Rocksmith+ is a subscription service provided by Ubisoft which gives guitar learners (new and advanced) a gamified way to practice and progress in their musical journey. The original Rocksmith which came out in 2011 pitched itself as an “Authentic Guitar Game” but this one is much more than that – it’s a learning platform. I have dabbled in guitar learning since I was 8 years old but never really invested myself completely in it. And that’s why I jumped at the opportunity to try Rocksmith+ because prima facie, it makes the process highly interactive for Acoustic, Electric & Bass guitar learners. As a beginner, I was curious to see how this service would help my journey, and after spending almost a spending a lot of my hours (or days) using it, here’s my experience with Rocksmith+.
Rocksmith+ PC Review
Rocksmith+ starts off with a very well-done onboarding process. It asks you about your dominant hand to strum, the type of guitar you are using, and also gives you 3 ways to connect with the game. You will need a Guitar, of course, but any Guitar works with Rocksmith Plus.
You can choose to use the Rocksmith+ Connect Mobile app (it’s free!) to use your phone as a mic or use a cable. The Rocksmith Real Tone Cable is sold separately and it can be plugged into your computer.
I did face a minor drawback of using my phone as a mic – the game couldn’t catch some of my strums despite doing it correctly. I believe it depends on how much noise you have around you because if there’s some disturbance, there’s a chance that your notes won’t register.
As a ‘Guitar learning’ subscription service, I was extremely happy with the way they introduced the little details like how to hold your guitar properly, placement of fingers, how to hold the pick, etc. Every little tip from the trainer came in handy. You can get into the basics, intermediate lead guitar, intermediate rhythm guitar, and advanced levels as per your experience – thankfully, you are not forced to start over if you know the basics already.
The most important thing while learning a new skill is to get positive reinforcements and Ubisoft gets it right. Unlike real-world teachers who may or may not repeat every single lesson again & again, learning via Rocksmith+ was a breeze because of how student-friendly everything is. You can go through any part of the training and repeat the lesson as much as you want.
Perfect Video Lessons for Learners
Rocksmith+ introduces you to strumming, riffs, and more basics in a visual way. You will see indicators showing where the fret hand is positioned while playing, showing you where exactly you missed and where you should be playing.
If you are an eager learner like myself, you’d want to dive into a song immediately and feel amazing when you nail it with 80 to 100% accuracy. The real-time feedback will ensure that you enjoy learning completely. The lessons have been designed keeping every little detail in mind and kudos to that.
But if you are planning on taking up this instrument as a professional player, note that Rocksmith+ can only be a wonderful tool to add to your daily practice session. In most cases, the traditional way to learn from a guitar teacher will be the way to go, in case you wish to play professionally.
The Song Library is Massive…But Missing Many Gems
Rocksmith+ has lots of genres out of which you can pick your favorite songs and get started on your learning journey. Yep, this includes classic rock, indie, pop, hip hop, R&B, and more. And speaking of song choices – the game lets you practice with an expanding song library of over 5,000 official song masters.
Unfortunately, many of my favorite songs were missing from the list. A search for Shakira led to only one song and there are no Rihanna songs available at the time of writing.
Since this is a subscription service, I am hoping that more iconic songs get added to the list. If you are worried about not being able to play your fav tunes, don’t fret! You can check out the Song List here.
Whether you are trying to master songs in an unfamiliar genre, or you are trying to immerse yourself in multiple genres – Rocksmith Plus is going to level up your practice sessions with the help of Adaptive Difficulty. Here’s how it works – when you choose a song to play, the game will set a difficulty, but if you perform the song well, it will ramp up the difficulty gradually. This type of practice is sure to increase your Mastery, Accuracy, and Streak in-game.
Rocksmith+’s Tuner is Mind Blowing
If you’ve been using apps for tuning your guitar or doing it by ear, I highly recommend using Rocksmith Plus’ tuner. It surprised me with its accuracy – subtle changes made a huge difference. Honestly, I felt like my guitar hasn’t sounded better.
Is Rocksmith+ a Game Good to Learn Guitar On?
Yes, I recommend it, especially if you are ready to play regularly. It’s amazing for beginners who have always wanted to improve their guitar skills and good for advanced players to practice. If you’ve always wondered whether it’s too late to learn – it’s not! You can learn the guitar at 15, 30, 45, and even 70 if you have the passion and dedication to the craft.
Eventually, you can get into the more advanced techniques. But at the end of the day, if you want to become a full-time musician, you will need much more than Rocksmith+.
Verdict
Rocksmith+ is fun, engaging, and a highly interactive visual format to learn and practice Guitar. Players new and old can enjoy it because it adjusts according to your skill level. The lessons are easy to understand and you can easily repeat sections in case you feel like you need a revision. If you used to play years ago but have stopped practicing, maybe this service can be instrumental in bringing you back into action.
For beginners who have always wanted to play this string instrument, I would recommend this service because it’s more than just a “rhythm video game”. It is an in-depth learning tool to get you started.
A guitar teacher may take weeks until you get to learn a song, but with Rocksmith+, you get to jump into a song almost immediately. This is sure to make you even more excited about what’s coming. Now, while it can’t completely replace a traditional form of learning – if you don’t have time to visit a guitar teacher for lessons, I feel like this subscription is worth it. It’s available for $14.99 for a 1-month subscription, $39.99 for a 3-month subscription, and $99.99 for a 12-month subscription.
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