-= Building a Guitar from Scratch with Absolutely No Woodworking Experience =-

Welcome to the CF Rocksmith 2014 Championship!

-= Week 656 =-

=> How and Why join the Championships?
=> Rocksmith 2014 Championships rules

Previous’ week Winners are:
Lead:
- Beginner: @EmbraceTheAbsurd (92)
- Intermediate: @Daz40 0 (91)
- Intermediate Bonus: @jimmy655 (97.85)
- Advanced: @Foo4311 1 (96.16)
- Masterclass: @LuZifeR (97)

Rhythm:
- Beginner: @EmbraceTheAbsurd (96)
- Beginner Bonus: @EmbraceTheAbsurd (91)
- Intermediate: @behemoth8888 (94.1)
- Advanced: @Foo4311 (97.45)
- Masterclass: @LuZifeR (99)

Bass:
- Beginner: LOST TROPHY
- Beginner Bonus: LOST TROPHY
- Intermediate: @attaboy (97)
- Intermediate Bonus: @behemoth8888 (100)
- Advanced: @Mikson (99.48)
- Masterclass: @pedropmf (99.22)

Congrats to all winners. Well done!
This week’s songs are:



Lead Path:
Beginner: Electric Callboy - Everytime We Touch (3.5*) (D Drop C) selected by jimbobmccecil
Beginner Bonus: Linkin Park - Lying From You (4^) (Eb Drop Db) selected by ca51
Intermediate: Don Bronco - Nightmare Tripping (ft. Nickelback) (4.5) (D Drop C) selected by drand
Intermediate Bonus: Chevelle - Door to Door Cannibals (4) (D Drop C) selected by ca51
Advanced: Tiles - Analysis Paralysis (6) (E Standard) selected by shotfirer
Masterclass: Bring Me The Horizon - Pray For Plagues (8) (C# Drop B) selected by ca51

Rhythm Path:
Beginner: Electric Callboy - Everytime We Touch (3.5*) (D Drop C) selected by jimbobmccecil
Beginner Bonus:
Breaking Benjamin - Something Wicked (4^) (D Drop C) selected by ca51
Intermediate: Don Bronco - Nightmare Tripping (ft. Nickelback) (4) (D Drop C) selected by drand
Intermediate Bonus: Chevelle - Door to Door Cannibals (4) (D Drop C) selected by ca51
Advanced:
Breaking Benjamin - Something Wicked (5) (D Drop C) - Lead path!!!! selected by ca51
Masterclass: Bring Me The Horizon - Pray For Plagues (8) (C# Drop B) selected by ca51

Bass Path:
Beginner: Electric Callboy - Everytime We Touch (3.5*) (D Drop C) selected by jimbobmccecil
Beginner Bonus: Linkin Park - Lying From You (2.5) (Eb Drop Db) selected by ca51
Intermediate: Don Bronco - Nightmare Tripping (ft. Nickelback) (5) (D Drop C) selected by drand
Intermediate Bonus: Chevelle - Door to Door Cannibals (4) (D Drop C) selected by ca51
Advanced: Bring Me The Horizon - Pray For Plagues (7.5*) (C# Drop B) selected by ca51
Advanced Bonus:
Breaking Benjamin - Something Wicked (5) (D Drop C) selected by ca51
Masterclass: Tiles - Analysis Paralysis (8) (E Standard) selected by shotfirer

(N) - difficulty rating
(N*) - highest difficulty rating for the class (promotion to higher class possible)
(N^) - difficulty rating higher than the highest for the class (promotion possible)


(N) - difficulty rating
(N*) - highest difficulty rating for the class (promotion to higher class possible)
(N^) - difficulty rating higher than the highest for the class (promotion possible)


[i]Share with us your opinion on this weeks songs difficulty scores (1-10).[/i]

[size=5][b]Do you want to host a week? Join the Championship organizing team!!![/b][/size]
[size=4]The process is smooth and there is a tutorial as well. If you are interested, send a personal message to [b][url=https://customsforge.com/index.php?/profile/31036-rodman/][color=yellow]Rodman[/color][/url][/b][/size].[/center]
(N*) - highest difficulty rating for the class (promotion to higher class possible)
(N^) - difficulty rating higher than the highest for the class (promotion possible)

Check current week Rocksmith Championship Leaderboard


You can submit your song suggestions for the championship here
NEW! - easly add songs even on your mobile!:
Add Song Suggestion

Song Suggestions List available to view here: Google Sheets Spreadsheet

Share with us your opinion on this weeks songs difficulty scores (1-10).

Do you want to host a week? Join the Championship organizing team!!!
The process is smooth and there is a tutorial as well. If you are interested, send a personal message to Rodman."

Ok kinda short notice wasnt expecting to do this week.
not sure why miley cyrus column is empty for bass last week? ill check it out
ok done, I added both alternate and standard bass, surprisingly seemed like more people played the b tunning version. attaboy is the winner

i played a lot of songs today and they seemed to be very intermediatey so they might be sameish lvl.
Analysis paralysis isnt drop c but i was just stuck and couldnt find one so i chose it to just start the week.

Most likely will change some difficulty values once i replay them in order (played lots of different songs in between) / after i go get something to eat and will add some things about the songs later aswell

what google has to say:


Electric Callboy – "Everytime We Touch"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuBXeF5acqE



The Eurodance Metamorphosis: Released in 2023, this track is a heavy, high-energy electronic-core cover of the massive 2005 Eurodance hit by Cascada.

• The Music Video Setting: Keeping up with their tradition of comedic, cinematic visuals, the band filmed the music video in an actual castle (Burg Connaught), giving a dramatic, quasi-gothic backdrop to their neon rave-metal aesthetics.

• Studio Engineering Polish: The track perfectly showcases their unique sonic footprint—seamlessly balancing crystal-clean, compressed pop synths directly against massive, low-tuned metalcore guitar breakdowns without muddying the mix.

• Name Transition Context: This was one of the major singles dropped after the band officially changed their name from Eskimo Callboy to Electric Callboy in 2022, a move made to remove a term considered derogatory.

• Live Crowd Staple: Because Cascada’s original was already a massive global club anthem, this cover instantly became a festival favorite, getting crowds of metalheads to sing Eurodance pop hooks at the top of their lungs.

---

Linkin Park – "Lying From You"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TwQa4lpYCg

• The Tour Bus Creation: Mike Shinoda wrote the iconic intro sample and the core chorus instrumentation on a mobile studio rig installed in the back of their tour bus during the 2001 Ozzfest tour.

• Impossible to Cover: During the release of Meteora in 2003, Mike Shinoda jokingly noted that the song would be "impossible for any cover bands to play" because Chester Bennington sang and screamed so incredibly hard during the choruses.

• Hidden Foley Sample: If you listen closely to the very beginning of the track underneath the looping synth phrase, there is a distinct audio sample of a car burning out its tires.

• The Concept of Pushing Away: According to the band, the lyrical concept describes the toxic subliminal reaction of making up lies or acting out intentionally to force someone else to distance themselves from you.

• The Jay-Z Mashup: The song found a massive second life when it was paired with Jay-Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" for the legendary 2004 collaborative EP Collision Course, which went on to win a Grammy.

---

Don Broco – "Nightmare Tripping" (ft. Nickelback)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcrNNpMkBQ4

• An Unexpected Collaboration: Released on their 2026 collaborative project, this track joins British alt-rockers Don Broco with Canadian post-grunge titans Nickelback, creating a massive cross-generational rock crossover.

• Fearless Records Home: The collaborative track and its accompanying self-titled release were put out via alternative music powerhouse Fearless Records.

• Heavy Modern Edge: Sonically, the track moves away from standard post-grunge radio rock and dives into a heavier, bounce-heavy alternative metal territory that bridges Don Broco's quirky rhythms with Chad Kroeger's signature gravelly vocal power.

• Experimental Production: The track relies heavily on modern, hyper-polished production techniques, cutting sharp electronic accents and trap-influenced hi-hat pacing into heavy guitar riffs.

• Genre Defying: The release deliberately blurs the lines between UK alt-rock, electronic production, and classic North American arena rock, dividing critics and exciting fans of both camps.

---

Chevelle – "Door to Door Cannibals"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mBLdvSUH9g

• The Album Igniter: Serving as the opening track to their eighth studio album, The North Corridor (2016), music critics instantly highlighted the track as a visceral, ready-made mosh pit starter due to its driving rhythm.

• "Evil" Joe Barresi's Touch: The track’s ultra-heavy, raw, and dark guitar tone was curated by legendary producer and mixing engineer Joe Barresi, famous for his work with heavyweights like Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, and Melvins.

• Psychological Horror Video: The music video, which premiered on horror site Bloody Disgusting, features frontman Pete Loeffler trying to escape a surreal, nightmare-fueled asylum, complete with patients trapped in a catatonic state.

• Cinematic Inspiration: According to the band, the visual aesthetic and psychological pacing of the video were heavily inspired by the classic 1990 psychological horror film Jacob’s Ladder.

• Mainstream Rock Success: Despite its abrasive, less-commercial structure compared to older hits, the track climbed all the way to number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

---

Tiles – "Analysis Paralysis"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv-Amy5CIyE

• Detroit Prog Legacy: Tiles is one of the definitive underground names of the 90s/00s American progressive rock scene, proudly hailing from Detroit, Michigan—a city more famous for Motown and garage rock than odd time signatures.

• The Debut Statement: "Analysis Paralysis" is the opening track of their self-titled debut album released in 1994, instantly setting the technical tone for the band's career.

• The Rush Connection: The band's complex arrangements caught the ear of legendary Rush producer Terry Brown, who went on to produce several of their subsequent studio albums.

• An Audiophile Mix: True to traditional prog-rock fashion, the track focuses heavily on dynamic instrumental headroom, complex rhythmic interplay, and a clean mix where the bass guitar handles intricate melodic lines right alongside the leads.

• International Appeal: Thanks to tracks like this, the band signed with InsideOut Music, allowing an independent prog band from Michigan to tour internationally alongside legacy acts like King's X and Dream Theater.

---

Bring Me The Horizon – "Pray For Plagues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH1CRuSlIUM

• The Deathcore Genesis: Released in 2006 on Count Your Blessings, this track is the absolute peak of BMTH’s early deathcore era—a stark, hyper-aggressive contrast to the experimental pop-rock style they occupy today.

• The MySpace Era Anthem: The track became a viral sensation on MySpace during the mid-2000s, serving as a foundational blueprint for the entire UK deathcore scene.

• Iconic Guitar Sweeps: The song is famous for its frantic, Swedish-death-metal-inspired melodic guitar riffs and sweeping arpeggios, heavily influenced by bands like At The Gates and Bleeding Through.

• The "Blegh" Pioneer: Frontman Oli Sykes' raw, shredded vocal delivery on this track helped popularize the high-pitched fry screams and low gutturals that dominated alternative music subcultures for a decade.

• A Rare Live Relic: As the band evolved into an arena rock act, they largely retired the track. However, they occasionally shock audiences by dusting it off for special throwback sets, reminding everyone of their ultra-heavy roots.
  
  
  
  wish you all a good week!

Looks like there's an extra 3 in the BMTH link

45 minutes ago, Foo4311 said:

Looks like there's an extra 3 in the BMTH link

yup should be right now thanks

just noticed week 666 will be comming soon. too bad number of the beast iron maiden is official dlc

A quick update on the start of my Slopsmith journey. I installed Slopsmith on my Mac in the last hour. I used the Docker installation for the browser interface (because I have an older Intel Mac that doesn't accept the app install.) The installation is a bit technical - I had used Docker before so I got through it. The Note Detection module requires a separate installation. I just managed to install the note detection, and it seems to identify correctlyt the note I play at the corner of the screen. So that's promising. But I don't hear my instrument yet, apparently I have to install another module to get that into the mix. Will update as I progress.

Here is a Slopsmith note detection output. It seems to work, although it's pretty strict (this is Billy Joel's Always a Woman on bass, which I though I played at least 95% or better even without hearing my bass in the mix). But apparently you can adjust how strictly it scores a note, haven't experimented with that.

kk i switched the bass lvls since i played them all in one go now.. i think it should be more even?

i was getting alot of misses for somereason

honestly idk if bmth is harder or the analysis one is harder. bring me has some really fast runs and the other one is also complicated.

let's see if it works now or if I get banned for being a walking bug 😅

Lead

Bass

I haven't tried the other songs yet, I was busy struggling with note detection on the lead one 🤣, but this one on bass is simple, although it's fine for beginner @cacahuate51

Rythm Beginner Bonus and Advanced are the same song with different ratings (Breaking Benjamin - Something Wicked).

13 minutes ago, MaltaSoron said:

Rythm Beginner Bonus and Advanced are the same song with different ratings (Breaking Benjamin - Something Wicked).

yep, different paths, advanced plays the lead. its mildly harder probably not that much harder but i ddnt find a harder song on time

Just now, cacahuate51 said:

yep, different paths, advanced plays the lead. its mildly harder probably not that much harder but i ddnt find a harder song on time

Oh haha, I didn't see your note on the path 😅

2 minutes ago, MaltaSoron said:

Oh haha, I didn't see your note on the path 😅

yea no problem, it was my bad as it greyed out when i switched some bass lvls, so its back to colored now.
ill replay the guitar paths later to make sure i agree with my own lvls.
the bonus ones were just cause of space but most of them are probably int hence the 4s (pay more attention to the numbers rather than what class they are in...kinda confusing xD i might just omit song pathss next time i guess)

Bass

Love this song! They practically had the Cascada original on auto-repeat at my gym 15 years ago.

replayed them all again:

tempted to swap chevelles intbonus place to begginner just cause i think electric callboy might be harder...but it is emptier and shorter so yeah idk. I bumped electrics 3s to 3.5

6 might be too high tbh. did notice i was getting a couple of misses that i didnt think i was. it just has some slow arpeggios compared to the rhythm path...so maybe 5 i guess

havent yet started ocr incase anyone suggests songs swapped but will most likely start ocr/react app at 1 tomorrow (so hopefully people play before then lol)

Thanks for the week @cacahuate51

Bass results

Thx @cacahuate51 for saving another week from delay or worse - you rock!!!

16 hours ago, jimmy655 said:

Here is a Slopsmith note detection output. It seems to work, although it's pretty strict (this is Billy Joel's Always a Woman on bass, which I though I played at least 95% or better even without hearing my bass in the mix). But apparently you can adjust how strictly it scores a note, haven't experimented with that.

How did you manage that?

I tried installing on windows (the desktop version) and can't get detection above 50% after playing around with Input gain, Timing tolerance, pitch tolerance and detection method. In this case I tried it in step mode but it appears to recognize it always as B1 s2 f7 even though I was playing it on the string 1 fret 2

2 hours ago, ALSRC said:

How did you manage that?

I tried installing on windows (the desktop version) and can't get detection above 50% after playing around with Input gain, Timing tolerance, pitch tolerance and detection method. In this case I tried it in step mode but it appears to recognize it always as B1 s2 f7 even though I was playing it on the string 1 fret 2

I thought you was joking with this but there is SlopSmith :)

There is Tonelib for those of us on Mac too, though I don't know if it can pick up note detection but you do get the note highway.

13 minutes ago, jasmith85 said:

I thought you was joking with this but there is SlopSmith :)

There is Tonelib for those of us on Mac too, though I don't know if it can pick up note detection but you do get the note highway.

huh never saw tone lib jam before, wonder how they havent gotten sued by rocksmith yet since it does look really similar and they are charging money.

5 minutes ago, cacahuate51 said:

huh never saw tone lib jam before, wonder how they havent gotten sued by rocksmith yet since it does look really similar and they are charging money.

No idea, it's there so I just got it. Just helps when I'm playing along to tabs

18 hours ago, behemoth8888 said:

let's see if it works now or if I get banned for being a walking bug 😅

Lead

Bass

I haven't tried the other songs yet, I was busy struggling with note detection on the lead one 🤣, but this one on bass is simple, although it's fine for beginner @cacahuate51

Looks like it detected the scores right so i think it was the language :)
---

react app is now running so no more switching classes only rating lvls

6 hours ago, ALSRC said:

How did you manage that?

I tried installing on windows (the desktop version) and can't get detection above 50% after playing around with Input gain, Timing tolerance, pitch tolerance and detection method. In this case I tried it in step mode but it appears to recognize it always as B1 s2 f7 even though I was playing it on the string 1 fret 2

On my Mac Docker version of Slopsmith, I also get the note identified the same way as yours. I don't think it has a way of knowing what string the note is played on, and I assume it just scores on the basis of the note regardless of what string it's played on. I boosted my input volume a bit using my Sterling H224 https://sterlingaudio.net/dp/harmony-h224-audio-interface/ that I use instead of the Rocksmith cable. I adjusted it so the input level indicator on the Slopsmith note detect pane maxed out the green on a typical note. I also adjusted the Detection Method to "Crepe/Spice", no other Slopsmith adjustments. All this only made a slight difference. It scored me as 91% on an easy bass song that Rocksmith SA scored me at 99.35%. I didn't tune the bass very carefully, and I did notice some misses that appeared to be due to flat notes.

I was unable to figure out how to get my bass into the output mix. I found the NAM plugin https://github.com/byrongamatos/slopsmith-plugin-nam-tone but could not figure out how to install it. (The note detection plugin had a git clone command that I used to install, the nam does not). My understanding is that you should be able to even process the song to remove an instrument - say bass - and replace it with your bass in the mix, but apparently that is hugely computation-intensive and a GPU is recommended. I have a Windows gaming computer with a GPU, but I don't have any audio inputs or outputs linked to it - and I'm not very familiar with Windows in the first place - so I haven't tried the Windows version yet. I do have a Claude Code account which I'm planning to use to try to understand the Slopsmith source code running in my Docker - don't think Claude Code could analyze an installed executable not running in Docker.

The speed and quality of the Slopsmith development is pretty impressive. Presumably Claude Code had a lot to do with that - and it allows other users to understand and contribute a lot more easily than in the old days - I mean a year ago. Slopsmith does seem to have a lot of potential, but not I don't think we're ready to jump off the Rocksmith bandwagon just yet.

By the way, I do use Tonelib Jam regularly. It plays .psarc files and can display Rocksmith note highway or standard notation and tab. However, it has no note detection capabilities at all, it's good for practicing but not scoring. I use it to practice my standard notation reading so I don't get stuck just being able read Rocksmith note highways.

Here is some more fiddling with Slopsmith on Docker/Mac. I think I played this at 99%. I loosened up various strictness parameters (quite a bit), and increased the latency - guessing on this one. I also noticed on bass that the low E string registers at much higher volume than the high G string, so I played more quietly on the low strings and more loudly on the high strings. The detection algorithm is not horrible, and I'm sure it will improve.

On 5/16/2026 at 5:24 PM, cacahuate51 said:

just noticed week 666 will be comming soon. too bad number of the beast iron maiden is official dlc

Is there an exception to be made? It will incentivize me to play through it a couple more times 😁

First submission:

2nd try: