Hi I'm Dan.

This is my first post, so I hope I don't break any rules. I did a search before I posted and didn't find anything about Rocksmith. I have to tell my lefty brethren about this sweet new program.

As a 45 y.o. newbie lefty guitar player, I have met the resistance common to the lefty player from teachers, transcriptions, chord charts, lack of gear, etc. It has continuously made the difficult task of learning guitar harder.

So, I was really pleased when I bought the Rocksmith game for PS3. It plugs into a real electric guitar, has a full featured left handed mode, and IT MAKES PRACTICE FUN! I played my guitar continuously last night until my fingers were too sore to continue, and I want to do it again as soon as possible!

There are a few things in Rocksmith, like video cutscenes, where the guitar is not left handed, but as far as the chords, notes, mini practice games, and songs go everything gets flipped and reversed to be set up perfectly for lefties, just bring your skill (or lack of ,in my case). In one minigame there is a baseball player who even switches to lefty when the mode is changed to lefty.

For any left handed guitar players with game consoles, this is a really, really, great piece of software, a must buy really if you're frustrated like I was. I hope you all buy it and try out the lefty mode with your ax of choice. Anything with 1/4" plug is supposed to work, all the guitars I've tried work fine.

With the limited resources available to lefties this program really shines. If I didn't have a console, I'd buy a used one just for this software. I'd buy a TV too if I didn't have one. It's that good. It really, really is nice for guitar playing lefties.

Hooking up the sound correctly takes a small effort, but I bet you can figure it out.

I know you don't know me, but I am really not one for hyperbole. For a lefty guitar player, this program is something to get excited about!

Six lefty stars out of five - Truly spectacular

Dan

Thanks for the info Dan. Someone showed me this the other day, it sounds very interesting. I haven't owned a console in years so i'll need to wait until it comes out on PC to give it a try - 2012 according to the wiki page.

Hmmmmm. intriguing! But wouldn't it encourage tension in your playing?

I wondered about that yeah. Trying to jump on notes as they appear on screen could possibly encourage some pretty erratic technique. But then again, I haven't tried it

Sorry for delay, I've been busy playing Rocksmith still. I can't tell you how nice it is to have something set up perfectly all left handed. It's really neat.

I just heard the PC version has been delayed until May, so unless you have a console you won't be able to get it anyway.

Regarding the tension and erratic technique, the program starts off just showing the root notes, then builds them into bends, double stops, power chords, chords, barre chords, hammer ons, pull offs, slides, tremolos and sustains. It keeps adjusting the music so the player can be challenged but keep up with the rhythm. The goal is to master the song, then one just plays along with the jam track without any notes or frets showing in the display.

It has some indicators and tools for suggested finger positions, and some other practice tools. It's not without shortcomings, but especially for a lefty, those are minor quibbles.

PLUS! It's really fun. I've at least doubled my practice time. I'd do more if the rest of my life didn't get in the way of guitar practice, which hasn't always been the case. I also have a callus on my pinkie now, and that finger barely obeyed me a month ago.

My son has more time, and he plays much much more guitar than he used to. He has really advanced by leaps and bounds, and is by far the best guitarist in his school jazz band now after a month. Mainly I think, because of Rocksmith.

He would only practice for 45 minutes or so before and not every night. It definitely wasn't typically something challenging like double hammer ons at the seventh sliding to a double stop bend on the 13th fret, or I IV barre chords moving up the neck, or alternating pull offs on adjacent strings. Now he may do 10 of those in a song, plus keeping the beat and changing chord shapes in time. He's playing 4 or 5 entire different songs a night. It's much much nicer than hearing just the e minor penta once, then riffs of sweet child of mine and sweet home alabama for 1/2 an hour.

I'd really like to try it, but I've seen the PC version has been delayed til May next year, urgh. Too bad I don't own any consoles.