Guitar Hero/Rock Band (Rant)

[MyChemicalWar]

I feel for today's generation. It's a turbulent time of misinformation and sensationalism. I even have a nickname for them. The Guitar Hero Generation. While I think it is great to use a fresh medium to introduce music to a younger generation, it at the same time worries me. I have seen firsthand the beneficial and detrimental side of this medium. On the beneficial side, it introduces basic rhythm and adds more tasteful musical choice to the watered down palette
of today's "Top" music. On the other hand, it sometimes decreases
drive to learn a real instrument, and gives kids a false sense of achievement, making them feel like musical geniuses for beating "Through the Fire and Flames" on expert. While it's challenging, some don't realize to what degree a real guitar or bass differs from the 5 buttoned controller. I admittedly own every Guitar hero game , along with rock band, but I think it is important for this generation to know the difference between the real thing, and a hunk of plastic.

[Sammy_L_D]

Dude...it's a video game.

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[FreaqyFrequency]

Excellent post!

I, for one, fail on the beginning level of basically any Guitar Hero or Rock Band piece, yet after every gig I get the one person who's like, "HOW many years, dude?"

I think the difference is feel, at least for me. I don't feel a soul coming through five buttons and a little bar that I'm supposed to move up and down.

My friend across the street has been getting into guitar recently (mostly because of Guitar Hero) and he concentrates on EVH and Dragonforce because they're the fastest and most impressive to him at the moment. From experience, I am subtly trying to steer him in the direction of more simple, melodic players, and how they build their guitar parts.

Is it bad to be into EVH, Dragonforce, etc.? No, that is his choice. But he also needs to understand chord structures if he wants to be anything like them someday.

One of my early influences of course was, all together now, Victor Lemonte Wooten. He truly is a monster player and a fantastic musician. What was I focusing on? The cool slapping, fast licks, and tapping. The result? I became a bass player who could do some cool tricks, but knew NOTHING about holding down a groove. That doesn't mean that I shouldn't listen to Vic, quite the contrary, in fact; he spends the most time pounding down the importance of the "simple" elements in music.

Video games, in moderation and correct perspective, are not harmful. Once it starts to go to your head though, you can form some very bad habits if you aren't careful, like with any game.

For me, I will always favor the joy of sitting down with my 6-string bass guitar and letting the music flow through my mind, instrument and fingers rather than through buttons, a piece of plastic and cheap TV speakers. But please, if you enjoy playing those types of games, by all means do so. But remember that you can truly be and feel accomplished by learning the piece of music on a real instrument.

$0.02 from a 17-year old supposedly falling under your "GH Generation" umbrella,

-Sean

[ynie92992]

Originally Posted by Sammy_L_D

Dude...it's a video game.

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...

That's his point, it is just a hunk of plastic, that make people feel like rock stars for beating a song.(Which is good, that's the point) But they usually don't understand that there is a substantial difference between guitar hero "guitars" and real basses and guitars. But don't get me wrong, I own GH 1,2 and 3 plus rock band and they are great fun.

[Sammy_L_D]

No, really.

It's a video game.

Why should this bother you in the least?

[KsToaDangr]

Just about everyone that I know who plays guitar hero or rock band owns and plays at least one real musical instrument. One of my best friends owns rock band, and he plays drums, guitar and harmonica. My other best friends owns guitar heros 2, 3, and Aerosmith, and plays piano. I do know some people who go to a bar I frequent who play it, but don't play a real instrument, but I have yet to meet anyone who thinks that it's anywhere close to playing a real istrument.

[JB Lars]

Didn't we just do this last week? Oh yeah! We did!

You ever played Madden football? Hope you didn't win. That's a false sense of accomplishment. You're not really Vince Lombardi. Similarly, playing Call of Duty with your pals does not make you General Patton.

That's self-evident you say? Well, no kidding. Same goes for GH/RB. Lighten up, Francis.

[ynie92992]

Sorry, but my friends do think it is realistic.

[chuckjones93]

I think anyone over the age of 6 knows the difference between a real instrument and a hunk of plastic. This is like the opposite of the people worried about kids playing first person shooter games, and then going out and shooting people! Your worried about kids playing a plastic guitar......and then what? NEVER playing a real one!?!

[ynie92992]

You know, I just get rallied up when I am tired, sorry about that post. It was just a rant pretty much.

[funkalicious101]

I know a lot of people who play Guitar Hero or Rock Band, lots of them are very good at it too.


But I dont know any who think they are a music genius because of it.

[bassmonkeee]

Jesus....I don't understand why people are scared of a video game.

If someone thinks they are a musical genius because they can play a Simon Says type video game, that person is an idiot. And, that person is an idiot regardless of what video game they are playing. It's not the video game's fault.

Personally, I think any musician who has a problem with Rockband or Guitar Hero is as much of an idiot as the person who thinks they are a prodigy because they 5 star'd a song.

It's not like they are taking away your gigs. Find something else in life to focus on, people.

[WyrdoBass]

Originally Posted by ynie92992

That's his point, it is just a hunk of plastic, that make people feel like rock stars for beating a song.

Yea, but I got this month's issue of Game Informer (even though I don't really game anymore after picking up bass) and it says for Rock Band 2,
"There will now be a first-party alternative for those who want the size and heft of a real guitar. Several real fender Strats are being stripped and replaced with Rock Band internal parts."
Where is the logic in this? if you want "the size and heft of a real guitar" why don't you pick up guitar? Some of the things they're doing for these games are insane.

[JaneBass1]

IMO, the people that I know that have guitar hero, already play an instrument and just find this game amusing.

I am pretty sure that a lot of kids have this game too. And is good and bad at the same time.

Good cause it gives them an interest in music. Bad cause they are going to feel disappointed when they take a real instrument and they cannot play the same songs as good as the game

[ynie92992]

Originally Posted by WyrdoBass

Yea, but I got this month's issue of Game Informer (even though I don't really game anymore after picking up bass) and it says for Rock Band 2,
"There will now be a first-party alternative for those who want the size and heft of a real guitar. Several real fender Strats are being stripped and replaced with Rock Band internal parts."
Where is the logic in this? if you want "the size and heft of a real guitar" why don't you pick up guitar? Some of the things they're doing for these games are insane.

yup.

[bassmonkeee]

Originally Posted by WyrdoBass

Where is the logic in this? if you want "the size and heft of a real guitar" why don't you pick up guitar? Some of the things they're doing for these games are insane.

What does wanting the heft and size of a real guitar have to do with wanting to play a real guitar? I'm 6'2 and love playing Rockband at parties and with my wife. The plastic guitar that comes with the game is pretty tiny and light, so I would prefer to have something with a little more mass and a slightly wider spacing. I'm not personally willing to spend close to $200 for one, but I can certainly understand the appeal. Again--it has absolutely nothing with wanting to play a "real" guitar.

FWIW, I probably will drop the $300 for the ION drumset for Rockband 2 since it is also usable as a complete midi drum set. In fact, RB2 will even come with drum lessons. Since playing Rockband drums on Hard and Expert, I've been able to sit behind my drummer's kit and play some basic songs on drums.


Again, anyone who wastes more than 5 seconds worrying about what Rockband and Guitar Hero are doing to the youth of America are as foolish as the same youths who think mastering GH or RB means they are master musicians.

[lefty007]

I played it once with my nephews, and I sucked so bad. . .

I have to disagree with the OP, I don't think this will have any long-term detrimental consequences in society, such as kids confusing this for a real instrument, or staying away from a real instrument because the video game.

[Marcus]

I remember playing Mario Kart when I was younger and thinking, "man, screw driving, I am a BEAST at Mario Kart!"

Later, I remember playing Mario Paint and thinking, "wow, if I can draw here, I'm an artist!"

A few years back, I remember being into Dance Dance Revolution and believing, "if I can dance on Heavy mode, I must be an amazing dancer!"

It's a game. Get over your own ego. Hating on it and making sweeping generalizations about it's audience says more about you than it does about them.

[rarisgod]

Originally Posted by JB Lars

Didn't we just do this last week? Oh yeah! We did!

You ever played Madden football? Hope you didn't win. That's a false sense of accomplishment. You're not really Vince Lombardi. Similarly, playing Call of Duty with your pals does not make you General Patton.

That's self-evident you say? Well, no kidding. Same goes for GH/RB. Lighten up, Francis.

No this isn't the same. Some people will originally get into guitar because they think playing guitar is cool and they want to be the one shredding. They'll initially pick up the guitar with that aspiration, but then learning the basics they'll be driven to learn more and eventually it will evolve away from just "being cool" and soon it will just become an interest, a part of life. If those people who initially think that of guitar are given an alternative, will they ever be driven to learn the real instrument? Possibly not.
I'm not saying the game is bad, I like the game. I do not, however, think that it should be considered a substitution for a real instrument. Not EVERYONE thinks this, but some kids will think they're sweet because they can own TTFAF on Expert.

[Marcus]

Originally Posted by rarisgod

d, I like the game. I do not, however, think that it should be considered a substitution for a real instrument. Not EVERYONE thinks this, but some kids will think they're sweet because they can own TTFAF on Expert.

Who are you talking to that even suggest that a video game is a substitution for reality? Metal patients?

FWIW, it IS impressive that kids out there can play that game and its harder tracks on the highest difficulty. That ---- is hard!