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God help us, every single one, if this gets funded...

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I may sound like an a-hole for saying this, but I feel exactly the same way about Guitar Hero/Rock Band. I find it incredibly pathetic in so many ways. There's even people who have had "concerts" using TVs as their "stage monitors" and doing songs that way. There is no Picard facepalm intense enough to express my feelings on that lol. With the hours that people piss away on that game, they could have actually learned something on an instrument. Even the guy who only knows how to strum 3 chords and go through a whole song is cooler than the guy who can nail Jordan on Guitar Hero 100%. *smh*

I totally agree that I would prefer to see my kids spend the time learning a real instrument. However I have to admit that playing Guitar Hero takes a level of hand/eye coordination that I just don't have! I can shred fairly well on a real guitar but I totally suck at Guitar Hero. When I watch my 19 year old son play
"Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll" by BOC on expert level it kind of blows my mind! I can't give him any crap about it though because he also plays piano, bass, drums, mandolin and a few other instruments for real.
 
If my friend's kid showed up with one and showed me a song that they wrote, I'd give them encouragement. If a non-musically inclined friend or relative showed up with one and was having fun playing guitar, then I'd give them encouragement. If a serious musician showed up with one, then I'd seriously question them.

This is for the casuals - nothing to get worked up over.

I seriously am at a lost at why people are getting so crazy about this. It's a gimmick that may allow people who would never be able to (or didn't want to) play guitar to get some nice sounds. If it brings some people happiness without being at the expense of others, what's the problem?

I'm not claiming it's a good or bad thing morally, ethically, or snobbilly, I'm just saying that I think someone using this would have trouble being taken seriously, and that could be a very practical drawback. If someone wants to play and perform guitar in front of other people, I'd say it's 95% likely that that person wants to impress others on some level, whether that be technically or creatively. Showing up an performing with this would make it difficult for nearly everyone to be impressed with the guy's playing, and might even be a distraction that would provide an obstacle for people to be impressed with a guy's singing or songwriting. So I think it will be unattractive to many "aspiring" musicians, even if they don't necessarily plan on becoming a dedicated musician.
 
Are barre chords even that difficult to warrant such a "thing?" Anyone who puts in at least a week or 2 of playing guitar should be at least semi decent at playing them.

I have been teaching guitar for a while, and I can at first hand that A LOT of people struggle with getting barre chords to sound decent for a good long time before they really get it, especially on the cheap acoustic guitars that most people start on.

I also have found the Guitar Hero/Garage band thing perplexing. The only thing I think is sad about it is that I think some of those who spend a lot of time playing it instead of learning an instrument deny themselves the opportunity to actually make music with other people, which is sooooo much better than playing make believe with a computer. I don't think they know what they are missing.
 
I don't see a problem with it.

Hear me out.

No one is going to buy this thing with the intention of being a "real" guitarist. I honestly doubt someone is going to buy one of these and then try to actually get up on stage with it.

I think what it will do is introduce people to music, and maybe lead to them actually playing the instrument. A lot of people like being instantly good at things, and they'll give up if they're not. I'll use my brother as an example: he--in my opinion--could be great at guitar because he's pretty dexterous, methodical and detail oriented. If he put any sizable effort into learning he'd be above average. The only problem is he hates feeling "mediocre" or not instantly being good at something, so--after a few attempts at learning chords--he gave up and retired to things he's naturally better at (acting, for example).

I'm not saying this is a healthy way for people to behave--because they essentially reject failure, and thus learning--but it's a trait a lot of people have. A lot of people will probably use this for instant gratification and then pursue more complex musical things in the future if it so interests them.

I could also see it being useful for people who used to play guitar, but then had to give it up due to certain physical ailments. It'd also be good for people like me who write songs but have no way to record them because they don't know guitar...I know, I know, I could just learn a few chords, but it'd certainly be a lot simpler to have one of these if I'm only going to be "playing" guitar limitedly.

All in all it's not the worst thing. Obviously it's no substitute for real practice and musicianship, but I have a feeling the people who buy these won't try to be "real" musicians. I won't be buying one, but have no desire to mock those who do.
 
If someone showed up with one, and played somthing with it that sounded and felt awesome, and they could do all the things they need to to make great music with it, then they can jam with me all they want.

I would also argue that I'm sure that a lot of people said the same things that are being said here when bass guitars first came out: "Frets? Why do you need frets to play half notes and quarter notes on the roots and 5ths? And you don't need to learn to play with a big sound, you just plug into one of these new-fangled "amplifiers". The years spent conquering intonation and learning to play with a big sound are what makes a bassist strong and disciplined. those new "bass Guitars" take no skill at all-they will ruin the art form of playing the bass, and are a sign of how lazy people are becoming" but people like James Jamerson and Stanley Clark used it to take bass playing to new heights, and now it's become its own art form. Not saying this will go that direction, but I think one should keep an open mind.
 
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At first I thought "Lame". But then, reading this thread I realized it really isn't for proficient players, so why not help those who want to get started. No skin off my nose if people buy it, but I don't feel compelled to contribute.

What I don't get though so the slide function.... Anyone who needs this won't have the comprehension of notes and scales required to play a slide solo..... Except for the 0.05% oh the buyers who know how to play pretty well, but suffered some injury such that they can't form chords anymore.
 
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I remember when I was younger (14-15) and learning to play a Gibson Ripper bass guitar. My fingers hurt like crazy! I wore a baseball glove on my fretting hand for those days where my fingers hurt pretty bad. It wasn't a shortcut but a compensation for a malady associated with the high tension cables, er, strings I was learning on. I was still learning proper technique, just with a little added protection. This doesn't teach technique. I get all those saying the ends should justify the means, they are playing afterall. It just seems like too much of a gimmick to not only get someone to play, but to KEEP them playing over the long haul.