Expert Pro Keys Playing Guide

[malictus]

Hello everyone, I'm a HUGE FAN of Pro Keys mode, and I'd like to see more people getting into it. I have seen a number of threads about the difficulties of Pro Keys mode, so I thought I'd create a song-by-song guide to surviving Expert Pro Keys mode. I'll go tier by tier and try provide a general difficulty guide, as well as tips for conquering the chart.

NOTE: I am a musician, and I might occasionally use some music terms, especially things like note names (C#, Bb, etc.) I'll try to use these kinds of things rarely, so if you are confused by this just ignore those comments. Pro Keys mode can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of musical background.

First off, a few general tips:

Use the Trainer - If you are new to playing keys, I highly recommend using the 'Learn an Instrument' trainer. Even if you are an experienced keyboardist, I still recommend using Training Mode for learning new songs -- it's the best way to target the problem areas quickly and easily.

Don't strap it on - For regular keys mode, using the keyboard as a 'keytar' is just fine, but forget using it that way to play real keyboard parts. I don't have a keyboard stand, but I have no problem just setting the keyboard on a tray in front of me.

Gilssandos are easier than you think - Glissandos are the quickly ascending or descending notes that show up in certain songs. The good news is that the game engine is rather lenient with them. Basically you need to:
- Start on the right note.
- Go the right direction.
- Play something for the duration of the gliss.
- If there is another note afterwards, you must hit it.
If you do this, you will get full credit for the gliss. So just make sure you start on the right note, and in most cases you'll be fine.

OK, here goes. Difficulty ratings are on a ten point scale, and reflect the general difficulty level of the song (NOT necessarily how hard it is to FC the song).

******* WARMUP **********

Whip It - Difficulty: 1
This song is a great introduction to Pro Keys --- there is a keyboard part most of the time throughout the song, but there are only three different patterns, including a single note pattern, a two-note chords pattern, and an octave pattern. Easy, but not boring.

Before I Forget - Difficulty: 1
A number of the easier songs only use keyboards for 'padding' in the chorus or bridge sections of the song, so there are long periods where you don't have anything to do. This is one of those songs I'm afraid. Everything is easy, just one note at a time. Just try not to fall asleep in between sections.

Need You Tonight - Difficulty: 1
One of the ScoreHero users wrote in the comments for this song "A disabled monkey could do this". This is probably true. Literally, this song has a single, three-note C major chord repeated over and over and over and over.... I guess you could say this is a good introduction to 3-note chords. Other than that, it's about as much fun as watching paint dry I'm afraid.

The Beautiful People - Difficulty: 2
Here's another song with lots of silent parts, but at least the playing parts are starting to get a little interesting. This is the first song with some significant lane shifts, so it's a good practice song for that.

Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before - Difficulty: 2
This one consists of a simple pattern and a few sustained notes. The only problem is that the pattern keeps changing, ever so slightly. So you can't just memorize the pattern and play it the same way every time. This is a good song for practicing reading the notes and distinguishing between small differences.

Oh My God - Difficulty: 3
Here is the first example of a 'real' chord progression. Most of the chorus consists of three chords (F#m, E, and A) and this is a good practice for playing three note chords that shift around a bit. There's also a single E major four-note chord thrown in in the middle, and there a bit of weirdness at the end that will surprise you the first time you see it. Still, overall this is pretty easy once you get the chords down.

Rainbow in the Dark - Difficulty: 1
I was excited to play this song, since I knew it had a prominent keyboard part. I was disappointed once I played the song, though, and realized that keyboard solo is the ONLY keyboard part in the entire song! Lots of silence, and a single, easy part make this one a breeze.

Radar Love - Difficulty: 4
This one has a variety of single notes, chords (some of them awkward), and a few tricky passages. It also has tons of silent parts, making playing it somewhat frustrating.

Combat Baby - Difficulty: 3
Mostly single, slow sustained notes, but it also contains a 'solo' section in the middle with a pretty easy melody. Not very many silent parts, so this song is a bit more exciting to play than most of the other songs in the first tier.

******* APPRENTICE **********

The Con - Difficulty: 3
Nothing too difficult here. All single notes, a few easy lane shifts, and a couple of interesting lines.

Werewolves of London - Difficulty: 3
A highly repetitive song, with just a single 3-chord segment that repeats over and over. But just when you think it's going to repeat the same way every time, there are subtle changes to watch out for. So you have to stay alert the whole time.

Heart of Glass - Difficulty: 3
Sustained chords and a couple of melodic parts. Pretty easy, but some of the chords are unusual (including a couple of 4-note seventh chords).

Just Like Heaven - Difficulty: 3
This is the 'shiftiest' song yet --- there are lane changes almost constantly. Fortunately, the notes are mostly easy single-notes, so this is a good song to use to practice reading lane shifts.

I Love Rock and Roll - Difficulty: 3
My first thought was "wait, there's a KEYBOARD part on this song?" Turns out it mostly just reinforces the guitar part, with some 'power chord' 4ths and a few simple lines. The only reason I rated this a '3' is the faster E-E octave notes at the end. Still, this one is quite easy.

Humanoid - Difficulty: 4
This one is definitely easier with two hands. There is one tricky riff, that is repeated three times. The easiest thing to do with this part (as is frequently the case) is to memorize the notes so that you can watch the keyboard instead of the screen. The repeated notes are fast, but not so fast that you can't do them with the same finger.

Rock Lobster - Difficulty: 3
A relatively fun and easy song. There is a HUGE silent section (I'd guess it's about half the song), but it's the second half of the song, so once the notes stop you can safely go read a book or something until the song ends.

Last Dance - Difficulty: 4
This song is good practice for playing arpeggiated chords --- the patterns are slow enough to give sufficient time to shift between each chord position. NOTE: There is an incorrectly charted chord that recurs in this song. If you are aware of what the 'real' notes should sound like this may make this song a bit harder.

In The Meantime - Difficulty: 4
This song is pretty easy except for the piano solo section at the end. Practicing the last section in practice mode will definitely help. Getting the tempo slowdown near the end of this solo may be a bit tricky as well.

*** TO BE CONTINUED ***

[malictus]

Hello everyone, I'm a HUGE FAN of Pro Keys mode, and I'd like to see more people getting into it. I have seen a number of threads about the difficulties of Pro Keys mode, so I thought I'd create a song-by-song guide to surviving Expert Pro Keys mode. I'll go tier by tier and try provide a general difficulty guide, as well as tips for conquering the chart.

NOTE: I am a musician, and I might occasionally use some music terms, especially things like note names (C#, Bb, etc.) I'll try to use these kinds of things rarely, so if you are confused by this just ignore those comments. Pro Keys mode can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of musical background.

First off, a few general tips:

Use the Trainer - If you are new to playing keys, I highly recommend using the 'Learn an Instrument' trainer. Even if you are an experienced keyboardist, I still recommend using Training Mode for learning new songs -- it's the best way to target the problem areas quickly and easily.

Don't strap it on - For regular keys mode, using the keyboard as a 'keytar' is just fine, but forget using it that way to play real keyboard parts. I don't have a keyboard stand, but I have no problem just setting the keyboard on a tray in front of me.

Gilssandos are easier than you think - Glissandos are the quickly ascending or descending notes that show up in certain songs. The good news is that the game engine is rather lenient with them. Basically you need to:
- Start on the right note.
- Go the right direction.
- Play something for the duration of the gliss.
- If there is another note afterwards, you must hit it.
If you do this, you will get full credit for the gliss. So just make sure you start on the right note, and in most cases you'll be fine.

OK, here goes. Difficulty ratings are on a ten point scale, and reflect the general difficulty level of the song (NOT necessarily how hard it is to FC the song).

******* WARMUP **********

Whip It - Difficulty: 1
This song is a great introduction to Pro Keys --- there is a keyboard part most of the time throughout the song, but there are only three different patterns, including a single note pattern, a two-note chords pattern, and an octave pattern. Easy, but not boring.

Before I Forget - Difficulty: 1
A number of the easier songs only use keyboards for 'padding' in the chorus or bridge sections of the song, so there are long periods where you don't have anything to do. This is one of those songs I'm afraid. Everything is easy, just one note at a time. Just try not to fall asleep in between sections.

Need You Tonight - Difficulty: 1
One of the ScoreHero users wrote in the comments for this song "A disabled monkey could do this". This is probably true. Literally, this song has a single, three-note C major chord repeated over and over and over and over.... I guess you could say this is a good introduction to 3-note chords. Other than that, it's about as much fun as watching paint dry I'm afraid.

The Beautiful People - Difficulty: 2
Here's another song with lots of silent parts, but at least the playing parts are starting to get a little interesting. This is the first song with some significant lane shifts, so it's a good practice song for that.

Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before - Difficulty: 2
This one consists of a simple pattern and a few sustained notes. The only problem is that the pattern keeps changing, ever so slightly. So you can't just memorize the pattern and play it the same way every time. This is a good song for practicing reading the notes and distinguishing between small differences.

Oh My God - Difficulty: 3
Here is the first example of a 'real' chord progression. Most of the chorus consists of three chords (F#m, E, and A) and this is a good practice for playing three note chords that shift around a bit. There's also a single E major four-note chord thrown in in the middle, and there a bit of weirdness at the end that will surprise you the first time you see it. Still, overall this is pretty easy once you get the chords down.

Rainbow in the Dark - Difficulty: 1
I was excited to play this song, since I knew it had a prominent keyboard part. I was disappointed once I played the song, though, and realized that keyboard solo is the ONLY keyboard part in the entire song! Lots of silence, and a single, easy part make this one a breeze.

Radar Love - Difficulty: 4
This one has a variety of single notes, chords (some of them awkward), and a few tricky passages. It also has tons of silent parts, making playing it somewhat frustrating.

Combat Baby - Difficulty: 3
Mostly single, slow sustained notes, but it also contains a 'solo' section in the middle with a pretty easy melody. Not very many silent parts, so this song is a bit more exciting to play than most of the other songs in the first tier.

******* APPRENTICE **********

The Con - Difficulty: 3
Nothing too difficult here. All single notes, a few easy lane shifts, and a couple of interesting lines.

Werewolves of London - Difficulty: 3
A highly repetitive song, with just a single 3-chord segment that repeats over and over. But just when you think it's going to repeat the same way every time, there are subtle changes to watch out for. So you have to stay alert the whole time.

Heart of Glass - Difficulty: 3
Sustained chords and a couple of melodic parts. Pretty easy, but some of the chords are unusual (including a couple of 4-note seventh chords).

Just Like Heaven - Difficulty: 3
This is the 'shiftiest' song yet --- there are lane changes almost constantly. Fortunately, the notes are mostly easy single-notes, so this is a good song to use to practice reading lane shifts.

I Love Rock and Roll - Difficulty: 3
My first thought was "wait, there's a KEYBOARD part on this song?" Turns out it mostly just reinforces the guitar part, with some 'power chord' 4ths and a few simple lines. The only reason I rated this a '3' is the faster E-E octave notes at the end. Still, this one is quite easy.

Humanoid - Difficulty: 4
This one is definitely easier with two hands. There is one tricky riff, that is repeated three times. The easiest thing to do with this part (as is frequently the case) is to memorize the notes so that you can watch the keyboard instead of the screen. The repeated notes are fast, but not so fast that you can't do them with the same finger.

Rock Lobster - Difficulty: 3
A relatively fun and easy song. There is a HUGE silent section (I'd guess it's about half the song), but it's the second half of the song, so once the notes stop you can safely go read a book or something until the song ends.

Last Dance - Difficulty: 4
This song is good practice for playing arpeggiated chords --- the patterns are slow enough to give sufficient time to shift between each chord position. NOTE: There is an incorrectly charted chord that recurs in this song. If you are aware of what the 'real' notes should sound like this may make this song a bit harder.

In The Meantime - Difficulty: 4
This song is pretty easy except for the piano solo section at the end. Practicing the last section in practice mode will definitely help. Getting the tempo slowdown near the end of this solo may be a bit tricky as well.

*** TO BE CONTINUED ***

[Abaddon]

> Don't strap it on - For regular keys mode, using the keyboard as a 'keytar' is just fine, but forget using it that way to play real keyboard parts.

I'm playing it strictly this way (keytar), and while it was a little awkward at first, I really am enjoying it now. I don't think it's any harder than playing it horizontally, really, just different (unless you plan on using two hands of course).

YMMV.

[Abaddon]

> Don't strap it on - For regular keys mode, using the keyboard as a 'keytar' is just fine, but forget using it that way to play real keyboard parts.

I'm playing it strictly this way (keytar), and while it was a little awkward at first, I really am enjoying it now. I don't think it's any harder than playing it horizontally, really, just different (unless you plan on using two hands of course).

YMMV.

[malictus]

If that works for you, by all means go for it. I tend to use two hands to play most parts, and perhaps that is why I find putting it front of me so much better.

[malictus]

If that works for you, by all means go for it. I tend to use two hands to play most parts, and perhaps that is why I find putting it front of me so much better.

[blingdomepiece]

[blingdomepiece]

[malictus]

[malictus]

[blingdomepiece]

Yeah, it's just a different game that way. There are some songs that are only tiered as they are due to the single-hand assumption; In a Big Country and I Got You come to mind. If you can cover every possible key in a song with at least one finger from either hand, it basically becomes a tier 1 song like Rainbow in the Dark. I guess HMX opened the door to this by not charting the left hand, but given that the YT videos I have seen are generally two-hand jobs, I am starting to wonder if I'm the only one slogging through tough charts this way.

Anyway, if it doesn't offend you, perhaps I could edit my first post in this thread to have one-handed tips for songs, rather than eventually ending up with multiple threads.
_________________

Expert Pro Keys: 50/63 GS, most recent The Killing Moon
Expert Pro Drums: 53/83 GS, most recent Free Bird / Oh My God / Oye Mi Amor
Expert Pro Bass: 6/83 GS, most recent Everybody Wants to Rule the World

[blingdomepiece]

Yeah, it's just a different game that way. There are some songs that are only tiered as they are due to the single-hand assumption; In a Big Country and I Got You come to mind. If you can cover every possible key in a song with at least one finger from either hand, it basically becomes a tier 1 song like Rainbow in the Dark. I guess HMX opened the door to this by not charting the left hand, but given that the YT videos I have seen are generally two-hand jobs, I am starting to wonder if I'm the only one slogging through tough charts this way.

Anyway, if it doesn't offend you, perhaps I could edit my first post in this thread to have one-handed tips for songs, rather than eventually ending up with multiple threads.
_________________

Expert Pro Keys: 50/63 GS, most recent The Killing Moon
Expert Pro Drums: 53/83 GS, most recent Free Bird / Oh My God / Oye Mi Amor
Expert Pro Bass: 6/83 GS, most recent Everybody Wants to Rule the World

[Shvegait]

Is using two hands really a great general tip? I was using two hands when I started, but I just kept losing my bearings. It could have just been I was unfamiliar with it though. But then I started following the trainer's advice, using one hand and the fingerings they suggest for the basic chords, and I've been doing much better. It's not always easier to use two. I'd say if you're struggling with hitting the right notes with two hands, try limiting yourself to one hand. If you're struggling to hit notes all over the keyboard, consider two hands.

If this going to be a kind of comprehensive guide, it might be nice to have discussion for a one-handed approach for some songs, as well. (The Killing Moon comes to mind...)

I definitely agree with the advice to use the trainers!
_________________

Expert Drums
PS2 RB, 360 RB2, RB3

Bladder of Steel/Platinum Artist - 2/15/09

[Shvegait]

Is using two hands really a great general tip? I was using two hands when I started, but I just kept losing my bearings. It could have just been I was unfamiliar with it though. But then I started following the trainer's advice, using one hand and the fingerings they suggest for the basic chords, and I've been doing much better. It's not always easier to use two. I'd say if you're struggling with hitting the right notes with two hands, try limiting yourself to one hand. If you're struggling to hit notes all over the keyboard, consider two hands.

If this going to be a kind of comprehensive guide, it might be nice to have discussion for a one-handed approach for some songs, as well. (The Killing Moon comes to mind...)

I definitely agree with the advice to use the trainers!
_________________

Expert Drums
PS2 RB, 360 RB2, RB3

Bladder of Steel/Platinum Artist - 2/15/09

[NavyCherub]

If you actually want to learn anything or ever progress to a real keyboard, it is definitely not a good tip to use two hands. Only the right hand parts are charted, so you will have no idea how to play because your right hand won't be accustomed to moving at all. It will be like starting from square one all over again, which seems like a waste to me.
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[NavyCherub]

If you actually want to learn anything or ever progress to a real keyboard, it is definitely not a good tip to use two hands. Only the right hand parts are charted, so you will have no idea how to play because your right hand won't be accustomed to moving at all. It will be like starting from square one all over again, which seems like a waste to me.
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[malictus]

Well, I seem to be in the minority on the 1-hand/2-hand debate, and I don't want this thread to degenerate into an argument about that. So I removed that suggestion.

I'll still point out the specific songs where it would be very helpful to use 2 hands as I get to them....

[malictus]

Well, I seem to be in the minority on the 1-hand/2-hand debate, and I don't want this thread to degenerate into an argument about that. So I removed that suggestion.

I'll still point out the specific songs where it would be very helpful to use 2 hands as I get to them....

[ShiftBreaker]

The way I see it, it seems less like they're charted for one hand, more for one half of a full sized keyboard. While I'm not going to doubt that it's not possible, I definitely think some songs such as I Want It All were definitely not meant to be played with one hand.
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---[/size]
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Complete Master Song List (715 songs)

[ShiftBreaker]

The way I see it, it seems less like they're charted for one hand, more for one half of a full sized keyboard. While I'm not going to doubt that it's not possible, I definitely think some songs such as I Want It All were definitely not meant to be played with one hand.
_________________

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---[/size]
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Complete Master Song List (715 songs)

[NavyCherub]

[NavyCherub]

[blingdomepiece]

[blingdomepiece]

[Abaddon]

[Abaddon]

[blingdomepiece]

[blingdomepiece]

[malictus]

Yeah, I'm 99% sure that part of Roundabout was played with an arpeggiator, both live and on the recording. There are some other ones as well where a sequencer was probably used, but that's the most obvious one.
_________________

RB3 Pro Keys Expert Progress:
FC's: 39/63 on-disc + 38 DLC

[malictus]

Yeah, I'm 99% sure that part of Roundabout was played with an arpeggiator, both live and on the recording. There are some other ones as well where a sequencer was probably used, but that's the most obvious one.
_________________

RB3 Pro Keys Expert Progress:
FC's: 39/63 on-disc + 38 DLC