xVladx

Absolutely not. Pinky use is absolutely essential. I can't imagine trying Hard or Expert without it. Think about it this way, if you're not using your pinky, then there's going to be three possible hand positions you'll be bouncing between. If you use your pinky, you've only got two.

That, and trying the Red+Orange, Green+Blue, or the rare Green+Orange chords without your pinky will be pretty tough.

Shagrath

I use my pinky for blue and will slide to orange, depending on the song. Alternately, quite a few people will play with their index finger on the red and their pinky on orange and go up with their index finger to hit green, since the index finger is usually quicker and more responsive than the pinky.

Unfortunately, I had already been playing for months before I saw someone doing this and could never condition myself to play that way. If you haven't made it to hard/expert yet, it might be something to consider.

Mordred

I play the game standing up, except for a few songs which require very fast strumming, Misirlou, Light that Blinds, etc. For those I have to sit down, and hunch myself over the guitar to keep it stationary between my body and legs. Unfortunately it's a terrible position to play single notes and lead stuff and almost guarantees that I'll screw up a few parts that I never would mess up standing up.

Interestingly, at the tourneys I've been to, 75% of the people played sitting down.

Shagrath

When I first got GH1, I played it almost non-stop for months and never experienced any problems. I've held get-togethers to play 1&2 almost weekly since the first one came out. It could be with the way you're holding the guitar? I experienced a little bit of discomfort with the XPlorer when I first got it. Since the neck was thinner, I was holding it differently and had to condition myself to go back to playing it the way I normally do (with my thumb pressed against the back of the neck).

Obey The D

I probably should clarify things: I plan on using my pinky, I was just thinking about holding off on using it until I move to hard.

NatrlBornThrllr

I do. Always.

I would certainly not do this. You just have to train your pinky to play along, and that's not going to happen if you stop using it.

The game is set up to make you alternate your hand positions depending on where your hand is supposed to be. Most songs will have a long section of green through blue notes. Then will come a section of red through orange notes. And if you play certain songs frequently enough, the transition points from one hand position to another and back again become pretty obvious. Only in the occassional wicked solo do you actually have to work all five buttons without favoring one side or the other.

Mordred

I would use it on medium just to get used to using it and having it move independently. Once you start on hard I'd start with my index on Red (for the songs where it makes sense) and try to mainly just use the pinky for Orange and the GB/RO chords.

pizzamousechips

Curious, how good are tourney players? I'm interested in joining one some time, if I ever know about it in advance. I've five-starred more than half of the songs in Expert, but I still don't know if that's good enough. (PS2 version... hoping to save up money for the 360 version as well, for real bragging rights)

Obey The D

Thanks for the input. I think I'll start with my index on red like you and several others suggested.

Mordred

I've entered 3 real tournaments, and will possibly enter a 4th at the end of this month. They've been 32 person single elimination. I would say 3/4s of the people in them were around your skill level. The final quarter can probably 5 star 90% of the songs at will, and the guys who win (not that I've won a tourney yet) can 5 star anything at any time, and probably have a lot of 100%s on expert. They don't have any problem passing Jordan on Expert and 5*ing it. I've finished top 4 every time, but I'm just a shade under the elite skill level.

It depends on your location though. The Dallas area has a TON of extremely good players. New Mexico and Ohio have some world class players as well. In some other areas around the country you might be extremely competitive.

porieux

Are people who play that well always real guitar players?

I find that the fact that I play guitar gives me a HUGE advantage,
I could pass many songs on hard the first time thru. But I am nowhere
near being able to get 5 stars on expert yet.

If they don't play, they should take it up.

MasterofDVD

I was trying the songs on a harder difficulty than I normally would because I didn't want to look like a wuss in front of my buddy. I am sure the pain was from straining to simply keep up with him. I played Crackdown for over 13 hours straight the first day I got it so my hands are used to abuse.

Mordred

One of the guys who beat me was a guitar player. The rest were just guys who were really good at rhythm games. I've thought playing guitar helped me a bunch with this stuff, but apparently I'm the exception and not the rule.

LivingINClip

I am in the process of finishing hard and while I'm not great, I am certainly better at this than playing an actual guitar, infact, I'm downright terrible with a guitar .. I have tender fingers.



I should have my father give this a try, he has always played guitar. Only problem is I don't know if my ego could handle a sixty year old man finishing that solo of Woman on hard..

JZ1276

I agree with the above poster. This game KILLS my wrists. I've been playing about 45 mins a day and it feels like when you go to the gym for the first time in months. I have both 1 and 2 and 2 is 10x harder than one is. Only ones I could not beat on expert on GH1 are Cowboys and Bark at the Moon....with GH2 I'm having a hard time just on the Hard setting. I heard something about GH3 being 80's songs. Anyone hear about this?

MasterofDVD

The main buzz about the next Guitar Hero game is that they are hoping for online play and wireless guitars. I would also like to know if the rumored 80s version was really going to happen. It seems like smart move for older gamers, I guess I have to lump myself in that group, but I wonder if they fear sales with the younger demographic would suffer.

porieux

I think if you are having that kind of problem it means there is too much tension in your hands/wrists while you are playing. You need to adjust your posture and try to be more relaxed. Don't tighten up when you are trying harder. Same would apply playing a real guitar actually.

maingon

Just picked this game up at best buy last night. They finally got another shipment in. I wasnt sure if I would like this game. But I am having a blast. I suck even on Easy. But its alot of fun

edstein

Just stick with it. I had trouble at first but I can 5* most songs on medium now and I've gotten through a few a the hard songs as well.

BravesMG

Anyone that can 5* (or for shit's sake, 100%) Psychobilly Freakout on hard officially has my undying respect. I've gotten every other song but that one on hard completed, some with 3*, most with 4* and a few 5* sprinkled in, but I cannot beat this song to save my life. I've only failed maybe twice on hard with the rest of the songs, and I'm at least on 30+ attempts on this mofo.

The part that kills me is right after the slow long note section where it's 3 quick notes with different buttons on weird timing. I can't explain it better, it's right around 80% though, since that's where I fail EVERY DAMN TIME.

Josh H

Finally played a bit again last night on the PS2--but played GHI rather than II.

5*'d the first five songs on medium, only had problems with Do You Wanna Be Sedated. So I'll keep at it for a while until I get frustrated. I just haven't had much drive to play after unlocking all the regular and bonus songs in both GH &II.

NatrlBornThrllr

Oy, just wait for that fucking song on expert. I finally five-starred it last night, but it literally took me over a month of off-and-on play to do so. Such a difficult song.

pizzamousechips

Unfortunately, I'm in Los Angeles. Probably one of the harder places to be one of the top players, as its so dense.

Have you, or anyone else here, passed Jordan on Expert?

Mordred

The rhythm of that part is funky, and I still have trouble with nailing it (it's basically a crap shoot if I get it). Here's my suggestion. The 2nd time LONG star power comes around (it ends on the super long Green Yellow note) don't use it right away. With the whammy you should be able to get a full star power. Even if you can't, you should be able to pick up at least one of the next two SPs. You should be able to get through that section without using star power. Then once you get in trouble in that tough rhythm section, use it and you'll have 8 bars of freedom. If you use it right away, you'll breeze through the entire tough section, but it's best to wait until you get into the red just so it helps you out for longer.

Mordred

Surprisingly, I don't know of any super elite guys in LA. I could certainly be mistaken though. I only see one tournament listed for CA in the past two months and it looks like the highest guy in the area is ranked 107 on ScoreHero. Higher than me, but certainly not unbeatable.

I've passed Jordan probably 10 times or so now and 5 starred it 3-4 of those. I stopped playing GH for about a month, came back and had lost my ability to pass it at will. Unfortunately, due to old age and joint problems, I get about 2 tries a night to pass. If it doesn't happen then, there's no point in trying again. I've passed it twice in the past week, but there were probably 10 attempts in there, and I wasn't able to improve on my 261k.