Guitar Hero Video Game good to teach Guitarists?

blackdiamond13 · #1 06-19-2008, 02:30 PM

You decide...

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/1...usic-industry/

http://online.wsj.com/public/article..._20061113.html

http://machinist.salon.com/feature/2...5/guitar_hero/

your thoughts?

axemanrio · #2 06-19-2008, 02:42 PM

http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f14/wh...ame-77011.html

50% of votes suggest stupid!

markg5150 · #3 06-19-2008, 02:49 PM

guitar hero is fun but IMHO not helpful in becoming a better guitarist

CalledToArms · #4 06-19-2008, 02:51 PM

I know tons of people that enjoy it. I think I am the only person in my band who isnt a huge fan. And id say 90% of my musician friends enjoy it as well.

That being said, I dont see ANY benefit to learning how to actually play the guitar. I DO see some people becoming interested in learning real guitar who werent before. All in all I think there is about 0% chance that it is hurting the world of real guitar playing and maybe actually helping interest some new blood.

Crunchy450 · #5 06-19-2008, 04:26 PM

Very well said, CalledToArms! My roommate plays it constantly, I just play along with him, for real of coarse! I can't justify wasting time pretending to play when I can really play!!! Never been a fan of video games though, my free time is too rare. But as you said, it may inspire some to persue the wonders of the guitar!

GLG421 · #6 06-19-2008, 05:09 PM

Guitar Hero is Simon with a Guitar shaped controller and better music. Nothing more.

But it is introducing young kids to some great music that they missed out on. And if it inspires a kid to "really" play, well then where's the harm in that.

Plus it's kind of fun.

And a +1 to CalledToArms

chaos731 · #7 06-19-2008, 05:28 PM

My wife and I were having a big conversation about Guitar Hero a few weeks ago, after a visit to my sister's house. My two nephews are addicted to guitar hero currently, and both of them have expressed interest in learning the guitar "for real". Naturally, I've been volunteered to step up to the plate and provide "free lessons". I swear to god...it's not bad enough that I'm tech support for my entire family. Sheesh.
I digress...

Anyway, the conversation my wife and I were having basically came down to this:
1. Guitar Hero, in no way, enhances or aids actual guitar playing, with the possible (remote) exception being the timing/rhythm aspect.
2. Guitar Hero has been (and will continue to be) a golden goose for the "real" guitar industry, as kids' parents will be lining up around the block to buy real guitars (and everything that goes along with that) for their kids.
3. (and possibly the most important point, as far as I'm concerned) The market for lightly-used instruments of all degrees of quality will soon explode, as 3bay and other purveyors of used instruments will be filled to the brim with "played a couple of times then put in the back of the closet" guitars. This is exceptionally good news for collectors, at least at first. Once the poor saps sell their guitars for a pittance just to get them out of the way, the people who buy these used instruments are going to be in a fairly unique position; it's going to affect the pricing of used instruments across the board.

Anyway, it may seem like I'm extrapolating too much, but that's what I really think is going to be the true lasting effect of Guitar Hero...and not much else.

TRIDS · #8 06-19-2008, 05:45 PM

I have used guitar hero to slow down some solos that i was trying to learn. It actually helped learn the one solo. I couldnt get the timing down so I had my buddy play it in practice slow and I noodled untill I got it down.

Crunchy450 · #9 06-19-2008, 06:50 PM

Thats a pretty slick way to use it as a resource! Good thinkin!

MicahC · #10 06-20-2008, 01:34 AM

I think that GH is just a fun pastime like any othe video game. I mean the only difference GH has from any other game is the the controller is shaped like a guitar.

I'll admit that it MIGHT help with rhythm, but if you have rhythm.....then you have rhythm and a game isn't really going to help that. I mean if I made a sex simulator for Xbox and got good at it would it make me a sex god in real life?

I do agree with the fact that it DOES bring in kids to the guitar. They play the game and it becomes so simple that they want to move on to the real thing. I had a kid from school who had never touched a guitar before ask me if I could play "Welcome Home" from the RockBand game, and I told him that I could. He said he wished he could do that, and I told him he could if he practiced enough. So, I found out that he bought a guitar (silvertone....There's not a better insrument to turn off a new guitarist to music). If the game will introduce kids to the joys of music, then I have no problem with it.

The one thing that annoys me the most though, is the fact that some kids think that if they can play a song on GH then they can play it on a real guitar. Only some kids though.

mi2tom · #11 06-20-2008, 03:22 AM

I'd rather play guitar than playing that game

Ibateur · #12 06-20-2008, 04:53 AM

I still do enjoy that group of 4 or 5 kids who did the dragonforce solo, each focusing on one button only.

Batchimp RG · #13 06-20-2008, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GLG421

Guitar Hero is Simon with a Guitar shaped controller and better music. Nothing more.

Amen

HeavyMetal4Ever · #14 06-21-2008, 08:41 AM

Playing Guitar Hero is as close to playing a real guitar as playing Gran Turismo is to driving a real car.

Rock on!

Lifeofsobriety · #15 06-21-2008, 10:16 PM

I started playing it for a while, thought it was fun. However, when I would play for long periods of time ( a few hours) my left hand started hurting really bad. It was bad enough that I had to take a break from guitar for a few days so it could heal.

Do you guys think that due to the huge differences in the design of the guitar controller and a real guitar, GH could actually hurt your real guitar technique?

Just a thought I had.