Help a Fledgling Rocker Out

OK so like I said -- I finally took the music game plunge last week and got some gear for RB2 and starting jamming.

Don't ask me why it took so long to get on this train, but now that I'm on it -- I'm uh...yeah I'm basically addicted.

Rock Band 2 has ignited that inner music geek in me and I'm showing a side of myself that Ashley has never seen. Fun fact about me: I can sing. Not American Idol talent sing but I can carry a tune. I sang in a really bad garage band in high school. The kind that never actually gets OUT of the garage, had one guy with real talent, and the rest of us sorta just made a bunch of noise. This was in the mid-late 80s so while I wanted to sing Zeppelin, Stones, The Beatles and CCR -- everyone else wanted to do Dokken, Motley Crue... Or God forbid Fu***** Warrant.

I hated the 80s.

The point is that I don't make the dogs howl when I sing, but no one would ever pay anything for the pleasure.

So when I started belting out Behind Blue Eyes Ashley's eyes got real big. It was the literal "Dad?" moment.

But alas..I have no idea how you guys play on Hard or Expert. Granted I have only been playing for a little less than a week and I am 90%+ on every song on Medium Guitar. I tried Metallica's Battery last night and got a 91%. I can 5 star Peace Sells and nearly nail Let There Be Rock. But when I go to Hard the songs kill me.

When they throw the three notes at once -- I'm cooked. I'm having a helluva time learning to hit that Orange note.

So when you guys were learning the Guitar Hero ropes -- what did it? What was the technique that was needed in order to play on the higher levels?

Anyone?