Common Problems With "Rock Band" Vocals

"Rock Band" lets you rock out alone or with friends.

"Rock Band," a music simulation game from Harmonix, brings the experience of rocking out with your best friends to your video game console. Instruments include drums, bass guitar, rhythm guitar and vocals. Most of the problems you encounter singing vocals in "Rock Band" are the result of human error and can be overcome with practice. Understanding how "Rock Band" interprets the vocals helps you achieve a better score.

Pitch

Being on pitch is the most important part of singing in "Rock Band." Pitch is how high or low you sing in accompaniment with the music, relative to your own singing voice. You do not need to know the words and do not need to sing in the same octave as the vocals in the original song, but if you get the pitch wrong your score suffers. Don't focus on sounding identical to the singer; you can sing "My Sharona" as high or low as you want in your on vocal range, as long as your voice is on pitch.

Timing

Timing is another major part of singing in "Rock Band." Notes are displayed as a line that inclines or declines with the pitch of the song; your goal is not only to keep your vocal arrow on that line, but to start on time as well. "Rock Band" does not penalize for singing outside those notes, so you can hold them longer if necessary so long as you start on time and don't miss notes. Vocal parts that involve speaking or rapping require precise timing and inflection.

Wavering Notes

Whether your voice trembles while holding a note by accident or you're doing it on purpose for stylistic reasons, "Rock Band" penalizes your vocal score for not holding the note appropriately -- especially on Hard and Expert modes. Your voice may waver or crack if you've been playing for a while and are wearing down. Drinking plenty of water while playing to help sooth your voice. Avoid dairy and acidic foods and drinks while singing, and stop if your throat starts to hurt while singing.

Missed Opportunities

"Rock Band" gives vocalists overdrive similar to the way overdrive is given to the drums -- it comes up without any prompting from you; you might even miss it if you're not paying attention. The vocal bar turns gold with stylized embellishments to signify that you are in overdrive. During overdrive, the singer is expected to make up his own vocals. You can sing, hum, insult the other players and do anything to keep the vocals moving and increase your score. Your can also increase your score by tapping your microphone in time with the dots that appear during tambourine sections of songs, though this is not required.

Faulty Hardware

If all else seems in working order and your scores have started dropping suddenly, consider that your microphone may be going bad. Check for outward signs of damage, such as damage to the cord. If your microphone uses a USB connection, check that it's plugged firmly into the port; if it's wireless, make sure that the battery pack is charged and in good working condition. If you have another microphone, test it with "Rock Band" to see if you get better results.

References

• Ars Technica; Rock Band -- Yes, You Can Fake the Vocals; Ben Kuchera