Play Rock Band 3 with a real guitar, keyboard @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on June 10, 2010

News: First details on the game's new Pro Mode.

Harmonix has blown the lid off of Rock Band 3 by speaking to USA Today for two separate previews.

First, the music game maker touched on all of the new things included in their rhythm game. Some of these new features include a drop-in/drop-out multiplayer mechanic, a better Story Mode, better song library management, a minigame-based Road Challenges mode and something known as Rock Band Pro. Last year, Dhani Harrison mentioned his work with Harmonix in getting Rock Band to teach gamers how to play music. Pro Mode is the fruit of those labors:

This new music learning mode lets players develop real-world music-playing fundamentals for keyboards, guitars and drums. More realistic music notations replace the standard color-coded notes during gameplay. For guitar, numbers flow down the screen along six guitar strings, telling you where to place your hands on the neck and when to strum.

Harmonix has even partnered with Fender to create a fully-functional guitar that is also compatible with Rock Band 3:

Two new guitar controllers in the works have actual strings where you strum; one is a full-sized, fully functional six-string Squier Stratocaster from Fender. "It can tell where your fingers are based on technology in the neck and the bridge of the guitar. No buttons," [Harmonix's John] Drake says. "While you're playing it, it feels exactly like playing a real guitar," because that's what you're doing.

The other major addition to the Rock Band canon is the new keyboard peripheral. Designed as a full-featured 25-key keyboard, the instrument can be played flat or strapped to your shoulder as a keytar.

USA Today recorded a Rock Band 3 jam session with reps from Harmonix and MTV Games, which you can view below. You'll see them playing the first two confirmed tracks from Rock Band 3: Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and The Doors' "Break on Through." The game will include 83 tracks in total and I'm still holding out hope for some Billy Joel and Ben Folds. Also be on the lookout for a prototype version of the keyboard and the first Rock Band 3 gameplay footage: