Rock Prodigy - the harsh schoolteacher version of Rocksmith

[bundito]

Anyone else tried this competing product? It's a lot less "fun & flashy" than Rocksmith, but it's also a totally different mentality.

The instruction is trying to teach you "proper technique" and avoid learning bad habits. For example, Fret 1 = index finger; fret 2 = middle finger, etc. A simple exercise like walking up the neck to 8 (index finger switch for fret 5 - GO!) is really pretty challenging.

I like it because I know I WAS starting to get some bad habits playing only RS. Playing the songs, especially in the beginning, is just a matter of hitting the notes - "correct" fingers be damned. So I was playing everything with middle or index fingers. And then came the chords - and I had no stretches or control over the other two fingers.

It's a lot less fun, less polished, and a lot more serious than Rocksmith, but I still think it's valuable. The problem is that the two games aren't in the same mindset. Trying to play a song in Rocksmith while using the proper fingers from Rock Prodigy is hard as hell.

I know I can play and learn any way I want, but my main goal is trying to play well. So I'll use whatever comes my way.

Back to the original topic... anyone else tried Rock Prodigy? What did you think?

[wraith7201]

I've played around with it, but I've found myself improving much faster with Rocksmith. Rock Prodigy isn't bad, considering I can use it on my iPhone, so there's definitely a place for it.

[bundito]

I haven't tried the iPhone/iPad version. I'm not convinced it'd work so well just by listening to the device microphone. And I ain't got the bucks for a guitar-to-iOS connector!

[omar59]

I have it and like it. I must force myself to use it though, because it is all work and no fun. I wanted it because it go into theory more that RS.

[bundito]

What platform are you using it on? I've got it for my MacBook, since it'll use the RealTone cable from Rocksmith.

(Sometimes I wonder if I bought this guitar just so I could have even MORE cables running around the place...)

[Princess Fuzzy]

Interesting.
Looks similar to bandfuse, but with more of the screen space dedicated to the tab display, which may help with some of the readability problems that bandfuse suffered.

Here's a promotional video from their site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlERuhLk2-s

I'm downloading the demo now, I'll be back later with my first impressions.

[bundito]

It's also endorsed/sponsored by Fender... whose name dare not be mentioned within Rocksmith, it seems. I smell a little corporate rivalry. I'd like to know the how business/marketing partnerships in this game got worked out. Gibson/Epiphone, Marshall, Orange. They even got Ernie Ball strings in on it. I wonder what was up with Fender. Is their rivalry with Gibson that intense, or did Ubisoft just go for the highest bidder?

Back on track... Rock Prodigy is 180 degrees from Rocksmith. I really want to learn "well", but jumping between the two apps is a rough mental gear change. Curious to hear your thoughts.

[Princess Fuzzy]

I'm back with my impressions now.

In the demo I played lesson 1 and lesson 2, plus Blues Turnaround Riff 2 and 12 Bar Blues 1.
I think that's all that's available in the demo anyway.

Overall, I think Rocksmith's method of displaying the notes is more useful.
The scrolling tab method that this game, Bandfuse, Guitar Pro? and Tux Guitar? all use is probably pretty good for someone who is already very familiar with tabs, but it lacks the visual geometry that Rocksmith's display method gives.

With scrolling tabs, you have to read each number and make the mental connection between the numbers and the positions on the fretboard that you need to get your fingers into.
This can be especially tricky when working with six-string chords, and that's where Rocksmith's way really shines.
Having the chord shape visually represented makes it that much easier to visualise and understand what you're meant to be doing.

Display methodology aside though, I think there's plenty of praise to be given to this game.
I like the way the speech of the lessons are integrated into the lesson activity itself instead of having an instructional video and then an exercise to play as a separate piece.

I also like that it names the notes that you're playing, so as well as indicating Fret 1 on the E string for example, it also indicates that that note is F.

The atual fret numbers are nice and big too. This should go some way to mitigating the problems I've heard Bandfuse users complain of where the numbers become a blur in fast sections.

In the end though, I think Rocksmith's way of displaying the notes is simply superior, so I'd never recommend this product over Rocksmith, but perhaps for someone with only an iPad and no PC, Mac, 360 or PS3...

It didn't impress me enough that I'm willing to buy the full product.

[bundito]

Good review. Good work.

I really like the straightforward, no-nonsense drills. Not hidden behind a game of some kind. These. Are. Drills. They suck. You gotta learn 'em.

What I'm finding, though, is that Rocksmith has some serious guitar skill building drills in there, but they're kind of buried and/or or disguised. The Guitarcade games are good drills, but the presentation is almost too much. I wouldn't mind having a Guitarcade game version AND a dull boring schoolteacher version side-by-side.

[GuitarDan]

Originally posted by Legendman (Fuzzy):

I'm back with my impressions now.

In the demo I played lesson 1 and lesson 2, plus Blues Turnaround Riff 2 and 12 Bar Blues 1.
I think that's all that's available in the demo anyway.

Overall, I think Rocksmith's method of displaying the notes is more useful.
The scrolling tab method that this game, Bandfuse, Guitar Pro? and Tux Guitar? all use is probably pretty good for someone who is already very familiar with tabs, but it lacks the visual geometry that Rocksmith's display method gives.

With scrolling tabs, you have to read each number and make the mental connection between the numbers and the positions on the fretboard that you need to get your fingers into.
This can be especially tricky when working with six-string chords, and that's where Rocksmith's way really shines.
Having the chord shape visually represented makes it that much easier to visualise and understand what you're meant to be doing.

Display methodology aside though, I think there's plenty of praise to be given to this game.
I like the way the speech of the lessons are integrated into the lesson activity itself instead of having an instructional video and then an exercise to play as a separate piece.

I also like that it names the notes that you're playing, so as well as indicating Fret 1 on the E string for example, it also indicates that that note is F.

The atual fret numbers are nice and big too. This should go some way to mitigating the problems I've heard Bandfuse users complain of where the numbers become a blur in fast sections.

In the end though, I think Rocksmith's way of displaying the notes is simply superior, so I'd never recommend this product over Rocksmith, but perhaps for someone with only an iPad and no PC, Mac, 360 or PS3...

It didn't impress me enough that I'm willing to buy the full product.

Try Jamstar on IOS or Android. It's very similar but more free lessons.

[0x4C]

RS actually does a good job to teach you the right finger positioning, if you look close enough.
If the difficulty is low and you only have to hit single notes of a chord there is a number on the fretboard that indicates, that you should play the single note with finger "x".
When the diff raises you just need to put more fingers and your initial finger of the single note is already, where it should be.

[jacobvandy]

Originally posted by bundito:

Anyone else tried this competing product? It's a lot less "fun & flashy" than Rocksmith, but it's also a totally different mentality.

The instruction is trying to teach you "proper technique" and avoid learning bad habits. For example, Fret 1 = index finger; fret 2 = middle finger, etc. A simple exercise like walking up the neck to 8 (index finger switch for fret 5 - GO!) is really pretty challenging.

I like it because I know I WAS starting to get some bad habits playing only RS. Playing the songs, especially in the beginning, is just a matter of hitting the notes - "correct" fingers be damned. So I was playing everything with middle or index fingers. And then came the chords - and I had no stretches or control over the other two fingers.

It's a lot less fun, less polished, and a lot more serious than Rocksmith, but I still think it's valuable. The problem is that the two games aren't in the same mindset. Trying to play a song in Rocksmith while using the proper fingers from Rock Prodigy is hard as hell.

I know I can play and learn any way I want, but my main goal is trying to play well. So I'll use whatever comes my way.

Back to the original topic... anyone else tried Rock Prodigy? What did you think?

Your reasoning here is pretty flawed... Finger positions change for every song, it's not the game's fault you were lazy and didn't use all of your fingers. What you describe are simply growing pains that every learning guitarist goes through, that process of gaining strength and control in your non-dominant finger(s). The mere fact that a rhythm game allows you to play along with songs immediately using single notes doesn't mean it's encouraging "bad habits" by giving you freedom to explore the fretboard as you wish. And as already pointed out, it does indeed tell you what fingers you should be using, both with the highlighting that represents hand position and numbers for which fingers go where during chords and other tricky parts. But again, everything is subject to change per the song and how the artist and/or interpreter pull it off -- nothing is set in stone. I wonder what you'll think of using index-pinky for two-finger power chords when it's called for? Some people never use more than two fingers even though "proper" instruction says you should use three! *GASP* :p

BTW Rocksmith does have lessons and exercises that encourage the use of all of your fingers. Perhaps you should not have skipped over them if you were looking for "proper" instruction? I personally did not feel the need for someone to make me run fingering drills. Just kind of figured out as I went that, hey, using all my fingers is better, faster, easier than moving my hand so much. It's not like you're ever stuck using a particular technique forever, you can always adjust and re-learn things if you have to. Most people that are just starting out have a hard enough time figuring out what fret and string they should be on, not what finger they're going to put there. Maybe you should view the need to use more than two fingers as a positive sign that you're progressing beyond the stone cold beginner phase? Rather than dwell on some negative thoughts like, "WTF it let me do it wrong all that time!"

[bundito]

Originally posted by jacobvandy:

Your reasoning here is pretty flawed... Finger positions change for every song, it's not the game's fault you were lazy and didn't use all of your fingers. What you describe are simply growing pains that every learning guitarist goes through, that process of gaining strength and control in your non-dominant finger(s). The mere fact that a rhythm game allows you to play along with songs immediately using single notes doesn't mean it's encouraging "bad habits" by giving you freedom to explore the fretboard as you wish. And as already pointed out, it does indeed tell you what fingers you should be using, both with the highlighting that represents hand position and numbers for which fingers go where during chords and other tricky parts. But again, everything is subject to change per the song and how the artist and/or interpreter pull it off -- nothing is set in stone. I wonder what you'll think of using index-pinky for two-finger power chords when it's called for? Some people never use more than two fingers even though "proper" instruction says you should use three! *GASP* :p

BTW Rocksmith does have lessons and exercises that encourage the use of all of your fingers. Perhaps you should not have skipped over them if you were looking for "proper" instruction? I personally did not feel the need for someone to make me run fingering drills. Just kind of figured out as I went that, hey, using all my fingers is better, faster, easier than moving my hand so much. It's not like you're ever stuck using a particular technique forever, you can always adjust and re-learn things if you have to. Most people that are just starting out have a hard enough time figuring out what fret and string they should be on, not what finger they're going to put there. Maybe you should view the need to use more than two fingers as a positive sign that you're progressing beyond the stone cold beginner phase? Rather than dwell on some negative thoughts like, "WTF it let me do it wrong all that time!"

Hey there, easy now, big fella. Let's dial it back a little before calling each other lazy.

I'm a rank beginner, okay? Before the day I installed Rocksmith, I'd only HELD a guitar three or four times in my entire life, let alone tried to play.

I'm grateful for the fact that Prodigy has me learning to use my ring and pinky fingers - it's helping a 44-year-old computer keyboard user stretch and strengthen his other fingers - without getting frustrated.

In fact, I haven't skipped any of the Rocksmith "missions", like playing the Guitarcade games or doing the video-included lessons. And I am getting better at playing, no matter which app is teaching me. I was psyched last night when I managed to make it through a song with multi-finger strums (not quite chords yet) with a reasonable degree of accuracy. I forgot which song it was, but it was a first & second finger pattern that moved up and down the neck as well as up and down the strings. There's a lesson in Prodigy that does exactly that, and I'd practiced the technique there first.

I said from the very outset that the two apps have totally different approaches - I didn't say one was better than the other. I'll take help learning from anywhere I can get it. Playing Rocksmith is fun and entertaining; Prodigy is drills, drills, and more drills. If one is entertaining me and the other is helping me stretch my hands, that's not flawed reasoning - both of them are building my skills and teaching me things. Just in completely different ways and in a completely different sequence.

If you learned to play using all your fingers on your own, that's awesome. I wasn't so awesome. The first time I'd progressed far enough in a song to see more than one note at a time, it was pretty hair-raising.

My hands - not just my uncalloused fingertips - hurt from trying to stretch for chords. I need to build that strength and flexibility. Sometimes a straightforward drill routine is more effective than trying to play a Foo Fighters song over and over again.

Anyway, I was asking folks to talk about what they thought about how the two apps compare & contrast. I wasn't asking for anyone to criticize beginners for not knowing what they're doing.

[Kineticvoid]

Like you I am a mature beginner (51) who until Rocksmith only dreamed of playing a guitar. Prodigy teaches proper technique,Rocksmith forces you to get better if you want to make any progress, I personally like to be under a little pressure, I think better, and make fewer mistakes.
Like you I get psyched to get 80% mastery of Blitzkrieg BOP, for me that song is not as easy as everyone says or Platinum picks from playing the challenges.
With Rocksmith the rewards are immediate and tangible, it's what keeps me wanting to come home from work, push my kid off the computer and try a new song or challenge the leader boards, or just practice in the arcade. I love Rocksmith.
You might want to check out dangerous guitar.com. If they don't have the 20 dollar sale on , they will soon. There's a ton of stuff on there from videos to tabs to lessons in every genre.Well worth it.

[wraith7201]

Originally posted by bundito:

My hands - not just my uncalloused fingertips - hurt from trying to stretch for chords. I need to build that strength and flexibility. Sometimes a straightforward drill routine is more effective than trying to play a Foo Fighters song over and over again.

I used to think this was true, but playing songs has actually resulted in more improvement for me, much faster, than years of playing drills. When I'm really getting into a song, or really trying to nail it, I seem to push myself hard for both accuracy and technique.

When I'm playing drills, I see to push myself only to speed, which kills both accuracy and technique. I know I'm doing it, but I still tend to do it without thinking about.

[bundito]

Originally posted by Rogue203:

I used to think this was true, but playing songs has actually resulted in more improvement for me, much faster, than years of playing drills. When I'm really getting into a song, or really trying to nail it, I seem to push myself hard for both accuracy and technique.

Now that I can relate to. I was playing last night with my headphones on when my wife came and stopped in the doorway. Apparently, I was kinda rockin' out playing some song, foot tapping, head nodding, pretty into it. It was a little embarassing, but at least it proved I was having a good time!