Life Hackery

Do you want to be a true guitar hero? Pulling off the most wicked solos from rock classics like One and Freebird will make you look like the raddest guitar master that the gaming world has to offer. So put down your real guitar for now, and pick up every guitar hero’s weapon of choice — the guitar controller.

At first, the songs may seem difficult to follow, especially for beginners. The fact that you are playing notes and chords that move makes the game very different from playing the actual game. Even guitar legend Slash admitted that he had problems with some of the songs when he initially tried the game. As you can see, your quest into becoming a guitar hero will not be a breeze. Here are five effective ways to make your journey much easier.

Catch the Rhythm

Just like playing a real guitar, knowing the rhythm of every song is important. You must learn to get the time signature of a song or at least count while playing, to grasp the proper timing for every note. Just so you know, the game has a tiny margin of error that you can use to your full advantage.

• Tap your Foot – A good way to catch the rhythm of any guitar hero lick is to tap your foot while playing through each song. You can synchronize the pattern of your foot taps with the beat. If you are having trouble grasping the beat, you can always refer to the drum pattern. The drum patterns for some of the songs start over after every four counts, so it’s easier to follow.
• Mental Counting – Counting mentally may confuse many gamers but for real guitar players, it is the method of choice. By counting the beats mentally, guitar players can grasp the time signature of a song, which they can handily apply when playing Guitar Hero. You can use this tactic if you are adept at playing a real guitar.
• The Head Bang – Headbanging may seem silly but it is actually a good strategy for catching the rhythm. Through subtle headbanging, your glands secrete adrenaline that helps your entire body get attuned to the rhythm. Just make sure that your headbanging is not too intense, or else you won’t be able to follow the notes.

Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

When faced with difficult songs like “Freebird” or “Bark at the Moon,” catching the rhythm is not enough. You must have great finger speed and exceptional hand-and-eye coordination to pull of the game’s trickiest solos. Fortunately, Guitar Hero developer Harmonix included hammer-ons and pull-offs, which can make any solo manageable.

The inclusion of hammer-ons and pull-offs is the main advantage of real guitar players when playing guitar hero. Since those techniques are common when playing a real guitar, players can easily apply them whenever necessary. Beginners, on the other hand, are likely to find both techniques confusing and will udually resort to plucking through extremely fast solos, which is nearly impossible.

Let’s level the playing field a little bit. Here’s a simple guide on how to pull off hammer-ons and pull-offs:

• Hammer-On – The hammer-on is a technique where you press the fret-buttons for every note, without the need for plucking. You can only apply this technique in select parts of a song, particularly the solos. Its use is signaled by the appearance of translucent notes and chords. Refrain from hitting the strum bar while doing a hammer-on because it will only slow your fingers down.
• Pull-Off – The pull-off is the opposite of the hammer-on. In this technique, you must let go of your fingers without touching the strum bar. The pull-off is only applied on some parts of a song and is also signaled by translucent notes and cords. Just like the hammer-on, you must not touch the strum bar while doing the technique, or else, the chance for missing notes increases dramatically.

Memorize the Notes

Memorizing the notes, especially the solos is an advantage. With the notes memorized, your only job is to capture the rhythm. You can master solos as your fingers gradually get accustomed to the quick shifting. You will also know when to maximize the star power bonus to jack up your scores.

• Repeated Play – Practicing your favorite songs will not only improve your scores. You will unconsciously pick up playing styles that you can use in other songs. For instance, mastering the song “No One Knows” in Guitar Hero 1 will give you an outright advantage in the song “Crossroad”, since the latter’s hard parts resemble the general chord pattern of the former.
• Star Power – By memorizing the songs, you will know when to use the star power bonus. You can determine the juiciest parts in between the star power collection points to maximize your score. You can also fill up your star power meter promptly before reaching your problem areas in any song, since you know where all the star power bonuses are located.

Practice Mode Makes Perfect

The practice mode for all the games belonging to the Guitar Hero series, including Rock Band, is the logical starting point for any beginner.

It is the perfect place for you to learn hammer-ons and pull-offs through the learning exercises provided by the feature. You can also dissect songs so that you can focus on the problem areas for each song.

• Learning Exercises – The learning exercises provided by the game is focused on improving your timing and your execution of hammer-ons and pull-offs. Some of the exercises may be easy but they can help you pick up useful techniques. Guitar Hero requires you to have a firm grasp on the game’s basics before you can ace the hardest songs.
• Song Dissection – The song dissection section is the Guitar Hero master’s open secret. In this section, you can repeatedly play a section of a song that has been giving you problems. Play the section repeatedly and you’ll eventually perfect it. Dissect all the hard songs en route to becoming a bona fide Guitar Hero legend.

Watch a Master Play

• The Personified Instructional - Watching a guitar hero expert is like watching a personified instructional. Look at how an expert shifts his fingers through every solo and you will certainly learn a thing or two. You will see how he properly executes his hammer-ons, pull-offs and the trickiest areas of every song. Remarkably, you will realize how easy it really is to get high scores.
• Trash Talk = Motivation – If the expert happens to be a trash talker, you will have enough motivation to improve and shame him the next time you guys play. Remember to never ever let go of your gamer pride. This sets you apart from every other gamer.

Guitar Hero and its horde of equally entertaining sequels are easy to master. Just practice continuously and apply all the necessary techniques. Soon, you can earn the right to be called a “true guitar hero.”