Solo buttons, so how do we use them exactly?

**Shufflefield** · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 55 Location: Central Ohio

So far, I am not really that impressed with the solo buttons. I am not really fast enough to slide down to them at the beginning of a solo, and when I used them for a big finish I am not fast enough to get back up and hit the final notes of the song so I never get the BF score tacked on.

Am I missing something? How exactly do these help? In a few other threads people have said that they make hard solo's a ton easier, how so? Do you not need to strum when you use them or something? Or are they just nice if you know how to tap?
_________________

"I used to wear my wasted life like a crown..."

**Siberian** · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 207

I don't use the stratocaster much but for the big finish when I am using it I just move my right hand from the strum bar over and hit the solo buttons.

I'm plenty quick to get back to the strum bar to hit the final notes then.

Outside of that I find them largely useless which is good because it's one less thing I'm missing by using my Les Paul controller instead.

**Frostilicus** · Joined: 12 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Boston

The solo buttons are very situational. The second solo (aka, half) of Green Grass & High Tides is a WHOLE different ballgame if you can get good at hammering out those blazing fast scales on them. Definitely the way to go for big finishes as well - there's no need to return to the top part of the neck to hit the finishing note(s).

I'm sure some other solos are made easier with them, I'm just not sure which ones. If not for the fact that it sometimes decides to activate Energy at the drop of a pin, I'd say the Strat is perfect.

**NathanJM** · Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 46 Location: Saint Paul, MN

yeah, you know you can use the solo buttons at any point, too. it took me like 15 minutes to get used to the narrow spacing. i just played a couple of songs ONLY using solo buttons (you have to strum the notes though when you're not in solo/rockending sections).

That said, i pretty much only use them for GG&HT and some of the metallica DLC solos.

With respect to getting the shift down, i just practice shifting whenever i'm on loading screens or waiting for other players online. it's just a matter of building muscle memory.

**Shufflefield** · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 55 Location: Central Ohio

**Jaguar** · Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 111

In a solo situation (where the fret is blue, and there's a counter showing what percent of the notes you've hit), you do not need to strum when using the high fret buttons. You don't have to use them -- you can play the whole thing as normal -- but there you go. This also applies in a big rock ending -- you can just flail on the solo buttons without having to touch the strum bar.

You can also use the high fret buttons anytime, but you need to strum as normal. So you can play your BRE, flail on the solo buttons, and then play the last few notes after the BRE on the solo buttons strumming as normal. Similarly, you can play a solo with them, and continue playing with them after the solo until you find a comfortable point to jump back to the normal frets.

**NathanJM** · Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 46 Location: Saint Paul, MN

**TheGlow** · Joined: 18 Feb 2006 Posts: 2748 Location: J Train Brooklyn!

During a solo it counts as if your strumming with each press.
can be harsh if your the kind that does a pull off like orange to yellow and hit blue in between because now you have an extra strum of blue and break your streak.
So far only 2nd solo of greengrass has it been useful or end wankery.
Spam em like crazy. and if your confident, no need to go back to the regular buttons, you can still hold the solo buttons and strum like normal. so spam away and stop when you see the last notes or chords for the big ending and just strum em.

**Fedora** · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 2286 Location: Des Moines, IA

I've started using my right (strum bar) hand for the solo sections with the lower buttons in some cases.
_________________

The original Rock Band career bassist.
Former DJ Hero player for vVv.

**JetsterDajet** · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 718 Location: Norcal

Sorry, I've got to chime in, here.

I'm sick of hearing "the tapping buttons are useless," and "tapping buttons suck."

NO.

They are the epitome of awesome. They are an awesome sandwich made of 1337 sauce and six flame broiled win patties.

Talk about getting something I've always wished for. How many of us could have beat TTFAF the first time if we had tapping buttons? Probably most of us who play on expert. Jordan with tapping buttons? Feasable for the majority of us. The tapping buttons make something once impossible for a lot of us, now attainable.

But the real reason I love the tapping buttons?

I feel like such a rockstar when I use them. No shitting. I can look at what's on the screen, know what it sounds like and close my eyes for a few seconds while I make an "OW" face and reel my guitar in -- Henrix style. God, that gives me such a chubby.

**Koushiro** · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 67 Location: Chicago, IL

I've said it before in other threads and i'll say it again, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SOLO BUTTONS. They're there for you to tap like ttfaf's intro during solo sections, so use them! =D I wish there was a way I could reprogram gh3's controller config so that it matches the solo keys on the rb guitar, without the requirement of having to strum on any notes the entire song. Talk about ultimate win ^^ One would be a breeze lol, probably even FC'able seeing as that using two hands for Fast Solo A would be 10 times simpler, since if you miss a ho/po you wouldn't have to strum the next one to keep tapping.

_________________

**Vanguard** · Joined: 31 Oct 2006 Posts: 14

Well, since my Strat is broken and waiting for replacement, I can't try out. But my one remaining question is this...

Let's use the 2nd zigzag solo that owned me in my sightread of GG&HT. If I used the solo buttons I COULD HO the

but I CAN'T PO the

that's right after it?

**Koushiro** · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 67 Location: Chicago, IL

In the zigzags, whilst using the solo buttons, the only thing you should have to worry about is not losing the timing of tapping the notes as they come up [I wouldn't suggest trying to ho/po on the solo buttons since you can use both of your hands to simply tap rather than worry about being able to hold down lower notes to hit higher ones], so for the 2nd zigzag section, I would suggest [when you get your replacement strat] to hold down

the entire zigzag section, and then tap

in that order, so it'll end up looking like this

while all the time holding down the

. Iirc it's a continuous tap, so there isn't a pause between when you tap

the 2nd time and have to tap the incoming

, it's all just one long tapping session. It's somewhat fast so you might have to get used to tapping that quickly in practice mode. *shrug* I might just make a video showing the way that I do it, but dunno if I have time right now. =S If i'm able to, i'll post it in here.
_________________

**nextlevel88** · Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Posts: 573

**lilsushi** · Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 133

during some solos there are chords can u tap the chords?