Jam Sessions

[quote name='chair_home']Hahaha, I got it from Best Buy since CC didn't have it in yet. Here's the code for anyone who wants it... you'll see why I'm laughing.

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right during Free Play Mode[/quote]

Needs more B, A, Start :lol:
 
[quote name='chair_home']Hahaha, I got it from Best Buy since CC didn't have it in yet. Here's the code for anyone who wants it... you'll see why I'm laughing.

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right during Free Play Mode[/QUOTE]

Seriously!?!? :shock:
 
Yeah, seriously. Haha. I just played it a bit and has a lot more than I imagined.

They have a tutorial and warm up mode, but they also have Ear Training. They help you learn how to recognize notes through repetition. They'll give you a preset "Chord Palette" and they'll play a pattern and you have to play back the same chords in order. Its really interesting. They also let you use a metronome, record your free play, and use the mic! Sorry if any of this has been mentioned in the thread before, but I had no idea.
 
I was hoping to snag it and Drawn to Life at CC, but their selection was shit and I couldn't even find anyone to bitch at. 'Bout to bust Jam Sessions out myself and take it for a spin.
 
[quote name='1modernboy']I was hoping to snag it and Drawn to Life at CC, but their selection was shit and I couldn't even find anyone to bitch at. 'Bout to bust Jam Sessions out myself and take it for a spin.[/quote]

do it, i want to hear some impressions. now!
 
[quote name='1modernboy']I was hoping to snag it and Drawn to Life at CC, but their selection was shit and I couldn't even find anyone to bitch at. 'Bout to bust Jam Sessions out myself and take it for a spin.[/QUOTE]

That's par for the course with Circuit City. They had a sale on Smallville DVDs, and during the sale there was NOTHING available. The day after the sale? Every season was on the shelves.

After that and the whole "Fire everyone who makes too much" thing, I've decided to NEVER shop there again.
 
Okay, so I’ve had a little playtime with the game and I guess my watchword is… ambivalent.

The Tutorial and Warm-up features are brief but informative, and I can see myself using things like the ear training exercise as sort of a very specialized music-nerd Brain Age.

The Options are legion, and you can customize everything from effects racks to the screen theme (there are – no shit – 60 different theme graphics).

The Free Play element is cool, but I still have yet to get the hang of changing chords and my strumming ain’t quite up to snuff. That being said, the Songs mode, which I was really looking forward to, has been a real hassle.

I’ve played guitar for a decade and, while my style is admittedly unambitious, I do understand the basic mechanics. But, much like Guitar Hero, knowing your way away a fret board doesn’t necessarily help. In a nutshell, I totally fucking suck at all the songs I’ve tried, both old favorites and what-the-hell-is-that new tracks. I’m guessing (hoping) that there’s just a learning curve that I have yet to crest. The diagonal chords are still really giving me tons of trouble, but I’m hoping I can work that out with practice.

I don’t wanna dissuade anyone from purchasing this title, as I can really see tons of potential with it, but I’m sort of bordering on mild frustration right now. I ain't crying over dropping 30 bones on it or anything, but I'm just not quite feeling the love as of yet.

Anyone else having trouble getting the hang, or is it just that I’m such an old fart that I can’t jive with these new-fanged contraptions. ;)

My plan is to ramp up some custom effects and give Free Play another go until I can find my sound. After I get more comfortable with it I'll try my luck at "Surrender" again and see if it still sounds like I'm assualting a drunken cockatiel with a ball peen hammer.
 
Try changing the Up/down strumming so that Down is up and up is down in the options. It feels more natural. You can also actually use a guitar pick instead of the stylus. I like it so far. Once you get the hang of it, its pretty fun.
 
[quote name='chair_home']Try changing the Up/down strumming so that Down is up and up is down in the options. It feels more natural. You can also actually use a guitar pick instead of the stylus. I like it so far. Once you get the hang of it, its pretty fun.[/quote]
Sweet merciful crap that's it! That simple change solved about 90% of my problem. Diagonal chords are still wonky, but now things actually feel right.

Thanks. :)

I'm really starting to see that you get out of this game what you put into it. If you've got the patience to tweak the system so as to find your own unique little groove, this cart could really provide a lot bang for the buck.
 
[quote name='chair_home']Try changing the Up/down strumming so that Down is up and up is down in the options. It feels more natural. You can also actually use a guitar pick instead of the stylus. I like it so far. Once you get the hang of it, its pretty fun.[/QUOTE]

THANK GOD THEY HAVE THIS OPTION! I was HOPING THEY HAD THIS! Sorry for the CAPS. I'll try and pick this up tomorrow at CC w/ their buy one get 1/2 off deal.
 
It's pretty darn cool, but as I don't know ANY of the songs, I wish I had a better idea of when you sing which words.

I also wish there was some background music to keep up with, like you're just playing YOUR part of the song.

I also wish they had a demo for EVERY song :(

And my poor thumb hurts.

I know I sound like I'm griping. Overall, I do enjoy this. My daughter liked it too:)
 
Tried to pick it up but the guy at BB gave me some BS about a delayed truck. Would've picked it up elsewhere but trying to use $10 Summer of ent. certificate. Jerks.
 
[quote name='Trusty Mutsi']

I also wish there was some background music to keep up with, like you're just playing YOUR part of the song.

I also wish they had a demo for EVERY song :(

And my poor thumb hurts.
[/quote]

I hear ya. All-in-all, I'm pretty happy with my purchase, but I think I maybe expected a bit more than I should've from this title.
 
[quote name='pete5883']I'm thinking its probably some small amp or something.[/quote]

Thats exactly what comes in it, and it dosent come out untill November 1st :(
But the released Track list blows even for acoustic songs. Im disappointed about the track list but just the game itself is going to be amazing, 109 chords + effects = Fungasm. The games openendedness is what im buying it for not the preloaded tracks, 85% of them suck.
 
[quote name='Trusty Mutsi']It's pretty darn cool, but as I don't know ANY of the songs, I wish I had a better idea of when you sing which words.[/quote]

Dude, if you're old enough to have a kid, you're old enough to know at least a few of these songs. ;)
 
I'm interested in this game what's it like? is it like that Daigasso! Band Brothers game or different?

Right now i'm still looking info up on this game, but what does the performance bundle comes with? I know an amp and the game anything else besides that?
 
I just saw a commercial for this game on TV. The people in the commercial were all singing Santeria by Sublime and it shows one guy stumming the DS touch screen. Is this song in the game?!
 
[quote name='darth007']I just saw a commercial for this game on TV. The people in the commercial were all singing Santeria by Sublime and it shows one guy stumming the DS touch screen. Is this song in the game?![/quote]

It's not on the songlist, but I think they're just emphasizing how you can use the free play to play real music.
 
[quote name='Tybee']It's not on the songlist, but I think they're just emphasizing how you can use the free play to play real music.[/QUOTE]

How misleading of them then. I got the impression that the song would be in the game if I hadn't have prior knowledge of the songlist, which I didn't. I'm sure some people who see the commercial will have the same feeling.
 
I've been playing this a ton the past couple days, really liking it. No Rain by Blind Melon is a great song. Definitely could have used more songs, though, and a demo of all of the songs in the game. Anyone know of any good sites that have sheet music that would work well for this game? I'm thinking Lie To Me by 12 Stones and Make Up Your Mind by Theory of a Deadman would both be fun but I'm working on a cruise ship right now so my internet access is limited/expensive.
 
I got this game yesterday (though I preordered the version that came with the Amp, but that doesn't come out until December).

Long before I became an English Teacher and studied literature, I was a Music student in college. I've always had a strong interest in composing, and it was a real delight to pick up this game and just twiddle away a few hours putting together new chord progressions.

I still write music as a hobby, and I can see this game becoming a very good tool for the musician on the go who just wants to try out a new chord progression, and is in a place where it isn't easy to whip out the guitar. Or if they'rel ike me and were trained on Piano, to be able to put together a simplified guitar structure.

With a pair of headphones, you cna jam pretty much anywhere with this really unique title, but although they seem to be trying to market towards people who might be interested in playing guitar, I think musicians will get the most out of this title.
 
[quote name='rlse9']I've been playing this a ton the past couple days, really liking it. No Rain by Blind Melon is a great song. Definitely could have used more songs, though, and a demo of all of the songs in the game. Anyone know of any good sites that have sheet music that would work well for this game? I'm thinking Lie To Me by 12 Stones and Make Up Your Mind by Theory of a Deadman would both be fun but I'm working on a cruise ship right now so my internet access is limited/expensive.[/QUOTE]

Check out sites like Ultimate-guitar.com (lots of pop-ups though) and search for the chords/tabs there. Probably easier if you go ahead and google whatever song your looking for with "chords" or "Tabs" in the search string.
 
I got this yesterday. I dithered on Friday, but decided it would be useful now.

I arrange music as a hobby, but I've always been terrible at chords. I can do okay on the piano, but the guitar has just been out of reach. The Ear Training mode alone is worth the entry price to me.

Today I was able to play "Umbrella" -- the acoustic version by Marie Digby, which has kinda become an obsession. It is just so cool to be able to play this on the DS.

I found the chords for that by googling the song name and the word 'chords' but beware: many of these things are written by people who aren't very accurate.

It's very different from Daigasso. I wouldn't call Jam Sessions a 'game' at all. You can play along with the included tracks in Jam Sessions, but you aren't graded. And if you don't already know them, that's probably a good thing.

The included songs are really only there for one reason: to give you something to connect with until you figure out what to do with Jam Sessions. First I was disappointed that there weren't more songs I liked. Then I realized: why am I farting around with these when I can play any song I want any way I want to.

I haven't even gotten into the options and all the things you can do. What an amazing tool.
 
[quote name='blandstalker']I got this yesterday. I dithered on Friday, but decided it would be useful now.

I arrange music as a hobby, but I've always been terrible at chords. I can do okay on the piano, but the guitar has just been out of reach. The Ear Training mode alone is worth the entry price to me.

Today I was able to play "Umbrella" -- the acoustic version by Marie Digby, which has kinda become an obsession. It is just so cool to be able to play this on the DS.

I found the chords for that by googling the song name and the word 'chords' but beware: many of these things are written by people who aren't very accurate.

It's very different from Daigasso. I wouldn't call Jam Sessions a 'game' at all. You can play along with the included tracks in Jam Sessions, but you aren't graded. And if you don't already know them, that's probably a good thing.

The included songs are really only there for one reason: to give you something to connect with until you figure out what to do with Jam Sessions. First I was disappointed that there weren't more songs I liked. Then I realized: why am I farting around with these when I can play any song I want any way I want to.

I haven't even gotten into the options and all the things you can do. What an amazing tool.[/QUOTE]


Exaclty! I don't know why some people are crying over the song list. It's a virtual guitar. You can play anything you want!
 
Do diagonal notes work poorly for anyone else? I don't even bother setting anything on the diagonals because it's just going to fuck it up. I've played tiny bits of Bigmouth Strikes Again and some other Smiths songs, so I've already gotten my money's worth. I can't seem to play the included songs at all though.
 
I haven't played this US version, but I do have the Japanese one. With the DS Lite, the diagonals didn't seem to work for me either, but I wasn't sure if it was due to a fualty system, since the diagonal chords work fine on my phat DS. So yes, I suppose it is not Jam Session fault, but rather the diagonals on the Lite itself that cause the problem.
 
[quote name='pete5883']Do diagonal notes work poorly for anyone else? I don't even bother setting anything on the diagonals because it's just going to fuck it up. I've played tiny bits of Bigmouth Strikes Again and some other Smiths songs, so I've already gotten my money's worth. I can't seem to play the included songs at all though.[/quote]
Yeah, even after getting my bearings with the game itself, diagonals are still a bitch! I've still got my DS Phat around, so I reckon I'll take naruto179's advice and try it in that system.

Oh, and I busted out a little "Ask" this morning myself. :)
 
Played the game some this weekend. For me atleast I can see this one getting old quick. I have to music ability. It was fun for a little while.
 
Suggestion to those having trouble with diagonals. Switch to left-handed mode and play with the DS held upside down - the X/Y/A/B buttons are much easier to use.
 
EDIT: I found the "capo" option, the A button changes the key... that's cool.

Ok... I just got the game today. Here are my initial impressions.

Pros:
A Virtual Guitar on the go.
Lots of chords, over 100 including sustains, sevenths, add9's.. etc.
Ear Training (A big plus!)
Good sound for the DS if you use headphones or an amp.


Cons:
Diagonals and chord switching can be tricky.
No single notes can be played leaving many songs unplayable.
Strumming doesn't always pickup when playing.


Overall:
Although the game is does a decent job in emulating a guitar sound, it cannot replace one. For the seasoned guitar player, it does have some nifty features such as ear training, but in reality if you have a guitar nearby, you'd be better off picking that up instead. I find it initally harder for me to play some of these songs on the ds rather than on my guitar. I sometimes blank out on which direction has which chord even with the pallet up because I'm either singing the song or trying to get the strum the way I want it to sound. For people who haven't yet picked up a guitar, this game WILL NOT teach you how to play the guitar. It will however teach you basic chord progressions and strumming... somewhat. I'm content with my purchase so far and it will be handy for many long train rides.
 
[quote name='1modernboy']Yeah, even after getting my bearings with the game itself, diagonals are still a bitch! I've still got my DS Phat around, so I reckon I'll take naruto179's advice and try it in that system.

Oh, and I busted out a little "Ask" this morning myself. :)[/quote]
The only other thing about the Phat is that switching quickly between chords is a bit troublesome, as it does not have a true of a d-pad as the Lite does. So both have their ups and downs, but for diagonals, the Phat is better.
 
While trying to play "No, Woman, No Cry" I think I broke my DS Lite D-pad; it now clicks loudly, and seems to slick on the right side. Man, at least it could have been 'harder' song.

I concur, chord changes can be a bitch, you have to move in SFII fireball circular patterns, other wise the sound will cut out. I wish you could hold a shoulder button down for sustain.
 
[quote name='DesertEagleXIX']While trying to play "No, Woman, No Cry" I think I broke my DS Lite D-pad; it now clicks loudly, and seems to slick on the right side. Man, at least it could have been 'harder' song.

I concur, chord changes can be a bitch, you have to move in SFII fireball circular patterns, other wise the sound will cut out. I wish you could hold a shoulder button down for sustain.[/QUOTE]

Ya if you imagine it... it's kinda retarted doing hadoken's and shoryukens to play no woman no cry... lol.
 
[quote name='DesertEagleXIX']
I concur, chord changes can be a bitch, you have to move in SFII fireball circular patterns, other wise the sound will cut out. I wish you could hold a shoulder button down for sustain.[/quote]

I have a phat, and my problem seems mostly to be going to the wrong chord. Diagonals aren't hard, but it is easy to overshoot.

If you keep the stylus on the touchscreen, the sound won't cut out, even on difficult D-pad changes. It takes a little to get the hang of that, but I've got a nice sound going now.
 
Hmm... I wish this had wifi so that we could upload our own songs/tablature for songs that we could have access too instead of having to try and remember which chords are in songs.
 
Damn, I had planned on waiting for that Performance Bundle at GS, but now I see it has been delayed another month, until December now. I seriously want to play this game, but waitng that long for it sucks. It'll suck even more if this bundle winds up getting cancelled, and I have to wait for nothing.

I could have picked up this game during the TRU B2G1F sale, but I decided not to and instead wait for this bundle. But now with this delay, I'm seriously reconsidering that decision. I was going to go check out another TRU tomorrow, and if I end up with two games and I can't find a third, I may as well just pick this up.
 
[quote name='ch3zyp00fs']Hmm... I wish this had wifi so that we could upload our own songs/tablature for songs that we could have access too instead of having to try and remember which chords are in songs.[/quote]

And then a long legal battle with the RIAA would ensue. They don't take kindly to royalty-free sheet music.
 
[quote name='Vegan']And then a long legal battle with the RIAA would ensue. They don't take kindly to royalty-free sheet music.[/QUOTE]

I don't think it would be a problem because it would be author's (the uploader of the song's) own work and represents their interpretation of the song. And as long as there is a disclaimer that says to only use it for private study or research I think it wouldn't be much of a problem as it is someone else's own interpretation.
 
[quote name='ch3zyp00fs']I don't think it would be a problem because it would be author's (the uploader of the song's) own work and represents their interpretation of the song. And as long as there is a disclaimer that says to only use it for private study or research I think it wouldn't be much of a problem as it is someone else's own interpretation.[/quote]

You can find tabs on the web easily.

However, the RIAA is weird about this kind of thing, and there are all kinds of dumbshit rules regarding royalties and what constitutes a "broadcast" or a "performance" that I can see why Ubisoft would not want to hold all of this stuff on an online server.

You just know Metallica would sue them.
 
[quote name='blandstalker']You can find tabs on the web easily.

However, the RIAA is weird about this kind of thing, and there are all kinds of dumbshit rules regarding royalties and what constitutes a "broadcast" or a "performance" that I can see why Ubisoft would not want to hold all of this stuff on an online server.

You just know Metallica would sue them.[/QUOTE]


Ya, finding tabs online is simple, but if you're on the road, and you don't have internet access, it's a pain having to remember the chords for many songs. So maybe they'll have something in the future, or I could eventually get me one of those phones where I can get a real page view rather than a mobile one. Just an idea.
 
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