OK. So every once in a while there is an item that simply makes me laugh. The programmers seem to come up with these things, just when we are exasperated with an update (does anyone remember being exasperated lately?) that almost redeems them from past indiscretions.
For me…the Singing Stones are exactly one of those items. But, before I go too far, I do remember that these things are supposed to have a format. I’ll do my best to stick to the format, while humming and tapping out songs on the stones in my game.
Let’s be clear. This has nothing to do with the Rolling Stones. These stones don’t rock, or roll…but they do sing! And they are a TON cheaper than a ticket to see the Rolling Stones at this past summer’s “Oldchella” concert in the California desert (which averaged about $400 per ticket). I like the Stones…but I don’t like them THAT much. But, I digress…
SHOULD I BUY THE SINGING STONES? Click below to find out…and see the challenge I am issuing to the community!
Let’s start with the basic…
Pagan Stones Bundle
Cost: 60 Donuts
Earning – None- 2% Multiplier when ALL 8 stones are placed.
Basic description: Decorative stones, similar to those in Wild West…but with a twist! When tapped, they make a chime sound.
Pro- These are the kind of item that will keep me coming back again and again. Yes, I am a musician, and it helps if you are creative with the 7 notes they provide. However, the bonus 8th stone that you earn when you solve the task to “play a Christmas Tune” with the rocks, will in fact play that same tune when tapped in its entirety.
DISCLAIMER/Apology: In part one of my “Letter to EA” I blamed the programmers for being lazy, in part for seemingly rehashing the rocks from the Wild West event. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a rEAlly clever idea!
Con- the are decorations, with a multiplier, but no earning power. They are rocks. If you have no musical talent, or are “stone cold tone def,” they may just be rocks in your town.
Recommendation for Freemium/Premium player: BUY THEM. The price is right. Next to Springfield Henge and the Lumber Mill, they may be the only decorations that last in my town and aren’t sent to storage.
BONUS FOR THOSE WHO BUY THEM…
a SONG to Play that will “put you in the mood!”
First…let’s set up our stones in a logical way (even though the numbering system is oddly out of whack).
They should line up in a tonal manner, lowest to highest…(and yes, Stone #1 is the highest tone…that’s the weird part).
THESE ARE THE STONES WITH THE CORRECT NUMBERS…
And THIS IS HOW TO SET THEM UP IF YOU WANT TO PLAY THEM TONALLY, LOW TO HIGH.
So… SONG ONE TO SOLVE THE TASK AND EARN THE 8TH STONE (the one with the colored stone in the middle that plays the entire song).
TAP THE STONE IN THIS ORDER…
2, 5, 5, 6, 5, 4, 3, 3
Recognize it? It’s the beginning of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas!” (Ironic…yes?)
Looking for something more Secular...that will put you in the mood?
How About Elvis’s Love Me Tender!
Ah…..who can be mad at that??
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK…and If You Figure Out A SONG…SHARE YOUR SONG TAB WITH US IN COMMENTS!!
Note from Alissa: Hey guys, I did a little video so those on the fence could have a visual/audio example of what the rocks do…hope it helps!
For those having issues playing the embedded video, you can check out the dropbox link for it here.
Stonecutters Theme!
*sings* “Who controls the British crown? Who keeps the Metric system down…?”
https://youtu.be/gq487tBNh7Y
Absolute coolest thing I ever spent my donuts on! Of course, it too me all of four seconds to find the opening riff to Smoke on the Water:
2-3-4/2-3-5-4/2-3-4-3-2
I don’t have the option to buy these?!?! What’s going on?
“I Just Called to Say, I Love You”
5 5 3 5 4, 2 4 5.
5 5 3 5 4 3 2 3 7*
(There isn’t a stone with a low enough tone for “care”, but 7 seems closest to the octave above)
<3
I will probably pick them um, although I’d be happier if we got a full chromatic set of 12 stones that we could arrange in a white/black key setup. Maybe they’ll release the “black key” stones in a future update?
Awesome that the blog once again lets me see my comment while it’s awaiting moderation! That took long enough to fix 😀
I just bought these and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the highest pitch is a B flat rather than a B. Nice Mixolydian touch to avoid the cheesy “Natural Major” effect. I wish the stones were tunable though – something like harp pedals, were you could shift each stone up or down a half step, would be very cool.
Am I the only one highly amused by the pagan tapping, esp. the very first one who gets in the way of playing the stones. haha
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear: 2,7,4,6,5,3,2,3,2 / 2,3,4,5,5,6,7,6 / 2,7,4,6,5,3,2,3,2 / 2,3,3,4,3,2,5
Thanks for the information, I was on the fence about the stones though picked them up after your post. Now have them singing. Nice addition.
I can’t even remember the last time I turned on the sound. I play around a sleeping baby and at work. I’m also not talented at playing instruments. I’m going to pass but it looks fun. Can I play them in neighbors towns or just if we purchase for our own? My hubby may purchase for his town bc he is very talented at instruments. He can play by ear on the guitar, harmonica, cello and piano.
Yeah you can, I was playing them in several neighbor’s towns over the weekend.
Dreidel: 646464 466543 3535353 365432
Jingle Bells: 444 444 46234 55555444433436 444 444 46234 5555544466532
Hark the Herald Angels Sing: 25545776
I had a lot of trouble using the number sequence, personally, because the stones are only numbered while in storage. (Granted I didn’t have the pics that have been provided here, that might have made it easier.) I had to convert the sequence to letters/runes to make it work.
D R R T R F B B
Hopefully that helps anyone else who could not remember which stone was supposed to be which once they got in their game.
So I’m trying to get a song we all can appreciate – The Simpsons Theme — this is what I have so far, and if anyone can fix or have a better version you can correct me (again I have a bad musical ear)
Simpsons Theme = 2456532 (all I can figure so far)
The problem is that you’d need a larger set of stones that covered the full chromatic scale. 🙁 There are notes in the Simpsons Theme that are in between the notes we have available.
That being said, I did work out the verse melody for the Stonecutters song! So much fun yet to be had.
I don’t have a good musical ear and I was so going to pass on this but to miss out on the fun as people decode music seems like something I don’t want to miss out on. I bought it. Wish the 8th stone would playback whatever tune was previously played but whatever.
I usually play with the sound off, but will probably get them. They’re fun and they look interesting too.
This is the most interactive item I’ve ever seen in the store and I’d love to see more like this. This was an instant buy for this freemium player. I LOVE them. I blew all my donuts on this and the Santa’s Village bundle. I will probably end up spending real cash to get the baby-sitter bandit. Well worth it. 😉
Not sure if someone else has mentioned this, but you can also play Oh Christmas Tree.
Alissa! The nerd in me *loves* your file-naming convention. 🙂
(Can see it in the upper-left of your video)
lol where it says Mobizen? Just pure laziness on my part…
As someone that plays guitar as well as piano, I have no interest in these whatsoever. They look like the Henge and with only a small range of sounds I think they’ll lose their initial appeal rather quickly. I may be the only one who doesn’t want them. Think of a child’s plastic colourful play piano with 6 or 8 notes. I just can’t picture mom and dad sitting at the kitchen table trying to play Love Me Tender and what not for hours daily on it lol. Maybe once or twice for a laugh then the toy ends up back in the bottom of the toy chest and no one (mom and dad included) plays with it anymore. I hope those who get it find joy in them for a long time so it wasn’t a waste. 🙂
I’m a professional cellist, and I’m delighted by them. 🙂 I do wish there were more (at least one whole octave top to bottom, including flats/sharps), but I still find it very charming. Different strokes (bow or otherwise) for different folks!
Would definitely be better with more notes. They’d offer so much more opportunity for play but great to see EA changing it up for sure.
I LOVE the singing stones. I’m hoping a musical tapper can post the sequence for the theme tune to the show. How cool would it be to get a Christmas cookie of 100 donuts by playing it…..& highly unlikely too…..😂💜X
I can’t even play Chopsticks. I suck
Take solace…nobody can play chopsticks on the stones, without the rest of the octave!
I like them. Haven’t bought them yet, but am starting to lean that way. The most annoying thing for me, is that the obvious arrangement of them (not necessarily to play – but for aesthetics), is into a “henge” and…..don’t we already have one already sitting there? They look silly just lined up in a row. What to do…..what to do….
There is the option of making them a nice border line between your henge and the rest of your town…
I’d be interested to see someone do that. I just can’t picture them visually anywhere. In my town, I already have a natural border with the pagan festival right behind my Christmas area (the toy shop, ice castle, etc. make kind of a back wall and the festival is on the other side, and the ice walls along the main road with the banner being the entranceway. Given that I have most of the old prizes, I will probably grab these up anyway, as I estimate that even with them, my total donut spend will only be about 500 for this event, and I think I can accomplish that and still save up some for the hotly rumoured Shelbyville coming…. I don’t think that’s a spoiler because the dialogue and prizes are drawing a giant, blinking arrow to that idea.
Curious what makes you think that’s coming?
In this post: https://tstoaddicts.com/2016/12/07/let-cooler-heads-prevail-my-thoughts-so-far-on-the-event/ Alissa blogs some mild spoilers that both Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan will be coming to our game as full, playable characters. I believe this has to be a prelude for an Act 3 that involves a Shelbyville explansion, or a full event/game addition of its own in early 2017.
Not Act III…most likely a new event that will kick off right after New Year…
That’s what I was thinking too, but I don’t know how to frak files, so you guys have more info than I do – other connections too, I imagine. 🙂
Oh lord, I really hope not. How many Shelbyville items are there anyway? 5?
They are available, with purchase of doughnuts. I jus’t can’t see there being enough material from the show to justify it’s own area.
Stonehenge had additional rings of bluestones and wooden posts. That’s where I’m headed with my design.
I’d love to see it!
I have mine in a semi-circle around the henge. Makes the henge look bigger.
Coolest. Thing. Ever. 2, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 6, 1, 4, 6, 5
(if I’ve got the sequence right) …diane
Love this! Not a musician so thanks for “love me tender” hope we get a whole ” song” page on here.
Maybe it’s just me but I can’t get past the task to Tap the stones. I have tried every which way of tapping but making a song. Is it just me or could there be a glitch with my game? Thanks!
No…you need to tap in the order that is in the post. It can be tricky, for sure, at first.
This is one of the most interesting things they’ve ever done.
“I agree”
Ha! Great response. And excellent addition to the TSTO addicts lexicon.
You can play Jingle Bells on them too! 🙂 I’ll attempt to work out the notes later when not in the office and repost unless someone else wants to work it out…
Would be better if they could have the whole octave and include a B note but not complaining … LOVE THEM! instant buy for the pianist in me 😘, thanks EA
Yeah, one more stone to complete the octave would be great, but I’m still having a blast. I started out with simple holiday songs and kids songsc but in the last while I’ve been playing them as a little accompaniment while singing “No Alarms and No Surprises” by Radiohead, and even though it has to stay more major than the original by a bit, I am very charmed. 🙂
I know…I’m with you. I’d pay another 10 donuts to get the top stone to complete the octave. Stone #1 is weirdly out of whack…B flat is great if you want to play a blues riff…but you still need the B natural to complete the scale…and maybe an octave C stone. Still pretty fun!
Same! And further, I’d pay 20-30 donuts to fill out the whole octave chromatically. This is one of my favorite TSTO things ever.
Wahhhhhhh my fave band. :’)
We will expect some of the classics transcribed by you, Happy!
I will ask to do a guest post if I can get a big amount of “classics” done. Struggling to find a lot of songs that you can do with the notes given
I CAN PLAY HARMONIES!!!!!!!!! *Squeeeeeeeeeeee!*
FINALLY! A creative use for my donuts! I am a musician as well & LOVE the idea of playing everything from Mozart to Zeppelin!…& the multitude in-between! Well, as long as they’re tunes in a Major Key, I’m sure. THANK YOOOOOOO, Patrick! 😃
It’s pretty fun. And let’s not forget, major keys are for happiness!
If someone can transcribe Bohemian Rhapsody into the stones, I’m definitely getting it and tapping it out! 😀
I know I’m in the minority here, but Bohemian Rhapsody is the one song of theirs that I never cared for. I’m never able to admit that in person, so I just sing along and nobody suspects a thing.
LOL…it was a game-changer though. Getting radio to play the entire thing was a challenge.
One of my least favorite when I was younger but it grew on me over the years (like Run Like Hell by Pink Floyd)!
I love the scene in Wayne’s World where they sing along to it in Garth’s Pacer 😂
Haha, I grew up in the late 80s and early 90s, so I never could figure out Queen until much later in my life. It took me a long time to really appreciate Queen, and I suppose Bohemian Rhapsody came into mind because it seemed like an absurdly fun (if ridiculous) idea to try tapping it out with the stones!