4) Strum 'stopping'. Occasionally on held notes the note will just stop, even though I haven't moved off the strum bar. This is a great game, and I'm buying lots of DLC, but sometimes it seems like I'm fighting the controller, and that's not fun. Like Suprvgta, I just can't hit those fast strings like in Paranoid. Strumming up and down like the game suggests has never worked for me.
5) Overdrive activating seemingly at random.

You need to just keep working on the down and up strumming. It will take some time but eventually you'll get it. I've suggested this to friends and they were struggling at first but eventually some got it and are very thankful. There are plenty of songs later on in hard and a bunch in expert that you'll almost need to do this on. Simply strumming one way in some songs just wont work with how fast the notes comes....unless you have some bionic freak of a thumb :D

I don't know why any of you are still fucking with that guitar. Dump that shit on ebay for $40-$50 and pick up a Les Paul.

Us Ps3 guys can't really do that :(

Waiting for an acceptable 3rd party solution.

I guess that would be me then. For some reason I can't get the hang of alternate strumming, but have gotten through all of hard and half of expert so far with just down strums. I hit the bar with the nail of my index finger. I pretend I'm holding a pick between my index finger and thumb and let my nail hit the bar. It's worked so far with only minor irritation after playing for like 4 hours.

Ahh... that blows.

As soon as I get one that works to sell on it...

I use my Strat still, and I really love the thing. If they weren't, by and large, defective, that is. I used the LP when I sent my first one back, and it's really hard to go back to the smaller body and shorter neck. Plus, I do like and use the solo buttons on a few songs.

I am also in the minority i guess as I really do like the Strat. I love the Les Paul, but like the strat for what it is. I REALLY love the full key buttons as it helps me hit both Green and Red with just one finger and doesnt make me slide my hand and get all confused :).

I can use the Les Paul, but not on expert as well.. For Med and High, i can use either, but i still prefer the Strat

Love the Strat too. Personally don't like the feel of the fret buttons on the Les Paul (tried a friends). I'll stick with my Explorer and the Strat.

trust me - you'll hit a wall towards the end of expert without alt-strumming. I avoid alt strumming as much as I can as well but you just can't get past songs that have long streams of single notes like Run to the Hills on expert.

Yeah, I'll probably have to switch it up when I get there. Now I'm stuck on New Pornographers I think. Quick chord changes have always been the death of me, even in real life.

Ugh - I cannot get by Suffragette City on Hard. Probably doesn't help that i was never a fan of the song, and each time I play it, I hate it more and more. Even when I practice it at 50% I mess up all the chord stuff. There must be something there that just goes against any musical fingering instincts I have.

Time to move on to the drums it appears.

I got to SC on Hard last night myself. I can only get about 33% of the way through it. I think that's the end of my line too.

I'm at the last set of expert & I'm not an alt strummer. I do, however, for songs with long streams, like RTtH, do my best at alt picking for those runs and I get by pretty well. The post-solo bridges are killing me on RTtH.

I try, but I can't even get by a song in the first tier of medium when I alt pick. What's really weird is when I play real guitar, I alt pick...go figure.

Try using a pick. I found it way more comfterable and realistic, strumming-wise.

When I first started doing alt strum, was in GH2. It was hard at first. I practiced on songs that had lots of constant notes. I also had to think about what I was doing. If the notes weren't a constant beat, I would mess up. I gradually got better. I remember finally getting it while playing Hanger 18. All of the sudden I could alt strum fine. Now I alt strum and don't even think about it.

I did manage to finish the expert career on GH1 with only down strumming. Looking back, I don't know how I did that. Just keep doing alt strumming and eventually it becomes automatic. I don't remember how long it took, but I think it was a few weeks before I got good with it.

just hold the strum bar between your thumb and index finger and move it up and down. there's no need to hit your nail against it. just practice at that and you'll eventually get it.

I said this back when i was in that position as well. Just keep practicing and you'll eventually get it. Changing chords were the death of me and still give me problems now and then, but I managed to get past that song...and even beat SC on expert already. I've hit so many brick walls when I play this game and think to myself....oh well...this has been fun, but I'm done...just keep practicing and you'll surprise yourself when you eventually beat the song.

Another thing I would suggest is to not dwell on one song thats bothering you. When I got stuck on hard....I switched over and started expert...played a lot of different songs. Played a bunch in quick play and once in awhile I'd go back and play the song I was stuck on. One time out of the blue I beat it and shocked the hell out of myself :D This has happened on lots of different songs for me.

I also got stuck on Sufragette City for over a week. Decided to move on to expert for a while, came back and beat it. I played it on hard again last night and it was much, much easier.

Thanks for the advice guys. I know I'll be spending some time this weekend with the new NIN songs on Hard so maybe I'll go back after that.

Just wanted to add that anyone having problems with the up and down strumming....a great song to practice on is Attack from 30 Seconds to Mars. If you have it already, great...otherwise I'm not sure if its still one of the 80 point songs or not. It's constant notes one after another most of the song.

Attack - 30 Seconds to Mars (Hard)

Attack - 30 Seconds to Mars (Expert)

Sit down and practice your up and down strumming on that song and you'll get the hang of it :D

You aren't holding the strum bar on held notes are you? From the above, it sounds like you might be. You should just hold the fret.

FWIW, the new NIN songs are not very challenging on Hard guitar and really aren't much fun to play on guitar either, so you may go back sooner than you think. Drums should be pretty good though.

Suffragette City was tough on Hard for me as well, but keep at it. Now I am stuck on GGaHT, which is a terrible song IMO.

Yeah, I don't get the love for the LP. I agree that its fret buttons do not feel right. They feel like, well, buttons. Nothing like a real guitar. They are spaced too far apart as well.