Rock Band 3 Rocks at learning music

Here's the basic scoop: RB3, is actually good at teaching how to play exotic alternate keyboards like the jammer. I estimate it is 2-300% better at teaching some key musical skills (with some caveats),  than the several other kinds of practice I've tried.

It's not perfect (duh - it was never designed for this), but it was well enough designed for teaching intrumental skills that it generalizes to a crazy instrument like the jammer. What's more, it's  simulation of being in a "real" rock band is fun and engaging.

I'm been busy and having a good time at various things, and spare moments are spent with RB3, so blogging has been negected. However I have collected a fair bit of notes, and hope to make clear where RB3 is useful.

Ken.

Comments

[John Moriarty]

How do you mark the keys? I've tried it with just a dab of glue but it didn't stick to the keys.

I'm going to be honest, I haven't given the Keyboard Integrator more than a few tries to figure it out. Since I've been messing around with microtonal stuff with Relayer I haven't needed to, but when I get RB3 I'm going to need to figure it out. Hope you don't mind if I shoot you a few questions on where to start with the integrator when the time comes!

[MusicScienceGuy]

Hey, good to hear from you.

Good side: it's teaching me to play in all sorts of keys: Abm, E etc; I find that playing in a Minor key is way different from playing in a major one - the "Key-center axis" is under the ring and little finger.

It really encourages one to practice; its always tempting one with "just one more song". I estimate that I'm learning 2-3 times faster that the old way of reading a piece of music. I also got the drum kit to learn!

Bad side: It's hard to relate the visual presentation, sometimes, to the jammer fingering: I have stop and puzzle it out.

Ken

Tip: I find that by marking the C E and Ab with little dots I don't have to look at the keys.

[John Moriarty]

Hey Ken, it is too awesome that you've hooked up your jammer to Rock Band 3 already, I'd die to give it a try. I might get my hands on it soon, but not until school starts up again. Luckily the cheapest gear is the game itself and the midi adapter!
I realized recently that I prefer a one keyboard playing style btw. I put the AXiS in my lap, and approach it with each hand facing towards the middle of the keyboard. Something about two separate, redundant keyboards was too hard to wrap my brain around. I'm relearning the old stuff with this new playing style (which is, unsurprisingly, surprisingly easy =P) and I'm working on the chords to some jazz standards. Comping on a jammer is beyond cool.