Welcome to the CF Rocksmith 2014 Championship!

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

Previous' week Winners are:

Lead:
-Beginner:@EmbraceTheAbsurd (91)
-Intermediate:@Vodka (96)
-Intermediate Bonus:@jimmy655 (94.57)
-Advanced:@robolechuga (96.57)
-Advanced Bonus:@jimbobmccecil (96.09)
-Masterclass:@LuZifeR (94)

Rhythm:
- Beginner: @EmbraceTheAbsurd (92)
- Intermediate: @ALSRC (91)
- Intermediate Bonus: @ALSRC (92)
- Advanced: @jimmy655 (92.17)
- Masterclass: @LuZifeR (98)

Bass:
- Beginner: @EmbraceTheAbsurd (99.88)
- Beginner Bonus: @MotivatedCF (100)
- Intermediate: @figital (99)
- Intermediate Bonus: @figital (93)
- Advanced: @Mikson (98.35)
- Advanced Bonus: @ALSRC (99.68)
- Masterclass: @Nomgoose (99.6)

Congrats to all winners. Well done!

More great news. There are players to be promoted to higher rank this week.

- @EmbraceTheAbsurd is promoted to Intermediate class in Bass path.

Congratulations and good luck with new challenges!
In case the above players do not accept promotion, please advise accordingly in the post so we can revert back to previous Class.

This week's songs are:
Lead Path:
Beginner:Rammstein - Bestrafe mich(2.5)(Drop D)selected bydrand
Beginner Bonus:The Rasmus - In The Shadows(3*)(E Standard)selected byc
Intermediate:Def Leppard - Foolin'(4.5)(E Standard)selected byc
Intermediate Bonus:Phil Collins - Another Day in Paradise(4)(E Standard)selected by alsrc
Advanced:All That Remains - The Last Time(7*)(C# Standard)selected byc
Masterclass:ToxicxEternity - Dragon Roost Island(9*)(D Drop C)selected byc
God of Guitar:Blotted Science - E.E.G. Tracings(10)(E Standard)selected bynomgoose[Week 1 of 2]

Rhythm Path:
Beginner: Rammstein - Bestrafe mich (2.5) (Drop D) selected by drand
Beginner Bonus: The Rasmus - In The Shadows (2.5*) (E Standard) selected by c
Intermediate: Phil Collins - Another Day in Paradise (4.5) (E Standard) selected by alsrc
Intermediate Bonus: Def Leppard - Foolin' (4.5) (E Standard) selected by c
Advanced: All That Remains - The Last Time (6.5) (C# Standard) selected by c
Masterclass: Blotted Science - E.E.G. Tracings (8) (E Standard) Bonus path! selected by nomgoose

Bass Path:
Beginner: Rammstein - Bestrafe mich (2.5) (Drop D) selected by drand
Beginner Bonus: Def Leppard - Foolin' (3.5^) (E Standard) selected by c
Intermediate: Phil Collins - Another Day in Paradise (5*) (E Standard) selected by alsrc
Intermediate Bonus: The Rasmus - In The Shadows (4.5) (E Standard) selected by c
Advanced: Steely Dan - The Second Arrangement (JM's Final Mix) (7*) (E Standard) selected by jimmy655
Masterclass: Blotted Science - E.E.G. Tracings (8) (E Standard) selected by nomgoose
God of Bass: Louis Cole - Thinking (Live Sesh) (8.5) (E Standard) selected by c [Week 1 of 2]

(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)

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.

Submiting an answer to the poll above would be appreciated just to know for future weeks🙏

A pt2 devil week would be nice but perhaps a future host will do so. Eitherways feel free to post your devil songs here or perferably on discord's customforge - championship channel so that it doesnt interfere with the automatic detecting scores.

the winners list will be announced later as it seems to be off
should be fixed now 🤖

info bout the songs:

1. Rammstein – "Bestrafe mich"

• The "Bible" Subtext: The song's lyrics draw heavily on themes of submission, divine judgment, and religious masochism. The phrase "Bestrafe mich" ("Punish me") is framed as a plea to a higher power or master, playing into Till Lindemann's penchant for dark, ambiguous lyricism.

• The Studio Wall of Sound: To get their crushing rhythm sound on Sehnsucht, guitarists Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers double-tracked their Drop D rhythm parts through tuned Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers, aligning their note attacks with pinpoint precision so they hit like a single monolithic machine.

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2. The Rasmus – "In The Shadows"
this song has been featured before in week 492 hosted by Mikson, however this is a newer cdlc made by Emmy
https://customsforge.com/topic/67698-rocksmith-2014-championship-week-492/

• Three Different Music Videos: Because the song blew up globally, the band filmed three distinct music videos to cater to different regional markets: the "Bandit" version (European standard), the "Crow" version (US/international release), and the "Mirror" version (directed for specific European markets).

• Feathers in the Hair: The iconic black feathers singer Lauri Ylönen wore in his hair during this era weren't just a fashion statement—he began wearing them as a homage to Finnish folklore and as a personal ritual before stage performances.

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3. Def Leppard – "Foolin'"

• Mutt Lange’s Micromanagement: Producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange forced the band to record every single vocal line and guitar chord individually, often layering dozens of tracks for a single chord to give Pyromania its signature ultra-polished 80s arena sound.

• Steve Clark's Signature Riff: The iconic clean verse arpeggio was written by late founding guitarist Steve Clark. His unique riff-writing style—mixing classical-sounding arpeggiated voicings with heavy rock structures—defined Def Leppard's prime era.

4. Phil Collins – "Another Day in Paradise"

• David Crosby on Backing Vocals: Crosby, Stills & Nash legend David Crosby sings the distinctive, soaring harmony vocals on the chorus. Collins invited him into the studio after working together on other projects, feeling Crosby's voice added the exact poignant, haunting quality the track needed.

• Grammy Record: The track won Record of the Year at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards in 1991, cementing it as one of the most commercially successful socio-political pop songs of the late 80s.

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  Theres a video with rick beato that might interest someone who likes the song:

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5. All That Remains – "The Last Time"

• Oli Herbert’s Classical Roots: Lead guitarist Oli Herbert was a dedicated student of classical music theory. Even in heavy, radio-friendly metalcore tracks like "The Last Time," he constructed his solos using classical modal shifts and strict sweeping patterns derived from European classical composers rather than standard blues scales.

• The Vocal Evolution: Overcome marked the album where frontman Philip Labonte significantly expanded his use of clean, melodic choruses alongside his signature metalcore growls, helping push the band onto mainstream rock radio charts.

6. ToxicxEternity – "Dragon Roost Island"

• From Flamenco to Heavy Metal: Koji Kondo originally composed the Wind Waker theme using a Flamenco-inspired 3/4 acoustic style with castanets and pan flutes to convey the breezy, mountainous island atmosphere. ToxicxEternity translated those acoustic rasgueado patterns directly into rapid alternate-picked metal arpeggios.

• The "CDLC" Metal Cover Boom: Arranger/guitarist ToxicxEternity built a massive fanbase in the rhythm game community specifically by creating full-length metal cover arrangements designed from the ground up to challenge high-level guitar gamers.

7. Blotted Science – "E.E.G. Tracings"

• Mathematical Composition (Serialism): Ron Jarzombek didn't write this track by ear—he used a mathematical system called the "Circle of 12 Tones". He created strict tone rows where all 12 notes of the chromatic scale must be played in a specific order before any note can be repeated, mimicking the erratic, chaotic spikes of an Electroencephalogram (EEG) readout.

• Alex Webster’s Finger Technique: Cannibal Corpse bassist Alex Webster recorded his insanely complex bass parts using a rapid three-finger plucking technique (ring, middle, index) rather than a pick, maintaining pristine note separation at dizzying tempos.

8. Steely Dan – "The Second Arrangement"

• The Tragic Erase Incident: This song was meant to be the lead single for the 1980 album Gaucho. However, after months of painstaking studio work, an eager assistant engineer accidentally erased the master tape while prepping it for playback. The band tried to re-record it, but feeling they couldn't capture the original "magic," they abandoned it.

• The Cassette Tape Miracle: For decades, it existed only as a legendary lost bootleg. In recent years, high-quality cassette monitor mixes kept by sound engineer Roger Nichols surfaced, allowing fans and audio restorers to finally hear "JM's Final Mix" in stunning clarity.

9. Louis Cole – "Thinking" (Live Sesh)

• DIY Funk Genius: Louis Cole (co-founder of KNOWER) recorded his iconic "Live Sesh" videos in living rooms and small basements using DIY camera setups and raw room mic acoustics. Despite the casual environment, the musical performance features world-class studio precision.

• The Bass Pocket: Known for working with virtuoso bassists like Sam Wilkes and Tim Lefebvre, Cole’s rhythm tracks blend hyper-complex, syncopated jazz harmonies with the raw, driving bounce of 1970s funk and modern electronic chiptune music.
  

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fashionably late 😄

😭

@EmbraceTheAbsurd you got 99^ on a 3, do you wish to be promoted to intermediate bass?

Where the helly is Nickelback 🫣

This song really speaks to me 😂 Thanks for the new week @cacahuate51!

9 minutes ago, drand said:

Where the helly is Nickelback 🫣

This song really speaks to me 😂 Thanks for the new week @cacahuate51!

nah i was joking bout nickelback just cause i know some people here dont like it. That being said, if i ever do a film week..there is a special song in spiderman 2.

I would never imagine phil collins being someones top on spotify. But it is a good song so good job getting the 0.001% xD

phil collins is great

3 hours ago, cacahuate51 said:

@EmbraceTheAbsurd you got 99^ on a 3, do you wish to be promoted to intermediate bass?

Let's do it. I haven't tried a song with a difficulty rating of 5 yet on bass though, but the songs with a 4 difficulty rating I played last week seemed doable so I might as well try.

Congrats on the promo @EmbraceTheAbsurd! 🎉

TOP GAINS OF LAST WEEK

@Vodka on Lead with a gain of 13% on "INXS - Devil Inside".

@Vodka on Rhythm with a gain of 33% on "Elvis Presley - (You're The) Devil in Disguise".

@ALSRC on Bass with a gain of 9% on "Ghost - Satanized".

Hope to see y'all again this week @RoR and @Sofe! 😁

Nice selection of songs.

Seems they really want you to hold that slide all the way to the 9th fret.. maybe I'll remember that next for next time...

I'm pleased that my suggestion of Steely Dan is on the playlist .... but I'm already feeling the additional pressure...

That's fun... even that tricky little surprise in the middle..

1 hour ago, drand said:

Congrats on the promo @EmbraceTheAbsurd! 🎉

TOP GAINS OF LAST WEEK

@Vodka on Lead with a gain of 13% on "INXS - Devil Inside".

@Vodka on Rhythm with a gain of 33% on "Elvis Presley - (You're The) Devil in Disguise".

@ALSRC on Bass with a gain of 9% on "Ghost - Satanized".

Hope to see y'all again this week @RoR and @Sofe! 😁

i do wonder if people will fake gains now by posting worse screenshots 😅 but hey if it makes them more active/ less afraid to post/ more engagement in the first days, anything is good and its an interesting stat.

my scores:

ah missed 2

Thanks for the week @cacahuate51 I always liked Phil Collins bass lines because of Leland Sklar and Pino Palladino. And really enjoyed the tone on the cdlc @shotfirer

Bass

Improvement

Thank you for this week's challenges! Ill compete in Bass beginner. I don't think I can get promoted (I've 35.5 hours on RS, 23 of these in the past 2 weeks), but I'll respect whatever bracket I'm put in (uncomfortable zones are OK, even if I make a fool of myself).

Ill probably go with Def Leppard Foolin'. I checked out Phil Collins but for bass, it's Eb (not E standard) and I'll stick to my current bass tuning at the moment (not a big deal but still, I've enough on my plate with regular EADG 😅)

Have a nice musweek! Thanks for hosting @cacahuate51 !

Rammstein - Bestrafe mich. Sehnsucht is one of favorites albums of my childhood.

Some random MISS here. And hypnotising bass.

The Rasmus - In The Shadows

Phil Collins - Another Day in Paradise. Arps practicing required. Lead is easier

Def Leppard - Foolin'. Arps again so I failed. Bass I would give 2.5.

All That Remains - The Last Time. Hard. I can't understand hot to place hammers and pulloff in between of chords here.

Blotted Science - E.E.G. Tracings

Steely Dan - The Second Arrangement (JM's Final Mix)

Louis Cole - Thinking (Live Sesh)

ToxicxEternity - Dragon Roost Island

I'm exhausted.

5 hours ago, MotivatedCF said:

Thank you for this week's challenges! Ill compete in Bass beginner. I don't think I can get promoted (I've 35.5 hours on RS, 23 of these in the past 2 weeks), but I'll respect whatever bracket I'm put in (uncomfortable zones are OK, even if I make a fool of myself).

Ill probably go with Def Leppard Foolin'. I checked out Phil Collins but for bass, it's Eb (not E standard) and I'll stick to my current bass tuning at the moment (not a big deal but still, I've enough on my plate with regular EADG 😅)

Ah thats pretty neat that you found this site at such an early stage of rocksmith and congrats on grinding the hours!🤘

We have only put you in bass Beginner since from what i can tell you only submitted one score (beginner). You did manage 100 though so congrats!

If you do have time, give the other songs in E standard a go (just play it once and share score) so we can see what place you are better suited, sometimes its easy to underestimate oneself. Promotions come when you get 99% or higher in the most difficult song of the class, so 3s for beg, 5s int, 7 adv etc or you beat the top player in the class above or for new players that dont post all screenshots.

Hi guys. I know this is off topic, but I'm trying to put some songs on game using eof and rstoolkit and gp5 from songster ia transcriptions. In some songs bpm changes a lot during song, wich make me loose a lot of time adjusting note by note. So in this saga, I have discovered two softwares gpa and sonic visualizer, which help me a lot with this work, but still have some songs that theese tools doesn't work, despite do 90% of work. So, i made a script with IA Gemini help that get jsons from songster with sincronization points, wich work with, let's say, 99% of songs (since they're was tabbed there, of course ang gp5 and YouTube mp3 came from there). My question is there is another tool like sonic visualizer or gpa, that make sync work for us? Once again, sorry for this off topic post...

12 minutes ago, pedropmf said:

Hi guys. I know this is off topic, but I'm trying to put some songs on game using eof and rstoolkit and gp5 from songster ia transcriptions. In some songs bpm changes a lot during song, wich make me loose a lot of time adjusting note by note. So in this saga, I have discovered two softwares gpa and sonic visualizer, which help me a lot with this work, but still have some songs that theese tools doesn't work, despite do 90% of work. So, i made a script with IA Gemini help that get jsons from songster with sincronization points, wich work with, let's say, 99% of songs (since they're was tabbed there, of course ang gp5 and YouTube mp3 came from there). My question is there is another tool like sonic visualizer or gpa, that make sync work for us? Once again, sorry for this off topic post...

I think the only charters here are @Emmy-Dell @Hikikomori @Mikson n @Rodman @Daz40 and me

I've never imported a guitar pro tab so thats kind of out of my area. I do all the tab in eof and syncing the tempo doesnt really take more than 2 minutes. When theres fluctoations i usually put a marker every 8 bars, if still off then 4, etc. It will depend on the song, however i make tabs of songs post 2000s so they usually are by a metronome (stay at one bpm) / easier/less fluctoations in bpm and also i just like simpler songs in general, luckily no weird time signatures and if there were id probably avoid it :v

Havent ever heard of sonic visualizer, so i'll give that a look.

If the people above don't have an answer, you could also try discord as theres more active charters over there.

I look forward to see what you tab though :)