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I think I'm the typical American male. I've owned a beautiful Fender Strat for over 15 years. I've got an amp to go with it. Sitting in an office, the set looks damned-impressive. Like too many typical American males, though, I can only remember about 3 riffs and one chord. If I only had three more chords, I could form a band!! My beautiful black guitar has collected dust for most of the 15 years I've owned it. Before Christmas, I started looking for new Xbox games to request as gifts. I stumbled upon the Rocksmith games. I read many of the reviews. Most of the reviews sound exactly like me--people who have always wanted to play guitar, but have never devoted the time necessary to actually play anything but a few select riffs. Riffs are cool, but they won't get you through an entire song. I've always felt that if one is going to actually "play" a guitar, one ought to be able to at least play a song. Right?
Anyway, the concept of Rocksmith appealed to me. After seeing kids play Guitar Hero or Rock Band, I always wondered what would happen if you could plug a real guitar into the game. Well, UBI Soft has done exactly that! So, on Christmas morning, I found Rocksmith 2011. Using some gift cards, I also purchased 2014. Instead of pressing color bars on a fake instrument, you have to press the correct fret and string on a real guitar! If I miss a note, helpful arrows nudge my finger in the right direction to find the correct note next time. Like Hero, you get to play along with actual songs from the actual artists. Even better, Rocksmith lays in the appropriate effects pedals/amps to mimic the correct sound. Tom Scholz of Boston spent much of an Engineering degree developing his "Boston crunch" sound, but when it is time to play that part of the solo, Rocksmith lays in the correct sound and I get all of his work for the price of a video game! This is true of all songs in the Rocksmith catalog. If Pearl Jam played it that way, you get to sound that way, too!
The beauty of this "game" is that when you choose to learn a song, you are presented with a small portion of the total notes and techniques needed to play the song from start to finish. If I am able to play the majority of the notes presented, the next time I play the song, the "game" will add in an additional small percentage of notes, increasing the difficulty. Usually, the difficulty doesn't jump so far that you get nervous, but occasionally, I find that it jumps me a little too far ahead and I start fumbling. When this happens, though, the "game" will readjust the difficulty the other direction until it learns that I am back in the groove of the song. This feature, alone, would make the "game" useful as a guitar trainer. However, there are so many more features. Based upon my play, Rocksmith suggests lessons or "Guitarcade" games that help to improve the techniques I am fumbling. These even include video lessons with an instructor demonstrating a bend or a slide, along with what that technique looks like in the "game". Then, it challenges me to try what I've just been shown, providing instant feedback on whether I "nailed it" or not. Many segments will keep rewinding the riff until I can play it perfectly. Then, it takes me back to the song where I can try my new-found skill. The "Riff Repeater" is another amazing tool. I can select the phrases that cause me pain or difficulty and slow them down (like Slow Downer apps) and can adjust both the speed and difficulty of the riff. I can keep replaying the segment, increasing both the speed and the difficulty, until I've mastered 100 percent of both. At that point, I'm playing the phrase note for note with the actual band. There are many more tools and I've only scratched the surface of either trying them or describing them to you.
The big question: Does it work??
Yes. Yes it does. Since Christmas morning (I am writing this on Jan. 21) it has been almost a month since I first plugged in the Rocksmith cable to my Strat. In that time, I have played the game well over 100 hours, and have only skipped ONE DAY of play as I was out of town. I try to get a minimum of 30 minutes of play in every day, but most-often find that I've spent 90 minutes or more. I was surprised to see an achievement pop up indicating that I had surpassed 100 hours of play after only 2 weeks. I have continued with an hour each night since then and am probably closer to 120 now. Does it work? Let me repeat: I have played my guitar (remember, the one that sat around for 15 years) for nearly 120 hours since Christmas morning. I am nowhere close to being tired of playing either the game, or my neglected guitar. I am probably annoying my friends with how much I rave about my experience and how rewarded I feel in finally being able to play my guitar.
Last night, I decided to re-enter some of the songs that I tried, but decided they were way over my head. These are songs that I'd only been able to play 6-8% of the difficulty upon first attempt. Using the skills I have developed through playing other songs, I was able to improve all of these to between 35 and 60% of difficulty. That is phenomenal growth in my skill and ability in only weeks.
Oh, I should probably mention that I am 49. Being a rock star has been a closet ambition of mine since I was 9. I took some lessons from a friend's mom in high school, but never had the fun I needed or the improvement to keep at it beyond a few months. It only took 40 years and an amazing video game to make me feel like I could actually join a couple of friendly hacks and make a go at playing a few real songs in a real garage. That, my friends, is the best testimonial to the power of this tool.
If I can do it...you can too. I even have the callouses to prove that I am now a guitar player.
Maybe I should grow my hair...hmmm...
Buy this product as Renewed and save $4.96 off the current New price.
Rocksmith 2014 Edition - Xbox 360 (Cable Included) (Renewed) $69.99
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Works and looks like new and backed by the Amazon Renewed Guarantee
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From the manufacturer
The Fastest Way To Learn Guitar
Join over 3 million people who have learned to play guitar with the award-winning Rocksmith method. Rocksmith becomes your personal guitar teacher as it monitors how you play, dynamically adjusts the difficulty to your skill level, and then slowly introduces more phrases and techniques until you’re playing your favorite songs note-for-note.
A Great Gift For Guitar Owners Of All Skill Levels
Rocksmith includes a lifetime’s worth of guitar and bass lessons, all in one box. Over 80 interactive lessons will help teach you almost every technique associated with guitar and bass. Everything from the basics of holding a pick to advanced techniques like tapping are covered in detail with multi-camera videos.
Learn To Play Hit Songs By The Original Artists
From the moment you begin, you’ll be learning to play actual songs. Rocksmith includes over 50 songs from artists including Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Avenged Sevenfold, Def Leppard, Foo Fighters, Kiss, Iron Maiden, Muse, Nirvana, oasis, Radiohead, Rise Against, The Rolling Stones, System of a Down, Weezer, The Who, and many more.
Hundreds more songs are available to download with added purchase.
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| Guitar Type | Electric Guitar or Bass | Acoustic-Electric Guitar or Bass | Acoustic Guitar or Bass |
| Requirements | 1/4" output jack | 1/4" output jack | Acoustic pickup with a 1/4" output jack (not included) or a dedicated USB microphone (not included). |
| How It Works | Plug in your guitar or bass with the included cable | Plug in your guitar or bass with the included cable | Option A: Plug the included cable into your acoustic pickup with a 1/4" output jack (not included). Option B: Plug your dedicated USB microphone into your console or computer and position it near you pointing towards your acoustic instrument. |
| Songs Included on Disc | Over 50 | Over 50 (including 30+ acoustic friendly tracks) | Over 50 (including 30+ acoustic friendly tracks) |
| Songs Available for Download with Added Purchase | Over 800 | Over 800 (including 500+ acoustic friendly tracks) | Over 800 (including 500+ acoustic friendly tracks) |
Videos
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Expert Opinions on Rocksmith 2014 Edition
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How It Works
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Customer Review: Beginners (would-be rock stars) unite!
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Whats New & Improved
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Customer reviews
I thought I was getting a brand new Rocksmith 2014 with the cable included , I received a open case without the cable . It was even written cable included . There case wasn’t even had plastic wrapped .
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 21, 2015
Platform For Display: Xbox 360Edition: Cable IncludedVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 19, 2015
Platform For Display: Xbox 360Edition: Cable IncludedVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Cliente de Amazon
Excelente juego
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on September 6, 2017Platform For Display: Xbox 360Edition: Cable IncludedVerified Purchase
Humberto Galindo
Excelente Opción para Practicar
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on February 13, 2017Platform For Display: Xbox 360Edition: Cable IncludedVerified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Más inversión para tener la experiencia adecuada
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on April 18, 2017Platform For Display: Xbox 360Edition: Cable IncludedVerified Purchase
Raul Morales
Excelente forma de enseñar a tocar la guitarra
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on May 4, 2016Platform For Display: Xbox 360Edition: Cable IncludedVerified Purchase
Luigui
Excelente
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on August 26, 2016Platform For Display: Xbox 360Edition: Cable IncludedVerified Purchase
