How do you play Rock Band?
- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
For me, the grand majority of my Rock Band time is played on Saturdays with usually 3-5 people in the group. We have a very tight and slimmed down library of about 1350 – 1400 songs in the game and each person takes a turn to pick two songs. However, they cannot pick any two songs that they want, they get 5 selections at random and can only keep 2 of them (and once you pass over a song you cannot use it as an option if the rest of your 5 turns out even worse).
If the person selected passed their first three random chances, they are now stuck with whatever the next two songs are. It definitely creates some strategy, like if you get a somewhat decent song on 1-2, is it worth taking or should I gamble and see if something better comes along at 3-4-5?
Good times and I have been playing this way for years. Always makes it exciting to see what comes next and has also introduced us to some fun bands that we would never have found without playing random (Alestorm anyone?).
Also fun things we throw in is each person has one veto and one steal in their pocket for the night. You can use these to either veto your own song if the fifth song out of your 5 is just not for you (This gets you three more random selections to find that elusive 2nd song), or you can veto a buddy who is wants to play that annoying White Stripes song again that you hate, sure he gets three more chances at another song, but at least that White Stripes song doesn’t have to take a crap in your ears for three minutes.
Steals are more like looking at someone going though their random 5 and finding something that you really want to play. That would be the time to steal. I think I stole When Its Love by Van Hagar last week. Totally worth it. Who knows if I would’ve seen it show up randomly any time soon and I really wanted to sing it.
The lineup consists of Myself (Expert Vocals, Expert Guitar); A Buddy (Expert Vocals, Expert Guitar); Brother 1 (Expert Pro e-drums); Cousin (Medium Bass, sometimes Expert Vocals); Brother 2 (Medium Bass, Medium Guitar, sometime Expert Vocals). If only three of us show up. the dual stage kit mod becomes the fourth member and puts on a great show. And usually the lights inspire someone to drag out the cowbell at just the right moments when we have the fever.
If I am singing or my buddy is singing we drop the guitar to the other one and that person plays guitar and harmonizes. Brother 1 only drums, so he decides which songs of his that he wants myself or my buddy to sing, Cousin usually just sticks with bass, while having us sing his picks, but every so often he’ll pop up to sing a song he really like while I play guitar and buddy slaps bass. Brother 2 shows up the least, but when he does, he takes over main guitar duties and myself and my buddy just take turns harmonizing on all the songs (this usually ends up happening anyway the longer the night goes one and the more booze that is consumed).
Speaking of booze, I have a bar right behind where we play and it is full of liquor and beer. I’d say on average we go through two fifths of bourbon, with some beers thrown in, in one Rock Band session. Pretty much all being consumed by myself and my buddy.
Last thing is after every RB session we pull 6 random songs out of the RB library that is just sitting on my hard drive unused (thanks to Nemo’s cPlayer) and we listen to these songs closely for a week and they are required to sing & play them the following week. Sometime we get duds, but other times we find gems. Been a very good idea for me to find new music.
And that is how I prefer to play rock band in order to keep it as my favorite hobby. How about you? How do you play Rock Band? Any ideas that may improve your/our experience?
I thought of this topic after realizing Rock Band 4 has not gotten me excited about anything new and does not have me wanting to change the way I am already playing.
Friday at 8.
Room lights down. Rock lights up.
Filter: pro guitar/bass ON, pro keys ON
Game volume: minimal
Drum/Bass/Guitar/Keyboard/Vocal Amps: LOUD
ROCK ON
Friday at 8.Room lights down. Rock lights up.
Filter: pro guitar/bass ON, pro keys ON
Game volume: minimal
Drum/Bass/Guitar/Keyboard/Vocal Amps: LOUD
ROCK ON
Been there many times, folks. It’s pretty impressive. Especially the German ringer they have on keys.
Edited to add: That it seems that you are losing the entire way you play with Rock Band 4 coming out. I was upset that I am not getting anything new that I would want to incorporate into our rock gaming, but you seem to be having your whole setup killed. There’s no real reason for you guys to even move to RB4 it seems.
Mostly casual playing in a karaoke fashion at a (board)game club I am member of. We recently discovered customs and a bunch of us are making them for personal use now.
Personally I’ll play everything, from hard drums, to expert guitar, bass, vocals and (pro-)keys.
There’s no real reason for you guys to even move to RB4 it seems.Correct.
” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_frown.gif”>But yeah, on the topic of RB4, I personally don’t feel like it has any added value except for the option to play head-to-head. But that on itself it not enough to make me buy an XBone
I usually play solo
” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_frown.gif” /> I used to get the band together every weekend to play. I would do expert guitar and harmonize, Buddy 1 on expert lead vocals, Buddy 2 on Expert Bass. No drummer unless you count the cat named Bongo. We would usually do a setlist of 9 songs (3 each, freely chosen) and then a ‘capper’, the chooser of which rotated every week. Sometimes we would switch it up, like the day we took we to do the RB3 Endless Setlist. I had a big setup with a projector and the stage kit and surround sound, but then I moved to an apartment and Buddy 2 went to the Army Reserve, so we have been on a long hiatus. He’s back now so we are going to try to get the band back together!So it’s cool that you are both in Michigan, clint and Nyx, as am I. I doubt I would enjoy playing with you that much though since our styles are so different
” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” />What is this ‘play’?Do you know when you go to test a song? It’s the same thing but you don’t have to take notes or check that everything is ok. Basically it’s like testing but with all the dread removed.
What is this ‘play’?Do you know when you go to test a song? It’s the same thing but you don’t have to take notes or check that everything is ok. Basically it’s like testing but with all the dread removed.
So you’re saying what I do is basically what they call ‘play’, but with a notepad and migraine?
Interesting.
In basement bar, 2-3 friends.
Fog machine, 2 light trusses and one laser that I turn on if I play Tom Sawyer.
2 mic stands, 5.1 surround sound with sub woofer at max. all in game vocals turned down so it’s just us on the microphones when the track allows. (except for customs that have it on the track)
as far as setlists go, usually we just play what we feel. there’s a few songs we “retired” that make a comeback if we’re drunk enough like “Creep” which we hadn’t played since 2009 made a return a few weeks ago.
Correct.” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_frown.gif” />Bummer. We’re gonna give the rpg story mode a try as a band, but I am not feeling the excitement for it yet at all.
In basement bar, 2-3 friends.Fog machine, 2 light trusses and one laser that I turn on if I play Tom Sawyer.
2 mic stands, 5.1 surround sound with sub woofer at max. all in game vocals turned down so it’s just us on the microphones when the track allows. (except for customs that have it on the track)
Sounds like a damn good time. We also turn in game vocals all the way down, which is what makes karaoke or multitrack customs stand out for me.
I doubt I would enjoy playing with you that much though since our styles are so different” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” />What makes them so different? Are you trying to say that I have too many rules?
” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” />
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.