phrase it this way; let the body of the bass be vertical, not sloping at an angle away from you. If you're going to play seated, set it up straight on your knee. Otherwise, play standing, and don't hang it too low. You're contorting a lot to try to wrap your hand - especially your left hand - around a neck that's twisted away from you. It's probably also a bit of a crutch, that you're trying to look at your bass face-on. Break that habit.

Left hand - Seems especially contorted. I'd worry that you're going to get carpal tunnel if you keep up playing like that. Keep your wrist straight, keep your thumb on the back of the neck (not over the top), curl your fingers to come down square on the frets, and then relax. See this video... Also, you're moving around way too much. Practice economy of movement. I saw that you posted you can't use your pinkie due to an injury, but don't go sliding your index finger up to the third fret when you could use your ring finger. For a song that's all in the bottom five frets, you should barely need to shift hand position at all.

Right hand - again, keep your wrist straight and relax. Avoid unnecessary tension and contortion.

Musicality - It does have a hesitant, lagging quality, which probably does mean that you're playing the game more than the song. I don't think it's any worse than any new musician stumbling through a song they're learning. But ultimately, you want to know the SONG apart from the game - its tempo, its key, its chord changes, its riffs, its transitions. Turn away from the game, or play the song on an mp3 or CD, and play to the SONG, repeatedly until you've learned the musicality of it, not just what the screen is telling you to do.

EDIT: just saw the second video. Definitely improving, but work on getting your hands straight and relaxed still.

 

[kevteop]

telling me that my right hand techinique is awful does not help me if you dont tell me WHY its awful.

Your hand position is really weird. You don't look relaxed at all. In fact both your hands look very tense and it's probably because you're playing a computer game, not playing music.

I can appreciate what some people have said about the game getting you to pick up an instrument in the first place, and I'm not going to just slate computer games for the sake of it, but I really don't like what it's doing to your technique and I agree with the previous poster that you could end up with wrist tendon problems if you keep it up.

I think if you can't relax when playing the game then you should give up the game and play bass in a less competitive way instead.

 

[ZenG]

Rocksmith looks kind of confusing to me...there are much easier ways to learn bass guitar basics.

Rocksmith might be ok for learning a particular song as other have said.

As far as playing the instrument.....I like the neck as close to vertical as I can get and still play.

Less wrist/finger fatigue that way.

When you play with the neck down low and sticking out sideways you have to compromise too much.

When I finger pick I like my thumb resting on the neck where it joins the body....that way I can mute the open E if it is resonating when I pick another note.