4 Months of Rocksmith Progress - A Look Back

Nearly 4 months have elapsed since I got Rocksmith and started playing it.  We got our XBox and Rocksmith for Christmas 2011, but then we left town for about a week so it hasn't quite been a full 4 months yet.

I reached Level 7 about a month and a half ago. Last week I reached Level 8. (Apparently Level 8 is still just International Headliner, the same as Level 7. I hear the names associated with Levels 9 and 10 are sort of goofy.) Only three more levels to go and I'll by a Rocksmith. For what that's worth. I'm really more interested in just being a better guitar player. Which, thanks to Rocksmith, I am.

Spreadsheets with scores and dates and accuracies and streaks from back in March and last week are below. But, generally, here's what they tell me:
I've mastered 10 different songs and played them from memory at least once. I've also mastered alternate arrangements of 3 of those songs (Angela, Surf Hell, and Satisfaction). That's a pretty solid set worth of music that I've learned and memorized since starting Rocksmith. I've got 4 song scores over 100k and just need to master one phrase (generally a solo) on each to master those. Don't tell me you can't learn anything from playing Rocksmith.

I've played a total of 58 songs and arrangements, including 8 DLC songs. I've got another 4 songs between 90k and 100k and several between 80k and 90k. I've unlocked one double-encore super secret song. I've completed 6 events.

I've got 20 songs with scores still below 70k. And, I've still got over 40 songs and arrangements from the original Rocksmith song list (the one that comes with the game) that I haven't even touched yet. Plus, a TON of DLC that Ubisoft has made available over the past few months. Level-wise it almost looks like I'm burning through the game - but there's plenty left and more DLC gets uploaded faster than I can keep up with it! (Even if I could play them all, I couldn't afford to download everything!) But I do sort of wonder what happens, game-wise, once I reached Level 11. Others have apparently done it and restarted the whole game over again. Since RS seems to sort of randomly generate events from all available songs, including DLC, maybe that's what I'll do, too. Guess I'll see how I feel when I get to that point. 

Of course, they also say there's a bass version or whatever you want to call it coming out soon. When that is released, I can start all over from Satisfaction with the bass!

My kids have played quite a bit, my son more than my daughter, and we've played together on multi-player mode several times. Lots of fun! 

Right now I'm using Scale Runner to warm up at the beginning of practice sessions. I use Riff Repeater to master troublesome phrases, relying heavily on the ability to force up the level of phrases. I'm working on getting the songs I've played already up to Master Mode, and I'm working up three new songs for Event 7  (I Miss You, Sunshine of Your Love, and that Andronicus song.)

Plus, I'm still working on Mastering the three free Christmas downloads to play in front of a live audience this Christmas. I've got God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen pretty much nailed. Working on Carol of the Bells and have it up to 82k so far. Haven't even tried We Three Kings yet. I've got 7 months.


Sort of unrelated to Rocksmith, but not entirely, I've acquired 7 more guitars since I started. Rocksmith gave me GAS. I don't plan to keep them all. Ubisoft might want to mention that when they promote the game. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has bought music-related stuff as a result of playing Rocksmith. Heck, even if you don't count the guitars, I've burned through at least two sets of strings in 4 months and I had to buy a decent (i.e. wide and soft) strap for my LP Special; the little nylon strap just wasn't cutting it for 2-4 hour sessions. Since the leather strap was a little stiff, I also got strap locks. Not to mention that I bought a whole XBox just so I could play Rocksmith - and along with the XBox has come XBox Live membership, Netflix, DLC, etc.

I'd say Rocksmith is here to stay. I sure hope so.

Here's my summary page from my progress tracking spreadsheet as of March 6th (This was back when I was having issues copying the fill colors into my blog.):

Song	Date First Played	High Score	Best %	Best Streak	Play Count
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen	28-Jan-2012	200279	94	96	61
Angela (Combo)	23-Jan-2012	200033	99	302	11
Run Back to Your Side - Chords	23-Feb-2012	197259	100	89	5
Do You Remember - Combo	26-Jan-2012	132554	88	50	11
Next Girl	14-Jan-2012	109775	98	158	6
Satisfaction, Chord Arr.	5-Feb-2012	108484	97	155	5
Angela (Single Note)	26-Feb-2012	101103	97	126	11
Breed - Combo	2-Feb-2012	101066	96	122	29
Satisfaction - Single Note	14-Jan-2012	100299	97	155	45
Surf Hell - Combo	19-Jan-2012	97762	96	152	70
Outshined - Combo 2	22-Jan-2012	96609	90	88	42
I Can't Hear You	15-Jan-2012	94445	94	80	16
Mean Bitch - Combo 2	6-Feb-2012	86737	89	89	15
Go With the Flow - Combo	14-Jan-2012	86600	0	0	6
Vasoline - Combo 1	15-Jan-2012	85738	95	138	25
In Bloom - Combo	15-Jan-2012	82550	0	0	33
Are You Gonna Go My Way	6-Feb-2012	79776	90	60	21
Higher Ground - Combo 2	1-Feb-2012	79735	88	66	3
Higher Ground - Combo 1	15-Jan-2012	79013	95	110	52
Rebel Rebel	6-Feb-2012	76799	91	58	15
Smoke on the Water	5-Mar-2012	75592	92	127	7
Song 2	23-Feb-2012	74507	0	0	1
Go With the Flow - Single Note	1-Feb-2012	73384	0	0	1
High and Dry	8-Feb-2012	72970	90	86	10
Slow Hands	15-Jan-2012	70966	0	0	21
Number Thirteen - Combo	24-Jan-2012	66064	90	144	22
Use Somebody	22-Jan-2012	60425	87	98	19
Where is My Mind? - Combo	24-Jan-2012	59846	0	0	6
When I'm with You - Combo	2-Feb-2012	58578	95	128	19
Unnatural Selection - Combo	21-Jan-2012	57289	87	105	48
Play with Fire - Combo	24-Jan-2012	55320	80	42	??
Surf Hell - Single Note	8-Feb-2012	41941	88	85	1
Outshined - Combo 1	10-Feb-2012	40728	0	0	2
Boys Don't Cry	22-Jan-2012	32372	0	0	1
Plug In Baby - Combo	5-Feb-2012	29715	0	0	1
I Want Some More - Combo	26-Jan-2012	23837	0	0	1
Unnatural Selection - Single Note	30-Jan-2012	21438	0	0	2
Higher Ground - Single Note	1-Feb-2012	18106	0	0	1
In Bloom - Single Note	1-Feb-2012	13249	0	0	33

Here's my current progress summary: 

Song	Artist	Play Count	Best %	Best Streak	High Score
Do You Remember - Single Notes	Horrors The	14	88	50	250645
Surf Hell - Single Note	Little Barrie	6	99	294	230414
Surf Hell - Combo	Little Barrie	124	98	181	222001
Satisfaction, Chord Arr.	Rolling Stones The	11	99	272	217479
Go With the Flow - Combo	Queens of the Stone Age	10	99	675	213773
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen	Brian Adam McCune	158	95	102	210466
Next Girl	Black Keys The	8	98	158	205498
Run Back to Your Side - Chords	Eric Clapton	10	100	89	204506
Angela (Single Note)	Jarvis Cocker	17	97	264	203555
Breed - Combo	Nirvana	33	96	122	202526
Angela (Combo)	Jarvis Cocker	30	99	302	202435
Satisfaction - Single Note	Rolling Stones The	66	97	155	202003
Go With the Flow - Single Note	Queens of the Stone Age	13	95	36	120093
Barracuda * Combo	Heart	31	95	182	110818
In Bloom - Combo	Nirvana	40	96	109	100658
I Want Some More - Single Note	Dan Auerbach	10	93	75	97856
Outshined - Combo 2	Soundgarden	48	91	88	96609
In Bloom - Single Note	Nirvana	10	96	109	95871
I Can't Hear You	Dead Weather The	41	95	80	95739
Smoke on the Water * Combo	Deep Purple	33	93	309	94860
Barracuda * Single Note	Heart	4	93	103	90154
Mean Bitch - Combo 2	Taddy Porter	23	89	89	86737
Vasoline - Combo 1	Stone Temple Pilots	28	95	170	85738
Smoke on the Water * Sgl Note	Deep Purple	1	91	148	84407
Higher Ground - Single Note	Red Hot Chilli Peppers	6	98	227	83685
Rebel Rebel - Combo	David Bowie	20	91	76	83031
Carol of the Bells - Single Note*	Seth Chapla	90	92	148	82002
Rebel Rebel - Chords	David Bowie	1	0	0	79838
Are You Gonna Go My Way	Lenny Kravitz	22	90	60	79776
Higher Ground - Combo 2	Red Hot Chilli Peppers	21	88	66	79735
Higher Ground - Combo 1	Red Hot Chilli Peppers	54	95	110	79013
Song 2 - Combo	Blur	1	0	0	74507
High and Dry - Combo	Radiohead	10	90	86	72970
Do You Remember - Chords	Horrors The	2	95	33	71772
Slow Hands - Combo	Interpol	21	0	0	70966
High and Dry - Chords	Radiohead	2	93	58	70138
I Want Some More - Combo	Dan Auerbach	6	93	75	70019
Do You Remember - Combo	Horrors The	4	69	16	67976
Carol of the Bells - Combo*	Seth Chapla	10	83	37	67087
When I'm with You - Combo	Best Coast	22	95	128	66161
Number Thirteen - Combo	Red Fang	25	90	144	66064
God Rest Ye Merry G'men Combo	Brian Adam McCune	24	88	67	62070
Use Somebody	Kings of Leon	19	87	98	60425
Where is My Mind? - Combo	Pixies	6	0	0	59846
Play with Fire - Combo	Rolling Stones The	??	80	42	58677
Unnatural Selection -  Combo	Muse	48	87	105	57289
Freebird - Chords*	Lynyrd Skynyrd	1	86	95	46782
Song 2 - Single Note	Blur	1	0	0	45262
More Than a Feeling - Combo *	Boston	5	85	62	43406
Outshined - Combo 1	Soundgarden	2	0	0	40728
Unnatural Selection - Single Note	Muse	3	73	38	35490
Boys Don't Cry - Combo	The Cure	1	0	0	32372
Plug In Baby - Combo	Muse	1	0	0	29715
Symphony of Destruction * Combo	Megadeth	8	78	38	27093
Play with Fire - Single Notes	Rolling Stones The	??	78	24	20072
Number Thirteen - Single Note	Red Fang	2	0	0	19735

Apart from the fact that my spreadsheet design skills are improving, look at the scores. From 2 to 12 songs with scores over 200k. Not sure that this means I'm a "good guitarist," but without a doubt I have learned to play a bunch of songs by playing Rocksmith.