Rocksmith+: RS+ Workshop – Charting Tips

Firstly, here is a list of the most useful shortcuts to keep in mind while charting to save a lot of time :

I won’t go in too much details as there is a full shortcut list on Ubisoft’s portal[www.ubisoft.com], but these ones are the essentials that I believe will save you a lot of time on each chart.

Chords are probably one of the trickiest parts when charting a song as they are subject to a lot of potential errors. They are defined when there’s at least two notes on the same grid line.

In the image below, you can see an E chord followed by an A chord. The colored numbers on each string represent the frets being played, while the black dot numbers indicate which fingers to use. The anchors, shown just above the chords in the white pentagons, should be set at the first finger’s position, moving from fret 7 to fret 5 in this example.

To create a chord, add the frets played on the tab (on the same grid line) and then press “F“, it will open the chord manager panel on the right to add specifications to your chord. If you create a chord from scratch, you just need to press “F” and fill the frets information on the right directly.

Naming a chord is only required if it contains three or more notes, and you will usually see suggestions when you click the arrow next to the chord’s name.

You also need to determine how to position your fingers to play that chord. Fingers are numbered: index (1), middle (2), ring (3), and pinky (4). Occasionally, you might use your thumb for the low E string, which is indicated by (0). A chord without finger placement will cause an error that must be resolved before submitting.

You can click the double spinning arrows to automatically add finger placements. This feature usually works well, though not always – you should double check the results. You can click it multiple times to see different suggestions. Also, when creating a chord directly from the grid, you can add the fingering by selecting the note on the string, holding shift, and adding the finger’s number.

A chord is also defined by its duration, meaning it should be played for a specific amount of time. This duration is indicated by the blue bar surrounding the chord name in the tab view. You can extend or shorten this bar by positioning your mouse cursor on its right edge. Be careful, as adjusting the length can be tricky; it’s often best to set the endpoint slightly after the desired beat, as it will automatically position on the beat before.

You don’t need to add any sustain for chords that aren’t altered by a bend or slide, as their length already indicates they should be played for that duration.

In the example below, we are on measure 50 of the song, and our E chord is played throughout the measure for a total duration of four beats. However, it is stopped just before the fourth beat’s end to avoid linking to the following chord, which would cause an error on submission. This also makes it easier to read in-game, reflecting a wise game design choice.

If you need to strum a chord while it continues to ring, you don’t need to write the chord again, as repeating it would make the screen harder to read in-game. Instead, simply press “N” to add a strum. This will create a line on the grid, indicating that the chord remains the same but is strummed again.

If a chord stops ringing before being strummed again, you can separate them and repeat the chord later. Just be careful to set the correct lengths to clearly show when the chord is muted in-game. You will receive a warning if you do this, but it won’t be an issue for submitting the chart.

Chords can also be indicated using two other methods: fingerprint zones and arpeggio zones. Both show the hand’s position while playing, but you should choose the appropriate one based on the context.

Arpeggio zones (Arp) are used specifically for… well, arpeggios and are shown in purple.

Fingerprint zones (Fpz) are generally used for all other cases and are shown in green. These are especially useful when you play a muted root string before strumming other strings from the chord for example.

The most common issue preventing the submission of a chart is adding a strum at the end of a chord’s length, as shown in the red square in the example below. Additionally, when two chords touch each other without a small gap between them, as shown in the red circle below, you’ll receive a warning that can sometimes prevent chart submission. Be mindful of these issues:

To create a regular slide, you have two options :

1. Create the root note and the destination note. Add a sustain to the first note and link it with the second note. An arrow should appear between them, indicating the slide is correctly set.
2. Create the root note, go to the note panel, and check the “slide” box. Then, use the +/- buttons to adjust the arrival fret number. You can then move the destination bar using your mouse.

Both methods work fine, but with either, you should also add a “sustain tail” to the last note to make it more visible in-game.

For regular slides, you need to place an anchor on the destination note, and it must make sense. If you’re sliding from fret 5, which had an anchor on 5, this means you’re sliding with your index (finger 1) to the destination note. Therefore, the new anchor should match the destination fret number (7 in the example below).

Neck slides, which span the entire neck and sometimes move back and forth, are set as unpitched slides because they have no definite endpoint, meaning you need to place an anchor on the root note but not on the ending note. These slides don’t require a sustain tail and are sometimes set as ignored (by pressing “I”).

Pick slides are similar to neck slides, but they are performed with your pick hand rather than your fret hand. Typically, this involves using your pick to slide up the string from the pickup position across the neck. To distinguish a pick slide from a neck slide, and to clearly indicate it, we use the Tap (“U”), Tremolo (“ T ”), and Vibrato (“O”) options. Pick slides are also always set as ignored (“ I ”).

Chord slides are performed by sliding an entire chord up or down the neck while maintaining its shape. To indicate a chord slide, start by placing the root chord and the destination chord. Link the two chords with a sustain, creating an arrow between them and automatically generating a fingerprint zone on the destination chord. This process also automatically adds small tails to the notes. Ensure an anchor is placed on the destination chord to accurately reflect the new position. The fingerprint zone (FpZ) shows the duration the chord rings, which in the example below is three full beats.

Add you suggestions in the comments!

I’ll enhance this guide with any specific requests you might have or if I find something that comes back regularly and could be tricky to use.

If you find yourself needing guidance with the tool or simply wish to converse about best practices with fellow creators, you’re warmly invited to join the unofficial Discord server at https://discord.com/channels/238233332511539200/857859845147328523

Alternatively, you can leave your questions in the comments, and I’ll try to answer them when I can. I might also create another guide to address frequently asked technical questions.

Have fun charting, and thank you for your future contributions!