Knocking Out 100 POSTS!!!

Yeah! I'm surprised I stuck with it for this long! Thanks to everyone who visited!

Lemme go over some quick milestones for ya:
April 2nd, 2009 is when the RB Experiment officially turns 1/2 year old!
Songs Learned: 37 songs
Hardest Easy Song: "In Bloom" by Nirvana (The chord strumming) and "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer (The main riff).
Easiest Hard Song: "Suffragette City" by David Bowie
Performances: 2 Open Mic Nights. One in February and One in March
Most Popular Page: "Fake Plastic Rock" overview
Most searched term: "Guitar Hero Arcade Setlist" AND HERE IT IS!!!
Countries That Visit Me The Most:
1. USA
2. Australia
3. Italy

Stuff I Wanna Get Done:
Original Songs
Tutorial Videos

Latest Bonus Song:
PUNCH-OUT!!! JOGGING THEME
This tab has it all

e---------12-10----------------10--------------------------------
B--10-----------13-12-------------13-12-10----------13-12-10-----
G---------------------12-------------------10----------------12-9

There it is, the first bit of that tune we all know and love. I'm curious to try out the new version coming soon. It's pretty straight forward.

Slim Pickin's

I find myself right now in a bit of a quandry.

Black Hole Sun is really easy, until you get to the solo. If anyone can give me some sort of direction on this, like the most efficient way to do it, or possibly refer me to a step by step tutorial, that'd be great. OR if you'll give me a reprieve on this one and I'll play the rhythm guitar for the time being, and do the solo lesson at a later date.

I've switched over to working on "Gimme Shelter".

Now since I only have 2 songs from Tier 4 left, I'd figure I'd put up my DLC choices. Not a whole lot here, since there are only so few songs at this level I recognize.

So I picked "Breed" for my DLC selection and it's a toss-up:

"Boys Are Back In Town" by Thin Lizzy- I love this song. It alternates between a blues-boogie and hard, driving rock.

"Truckin'" by The Grateful Dead- This is the song "What a long strange trip it's been" came from.

SETLIST UPDATED

Amplitude Is Back! (Kinda)

According to Joystiq via Primotech the upcoming Rock Band: Unplugged will be like Amplitude. Now I need to get a PSP... Or I can play AmplituDS on my homebrew card...

Songs so far according to the ESRB:
"What's My Age Again?" by Blink 182
"Lump" by The Presidents Of The USA
"My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit
"Chop Suey" by System of a Down

But RB, St. Patty's Day Was...

SHHH! Shipping Up To Boston!

SHIPPING UP TO BOSTON

This, like "Ten Speed" is a good song to work on your ring finger and pink dexterity.

Overall, it's an easy song, but you gotta play it up to speed.

From Here.

E--------------------------|----------------------7----|
B---------------7-8-7-----|----------------7--8-------|
G-9---7-9--7-9-------9-7-|-9---7-9--7-9------------|

E-------------------------|-7-------------------------------|
B--------------7-8-7------|----10-8-10-8-7-8-7-----------|
G-9---7-9--7-9-------9-7-|--------------------7-9--7------|

The "higher" part of the song can be done just by moving the index finger up to the 14th fret and playing the same motions.

SETLIST UPDATED

Well Lookee Here

Well, after I posted my lesson yesterday, I found this:

Punch-Out!! Wii - new trailer
Uploaded by rawmeatcowboy

For those who don't know, it was a reference to this popular meme.

Punch Out Theme will be a bonus song now. WHY? WHY not.

Honky Stole My Bike

I saw that someone actually did a google search for my site. Thank you, Austraillian man.

TEN SPEED (OF GODS BLOOD AND BURIAL)

Best Tab

Finally! Now, my least favorite part of this was, like Mississippi Queen, they switch off between the lead and rhythm guitar parts. Listening to how they mixed it in Rock Band, it's pretty often. Basically, it switches off every 4 measures. This song wasn't that hard. This was what kept tripping me up on the solo:
E---------------12-14----12-|---------------------------------| B-12---------12-------15----|--14-15-12-14----12----------|
G---------14-----------------|---------------14----12-12------|

-----------^-------^
Specifically that part. It's very quick, so you need to sweep pick. Basically, just hold the same shape, but sweep the pick down on the three strings in one stroke. It's like an arpeggio.

This guy knows it better.

SETLIST UPDATED

REVIEW: Guitar Rock Tour DS

When I saw this game was done by GameLoft, that should have been my first red flag.

But Guitar Rock Tour is the polar opposite of Rock Revolution for the DS.

Unlike Rock Revolution, the game actually has 3D characters on the top screen playing on stage. The DS HAS seen much better, but it's a step in the right direction.

However, the songlist: Echh... Bad enough I have to put up with Top 40 radio in my gym, now I have to put up with it on my DS? "Who Knew" by Pink, "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne, some emo songs from bands I've never heard of, and for the love of God, NICKELBACK. There are some good songs, like "Message In A Bottle", "What's My Age Again?" and "You Really Got Me" (Van Halen version). Still, the songlist isn't up to par with Rock Revolution. However, the quality of the covers are much better.

The game does play significantly better than RR. The guitar requires you to strum across strings on the touch screen, which can get hectic on higher levels, and songs with arpeggios (like "What's My Age Again?") make you tap furiously across the screen. Drums are much simpler, boiling it down to only a cymbal, bass drum, and snare.

However, the game is, as far as I know, IMPOSSIBLE to beat for drums on Hard difficulty. "Message In A Bottle" starting acting weird, giving me just the drum track and playing no other sound.

BOTTOM LINE: Skip. For the love of God, skip. There are some good songs, but you have to play through the crappy ones several times over to get to the higher levels. Just get GH: On Tour. You'll look dumber, but you won't feel dumber.

Stuff That Will Come

-Review Of DS Game Guitar Rock Tour

-"Ten Speed" Update

....Yeah, I'm busy today, and figured I'd fire up a post just so the front page doesn't remain too stagnant.

Discussion Topic: Gradual vs. Tier

I was attempting to play "Ten Speed" earlier, and it occurred to me: these songs are kinda getting easier. Now, I'm not entirely placing the blame on bad tier organization or whatever, but this makes me question whether or not progress is gradual as opposed to "levels". Am I just better than when I started, so these things aren't as daunting? Experience? Or did something just click?

I mean, look at most (decent) webcomics. Most times the art looks gradually better over time, with giant leaps in design changes. The ability is there, but it's reflected more or less every year.

Change is usually just the main catalyst. Without a new challenge, things become stagnant. It's like filling a cup with water. Once you reach the top, it's time for a bigger glass. The water's still there, now you just have more to improve on.

So, what are your thoughts? Is learning to play a staircase or a slope?

California Dani'in

DANI CALIFORNIA

Best Tab

This song is a lot easier than it's (relatively) high tier would have you believe.

Obviously, the hardest part is the solo, and even that is not that hard.

These two phrases twice:
E|-----5--------------------------------------------|
B|-----6--------------------------------------------|
G|---5---7~-----------------------------------------|
D|-7--------7\5p3—5p3-5p3-5p3-------------------|
A|----------------------------------5-----------/5--|
E|-------------------------------------/5--3--1-----|

E|-----5------------------------------------------------| B|-----6--------------------------------------13-15~/-| G|---5---7~--2h5p2-5p2-5p2-5p2-5/7---14-----------| D|-7----------------------------------------------------| A|------------------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------------|

Then:
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------| B|------13-15-13----15-13----15-13----15-13----15-13----15-13----| G|---14----------14-------14-------14-------14-------14---------14-| D|--------------------------------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------------------------------| E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

There's too much for me to get into here, but you'll definitely want to make sure your pinky is in shape for this one.

SETLIST UPDATED

How TF2 blah blah

Uh, yeah.

Here's that asinine post I promised. And I stole it.

Malcolm and Angus are the names of the guitars of AC/DC who I sometimes call the Brothers Young.

I swear I'll have something good tomorrow.

Hopefully Dani California (solo not that hard) and MAYBE the #1 phrase where people land on my site.

March 11th Open Mic Night

TL;DR: I liked how I played, but everything else was a clusterfuck.

(GOLD-Nearly perfect, ***- Barely made it)
"Clash City Rockers" by The Clash- GOLD
BUT I SOUNDED LIKE SHIT. I had to go through the PA system they had, and it made me sound weeeak. NO distortion. But I finally got it right.

"She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult- ***
I started off by making a Scientology joke that kinda went mediocre. Nobody seemed interested in playing, and I was messing up, so I cut it short. I brought a Flange pedal, but couldn't use it, cause the school PA system sucked.

"Desolation Row" by My Chemical Romance- *****
I tried to do a ROrscach impression: "You'll trip over your acoustic guitars, look up and yell "Play Freebird" and I'll look down and whisper "No."" I FUCKED IT UP ROYALLY.
The song however, I couldn't have played better. I forgot the lines at a couple places, but picked it up. My voice didn't sound that awkward considering I was singing in a lower key.

For however many things went wrong, they went right. My performing got better, but I didn't put on a good show. The problem is that I'm playing the wrong kinds of songs on the wrong instrument, but this is what I like. It's what I feel good performing. The most common response I got was "It took balls to go up there." which I guess means "You sucked, but thanks for trying anyway."

While I seem all hip and coherent on this blog, I'm pretty skittish IRL. I don't know if it's nerves, or thinking of everything in terms of life or death, but I always feel like I'm embarassing myself when I put myself out in public.

The reason I don't feel the same way while writing is simply because I have a backspace key and edit button. I can take my time, and sort things out. When I'm nervous, or trying to speak then think, I tend to talk in word salads a little (i.e. one word is replaced for another).

I wasn't as prepared as I'd like to have been this time around, so I'm gonna hold off on these things, and do the NEXT next Open Mic, April 15th if at that. So I'll focus more time on nailing RB songs. If all goes well, I might actually have a semblance of a video for all o y'alls. Also, gonna try to do a bit of songwriting.

Dani California, the song next on my list was actually played by a friend of mine from the Commuter Association (not S'n, but he was there too, and in good form as usual) and forgot the words and said "fuck it" and laughed it off. God I wish I could do that, just laugh things off.

Holy shit, this is the most personal I've ever gotten on this blog. I better be back tomorrow with some inane rambling on how some aspect of Rock Band is related tangentially to some aspect of Team Fortress 2, or something stolen, I mean, posted from another website.

Tonight Is All Right For Rockin'

Hopefully I work up the nerve to play tonight, but this is what my setlist looks like:

"Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" by Jet
"She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult
"Desolation Row" by My Chemical Romance

Alan Moore On Rampage

I am reporting to you all in a post that certainly isn't filler while I work on my Setlist for Wednesday's Open Mic Night and Dani California, that Alan Moore is on a goddamn rampage. Apparently seeing my post yesterday pissed him off. A LOT. He especially took the Watchmen Babies and Saturday Morning Cartoon entries way too seriously. His e-mail to me:

"YOU RAPED IT! YOU BLOODY RAPED IT! YOU'RE THE F--KING BASTARD!"

In my defense, I never claimed that I wasn't a bastard.

So he rampaged through Scotland and is currently causing damage in London. So far he has destroyed two law firms, a Scientology center, and trampled over Phil from Accounting, who was in the city on vacation. Yeah, he really turned his life around.

So, all in all, nothing of value was lost.

Next Open Mic Night is March 11th.

Dani California is easier than I thought, I just need to get the solo down, and the little hammer on/pull off parts as part of the verses.

Cliche About How I Watched The Watchmen

Long story short: I really liked it, some things were a bit off, but this was the best movie we're going to get that still remains faithful. I can't wait for the Driector's Cut, because there was a few things that they left out that might have made it more complete. I still reccommend reading the book above all else. *****

SPOILERS AHEAD!
Some observations:
-I can see why they got rid of the squid. They removed that Tales Of The Black Freighter side stuff, and all the prose at the end. Max Shea wrote TOTBF, an article was written about him and his disappearance, he was on the island with the writers, scientists and artists to design the giant squid alien. No TOTBF, no Shea, no squid.
-They justified the ending pretty well, but didn't allow it to hit you. Instead of a squid, Operation S.Q.U.I.D. was to drop Dr. Manhattan-esque bombs in major cities and kill everyone, so they'll clean up their act, 'cause the Dr. be pissed. Dr. and Silk Spectre just show up at the aftermath, go "Wow" and then Manhattan bails.
-DAMN that was good casting (except for Veidt. He looked too scrawny and started talking in German for some reason). Rorscharch and Comedian were spot on, Night Owl was great, but the psychiatrist was scarily accurate. Seriously, me and friend were like "Holy crap! That's the guy." It shows the level of commitment to NOT messing this up.
-Malin Akerman's got a nice rack, and we get to see it.
-Dr. Manhattan's wang. Eh, he was talking alot, so I kinda wasn't paying attention. But there were some places where it was kinda swinging there...
-Rorschach stole entire movie. Comic too. Deserves some kind of Oscar.
-MCR cover was good, otherwise I WOULDN'T HAVE COVERED IT.

Also:
Saturday Morning Cartoon Intro Of Watchmen
Dance Nite Owl II, DANCE FOREVER!!!

Also, there's some image from The Simpsons that has a parody DVD "Watchmen Babies: V for Vacation", is that from a real episode?
EDIT: Yes it is. Watch it.

Dylan Days Are Here Again

From the Watchmen Soundtrack,

DESOLATION ROW
Really easy song. For those of you who've seen the Watchmen, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NO SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS!!!

And I guess dont spoil the book either.

Right, so this song uses only three chords:
E5 (022---)
A5 (-022--)
B5 (-244--)

Verse goes:
E5x16 A5x8 E5x8 B5x16 A5x8 E5x8
Chorus goes:
A5x16 E5x8 A5x8 B5x16 A5x8 E5x8
Followed by
G-8/9999--------
D-8/9999---x4---
A-6/7777---------

Simple enough. After the second chorus, play these octaves:
G-9-8-6-4-9-11-13-14--
D-x-x-x-x-x--x--x--x--
A-7-6-4-2-7--9-11-12--

Solo is pretty simple too. As long as you know how to bend the strings (push up toward the next string up. That's it), nothing very technical, and it's all done in the same poistion (index @ 9th fret). This tab has the best rendition. I'll post my own solo tab later, because there were a few things that the tab got wrong.

SETLIST UPDATED

Not Making That Joke

Nope. But I WILL type up my lesson for "Don't Fear The Reaper"!

DON'T FEAR THE REAPER
There are little solo parts throughout the song, and require some memorization. Despite my less than perfect memory, these aren't too hard technically speaking. You don't have to change your position much, and there's no note shorter than an eighth. For me, it was playing this part up to speed AND cleanly:

From this tab:
======Am====G======F=====G
G--------2-0--------0--------0-------0---
D------2----------0--------0-------0------
A----0----------2--------3-------2--------
E-------------3--------1-------3-----------

This is another one of those lessons where I can't really give much more advice than "work it up to speed" It is a good opportunity to review fingerings:
A chord- middle finger on 2nd fret D string, ring on 2nd fret G string.
G chord- middle finger on 3rd fret lowE string, index finger on 2nd fret A string, pinky on 3rd fret highE string
F chord- index finger on 1st fret lowE string,ring finger on 3rd fret A string

Still not going to make that reference.

Ah, we've all earned it:


FYI, next song will be "Desolation Row" by My Chemical Romance, as per the Bonus Songs. After that, maybe Dani California.

SETLIST UPDATED

BTW, regarding what happens tomorrow, this will either be the best or worst thing you'll see:
Watchmen The Saturday Morning Cartoon

Guitar Hero Hero

YES!!!



Should have "Don't Fear The Reaper" for ya by tomorrow.