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

Welcome to the CF Rocksmith 2014 Championship!

-= Week 673 =-

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

Previous' week Winners are:

Lead:
-Beginner: @Decaquark (99.59)
-Intermediate: @FlatCap Jay (97)
-Intermediate Bonus: @jimmy655 94.56)
-Advanced: @Mikson 97.78)
-Masterclass: @shaggy_malagy (91)

Rhythm:
- Beginner: @Decaquark (98)
- Intermediate: @ALSRC (91)
- Intermediate Bonus: @ALSRC (88)
- Advanced: @jimmy655 (95.64)
- Masterclass: @cacahuate51 (95.44)

Bass:
- Beginner: @Decaquark 99.38)
- Intermediate: @EmbraceTheAbsurd (95)
- Intermediate Bonus: @EmbraceTheAbsurd (96)
- Advanced: @Mikson (98)
- Masterclass: @Nomgoose (97.24)
- Masterclass Bonus: @pedropmf (99.59)

Congrats to all winners. Well done!

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

- @theMaelstro is promoted to Intermediate class in Lead path.

-@AstronaStrums is promoted to Masterclass class in Bass path.
- @PlanetFinesse will now be competing in masterclass class all paths

@Knippenburg Has joined the championship and will be participating in Advanced Bass class.

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:Less Than Jake - Hopeless Case(3*)(E Standard)selected byca51
Beginner Bonus:Bowling For Soup - Girl all the Bad Guys Want(4.5^)(Drop D)selected byca15
Intermediate:Taking Back Sunday - MakeDamnSure(4.5)(Eb Standard)selected byca51[just now noticed rodman had a version aswell, only have played pavs though]
Intermediate Bonus: Santana - Maria Maria(5^)(E Standard)selected byca51
Advanced:Atreyu - Right Side of the Bed(6.5)(D Drop C)selected byca51
Advanced Bonus:Mayday Parade - I'd Hate to Be You When People Find Out What This Song Is About(6.5)(Drop D)selected byca51
Masterclass:Every Time I Die - Leatherneck(8)(Drop D)selected byDrand[R.I.P Andy Williams (Rhythm guitarist)]
Masterclass Bonus:Yellowcard - The Takedown(8)(Drop D)selected byca51
God of Guitar:The Black Dahlia Murder - Nocturnal (Full Album)(10)(C Standard)selected byNomgoose[Week 1 of 3]

Rhythm Path:
Beginner: Santana - Maria Maria (3*) (E Standard) selected by ca51
Beginner Bonus: Less Than Jake - Hopeless Case (3*) (E Standard) selected by ca51
Intermediate: Taking Back Sunday - MakeDamnSure (4.5) (Eb Standard) selected by ca51
Intermediate Bonus: Bowling For Soup - Girl all the Bad Guys Want (4) (Drop D) selected by ca51 [different cdlc from last week played 39]
Advanced: Atreyu - Right Side of the Bed (5) (D Drop C) selected by ca51
Advanced Bonus: Mayday Parade - I'd Hate to Be You When People Find Out What This Song Is About (6) (Drop D) selected by ca51
Masterclass: Every Time I Die - Leatherneck (8) (Drop D) selected by Drand [R.I.P Andy Williams (Rhythm guitarist)]
God of Rhythm: The Black Dahlia Murder - Nocturnal (Full Album) (9) (C Standard) selected by Nomgoose [Week 1 of 3]

Bass Path:
Beginner: Bowling For Soup - Girl all the Bad Guys Want (3*) (Drop D) selected by ca51
Beginner Bonus: Santana - Maria Maria (3*) (E Standard) selected by ca51
Intermediate: Taking Back Sunday - MakeDamnSure (4) (Eb Standard) selected by ca51
Intermediate Bonus: Less Than Jake - Hopeless Case (4) (E Standard) selected by ca51
Advanced: Save Ferris - Come On Eileen (5) (E Standard) selected by ca51
Advanced Bonus: Atreyu - Right Side of the Bed (4) (D Drop C) selected by ca51
Masterclass: Masayoshi Takanaka - Oh! Tengo Suerte (8.5) (E Standard) selected by ca51
Masterclass Bonus: Christell - Dubidubidu (Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa) (7.5) (E Standard) selected by ca51
God of Bass: The Black Dahlia Murder - Nocturnal (Full Album) (8) (C Standard) selected by Nomgoose [Week 1 of 3]

(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.

This week is mostly based off the acts that will appear in this weeks festival Warped Tour Mexico city

I've always wanted to go to a warped tour since I was a teenager so I was thrilled when they anounced they were doing one here in mexico for the first time.

We have played a couple of hits from some of those bands in the championship before making it tougher to pick out other cdlcs or they are odlc :P

songs i saw live that are official cdlc this saturday:

dropkickmurphy: shipping out to boston
yellowcard "Ocean Avenue"
Papa roach: getting away with murder, scars, last resort
Goldfinger 99 red balloons (and people argue og are better...i dig this cover more) superman
All american rejects : move along, gives you hell, dirty little secret ( not sure since when theyve been dressing up like KISS/ fruity? caught me off gaurd ngl)
no rise against sadly Tim McIlrath lead singer was sent to hospital, hope all is well 🙏

i am sure theres more but was having issues with gemini detecting some odlc / was saying goldfinger didnt have cdlc.

I think I'm more excited for bands I didnt pick like anberlin (show lived up to expectations ❤️ just wished it was longer) , let live, citizen/basement , etf (even if the drummer is the only remaining member 😅) emery, hawthorne, of mice and men (jack black lookalike always kills it) and 4 year strong (and always good to go to ones you dont expect to be good and they turn out to be the best, like i tested a winona fighter song and it was pretty solid) . Anyways, hopefully some of those bands also get newer cdlc in the near future.

I have also added some songs in spanish since it will be the mexican independence this week 🥳.
Carlos santana being part mexican.
And the others for masterclass bass as alot of the songs i tested seemed a bit too easy/ intermediatey.
Chupidupi is from chile but was pretty famous here and the masyoshi song was a random chalenging find when looking at the cf database.

Everytime i Die guitarist died last week so theres a tribute to him in masterclass lead+rhythm

The black dahlia wont be playing this festival but has played in warped tour before annnd its been a while since we've had a gog album . I'm gonna be honest haven't played tested it yet but i do recall picking one of the songs from that creator and album for one week so I think it'll be ok.


now, ai facts that may or may not be true:

Less Than Jake — "Hopeless Case"

1. Lyrical Self-Deprecation: The track prominently explores themes of self-doubt and internal conflict, featuring self-critical lines like "I'm my own worst casualty."

2. Hometown Pride: The song was featured on the band's 2008 studio album GNV FLA, which is a direct abbreviation of their hometown: Gainesville, Florida.

3. Band Origin Story: Less Than Jake took their name from drummer Vinnie Fiorello's family dog, Jake, who was treated so well that everyone else in the house was considered "less than Jake."

4. Distinctive Horn Lines: True to the band's ska-punk DNA, "Hopeless Case" features signature brass arrangements mixed over aggressive, uptempo pop-punk riffs.

5. No Vocalist Drums: While drummer Vinnie Fiorello wrote many of the band's core lyrics—including tracks across GNV FLA—he is the only core member who never sang on their studio recordings.

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Santana — "Maria Maria"

1. Chart Dominance: Released in 1999, "Maria Maria" featuring Product G&B held the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 consecutive weeks.

2. Grammy Winner: The track won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000.

3. Famous Sample Revival: The signature Spanish acoustic guitar riff was sampled in 2017 for DJ Khaled, Rihanna, and Bryson Tiller's hit "Wild Thoughts."

4. Produced by Wyclef Jean: The song was co-produced and co-written by Fugees member Wyclef Jean, who famously shout-outs Carlos Santana in the track's intro.

5. Storytelling Narrative: The lyrics paint a vivid narrative set in Spanish Harlem, referencing West Side Story and overcoming poverty through love and music.

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Taking Back Sunday — "MakeDamnSure"

1. Career Peak: Released in 2006 on Louder Now, "MakeDamnSure" became Taking Back Sunday's highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100.

2. Major Label Debut: Louder Now marked the band's transition from independent giant Victory Records to major label Warner Bros. Records.

3. Iconic Music Video: Directed by Marc Klasfeld, the music video features dramatic, high-speed slow-motion shots of impact, explosions, and crashes alongside band performance footage.

4. Dual Vocal Dynamics: The track exemplifies the band's iconic vocal interplay between lead vocalist Adam Lazzara and guitarist/vocalist Fred Mascherino.

5. Theme of Obsession: Lazzara has described the song as dealing with intense, borderline destructive emotional obsession rather than a simple love story.

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Bowling For Soup — "Girl All the Bad Guys Want"

1. Grammy Nomination: The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 2003.

2. Butch Walker Collaboration: The track was co-written by Marvelous 3 frontman and famed pop-rock producer Butch Walker.

3. Breakout Breakthrough: Released on their 2002 album Drunk Enough to Dance, it served as Bowling For Soup's mainstream breakthrough track internationally.

4. Pop Culture References: The lyrics tongue-in-cheekly namecheck heavy metal/rock acts like Pantera, Iron Maiden, and Limp Bizkit.

5. Re-recorded Acoustic Version: The band released a stripped-down acoustic version years later on their 2016 album Acoustic in a Freakin' Bar!.

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Atreyu — "Right Side of the Bed"

1. Breakthrough Single: Released in 2004, this track served as the lead single for Atreyu's second studio album, The Curse, propelling them into mainstream metalcore prominence.

2. Dual-Vocalist Signature: The song showcases the band's defining dynamic—mixing Alex Varkatzas's aggressive screams on the verses with drummer Brandon Saller's clean, melodic chorus hooks.

3. Dual Guitar Solos: Guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel perform twin-harmony guitar solos that drew heavy influence from classic 1980s heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden.

4. Soundtrack Feature: The song's high energy made it a video game soundtrack staple, featuring prominently in Burnout 3: Takedown (2004).

5. Underworld Soundtrack: Beyond gaming, an altered mix of the song appeared on the soundtrack for the hit action-horror film Underworld (2003).

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Mayday Parade — "I'd Hate to Be You When People Find Out What This Song Is About"

1. Defining EP/Album Track: The track was originally released on their 2006 debut EP Tales Told by Dead Friends before being re-recorded for their 2007 debut album A Lesson in Romantics.

2. Jason Lancaster Era: Written and performed during the short era when co-lead vocalist Jason Lancaster was in the band, featuring his distinctive raw vocal trading with Derek Sanders.

3. Infamous Title: Known for having one of the longest, most dramatic titles in the mid-2000s emo scene, fitting the trend made popular by bands like Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco.

4. DIY Success: Sales of the EP containing the original version were driven entirely by the band self-selling thousands of copies to fans in parking lots outside the Vans Warped Tour.

5. Raw Lyricism: The lyrics detail a painful breakup caused by betrayal and dishonesty, reflecting the tongue-in-cheek passive-aggression of its title.

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Every Time I Die — "Leatherneck"

1. Album Placement: "Leatherneck" is a hard-hitting track off the band's acclaimed 2007 fourth studio album, The Big Dirty.

2. Southern Metalcore Riffage: Guitarists Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams leaned heavily into bluesy, Southern-rock-infused metal riffs for this track's groove-heavy rhythm section.

3. Poetic English Teacher Roots: Vocalist Keith Buckley—a former English teacher—packed the track with literary, biting wordplay, such as "We trade the distinction and praise for the tedious claim that we were wed in the trenches..."

4. Recorded with Steve Evetts: The track was produced by legendary hardcore producer Steve Evetts, known for capturing raw, chaotic live guitar tones in the studio.

5. Aggressive Live Staple: The song's short, punishing duration made it a crowd favorite for pit-openings during their famously chaotic tour shows.

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Yellowcard — "The Takedown"

1. Album Opener: "The Takedown" serves as the fiery opening track on Yellowcard's 2007 album Paper Walls.

2. Violin Integration: Features Sean Mackin's rock violin seamlessly woven into heavy punk-rock riffing, a signature sound unique to Yellowcard in the pop-punk genre.

3. Return to Heavy Roots: Paper Walls and "The Takedown" represented a intentional return to faster, more energetic pop-punk following their softer, experimental 2006 album Lights and Sounds.

4. LP Drum Work: Features intricate, high-speed drum patterns by longtime drummer Longineu W. Parsons III ("LP").

5. Pre-Hiatus Era: It was part of the last studio album cycle the band completed before taking a two-year hiatus from 2008 to 2010.

I picked this song mostly cause i found the violin solo fun to play and reminded me of gh van halen.

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Save Ferris — "Come On Eileen"

1. Dexys Midnight Runners Cover: The track is a ska-punk cover of the classic 1982 New Wave hit originally performed by Dexys Midnight Runners.

2. Label Deal Catalyst: Save Ferris won a Grammy showcase award for "Best Unsigned Band" in 1996, landing a deal with Epic Records and releasing this cover on their 1997 album It Means Everything.

3. Pop Culture Soundtracks: The cover was widely featured in late 1990s films and TV shows, most notably appearing in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You (1999).

4. Brass for Strings: Save Ferris replaced the original's Celtic fiddle and strings arrangements with a fast, upbeat ska horn section led by Monique Powell's brassy lead vocals.

5. Mainstream Chart Success: The cover became Save Ferris's biggest career single, reaching the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and dominating MTV rotation.

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Masayoshi Takanaka — "Oh! Tengo Suerte"

1. Title Track: "Oh! Tengo Suerte" is the opening track of Japanese guitar legend Masayoshi Takanaka's self-titled 1977 album Takanaka.

2. Spanish Translation: The Spanish title translates to "Oh! I'm Lucky," highlighting Takanaka's passion for integrating Latin and tropical rhythms into Japanese jazz fusion.

3. City Pop / Fusion Pioneer: The track helped pioneer the late '70s and '80s Japanese City Pop and Fusion movement, blending funky basslines, percussive Latin grooves, and virtuoso guitar melodies.

4. Iconic Fender Stratocaster Tones: Takanaka used his signature bright, compressed Fender Stratocaster tone to lead the melody lines throughout the song.

5. Viral Global Resurgence: Decades after its release, the song experienced a massive global resurgence online among modern City Pop enthusiasts and sample collectors.

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Christell — "Dubidubidu (Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa)"

1. Child Prodigy Release: Chilean artist Christell recorded the song in 2003 when she was only 5 years old for her self-titled debut album.

2. Late Viral Internet Meme: Despite being released in 2003, the song exploded into a viral global TikTok and Internet meme in late 2023, often paired with animations of rotating cats.

3. Global Chart Topper: Thanks to the viral meme, the 20-year-old song unexpectedly topped the Spotify Viral 50 charts in multiple countries, including Japan, Finland, and South Korea, in early 2024.

4. Gibberish Onomatopoeia: The famous catchy hook "Chipi chipi, chapa chapa, dubi dubi, daba daba" is playful, nonsensical child's vocal rhythm created purely for fun.

5. Grammy Nominated Singer: Following her early start with tracks like "Dubidubidu," Christell went on to become one of the youngest artists ever nominated for a Latin Grammy Award at age 7.
   
   
   If you've seen any of the bands on the list letmeknow! the goods and the bads/ fav song by them.
   
   It's a pretty stacked week so if you just play your class thats fine or just remember you dont have to play them all in one go.
   
   Wish you all the best 🤘
   
   

some of the tests:

great setlist this week!

Thanks for hosting @cacahuate51! Just "one" song to start us out this week. Remember to do some warm ups before you jump into something this long!
Individually, these songs don't go over an (8), but talk about a workout:

Thanks for a very entertaining week.

I'm playing each intermediate bass song on fretless separately. Hoping some of you join in!

This song went ok on fretless:

The next one I really choked on fretless:

Went back to the fretted and it was fine. I think for me it was the extra stress affecting my timing more than actually hitting the right note.

Everything else is fretted. I remember this one, seems like forever ago...

@Decaquark looks like you got a 99 in last weeks beginner class! would you like to be promoted to intermediate?

@theMaelstro you have also achieved 99+ in beginner lead do you wish to be promoted?

@AstronaStrums looks like you were temporarily placed in beginner bass but imo your scores indicate you can easily be advanced or accept the challenge and be in masterclass, which do you prefer?
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This weeks Anniversaries:

@veggs95 its been 312 weeks / 5 years since you first joined!
@margaro95 its been 156 /3 years since you started!
2 95s pretty neat, good year to be born! or maybe its unrelated and im just showing my age.
@bodolza 102/ years since your first challenge

Oh hell yeah!

A week with a lot of known songs with new charts!!!

Maria Maria was great the first time - cannot fail here!

Girl all the Bad Guys Want ... i think i could still play it from memory :) - I was very new at the champs struggling to hold my guitar and breathing that all fresh beginner air there - was a blast of a song "...all i got´s a moped...." great chart afaicantell remembering - cannot fail here!! Now we are in INT also ... so let´s tighten those seatbelts...
and TBM - MakeDamnSure ... when i heard that song somewhere next thing i did was starting up EOF and chart a CDLC - love that song - so great we got it back - for the chart - you better be good ;) mine is damnsureold but damnsurecool to play, also did a version of the stunning live performance at Oresanz if someone likes to check.

Have a blast of a week!

Rod.

)

Thanks for the huge new week @cacahuate51!

TOP GAINS OF LAST WEEK

@jimmy655 (I) gained 4% on "Green Day - Goodnight Adeline" (I) on Lead!

No one improved on Rhythm!

@ALSRC (A) gained 4.24% on "Tool - Lateralus" (A) on Bass!

Well done 👏 Keep shredding!!

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RANKED SONGS MASTERED (99+%) LAST WEEK

@Decaquark mastered the Lead path for "Arctic Monkeys - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" (B) with 99.59%!

@Decaquark mastered the Bass path for "Arctic Monkeys - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" (B) with 99.38%!

@theMaelstro mastered the Lead path for "Arctic Monkeys - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" (B) with 99.59%!

@Nomgoose mastered the Bass path for "Andy Gillion (ft. Jeff Loomis) - Skyless" (M) with 99.19%!

@JobwanMojo mastered the Bass path for "Andy Gillion (ft. Jeff Loomis) - Skyless" (M) with 99.28%!

@pedropmf mastered the Bass path for "Andy Gillion (ft. Jeff Loomis) - Skyless" (M) with 99.59%!

 Well played!! 👏

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LAST WEEK'S PLAY STREAK HIGHLIGHTS

@jimmy655 is on a 25-week active play streak (longest: 45 weeks). Their first week was Week 547 and they have played a total of 74 weeks!

@jimbobmccecil is on a 15-week active play streak (longest: 20 weeks). Their first week was Week 561 and they have played a total of 79 weeks!

Keep it up!! 👏

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CHAMPIONSHIP W
We are on an 8-week streak of 20+ players participating in the championship! This is the longest streak since Weeks 567-584 (a 14-week streak).

Thanks for playing! 😄

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Don't forget to leave a comment for the charters if you liked the charts! 🤗

ave a nice musweek everyone! Thanks for hosting @cacahuate51 !

Santana - Maria Maria

Less Than Jake - Hopeless Case

Taking Back Sunday - MakeDamnSure

Bowling For Soup - Girl all the Bad Guys Want

Atreyu - Right Side of the Bed

Mayday Parade - I'd Hate to Be You When People Find Out What This Song Is About

Encore:

Every Time I Die - Leatherneck

Yellowcard - The Takedown. One of my fav bands. Violin as lead is... something...

Save Ferris - Come On Eileen

Christell - Dubidubidu (Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa)

Thanks for the week @cacahuate51 All great fun, but having a blast with this version of Come on Eillen 😅

Bass

No tengo suerte (or ability 😅)

Fretless (I struggle most with 2 and 3 frets or 10, 11 😅)

https://youtu.be/6bYGPJsHT-Y?si=kvZ2vY0GGZw7yGNv

Edited Sunday at 05:22 PM3 days by PlanetFinesse
I forgot to add the streak

9 minutes ago, PlanetFinesse said:

https://youtu.be/6bYGPJsHT-Y?si=kvZ2vY0GGZw7yGNv

Dayum son! Wonder if someone will beat the creator of the tab now 😅

and the worst part was i got halfway through and the laptop crashed 😭 and had to redo

^^ on another planet 🤨😅

8 hours ago, cacahuate51 said:

@AstronaStrums looks like you were temporarily placed in beginner bass but imo your scores indicate you can easily be advanced or accept the challenge and be in masterclass, which do you prefer?

I would love to be added to masterclass!

Reached 1000 hours last night, finished off the last 37 minutes with an ACDC album

2 hours ago, AstronaStrums said:

I would love to be added to masterclass!

Reached 1000 hours last night, finished off the last 37 minutes with an ACDC album

that´s the way you do it!

Hell yeah!

Rock!

Rod.

well... very slight differences, i prefer the way it´s played in my version a bit

I really hope charters don´t start redoing charts only because the other one is aged. ;)

also went for a spin on the epic live version

maybe i´ll do some minimal updates on that file

here the new file is way better - more interresting chart with extra parts, better displayed. Int (4.5) also, old one is Beg (3)

I played the old cdlc 17 times and had a 90% on lead, great to have a new fully cooked chart!

Lead (6) imo

Rhythm (4)

Bass (3)

good chart! It´s marked a 4(!) ... i think it might have slipped a line or smthg, for me it´s straight (7) - you master that you go to MC

what a nice song! (6.5)

omg

true Mc rhy (9)

great mc bass (8.5)

what a week again!!

RIP Andy "The Butcher" Williams, 48 years old, gone too soon!

From testing,
Lead (8)

Rhythm (8)

...and my game crashed before I could play lead Atreyu 😭
Rhythm (5)

Bass (3.5)