Community Chart Spotlight: “Sin Ti – King Changó” by manualex16 & Nepugiaaa

Hello Rocksmith fans, and welcome to another TRR Community Chart Spotlight! This series focuses on the incredible work done by the Rocksmith+ Workshop community and gives a closer look in to why they choose certain songs, how they approach charting, and some tips ‘n tricks for those of you who want to explore creating your own charts.

This time we’re really putting emphasis on “community” with a chart that was started by one user and finished by another! Both manualex16 and Mocatastic~ (two Discord regulars – join us!) worked on this song and their combined efforts have added another great chart to Rocksmith+. Today, the spotlight is on Sin Ti by King Changó. Prepare for thoughts, and make it double!

 

It’s funny how music can sound different given when you encounter songs, sometimes they used to find you on TV, Radio or some random mixtape given to you by a friend, I think I first heard Sin Ti on the radio back in the early 2000’s on the way to school in the car in a nationwide music station that was the way people found new music from our country, that same radio station is still broadcasting and I might tune from time to time to hear some new gem waiting to be uncovered or an old tune that reminds me of playing soccer with Friends in a endless summer. Enough reminiscing, we’re here to talk about Sin Ti, King Changó and how Rocksmith made me think about it in a different way than before.

When this song and some other artists of my country were announced as licensed, I was kind of cool about it, 2014 and RS1 did not have much Latin representation outside of Santana (whom depending on who you ask might not count). So, when I had the opportunity to get into plus and see the possibilities of working on the workshop this song wasn’t necessarily my top pick to work on, but since I hadn’t made any transcriptions beforehand it was a good song to learn the how to transcribe. I wanted to tackle it by gradually increasing the difficulty, rather than diving straight into the depths without exploring the easier parts first.

King Changó is a band that like many in the Ska sphere, gained popularity in the late 90s to early 2000s. They released two studio albums and several singles. While I haven’t listened to a full album by them, I can recognize some of their songs/singles that were staples on the radio, and recently had a renaissance due being covered by other Venezuelan artists.

Now about the song itself, Sin Ti at least for guitar, has 4 chords. 2 used on the verses C Major and A minor for the verses, F Major and G Major in the chorus, for my unreleased transcription I followed a guitar tutorial in youtube that helped me with the double stops that are done in a post chorus section that have the same chords as the chorus. FFfunk helped me understand how to use mutes to transcribe the strumming pattern and while talking with Mocatastic/Nepugiaaa I talked with them about what tones could be used for the song, I was thinking some Boston or Elton John’s I’m Still Standing(one that features a little bit in the song, not the main one), but soon enough I found a roadblock in the form of connection issues with the workshop and Moca took over my arrangement as a basis for their own which is the rhythm and they did a great lead that follows the keys and horns in the song.

For the sake of discovery given that Sin Ti is the only King Changó song in the + library, I’ll list a few of their songs:
• “Confesión” from their self-titled album

• “Brujería” from The Return of El Santo (which is the album that includes “Sin Ti)

• “Sin Ti” has also experienced a resurgence through a cover by Rawayana, Willy Rodríguez (Cultura Profética), McKlopedia, and La Vida Bohème.

 

Hey I’m Karmoca, you may recall me from the round-up posts and a few other articles. I’m also an active community bass charter, and probably overly chatty in the unofficial Discord.

Why? I’ve got eclectic taste and love exploring the diversity of the Rocksmith+ library, having already done some unfamiliar Latin songs in my wanderings through the library, such Si Te Vuelves a Enamorar by Alacranes Musical, Cuando No Es Contigo by Christina Aguilera, the surprisingly kick-ass 24 de Diciembre by Juan Gabriel, Se a Cabo by Santana, and the neglected Aceite – (Oil) by Tiempo Libre.

I had passed the song previously in the library – it my was speed for sure, but it already had an authentic bass chart and I’m primarily a bass charter so I was focused on other songs my speed that had my bass. But our community of charters is small and we try to help one another out, so when manualex approached me asking for assistance I provided as much I could. When access became an issue, he suggested I submit it myself, and listening through, I was like ‘Y’know, this could be a real solid lead with the fills and some alt-charting too.’ I’m not much of a lead charter, but thankfully this song’s layers aren’t muddied so individual parts were relatively easy to pick up with the workshop’s audio tools.