Guitar heroes dismiss Guitar Hero game
Speaking at a press conference in Los Angeles on June 19, the two guitarists said "they don't believe video games are an ideal way for people to be exposed to music or learn to play instruments."
As much as I enjoyed Guitar Hero, I have to agree that it's annoying that the game doesn't teach you to play an instrument and depressing that game buyers aren't really interested in the music itself--just how hard the game makes it to play the songs. The silver lining is that bands such as Dragon Force would be even more obscure if it weren't for the game.
"It's depressing to have a label come and tell you that Guitar Hero is how kids are learning about music and experiencing music," White said. He added that although he doesn't try to dictate "which format people should get their music in...if you have to be in a video game to get in front of them, that's a little sad."
Page added that he can't imagine that people are really learning anything significant about playing instruments by playing video games.
"You think of the drum part that John Bonham did on Led Zeppelin's first track on the first album, Good Times Bad Times," he said. "How many drummers in the world can play that part, let alone on Christmas morning?"
There's nothing wrong with people learning about music through games, but it would be great if the games taught something more than hand-eye coordination. As schools cut music programs, MTV plays no music videos, and Ticketmaster gouges customers for concert tickets, something needs to be done to get kids interested in hearing and playing music.
(Note: For the record, I can play the actual drum parts for Good Times Bad Times, who wants to start a blogger band?)
Follow me on Twitter @daveofdoom.
Dave Rosenberg dishes up "Software, Interrupted" with nearly 15 years of technology and marketing experience that spans from Bell Labs to multiple start-up IPOs to open-source enterprise software companies. He is co-founder of MuleSource and currently serves as the general manager of Hardy Way. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. You can contact Dave via e-mail at softwareinterrupted@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @dr138. 
Well how about some of these former music icons send some cash to the schools for help out schools with their music programs, two people stop watching the gay shows on MTV and people stop buying concert Tickets from Ticketmaster as the numbers go down so will the prices cause demand causes a rise in price, no demand means they have to lower prices.
Dragging out White Stripes is weak; at least dig up Dave Davies and get the primary influence of the White Stripes in the article.
As for the game itself, yes, guitar playing is definitely a huge compromise in technique, but there's no excuse for drum parts not corresponding exactly to transcription. If you take away tuning, you're left with pure playing, and it's a huge potential market for all future percussionists.
And in closing, what would a Dave Rosenberg article be without another chance to praise himself. Ooh, you can play the drum parts of "Good Times, Bad Times" while riding a unicycle and inventing a new Internet protocol.
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You know, I've been playing drums for 13 years, been teaching myself guitar for 4 years now. I want to say I can't recommend the Rock Band drums for people who want to learn, but it really does help people with timing (somewhat, once it's calibrated) and hand-eye coordination. It doesn't help people learn to improvise, or what piece makes what sound (cymbals vs. toms, etc), but it does improve rhythm and timing. On guitar, I can see that these qualities don't really mean much... guitar players are supposed to follow the rhythm sections, etc. And there's no improv, because someone else has done the improv for you already.
So I, I'm hooked on a feeeeelin', I'm high on believin', that Rock Band teaches appreciation, not skills.
I must confess, though, that I have reminded my kids that while I'll never be cranking at expert mode in Guitar Hero, I can still play the intro to Hotel California on my ax.
MOST people never learned to play the guitar... Even before Guitar Hero came along. And if that game does get a kid excited to learn to play a real instrument then, great!!! Who is anyone to judge someone just because they're enjoying a guitar simulation game.
Some musicians love to sit on high horses and look down at the "little people"....
The good thing about the current raft of games is that they might spark an interest in a kid to learn how to play an instrument for real. This is a real low hurdle to getting started in your living room. What other way can you easily get multiplayer entertainment, get introduced to some killer songs, and also incentivize a child to pick up an instrument without feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of years of classes?
Is it a replacement for a real guitar or drumset? No, not even close. But since getting started with Rock Band, my son has since gotten 3 *real* guitars and spent over two years in weekly classes. That was after he quit his first six months of classes 4 years ago, before we got Rock Band.
- by musician94 July 7, 2009 9:03 AM PDT
- well i have to say Jack and Jimmy are both extraordinary guitarists, but i would think they'd be, well not excited exactly, but a bit more supportive that someone came up with an idea that might just stimulate someone to want to learn to play the guitar
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