Rock Band 3: Pro Guitar controller

[Torque]

So, I'm on the hunt for one of these damned things. I've been taking guitar lessons for a few months, and frankly, my teacher is a complete dink. He's teaching me to play "mary had a little lamb", a few bars of "Ode to Joy" and other shit like this. It's poor teaching, and I'm a little fed up with it, so I'm ending the lessons at the end of this month.
So I decided I will dedicate myself to learning the guitar by using the new mustang controller.
Problem is.... I can't find one!
Anywhere!
No one carries it! I know it's out, but there are none in this damned city. Does anyone know why this is?? Any word on if the periferals are having problems or something? Mass recalls?

[Doc ock rokc]

I don't even think to those are out yet.

[Melfice]

The mustangs ARE out.
It's the Squiers that are releasing later this year.

Also, stick to proper lessons.
The mustang can help next to proper lessons, but it will never teach you the actual string work.

This is not a mucisician slamming Rock Band.
This is me, as a gamer, talking to you - an aspiring musician.

Edit: also, don't dis Mary had a little lamb. Check out Stevie Ray Vaughan's rendition.
Don't dis Ode to Joy either. It's Europe's anthem, I'll have you know. ;)

[Doc ock rokc]

Learning the basics of anything is essential later on. While also Exploring yourself is how you really learn. So if your felling fed up with the teaching both practice what he is teaching you and start with some of the songs you want to learn.
I would suggest "Smoke On The Water" as a good starter song. try doing it with the finger tabs first then just the notes. Associate yourself with the notes.
I tried learning the guitar but my Disgraphia makes it extra ordinary difficult to play it. however I can play smoke on the water

here see if you can do this (http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/d/deep_purple/smoke_on_the_water_intro_tab.htm)

[Lumenskir]

From what I've read, the Rock Band guitar is a horrible simulacrum of the feel of an actual guitar. It's got more buttons, but all the 'strings' are the same width there's no actual string to physically thrum against so you might develop some unhelpful muscle memory.

Plus, the fake guitar is like $150. Tough it out with your instructor.

[Torque]

Tough it out with your instructor.

Not going to happen. I took music lessons years ago for the flute, and still play.
This is not a case of "I hate boring music so I'm going to quit".
This is a case of this guy is horrible teacher, and I'm not paying to learn nothing".

I want the guitar controller for almost all of the exact reasons "real" musicians claim they don't like them.
For instance, "String" Thickness: I understand the issue here, whereas you can't use the string thickness to help you gauge which string your finger is on, but being new, I would rather learn to know where my fingers are not by tricks and cheats, but by simply knowing where my fingers are. i.e. playing the flute where all the valves feel the same, you know which note you are playing because you have practiced putting your fingers in the right place.
That is just one example for me though.

I honestly believe as an aspiring hobby musician that this is going to be a great way for new players to learn playing an instrument.
Not to mention that the tutorials appear to teach genuine musical theory, and that I think is just as important as knowing where to put your fingers.
As for the price, well, when you compare the $300 or so price tag for the whole rig; guitar, software and USB midi peripheral, to the price of lessons for however long it takes you to not need lessons anymore I think the unit pays for itself if you can put your time in with it.
Also, for anyone still reading, doc, I would rather burn off my finger tips with a plasma cutter than ever subject a musical instrument to "Smoke on the water"... :mad:

edit: Just found out too, that it sounds like EA, or Harmonix is having issues with getting the controllers made, and shipped. Not sure if it's wide spread, or if it's a regional thing though.

double edit: I would wait for the pro Squire controller to come out, but I doubt that it will be coming in a left handed variety which I require as I play left handed.

[Meister]

Small correction: MadCatz is having issues with getting the controllers made and shipped. I feel this is such a central problem to the whole Rock Band Pro thing that it's important to attribute fault properly. It's a regional thing in that it affects basically any non-US territory.

[Doc ock rokc]

doc, I would rather burn off my finger tips with a plasma cutter than ever subject a musical instrument to "Smoke on the water"...
...It was a Suggestion. That is how I and My brother learned the guitar. We looked up "easy" songs and tryed to play them. MY brother however is lucky that he is Dyslexic rather then dysgraphic and managed to how to write his own music with a guitar.

[Torque]

Small correction: MadCatz is having issues with getting the controllers made and shipped. I feel this is such a central problem to the whole Rock Band Pro thing that it's important to attribute fault properly. It's a regional thing in that it affects basically any non-US territory.

You are of course, correct, I meant madcatz.

...It was a Suggestion. That is how I and My brother learned the guitar. We looked up "easy" songs and tryed to play them. MY brother however is lucky that he is Dyslexic rather then dysgraphic and managed to how to write his own music with a guitar.

I know. I just really felt the need to express how much I can't stand that song.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Don't dis Ode to Joy either. It's Europe's anthem, I'll have you know. ;)

If you ever needed a reason not ot play a song, here it is.

[McTahr]

If the integral problem with you learning guitar is your teacher, get a new teacher, or even just self teach.

Janky startup electric guitar - $80 last I checked
Dinky portable amp - ~$30-40
Misc. - $20-30
Interbuttz tabs/notation - Free!

This is a musician dissing on Rock Band instruments (Not the plastic ones, I get it, some people just want to play a game). To be honest, from what I can tell only the drums are a decent surrogate for the real thing, and even then only sorta because your toms don't just pretend to be cymbals every once in a while and IIRC they mix up the hand placement for snare/hi-hat.

I mean, it's possible the mock-up pro guitar they've made is a great way to learn guitar and matches handling perfectly, but given the level of nuances and specifics to the instrument, I'm skeptical.

Edit for anecdote: A self-taught lad such as you aspire to be once walked into a good classical instructor's studio for a single lesson. He walked out knowing that half of what he knew was wrong. End story. My fingering was buggered, among so, so many other things that you would never think of self-teaching or playing the surrogate.

[Torque]

Well, in the grand scheme of things I am will to give the facsimile a go. At worst I have an expensive game peripheral for a game I enjoy playing, and at best, I can teach myself to play a musical instrument.

[Lumenskir]

Well, in the grand scheme of things I am will to give the facsimile a go. At worst I have an expensive game peripheral for a game I enjoy playing, and at best, I can teach myself to play a musical instrument.
There needs to be a tag for "Give me advice even though my mind is already made up" threads.

[Melfice]

and at best, it will help me with chords and the likes.

Fixed that for you.

Did you know the neck of the Mustang is shorter than that of a real guitar, and as a result there are less frets on the thing?

Listen, I don't play guitar, aside from that one time I made a fool of myself. I wish I could say I was drunk, but I don't drink...
Anyway, I've only barely begun playing the Mustang, and comparing that with the feel of that real guitar... it's completely different. It could be a great tool to use next to proper lessons and a real guitar, but it's no substitute.

You'll need either the Rock Band Squier or a different teacher for that.

EDIT: Also, screw you Smartypants. Ode to Joy is a totally cool anthem.

[Meister]

There needs to be a tag for "Give me advice even though my mind is already made up" threads.
Yeah and then we can apply that to threads where the thing someone's already made up their mind about is in fact the same as the thing they asked about in the OP.

Torque, you might want to follow this thread (http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211854) on the Rock Band forums, they have MadCatz reps occasionally posting there. (The Rock Band forums are otherwise terrible and I advise against venturing into any other parts.)

To be honest, from what I can tell only the drums are a decent surrogate for the real thing, and even then only sorta because your toms don't just pretend to be cymbals every once in a while and IIRC they mix up the hand placement for snare/hi-hat.
They do offer additional cymbals these days and RB3's Pro mode makes those useful in more than a cosmetic way by telling you when to strike a cymbal and when a pad, but the hand placement thing is a common complaint. And of course there's still no hi-hat pedal and you're limited to the given setup etc. so there definitely is a lot of criticism you can heap on pro mode's teaching capabilities. My guess, speaking as basically a guy who plunks away on the bass sometimes and is otherwise musically uneducated, is that it's probably as decent as anything for teaching you some basics and help you strum/drum/play along somewhat recognizably in a casual campfire environment, which sounds like a decent start.

[Torque]

There needs to be a tag for "Give me advice even though my mind is already made up" threads.

Funny, I don't... oh wait there it i- nope... no not there either.
Weird. I don't remember asking for advice anywhere in my OP.
I wanted to know where I could get one, not whether it was worth it. Yes, I added an unneccessary anecdote explaining why I wanted one, but that was for filler, not a desperate cry for "plz tell me wut to do intarwebz"
Consider it a social experiment if you want.
Tell ya what.. If/When I get one I will regularly post my progress, with video or pictures even, if I can manage it, of my progress comparing both the mustang and my real guitar playing.
We'll see if it compares.
Again, at worst, I've bought an expensive toy, and despite a valid, but highly uneducated opinion on the matter, at best a new method of learning a musical instrument.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Let's give advice:
Join a punk band so you don't have to learn to play-it worked for the Clash.

[Torque]

Let's give advice:
Join a punk band so you don't have to learn to play-it worked for the Clash.

20-20-24 HOURS AGO-O-O I WANNA BE SEDATED! *sung at the top of my incredibly loud, but ridiculously awful singing voice*

[Lumenskir]

Funny, I don't... oh wait there it i- nope... no not there either.
Weird. I don't remember asking for advice anywhere in my OP.
I wanted to know where I could get one, not whether it was worth it. Yes, I added an unneccessary anecdote explaining why I wanted one, but that was for filler, not a desperate cry for "plz tell me wut to do intarwebz"
Consider it a social experiment if you want.
Tell ya what.. If/When I get one I will regularly post my progress, with video or pictures even, if I can manage it, of my progress comparing both the mustang and my real guitar playing.
We'll see if it compares.
Again, at worst, I've bought an expensive toy, and despite a valid, but highly uneducated opinion on the matter, at best a new method of learning a musical instrument.
http://cdn0.knowyourmeme.com/i/000/061/497/original/Well-excuse-me-Princess-Well-excuse-me-Princess.jpg?1279976882

[Torque]

http://cdn0.knowyourmeme.com/i/000/061/497/original/Well-excuse-me-Princess-Well-excuse-me-Princess.jpg?1279976882

Hey man, it's not my fault you completely missed the point and then tried to be sarcastic about it.

[synkr0nized]

and then hotlinked off "knowyourmeme". For shame.



As to the topic, there seem to be plenty of online retailers carrying the Mad Catz controller. Perhaps it just sucks for you up there in Canadanananadland.

[Torque]

As to the topic, there seem to be plenty of online retailers carrying the Mad Catz controller. Perhaps it just sucks for you up there in Canadanananadland.

Agreed. It appears to be "north america" according to the blog post I read, but I think by north american they just mean canada :(
Oh well. I can wait. I am patient as a grass hopper.