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|##################### Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s #####################|
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Version: 1.02
Learn to master your favorite 80's classics!
Written by: Kyle Duffy
Table of contents:
1.) Legal Information [GHLEGAL]
2.) What's new? [GHNEW]
3.) General Tips [GHTIPS]
4.) The Songs [GHSONGS]
= "Opening Licks" [GHOPEN]
-- (Bang Your Head) Metal Health [GHOPEN1]
-- We Got The Beat [GHOPEN2]
-- I Ran (So Far Away) [GHOPEN3]
-- Balls to the Wall [GHOPEN4]
-- 18 and Life [GHOPEN5]
= "Amp Warmers" [GHAMP]
-- No One Like You [GHAMP1]
-- Shakin' [GHAMP2]
-- Heat of the Moment [GHAMP3]
-- Radar Love [GHAMP4]
-- Because, It's Midnite [GHAMP5]
= "String Snappers" [GHSNAP]
-- Holy Diver [GHSNAP1]
-- Turning Japanese [GHSNAP2]
-- Hold On Loosely [GHSNAP3]
-- The Warrior [GHSNAP4]
-- I Wanna Rock [GHSNAP5]
= "Return of the Shred" [GHSHRED]
-- What I Like About You [GHSHRED1]
-- Synchronicity II [GHSHRED2]
-- Ballroom Blitz [GHSHRED3]
-- Only a Lad [GHSHRED4]
-- Round And Round [GHSHRED5]
= "Relentless Riffs" [GHRIFF]
-- Ain't Nothin But a Good Time [GHRIFF1]
-- Lonely is the Night [GHRIFF2]
-- Bathroom Wall [GHRIFF3]
-- Los Angeles [GHRIFF4]
-- Wrathchild [GHRIFF5]
= "Furious Fretwork" [GHFRET]
-- Electric Eye [GHFRET1]
-- Police Truck [GHFRET2]
-- Seventeen [GHFRET3]
-- Caught in a Mosh [GHFRET4]
-- Play With Me [GHFRET5]
5.) Frequently Asked Questions [GHFAQ]
6.) Contact Information [GHCONTACT]
7.) Still to come... [GHCOMING]
8.) Update History [GHUPDATE]
9.) Thanks To [GHTHANX]
10.) Certified Sites [GHSITES]
For easy searching, just hit Ctrl+F and then type in what you want to look for.
For example, if you want to search for the song Ballroom Blitz, you would
open the search window and type in "GHSHRED3" without the quotes. You will
then be taken right to it.
Get your hairspray ready, it's time to rock.... 80's style.
*******************************
1.) Legal Information [GHLEGAL]
*******************************
This guide is completely, 100%, without a doubt created originally by me, Kyle
Duffy. It may NOT be reproduced in any form or fashion without consent from me
which can be obtained by e-mailing me at the adress listed at the bottom of
this segment. If you want to use it for your site or whatever, please send me
a request instead of just posting it. If I find (or someone tells me that) it
is used on another site without my permission.. I will forever hold a major
grudge and send you many nasty e-mails. Any suggestions, corrections, comments,
etc. can be sent to the following e-mail address:
there_is_no_spoon2007@hotmail.com
Copyright Kyle Duffy, July 2007
***********************
2.) What's New? [GHNEW]
***********************
If you're visiting this game after playing the wonderful Guitar Hero 2, you'll
notice that not a whole lot has changed. The game engine is still exactly the
same (as in, HO/PO [Hammer-on's and Pull-off's] are still easier to hit). Also,
you not only get the same characters in this game, but you don't even get all
of them. The good thing is they've all been upgraded to match the style of the
80's, which is appropriate for this game. You'll see the same venues, except
this time there are only six instead of eight. However, much like the
characters, the venues have been upgraded to match the style of the 80's (one
of the more noteable differences is the Vans Warped Tour has now become the
Rock for Safety concert.) The guitars are exactly the same, the Grim Ripper is
still an unlockable character, and you even get the same rewards for completing
and five-starring every song on each difficulty level. I like to consider this
as more of an expansion to Guitar Hero 2 than a standalone game, which is
probably quite accurate. It brings a fresh new experience to the stuff you've
been playing all year.
*************************
3.) General Tips [GHTIPS]
*************************
(If you've read my original GH faq, you'll notice this is practically copied
and pasted off of that one, with a few new things at the bottom.)
There are many hints and tips that you can use in order to make your guitar
playing skills better. Some of which are introduced through the game's
tutorials, and others are learned simply by playing. Everyone's style is
different, and this is important to remember. Just because your friend likes
to slide his hand all over the guitar and use the same two fingers for every
chord doesn't mean that's right for you. I personally try to avoid sliding as
much as I can. If there's a G-Y chord followed by a R-B chord, then I'll use
my index finger and ring finger for the first, and switch to my middle finger
and pinky for the second. Then, if that chord translates into a Y-O chord, I'm
forced to resort to sliding. A lot of people I know just slide their index
and ring fingers all the way up the board. There are even others who slide the
index and ring fingers for the first and second chords, then switch to their
middle finger and pinky for the last. It's all a matter of personal preference,
and the only way to develop that is by playing.
There are, however, a few universal tips that need to be followed by every
person wanting to become a success. Which is everyone.
The first, and possibly even most important thing you need to learn is to know
where your hand is on the board at all times. There are five frets and only
four fingers to press them with. Therefore, there WILL be times where you will
need to position your fingers on the top four, and other times where you'll
need to position your fingers on the bottom four. Switching between the two
in the middle of a song is absolutely KEY to becoming a great player. The
first time you have to move your pinky to hit the orange fret, it feels
extremely unnatural. Sometimes, the rest of your hand will follow, and you'll
hit every note one fret higher than it's supposed to be, causing to to take
your attention off of the screen and look down at your hands. The best way to
learn how to do this is try some simple songs on Hard. Analyze places where
you're going to need to pull your hand up. Or maybe just turn off the game and
sit there to work on your transitions. Work on going up the frets, just make up
some notes and then move your hand. Keep practicing this until you feel
comfortable moving your hand up and down without having to pause and look.
Making this action habitual is something that takes a lot of time and practice,
so just do the best you can. This is one of the hardest humps you'll encounter
when trying to step up to the Expert plate.
After you can move your hand freely along the board, you need to work on the
dreaded Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs. These are the most advanced fingering
techniques in this game. The in-game tutorial does a decent job, but they
have you practicing so slow that you won't be able to keep up to a real song.
Run over that a few times, and learn the basics. Hit the two and three note
runs they have you doing until it feels somewhat natural. The only way to
improve is by playing the game. It's also really important to remember that
not every note that can be hammered-on or pulled-off absolutely has to be.
These notes can be strummed just like any other notes you encounter. If you
feel more comfortable strumming some of the slower ones, then go for it! The
only difference between the strategies for GH1 and GH2 + Rock the 80's is that
the HO/PO's are much easier this time around. Many of the solos are gonna be
physically impossible to strum, and you'll need to know how to do these. You
can also utilize them when you've been double-strumming a lot and need to give
your hand a break. Just make sure you strum the notes that are necessary to
strum.
Finally, and I can't stress this enough, is just be patient. When you pick up
the game for the first time, you probably won't go through and five-star every
single song you come across, and there might also be some that you get stuck
on. The main thing to remember is that this is PERFECTLY NORMAL. All of the GH
greats got stuck at the beginning of their careers, and what seperates the
expert players from the intermediate or beginner players is that the expert
players keep working on what they know they struggle with. By keeping an even
skill set (not focusing solely on one thing and screwing up on everything else)
you'll be able to get through anything this game can throw at you. You'll need
certain skills for certain songs, and people are going to struggle with
different things. Just practice, and don't slam your guitar down and scream "I
can't do this," because you can, and you know it. Attitude is what determines
how much fun you have with this game... so for your sake and everyone around
you, make it a good one.
***********************
4.) The Songs [GHSONGS]
***********************
Welcome to the meat of the guide. You'll find the complete listing of every
song available in this game, as well as tips to beat it as well as five-star it
on Expert Mode. I'll also be providing the four and five-star cutoff scores
(courtesy of www.scorehero.com. Props to those guys.) for every difficulty. I'm
sure this is what you came here for, so I'm gonna shut up now and let you get
to conquering. Feel free to e-mail me if you need additional help or want to
add something.
The four and five-star cutoffs are updated as of 10/14/07, the majorty of them
are proven within one point, and a few are derived from proof, however all of
the ones that were derived from proof in the previous version have ended up
being EXACTLY spot-on, so I don't differentiate in the list.
Note: These tips are for EXPERT MODE. If you need tips for other modes, then
feel free to e-mail me and ask for them! I would write them on here, except it
would make the file extremely huge and would take so much longer to write. I
was going to make Hard Mode tips, but never got around to it, so e-mail me if
you need help.
-------------"Opening Licks" [GHOPEN]-------------
(Bang Your Head) Metal Health [GHOPEN1]
as made famous by
Quiet Riot
Difficulty: 3/10
Welcome to the world of the 80's. This is actually a really great introduction
song, because it gives you a little taste of pretty much everything to expect.
It starts you out with your basic chord transfers, especially the first and
third finger chords (GY, RB, YO) and a nice jump from a GY to a BO, good chance
to brush up on your ability to move across the board. When you get to the
verse, you'll notice that they're more serious about the 3-note chords this
time around. You'll get a nice smooth transfer that goes like this.
RYB-RYO-RBO-RYO-RYB. It just goes up and back, and gives you plenty of time to
switch inbetween them, but can be a little tricky if you're not yet used to
the three-note chords. The guitar solo starts out easy, but then when you get
to the second part (labeled Gtr Solo 1b) you'll see a nasty little trill. It
has a R-Y-R-Y back and forth motion, and your best bet is to just hold the red
down and tap the Y button as fast as you can. You probably won't hit it, but
you'll be more than fine. The rest of the solo is pretty routine, just a couple
of three-note runs, that can be HO/PO'ed or just strum, it's up to you. You'll
be more than fine on this one.
Five-Star Tips: Should be pretty automatic. You'll come pretty close to FC'ing
(Full Combo, 100%) this one, except for maybe the trill.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 49,372
Medium: 77,302
Hard: 105,726
Expert: 121,118
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 69,121
Medium: 108,223
Hard: 148,017
Expert: 169,566
=============================
We Got The Beat [GHOPEN2]
as made famous by
The Go Go's
Difficulty: 2/10
Meh, I never really liked this song, and it provides a somewhat boring
experience as the second song in the game. The first two verses are extremely
easy... just hold the green the whole time, strum on beat, and then hit the
two blues whenever they come up. The chorus gives you another smooth three-note
chord transfer section, the last transfer may not be so smooth as it requires
sliding however. The notes are RBO-YBO-RYO-GRB. The first three can be hit in
the same position, but you'll need to just keep your fingers in the same
position they were in and just slide them down to switch from RYO to GRB. Other
than that, the "solo" (*snicker*) is extremely routine, you'll nail this one.
I personally FC'ed this song on Expert the first time through. No worries mate.
Five-Star Tips: Just play the song. You'll get it if you've practiced at all.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 32,720
Medium: 46,056
Hard: 61,216
Expert: 67,382
5-Star Cutoffs
Easy: 45,808
Medium: 64,479
Hard: 85,703
Expert: 94,335
=============================
I Ran (So Far Away) [GHOPEN3]
as made famous by
Flock of Seagulls
Difficulty: 4/10
Somewhat interesting shift away from The Go Go's here. These first three note
chords ARE off beat, as I'm sure you'll notice after the first one. They are,
however, all the same length apart. They are all three-note chords that are
right next to each other, and they're all played 8 times in this section. Your
two chords are RYB and YBO, try to hit the first one as you see them and you'll
quickly catch onto the timing. The verses themselves can be a little tricky due
to the quick three note series of O's that you have to double-strum. Jumping
from the G-Y transition up to the three quick oranges might be a little weird
the first time up, but if you learn to time this double strum it's really not
that difficult. The breakdown is notable because it seems like the Greens are
coming at you extremely fast, but these are really sixteenth notes if you take
the time to listen. Pretend like you're strumming down like they were eigth
notes, except strum up inbetween each down. Or if you've got an ear for rhythm
just double-strum to the beat. The solo tries to trip you up with the off-beat
Yellows, but hit these like you hit the three-note chords at the beginning. You
then have to double-strum the Yellows inbetween a few regular eigth notes, but
the advantage is these are mostly Yellow, so just work on the rhythm. Once you
hit that long double-strum of Yellows (you'll know what I mean when you see it)
it'll start switching up and become a very hittable solo. From then on, just do
it. The last guitar solo is just a bunch of eigth notes, don't let the hold
inbetween the two similar notes confuse you. Pretty cool stuff, eh?
Five-Star Tips. Just use star power whenever you get to a part you can do well.
You probably won't even need it, but just in case it can't hurt.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 60,260
Medium: 65,078
Hard: 99,364
Expert: 118,846
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 84,364
Medium: 91,110
Hard: 139,110
Expert: 166,385
=============================
Balls to the Wall [GHOPEN4]
as made famous by
Accept
Difficulty: 4/10
This one can be at extremely easy and monotonous at some points, but the solo
just pretty much makes you feel cool. Especially when it's hittable like this
one is. But first things first, you're gonna meet up with a few chord transfers
as soon as you start this bad boy up. You want to stay in the first positon
(Green through Blue) for the majority of this, and then slide up when you get
the YO and BO chord, then switch back down. You'll be able to get all of this
as long as you take into account the slight off-beatness of the YO and BO. The
verses are easy, just three slow chord transfers at a time. The chorus starts
out with a three-note sequence of the same note plus the note two frets higher
on the very last one (for example, G-G-GY; R-R-RB; Y-Y-YO). Make sure you don't
hit the higher note until the very last in the sequence, or else you'll miss
the middle one every time. You then transition via a GY chord and Orange into
the main chorus, in which you'll also want to stay in first position sliding
when necessary. A Red and RB chord will be thrown in the midst of 4 or so G,
GR, and GY chords. Then you switch up to second position, then switch back down
afterwards. Not too bad. The solo starts routine, albeit somewhat off beat.
Once you get to solo B as its labeled, You'll see a little streak of Reds with
a RO chord at the end. These Reds are actually triplets, you'll hit six of them
before hitting the RO, so when you spread it out it looks like
R-R-R-R-R-R-RO, even though it only takes up two beats. 6/2 = 3, which is why
these are triplets. Just practice it slow in practice mode if you want to get
it, if not then you can fake it fine enough. The last part of the solo has a
little B-O-B riff that goes super fast that I want you to take note of. Learn
how to hold the Blue and then tap the Orange in order to hit all three (by
letting go of the orange right afterwards). This will be very important in the
entire game. After that it's basically routine, just hit it.
Five-Star Tips: Use it whenever you feel comfortable, the second part of the
chorus is always nice for points, so is the solo.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 61,190
Medium: 90,376
Hard: 116,784
Expert: 127,040
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 85,666
Medium: 126,527
Hard: 163,498
Expert: 177,856
=============================
18 and Life [GHOPEN5]
as made famous by
Skid Row
Difficulty: 3/10
While this song may not be as hard as some of the others, it's way more fun
than some of the others. For the most part it's just got the single note feel,
which was popularized in GH2. It's very routine until you get to the solos,
where you need to concentrate on Solos B and C (which are the last two parts.)
B gives you one interesting little piece, a three-note then four-note run. It
looks like G-R-Y, G-R-Y-B. These notes are neither eights nor sixteenths, they
are somewhere inbetween, and it'll take a little practice to pick out the
timing. Once you do, remember it, because you see things like this a lot later
too. On C you're immediately presented with a nice chance to practice your
quick high-low-high (in this case, a B-Y-B) and then a pretty nice little run.
It starts out as a B-R-B-R-G sort of thing, and then goes back and forth like
G-R-Y-G-R-Y-R-G-R-Y pretty quickly and then ends with a hold. These are nice
practice for what comes up later, except what comes up later is about 20 times
longer.
Five-Star Tips: You should get this one pretty automatically, really.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 38,182
Medium: 46,600
Hard: 70,398
Expert: 83,942
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 53,455
Medium: 65,240
Hard: 98,558
Expert: 117,519
-------------"Amp Warmers" [GHAMP]-------------
No One Like You [GHAMP1]
as made famous by
Scorpions
Difficulty: 5/10
Well, to start, let's throw out the things that you won't need help on. The
verses are rather pedestrian, and the chorus is just the same two-note chords
played over and over again. If you've ever heard the song then you know how
easy they are. The parts you probably will need help on span a little larger
than the songs so far, so more detail is needed. Allow me to explain.
The Guitar Hook at the beginning starts out pretty nicely, the part you'll want
a little heads-up on is when you get to the end of the first half of it. You'll
know your there when you see a quick B-Y-R-O part. You should be able to pick
out the timing for this. The run you'll see ahead might fool a few people, but
it's really just on beat and can be HO/POed fairly successfully. You get into
the second part which is kinda like the first except a little more advanced.
You'll get to the same B-Y-R-O run, and then the run after that begins. It's
much like the first one, except about halfway through it you'll encounter the
sixteenths which may throw a little kink into your fingers. Just watch it, and
I believe it oftentimes sticks with the G-R-Y-R-G pattern, which can be pretty
easily hit. After this, you reach the easy parts.
The first solo isn't so bad, Your runs are mostly eigth notes with a fast B-Y-R
-B right in front of it which is hittable. You then go into another Guitar Hook
followed by a nasty little solo. Y-B-B-Y-B-B will be coming at you fast and
furious, just try to hit what you can. The next part is just as crazy, it has
a super fast G-R-Y-R-G (leading you in on a red, going down. R-G-R-Y-R-G) then
follows up with a run that goes from a B-Y-B-Y-R sort of pattern back down to
your original G-R-Y-R-G pattern. It's pretty tricky, and you won't hit most
of them, but the good news is it's smooth sailing after that.
Five-Star Tips: Make sure you've earned enough points before you hit the solos.
Generally it's not that difficult, since the verses and choruses are incredibly
easy.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 40,980
Medium: 58,020
Hard: 75,188
Expert: 78,678
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 57,372
Medium: 81,228
Hard: 105,264
Expert: 110,150
=============================
Shakin' [GHAMP2]
as made famous by
Eddie Money
Difficulty: 4/10
One of my favorites, I hear it on the radio quite often. The intro seems pretty
awkward, and that's because it is. The stream of Oranges are all off-beat, you
may want to actually listen to the song because it may be kind of hard to pick
up on the rhythm. Once you do it's not too bad. The verses are easy as pie.
Suprisingly enough, the majority of your solos are gonna take place in the
chorus. Nothing too extremely difficult to start out with. the G-R-G-R in solo
B after the second chorus aren't really the hard, but your fingers might get a
little bit confused about the rhythm. Maybe it's just me, but it felt really
weird the first time through. The bridge gives you your chord transfers, the
three chords you'll need to know are RB, RBO, and GY. It goes a few RB, then
a few RBO, and then it switches to GY, back to RBO, and then starts over. It'll
be pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Have fun, it's a pretty cool song.
Five-Star Tips: You should get this one automatically too. Just use Star Power
when you have a 4X multiplier and are at a part you can do well.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 25,806
Medium: 39,078
Hard: 57,366
Expert: 63,520
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 36,129
Medium: 54,710
Hard: 80,313
Expert: 88,928
=============================
Heat of the Moment [GHAMP3]
as made famous by
Asia
Difficulty: 4/10
Another one of my favorites. =) The intro starts out with GRB--RYO--GRY--GRB--
YBO-YBO. If you know anything about music theory, this part repeatedly switches
from a 6/4 during the chords to a 4/4 inbetween, so the rhythm will feel a bit
strange. This is normal. This same pattern continues until the chorus, which
is just the same three-note runs over and over. No problems here. The bridge
starts out slow and easy, and from then on the beat is kind of weird, but if
you just look at the notes you'll catch 'em. At Chorus 4A, you'll have a
constant stream of notes instead of the three note runs, don't be caught off
guard. Your solos will have a few quick runs, but they are never any more than
three or four notes in length, so if you're quick with your fingers you should
be able to breeze through these without too much hassle. The song seems like
it speeds up a bit, so don't freak out if it seems that way. After that, you're
home free.
Five-Star Tips: The three-note chords are a gold mine for points.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 42,110
Medium: 55,838
Hard: 74,888
Expert: 95,716
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 58,954
Medium: 78,174
Hard: 104,844
Expert: 134,003
=============================
Radar Love [GHAMP4]
as made famous by
White Lion
Difficulty: 5.5/10
In my honest and humble opinion.... I really think they botched this one. But
that's just me. Radar Love is an amazing song that has been saturated with all
these airy guitar riffs that detract from the feel that the original gives you.
But I guess you can't expect too much, huh?
To start out, they give you a GO chord (don't see that often eh?) that you have
to hold. If your hands aren't big enough to hit it, just don't worry about it.
While it's better if you can at least get the note, you don't have to hold it
in order to salvage your multiplier, but if you just can't do it, then forget
it. Those guys at Harmonix are mean anyway. I will say that on the verses they
like to throw in little things here and there, and the beat they tend to use is
actually a dotted eigth as well as a sixteenth and then it repeats. For those
who don't know what that means (which is probably a lot of you) you play the
first note, and then the second note right before you play the third note. It
has kind of a bouncy feel. You'll run into that a few times. Watch for the
"noise build" (which I mistook for "nose" build the first time through. lawl.)
cause you're about to enter the solo. It's fun to play once you know how to do
it. Let's break this down. It starts with a yellow, so we'll model off of that
part. You'll have Y-YB-Y--Y-YO-YB-Y--Y-B-O-B-Y and then start over again. The
same pattern happens with the Reds, except it's RO and RB instead of yellow. It
would've been nice if you would've learned the hold-tap-release method to hit
the B-O-B part. If you haven't by now... learn it. The next solo part has a few
chords, a few notes... and then a run starts. It's off-beat, going down the
board. Sort of like triplets, except slower. Then you'll have a bunch of fast
runs, G-R-Y-G-R-Y-R-Y-B-R-Y-B etc. These can be hit with practice, since it's
basically just the same thing over and over. The next part is really cool to
hear but kind of hard to master. You'll have an Orange down to a Blue, then
back to Orange, then down to a Yellow, and it keeps bouncing back and forth.
You MUST let go of the Orange for each note, which makes the jump quite
difficult. Just practice it in practice mode a bit if you'd like, then move on.
The next part will just run down and up the board a few times, and then it's
sort of like a trill afterward. There isn't much I can say about that. Part E
features a lot of double strumming, and then you see a series of RB chords.
There are seven of them, and they are like triplets as well. Then a few easy
parts. The outro has a nasty trill here and there, but it's also very hittable.
This little song can be quite deceiving, it's got some hard to hit stuff, but
it's still not too bad.
Five-Star Tips: Use it on the solos if you're good enough at them and your
five stars will be nailed after just one use. If not, then use them everywhere
else for points.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 48,376
Medium: 68,176
Hard: 89,012
Expert: 103,418
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 67,727
Medium: 95,447
Hard: 124,617
Expert: 144,786
=============================
Because, It's Midnite [GHAMP5]
as performed by
Limozeen
Difficulty: 3/10
I kept going back and forth over what difficulty rating to give this song.. and
that's what it ended up with. Barring the solo, the rest of it is basically a 1
difficulty. Maybe even a 0.5. The solo WILL fail you if you don't use star
power. If you have star power, madly mash the notes where I tell you to and
laugh with glee as your rock meter goes crazy. I'll tell you the general areas
of what happens with the solo. The rest you can FC, definitely.
Start Part A with fast G-Y, then G-R-Y repeatedly, then G-R-B, then R-Y-O. Part
B will give you a B, then fast B-Y, and then it'll go from the top of the board
to the bottom. Just kinda flail around. It can be fun. Part C will throw an
O-B-Y that is absolutely impossible. Then there's actually a halfway hittable
G-R-Y-R-G pattern to finish this part. Part D has a few runs from B to G, and
then a really fast B-O repeated. After that, you are free. Make sure you save
all of your star power for this solo. It's really not too long, your star power
will last you throughout the whole thing.
Five-Star Tips: Star power the solo so you survive, then nail the rest. Easy.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 16,594
Medium: 25,694
Hard: 71,580
Expert: 78,056
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 23,232
Medium: 35,972
Hard: 100,212
Expert: 109,279
-------------"String Snappers" [GHSNAP]-------------
Holy Diver [GHSNAP1]
as made famous by
Dio
Difficulty: 4/10
Kind of disappointing for the first song at the midway point. But still, it's
a great song and one of my favorites. The verses and chorus aren't really
anything to point out, just make sure you can hit the RB-BY-YO transfers. You
do it once or twice and you should have it throughout the entire song. The
only real honorable mention here are some of the solos, which I'll point out
for ya. The first noteable one starts at solo 1C in case you wanna practice it.
It's kind of off-beat ish for the most part, but mostly in the form of slow
triplets, shouldn't be too bad. The solos in part D get a little faster, but it
is somewhat predictable. It usually starts with some sort of B-Y run, and then
goes down to a Red or something. My best advice would be to take this one into
practice mode and just practice solos C and D, and then you should get the rest
of the song no problem.
Five-Star Tips: Use star power on anything you're good at with a 4X multiplier.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 48,568
Medium: 72,056
Hard: 110,404
Expert: 135,306
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 67,994
Medium: 100,879
Hard: 154,566
Expert: 189,429
=============================
Turning Japanese [GHSNAP2]
as made famous by
The Vapors
Difficulty: 2.5/10
Really not that difficult at all. A fun little song that gets stuck in my head
every time I play it, but pretty easy overall. The break is the closest thing
this song gets to a solo, the chorus and verses repeat themselves throughout
the entire song. The only part that's a little tricky is the speed makes the
three sixteenth GR chords and so on in a row a little fast and you tend to
screw up a lot. But there are only three of them in a row, and there are only
like three sets at a time... so it's all good. There's also a quick GY-GY-YB
transfer in the chorus a few times, but it's pretty easy as well as long as
you double-strum at the right time. The only scary thing about this song is...
I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so.
Five-Star Tips: Automatic.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 47,978
Medium: 62,854
Hard: 101,038
Expert: 110,378
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 67,160
Medium: 87,996
Hard: 141,454
Expert: 154,530
=============================
Hold On Loosely [GHSNAP3]
as made famous by
.38 Special
Difficulty: 4/10
Anyone who has ever listened to any 80's music has heard this song. As a result
you can probably already figure out the rhythm to the chords in the intro. But
even if you haven't already, then you will after you play it down once. It's
pretty much easy as pie. The chorus repeats about four times, and the fun part
starts near the end when you start your eight solos. That's right, it goes up
to Gtr Solo 1H on the practice menu. So, Since you should get the rest of it
without too much trouble, I'll go really lightly on it and concentrate on the
solos.
The chorus variation of the chord progression has a couple of alternating
rhythms, but it's always just holding the lower note and tapping the higher
one when it comes up. Nothing too fancy. You'll have one thing that's really
annoying. At one point instead of having the quick Y-B transfer, it has instead
A YB-BO transfer that's like sixteenth notes. These cannot be hammered-on and
must be strummed, as annoying as it is. That's pretty much all you need to know
here.
Guitar solo A is standard stuff. On both B and G you'll have a section that
repeatedly double-strums the same note, and then moves up 4 or 5 notes later.
Just make sure you keep your finger on the note the duration of the double
strum and just move up like normal. These strums are EXACTLY on beat, so just
try to keep it that way and you should get it. C has a solo that goes from
Orange to Red, then back up to Yellow. It looks like O-B-Y-R-Y, and does it
twice. Then you have what's pretty much the same thing except it has a few
notes thrown in there inbetween to make it whole. Put it in practice mode if
you absolutely have to master it. D is pedestrian except for the RY-YB transfer
that must be strummed, then the double-strum R-R-R--R-R-Y part. E brings back
the O-B-Y-R-Y parts, and then goes into a solid O-B-Y-R-G-R part that repeats
a few times. I find it best to stay in second position and then just slide
your first finger for the R-G-R part. While it may feel weird, it's easier
than trying to find a place to switch positions in the middle of it. You try
it and see how it works out, and if it doesn't then try something else. It is
doable and it's not that difficult, it's just awkward. In addition to the
double-strumming, solo F gives you a pattern that looks like Y-B-Y-R and it's
all in one beat. Use the Hold-Tap-Release method for the Y-B-Y, and then just
let go of the yellow and hit the red, and it'll give it to you. Then H just
finishes this song with the same BO-B pattern over and over. Phew, what a solo.
Five-Star Tips: If you can get the solos without much problem they will be your
main source of points in this one.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 53,360
Medium: 65,500
Hard: 118,110
Expert: 129,412
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 74,704
Medium: 91,700
Hard: 163,354
Expert: 181,177
=============================
The Warrior [GHSNAP4]
as performed by
Scandal
Difficulty: 4/10
Nothing new here. I'll give you a few tips though. The verse's structure is
always something like R-RY-R-RB-R-RO. It goes back to the first note and then
plays another chord, but the pattern varies depending on where you're at in
the verse. Just hold the bottom down and tap the top, easy. It also switches
down to green, so be prepared for that. The chorus is always a three note
double-strum of the same chord (GY or RB usually) and then a chord that's just
higher. Get that timing down and you'll get every chorus and every verse. The
solo is really nothing to be intimidated about, just remember that when two
chords are really close together, they cannot be HO/PO'ed. You must strum them
both. C'mon, I want some harder songs now!
And then you mysterious fade out.... You're not going deaf, I promise. You're
really just fading out. Live.
Credit goes to Joe for reminding me that this song is the actual recording, not
a cover, and they couldn't just end it without some sort of unnatural cutoff.
Hence, the fadeout.
Five-Star Tips: Using them during verses and the chorus will insure that you
get it, if it wasn't insured already.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 40,906
Medium: 58,236
Hard: 81,944
Expert: 100,524
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 57,269
Medium: 81,531
Hard: 114,722
Expert: 140,734
=============================
I Wanna Rock [GHSNAP5]
as made famous by
Twisted Sister
Difficulty: 6/10
It only gets this because of the solo.
The beginning and middle are basically consisted of basic chord transfers, even
most of them are just between GY, RB, and YO. Take note of the three in a row,
and then hit them all. Do it.
I hope you don't mind but I'm skipping straight to the solos again. They are
really the only threat in this song. =/
Solo 1A is pretty basic, albeit a little fast. Just pay attention to the notes
and you shouldn't have too much trouble seeing them all. Be careful not to fall
behind either. 1B gives you a taste of what a true solo is like. You start out
with a B-O to a stream of blues, there are five or six, I haven't taken the
time to count. Then the run goes from the top to the bottom (not directly of
course, there are many many notes here and there that will give you a solid
run of sixteenths) and will lead you into a couple of quarter notes. This is
the halfway point for this part. After this, you get more sixteenths that tend
to hang around the Y-B-O area, and it flutters around up there a bit before
ending on the bottom. Congratulations, you've finished your first semi-real
solo.
Now for Solo 2. 2A is cake. 2B is tough. It starts out in the R-Y-B area, and
Yellow is the only note that's constant. Sometimes it'll go R-Y-B-Y-R, and
other times it'll go R-Y-B-Y-B, or sometimes a B-Y-R-Y-R, or sometimes both.
You then hit a stream of Yellows, and do it again in the G-R-Y area. This one
can be quite a toughie, make sure you have star power to get you through it. 2C
starts you out with double-strumming to triplets. Be careful, the rhythm can
get tricky to catch onto. Then it goes back to 2B's B-Y-R stuff. Finishing off
with a weird B-O pattern that is seemingly random and hard to judge, especially
since you're mysteriously fading out again.
Five-Star Tips: Get all the points you can before the solo, as long as you ace
the rest of the song, the solo won't bring you down past the cutoff point as
long as you saved star power for it.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 34,220
Medium: 47,938
Hard: 75,100
Expert: 94,878
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 47,908
Medium: 67,114
Hard: 105,140
Expert: 132,830
-------------"Return of the Shred" [GHSHRED]-------------
What I Like About You [GHSHRED1]
as made famous by
The Romantics
Difficulty: 8.5/10
Now we're getting to the good stuff. I rated it as high as I did because the
constant switching between three-note chords is a nightmare. Practice this one
and practice it a lot, you'll never have trouble with three-note chords again.
The three basic ones they use are GRY, RYB, and YBO. There are constant 8th
notes between them, and transition between them is a nightmare. The only way
I can tell you to work on it is to pretend that they were just two note chords.
You still slide the bottom one up, and the release the top one to hit the
bottom note by itself, right? Only this time, instead of releasing just one
finger, you release two. It's awkward and takes a LOT of practice to get used
to. This is how three-finger chords should've been implemented in GH2, but
Harmonix was just too panzy to do it. Now we all regret it.
Either the good news or the bad news is that the majority of this song is the
three-note chords. It takes a lot of practice to get the hang of, but once
you get the hang of it, it almost feels automatic. It takes a while to get to
that point, and this will be one of the most frustrating songs in the game.
But once you get there, the solos are rather easy, and that's all there is to
it. Good luck on this one, I'm expecting a lot of e-mails on it. =/
Five-Star Tips: Three-Note chords are always a gold mine for points. This is
a gold mine of gold mines. Let it loose.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 35,496
Medium: 49,346
Hard: 117,500
Expert: 154,252
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 50,325
Medium: 69,085
Hard: 164,500
Expert: 215,953
=============================
Synchronicity II [GHSHRED2]
as made famous by
The Police
Difficulty: 5.5/10
An overall pretty boring song, but it needs to be covered nonetheless. For the
intro, just work on your BY-R-G, BY-R-BY-R parts. You'll get the whole thing.
The verses and chorus are all exactly the same. The first part of the chorus
has a three-note chord and then the three notes from top to bottom, then the
next three note chords. (GRY--Y-R-G-RYB, etc.) That's not too bad either. The
second part of the chorus has two greens, two yellows (or reds after the first
part) and then two oranges. G-G-Y-Y-O-O-Y-Y, and so forth. The last part of the
chorus goes down with three notes, does it again, then plays the top and middle
and moves on to the next secion. B-R-G-B-R-G-B-R-B or something like that.
There are so many variations that I couldn't cover them all. You'll get it.
The solo is basically just a bunch of noise... kind of a waste, kind of
pointless since the notes are completely random. The second solo is what you
want to pay attention to.
It starts out with the much overused B-Y-R-Y-B pattern, and then switches down
to a Y-R-G-R-Y pattern, goes back up to B-Y-R, and then briefly has a O-B-Y
before ending on the B-Y-R section. It's quite a doozy, but you should be
able to make it through even if you didn't save any star power for it.
Five-Star Tips: Hit it anywhere you can. The last two parts of the chorus
are always guaranteed to have a steady stream of notes.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 58,372
Medium: 84,200
Hard: 120,396
Expert: 147,036
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 81,721
Medium: 117,880
Hard: 168,555
Expert: 205,851
=============================
Ballroom Blitz [GHSHRED3]
as made famous by
Krokus
Difficulty: 6/10
Ahh, I was looking forward to this song so much ever since I heard it was on
the track list. It didn't really disappoint either, I love it. Watch out for
the trill as soon as you start. It's nasty, and it shows up a few times in the
song. Just tap it as fast as you can and you'll fake it well enough to pass.
The verses are pretty routine, nothing too fancy. The chorus is just a series
of chords that you'll have memorized by the time it's over. It then goes back
to the first verse, with a few slight differences, not much though. Another
chorus, but the ending chords are a ltitle different, you'll notice it. I'm not
being super specific cause I'm not actually looking at it at the moment, but
I'm pretty sure it's YB-BO--YO. It's kinda quick but easy to hit. The solo is
pretty killer as I'm sure you've guessed by the rating and easy verses/chorus.
The second part is what you need to watch out for, when you get the repeated
Y-B-O parts, there are four of them before it switches to the next, they can
be rather tricky. Then after that comes a Green to Blue, then Red and Yellow
(or something like that, it's not important right now) and then comes the
absolutely impossible part. Just strum like mad and put your fingers where the
notes seem to be. You'll probably miss most of them, but at least you'll have
fun doing it. It'll make it look like you're really trying. The bridge repeats
itself a lot, and isn't that hard to pick up on. YO--Y-Y-YO-Y-YB-BO-YO. The
second solo is pedestrian, just look out for those YB-YO transfers that are
really freakin' fast.
Five-Star Tips: Use it anywhere there are lots of notes. Verses especially,
just make sure you save some for the solo.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 64,334
Medium: 74,406
Hard: 112,346
Expert: 130,158
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 90,068
Medium: 104,169
Hard: 157,285
Expert: 182,222
=============================
Only a Lad [GHSHRED4]
as made famous by
Oingo Boingo
Difficulty: 5/10
Really not that hard at all, I just gave it what I did for the chord transfers.
The beginning has a bunch of three note doble-strums, but they're mostly on
beat, just look at the notes and they're sixteenths. You should get it from
that. The verses have a bunch of easy chord transfers, followed by easy notes.
It then switches from GRB-GRB--GRB---RBO-RBO-RBO-RBO-RBO. It's slow and fairly
easy. The first chorus has RB followed by three YB chords. Bridge C gets a
little bit tricky when it has the BO, YO, RO, and then alternates between GO
and RO. As you know, GO's by themselves are hard to get, but you're having to
alternate between it and another chord. This is all a matter of the size of
your hand. You know if you can hit it or not. Bridge 2A has a steady stream of
eigth notes, they can be easily hit as they always follow a down-up-down
pattern. Then you're good to go..
Five-Star Tips: Using it during the chorus is a good idea, and the three-note
chords are always good options as well.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 49,104
Medium: 72,946
Hard: 109,660
Expert: 120,176
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 68,746
Medium: 102,125
Hard: 153,524
Expert: 168,247
=============================
Round And Round [GHSHRED5]
as made famous by
Ratt
Difficulty: 6/10
Pay attention to the intro, as it comes along quite a few times in the song.
It's really not that hard to get, just a few basic two-note chord transfers,
nothing you haven't already been dealing with. The verses are all just composed
of single notes, which you should get without much hassle. Right when you go
into the chorus, there are a few parts where you'll have a three-note double
strum sequence, with the two notes and then a chord (R-R-RB; G-G-GY, etc.) and
near the end it goes into a three-note chord instead of two, but it's still
easy to get as it is the same as the R-R-RB, except it's R-R-RYB. Just add the
second finger. After you go through the chorus twice, you have the first solo.
First thing to watch out for is the stream of fast notes that stay in the Green
to Blue area. The Red is the repeating note here, which makes it somewhat
harder to hit since you have to let go of it to hit the Greens. Just do what
you can and it'll be alright, it's only a few beats long anyway. The next part
you must strum basically the entire thing which gets a little awkward since
the notes are somewhat quick. The pattern stays the same the whole time though
so just look at it in practice mode and it'll be okay. You then get three easy
two-note chords, a R-Y-R (Hold-Tap-Release! Learn it!) Then a very hittable
run of sixteenths, starts out with Blue, goes up to Orange and then comes down
to stay in the G-R-Y area. You can pretty easily see the notes coming and you
should be able to hit the majority of these. You'll then see a bunch of close
two-note chords that you're gonna have to transfer going up the board. These
are all right next to each other (GR, RB, BY, etc.) and are all eigth notes,
which at this song's tempo isn't very fast. I personally can just keep
switching fingers when I need to. Here's my chart:
GR - RY - YB - RY - YB - BO - YB - RY - YB
12   23   34   23   34   34   23   12   23
I'm used to using my fingers this way because I've played piano for 13 or 14
years, so I'm able to do that. A lot of people get mixed up when they try this,
and I'm here to tell you that it's perfectly okay to slide more than I did, and
it's also perfectly okay to slide the entire thing (as long as you can keep
track of where your hand is.) This is just a matter of personal preference.
The bridge is where you get the double-strum with a three-note chord on the
end of it. Another chorus, then another solo. The first part of it is fairly
routine, you'll get a series of notes on mostly the same fret that are
sixteenths. You'll most likely want to double-strum these. The next part has
a Red to Blue and back run, followed by a lot of quick notes in the G-R-Y area.
Fake these to the best of your ability. Then the next part is virtually the
same concept, except it ranges from Green to Blue. It then ends with a bunch
of quick notes, but they're all seemingly on-beat and slower than the last
section or two, so you stand a much better chance at these. Then just when you
thought it was all over, the second part of the outro gives you a a Y-B-O-B-Y
run that's impossibly fast, then a bunch of B-Y-R-G that are just as impossibly
fast. Then another one of those G-R-Y area solos that seem to be popular in
this game. It's somewhat annoying, because you'll probably end this song in
the yellow or the red (unless you star power it) and it seems kind of
disappointing to let your fans down like that in an encore.
Five-Star Tips: I would say to use star power during the solos if you're good,
because the rest of the song seems kind of lacking in the points department.
The best strategy would be to completely master the rest of the song, so that
way you'll still get five-stars even if you botch the solos. Which you probably
will.
4-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 42,298
Medium: 59,394
Hard: 107,988
Expert: 125,058
5-Star Cutoffs:
Easy: 59,218
Medium: 83,152
Hard: 151,184
Expert: 175,082
-------------"Relentless Riffs" [GHRIFF]-------------
Ain't Nothin But a Good Time [GHRIFF1]
as made famous by
Poison
Difficulty: 5.5/10
These chord transfers aren't for the faint of heart (or coordination) as they
require a little bit of thinking. For the switching between YB and YO, it's
easy, just let go of the third finger and then hit orange with your pinky,
then to go back just let go of the pinky and hit the third finger. The weird
part is the transfer from YB-YO-YB-RYO-RYO. You see the orange coming up and
it's like your pinky gets frozen and stays on that orange. I know, it happens
to me too. Since you stay on that orange you end up missing the YB, and it
kills your multiplier. Just train your finger to let go because you know you
need to hit that YB. Good news is, once you get this, you've got the majority
of this song. It's in every verse, and the chorus is just a slight variation
of it. The chorus's variation has you going to the RYO chord a lot earlier, and
then slides down to it's cousin the GRB chord. After you hold that, you switch