Green Day: Rock Band features gameplay similar to other games in the Rock Band series, played by avatars of the Green Day band members at recreations of venues from their concert tours. This screenshot shows "Are We the Waiting/St. Jimmy".

Green Day: Rock Band features avatars of the band members, including Mike Dirnt (top, center) and Tré Cool, and two real-life venues based on the band's tours, including the American Idiot World Tour performance on Milton Keynes National Bowl (top) and the 21st Century Breakdown World Tour performance at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, CA on April 14, 2009 (bottom).

Road Challenges provide new ways for Rock Band 3 players to interact with their library, providing numerous tour options and performance challenges. These provide "spades" in addition to stars for good performances, and individual performances are tracked during a song to provide additional feedback to players. Along the bottom are individual menus that are part of the game's new "overshell" that allow a player to change settings without affecting the other players.

Rock Band 3 is unique in that it added support for a 25-key keyboard (left track), MIDI compatible real guitars and electronic drum kits in addition to Basic guitar, bass, drums, and vocals from previous rhythm games. Pro mode challenges lead and bass guitarists, keyboardists, and drummers with a realistic playing experience in-game, such as requiring keyboardists to use a full range of keys, drummers (center) to strike proper cymbals as noted by round gems, or guitarists (right) and bassists to use accurate fingering on the fret bar. This screenshot shows

The MIDI Pro-Adapter allows players to use MIDI instruments as game inputs for the standard and pro modes.