Techniques for Hero Status

Guitar Hero II makes no apologies for the challenges it offers. Like the most demanding puzzle games, the hardest songs can increase your frustration exponentially, leading you to want to pull a Pete Townsend with your guitar. Don't do it. Like any good game, if you understand the nuances of the design and have a few tips on your side, you can skip the frustration and go right to the success.

Thank God, a break.

Start Slow
With some rhythm-based games, you can simply drop in and hope your recognition skills will win the day, but not so with Guitar Hero II. Success comes not from recognizing the rhythm so much as learning the songs. Spend time in Practice Mode with every song before you attempt to play it at a venue.

Novices to the Guitar Hero franchise would be wise to take advantage of the slower tempos in Practice Mode as well. This will save you much frustration, and build the lessons that you will need before you ratchet up to full tempo.

Learn in Stages
Not only can you practice at slower tempos, but you can pick out specific sections of the song to practice as well. Whether it's the intro, solo, or bridge, isolate your trouble spots and focus the majority of your practice time there.

This is especially crucial for the Star Power sections of each song, which are always at the same point in each song. Building up your Star Power pays major dividends in your score, so master these sections over all the others. You need to play the song live once or twice to identify the Star Power sections, but it is worth taking a risk bombing on stage to pinpoint their locations.

Your Star Power is ready, so let it rip!

Don't Panic
It's easy to lose control when you miss a note or two, but instead of freaking out, take a moment to pause, pick out your next note carefully, and start from there. The perfectly played song is very rare, so don't sweat small mistakes. Take a breath, recover, and start a few notes down the road.

Learn the Slide
With five fret buttons, there are never going to be enough fingers to go around. If you want to master Guitar Hero II, you must master the slide technique in order to rapidly reach the necessary keys.

This is especially crucial if you are one of those players who doesn't use their little finger, as you will be using only three fingers to hit five buttons. Be prepared to slide two keys up and down, using the Yellow button, with its raised bump, as a home key. Practice this technique from the beginning of your GH II career. Though you might be able to get through the easier songs without it, you will hit the wall quickly when you start on the harder songs.

Bordered Notes
During particularly fast-paced sections of a song, you may notice the border around the notes change color. This signals an opportunity to stop strumming and focus on playing with the fret keys. Hit the strum button on the first note and then, so long as your timing stays clean you can rattle off the rest of the notes without strumming. Like the slide technique, this is a skill you should develop from the beginning so you're prepared for the more demanding songs.

Hit those Star Power notes.

Whammy Power
You may score the majority of your Star Power points by playing through the designated sections, but you can also bolster your Star Power meter by working the whammy bar up and down every time you hit a long note. Although style is always a plus, it's worth noting that the faster you swing the whammy bar, the more points you can earn.

Two Schools of Star Power
There are two schools of thought on unleashing Star Power during a song, and each tactic is perfectly viable. The Maximum Multiplier players rip through a song they know front-to-back, unleashing the Star Power during the portion of the song with the most notes. With the multipliers doubled by Star Power, you can rake in loads of points with good timing.

The other technique is called Song Survival. When you find yourself stumbling in a song, activate your Star Power when you get to the most complicated section. Since your multipliers are doubled, you can survive the song with victory intact even if you only manage to hit half the notes when Star Power is activated.

Star Position Practice
Activating your Star Power meter requires you to hold the guitar vertically while playing. The change in position can wreak havoc on your timing though, so play through Practice Mode a few times while holding the guitar vertically the whole time. Once you feel comfortable playing this way, you should be good to go with Star Power, no matter what song you're playing.