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Guitar Hero Is Big Hit With Bands
Posted by
Zonk
on Tue Nov 07, 2006 12:16 PM
from the always-hard-to-rock-hard dept.
from the always-hard-to-rock-hard dept.
Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "An unlikely but growing group of rock stars are also avid players of Guitar Hero, a PlayStation title that uses a miniature plastic guitar to let gamers pretend to be, well, rock stars, the Wall Street Journal reports. From the article: 'Michael Einziger, the 30-year-old guitarist for the hard-rock band Incubus, says he was "shocked at how hard it was" to play the videogame's version of his song "Stellar." He admits he was handily beaten by his then-14-year-old sister, Ruby Aldridge, when the two of them squared off earlier this year. "It doesn't have anything to do with playing guitar," Mr. Einziger says. "It's all rhythmic." When the four members of the punk-pop band the Donnas got together to play Guitar Hero last week, guitarist Allison Robertson took some good-natured ribbing from her bandmates, says drummer Torry Castellano. That's because Ms. Robertson had a hard time playing along with the band's own song "Take It Off." "Expectations for her are pretty high because she's the guitar player and because she's so good at videogames in general," says Ms. Castellano.'"
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Guitar Hero Is Big Hit With Bands
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I Don't Understand (Score:3, Informative)
(http://slashdot.org/~eldavojohn/ | Last Journal: Tuesday October 16, @03:26PM)
I mean, I've got a freaking bass & a computer with Linux & audacity [sourceforge.net] in my living room
I find it odd that someone who probably has their pick of basses/guitars & effect pedals would prefer the not as rewarding feeling of playing Guitar Hero. Well, to each their own I guess. I think the guitarist of Korn should go buy some Rickenbacker guitars
The funniest thing is that my friend wants to play guitar
PS2 + Guitar Hero = $300. Decent acoustic starter Yamaha guitar is about the same. Take your choice. I suspect Guitar Hero would be a great toy for working on your sense of tempo
Re:I Don't Understand (Score:4, Insightful)
(http://thekerrs.ca/ | Last Journal: Tuesday October 01 2002, @05:40PM)
Re:I Don't Understand (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I Don't Understand (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://thoughthead.com/)
Re:I Don't Understand (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://tru7h.org)
Because it's a fun game? Rhythm games are popular for a reason, because it's an extremely easy concept to grasp but can be extremely hard to pull off perfectly. Doesn't matter if you're a musician or a mill worker, if it's fun, there's no reason not to play it.
It in no way threatans or diminishes "real" music production, it's simply binding together two popular activities: Being a rock star, and playing video games.
Re:I Don't Understand (Score:5, Insightful)
I play electric guitar, electric bass, and drums. I love guitar hero. Why? Because it's fun to play. It's skillset is also wildy divergent from the skillset required for actual guitar work (because, well, it's a rhythm game for your fingers, not a melodic instrument). Some songs are indeed much harder to play in GH than in real life (mostly due to the fact that you can't move vertically from string to string and all chording is lateral).
Whenever there's a GH post anywhere, there's always some pretentious moron who has to point out that he plays guitar/bass/kazoo in real life, and that people who play GH are wasting their time. I dunno what motivates their need to do this, but it always happens.
Re:I Don't Understand (Score:5, Funny)
(http://teasphere.wordpress.com/)
The skills and nuances of the Kazoo are leaps and bounds above a silly plastic guitar. I mean when you have the stage lights on you, and the upright bass and cow bell are hitting that sweet spot that makes the ladies swoon, THAT is what it's all about. Not strumming a chintzy red toy!
Get a clue!
Re:I Don't Understand (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I Don't Understand (Score:4, Insightful)
(http://www.idobi.com/)
Re:I Don't Understand (Score:5, Informative)
(Last Journal: Thursday April 14 2005, @08:04AM)
Hi There (Score:5, Insightful)
This article was not written to talk about the bands in question and their love of playing a video game. It was written to give exposure to the Guitar Hero franchise of games, and bring attention to the impending release of the game's sequel, which is now an MTV property (who incited the writing of this article to generate sales).
Now that you realize your error for even giving it attention, please take your haughty "Hi I'm a real musician, allow me to tell you how much better I am than you" attitude elsewhere. It's really worse than the brainwashing corporations responsible for this kind of media in the first place.
Thanks.
Re:I Don't Understand (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I Don't Understand (Score:5, Funny)
I mean, I've already got a PS2 and a HDTV in my living room
I find it odd that someone who has an appreciation for powerful guitar music would not enjoy to play an adrenalin-pumping video game. Well, to each their own, I guess. I think amateur guitarists would rather just sit in an empty room playing with themselves than dream of being in a big-name band like Korn...I can't imagine ever getting tired of that.
The funniest thing is, I've got several family members who play guitar. They've tried to teach me, but I have no guitar skills whatsoever. This summary hits it right on the head that you can still feel like a rock god and skip the blisters and the arthritic knuckles and angry neighboors.
Fender Strat = 1399. PS2 + Guitar Hero + 40" DLP HDTV is about the same. Take your choice. I suspect a real Stratocaster would be a great chick magnet
ha, the donnas (Score:5, Funny)
(http://quotes.homeunix.com/)
Re:ha, the donnas (Score:5, Funny)
that's like saying there's more to a steer than savory, delicious beef - there's also tripe, lips and hooves. I mean, sure it's true, but [i]so what?[/i]
Hmm (Score:3, Interesting)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Firien)
No joke. (Score:2)
(http://www.classicwfl.com/)
I tried it out in a store once. I am a classical guitar player, and have been a musician for over 13 years now. Picked the thing up, and discovered that I sucked :P
There aren't too many similarities to actually playing guitar, though. I'm used to working with scale patterns spanning the entire fretboard, using techniques such as sweep picking, finger picking, etc. Kinda hard to do that with the few buttons the thing has plus a switch/lever/whatever it is for picking :)
Staggering (Score:1)
(http://hutnick.com/ | Last Journal: Monday March 12 2007, @09:15PM)
-Peter
Guitar Hero: not about playing guitar (Score:2)
(http://www.wiisels.com/ | Last Journal: Friday January 21 2005, @12:20AM)
Finally, someone admits that Guitar Hero is not about playing guitar. It's just DDR played with your fingers.
Re:Guitar Hero: not about playing guitar (Score:5, Funny)
And DDR is just Simon played with your feet. It seems we've come full circle.
Well duh... (Score:3, Informative)
Incubus? (Score:2, Informative)
It's a video game, y'know. (Score:4, Informative)
The only relation Guitar Hero's controller -- with its five coloured plastic buttons, in single file, to be pushed when the correctly coloured circle is shown -- is that they're housed in a casing built to resemble a guitar.
You can play Guitar Hero 24/7, practicing until your fingers bleed, but at the end of the day, you still can't play guitar. It isn't Guitar Simulator, it's a video game with a miniature plastic guitar for as its controller. It has nothing to do with actual guitar playing skills.
GTA won't teach you the skillz to be an archcriminal, and America's Army isn't a replacement for boot camp.
Re:It's a video game, y'know. (Score:4, Informative)
(http://tkincher.com/)
Re:It's a video game, y'know. (Score:4, Funny)
But, Jack Thompson said it would. He wouldn't lie would he?
Of course it is.... (Score:2)
(http://slashdot.org/~justkarl)
" Guitar Hero Is Big Hit With Bands " ???? (Score:1)
(http://heribertod.blogspot.com/)
Awww. Guitar Hero's such a good game... how come anyone could be so upset about this game as to grab an entire band, and smash a Guitar Hero game box to pieces with each member of the band...
Oh, wait.
I gave up trying to get through Guitar Hero (Score:2)
Oh the pain... (Score:5, Funny)
(http://www.schoolofshaolin.com/ | Last Journal: Friday August 25 2006, @10:59AM)
Guitar Hero != Guitar (Score:1)
(http://www.dinosaurseateverybody.com/)
This isn't SUPPOSED to be a guitar substitute! (Score:1)
Don't Understand Huh? (Score:1)
What is so much better about Guitar Hero? (Score:2)
I love it... (Score:1)
Future man!! (Score:1)
(Last Journal: Wednesday December 15 2004, @12:09PM)
Buy a metronome, it is cheaper (Score:2)
(http://adavid.com.au/ | Last Journal: Tuesday July 10, @10:09PM)
Having endured 4 learning teenage guitarists in my household over the years, the major deficiency was rythm. Learners are so focused on picking the right note, the structure of the piece gets lost. I went out and bought a metronome, but that rarely got used.
What would I know, I'm just an old guy. An old guy that has endured countless "up-and-coming" pub bands who could have done with a metronome when they were practising. That goes for the drummer as well.
The problem is the 5 buttons (Score:1)
I play banjo... (Score:1)
(http://rocketpoweredvikingfuneral.com/)
Just confirms... (Score:3, Insightful)
i love that game ;) (Score:1)
(http://www.soulfire.cc/)
i played the crap out of the first one, beat every song with 4 or 5 stars on expert
i wont try and disect why its fun, but it IS
had to laugh at this quote (Score:2)
Hate to break it to this guy...but he should be using rhythem when he plays a real guitar as well!
publicity & inspiration (Score:2)
(http://stereoroid.com/ | Last Journal: Wednesday August 07 2002, @05:45AM)
I'm all for it if it inspires even a small fraction of players to take up a real instrument. Just as long as they start at the beginning!
GH2 is good publicity for one of my fave bands, Rush [rush.com], whose YYZ is at the "advanced" level. I can see a lot of adults going "so that's what that is", having heard it but not knowing where it's from. It's not exactly plain sailing on real instruments either. A kid who starts off fresh, trying to play that on guitar or bass, is risking sore fingers and severe disillusionment. Still, you gotta love a song with a minor-fifth riff on the Morse Code broadcast by the radio beacon at the band's home airport...
Guitar isn't rhythmic ??? (Score:1)
Regarding The Backlash... (Score:2, Insightful)
It IS related to real guitar (Score:1)
That said, I don't think anyone really believes that GH is training for real guitar playing.
Liking Guitar Hero? Check out Frets On Fire (Score:1)
(http://www.iki.fi/jpaalija/index.html | Last Journal: Sunday April 24 2005, @01:49PM)
For people with "controller" trouble. (Score:1)
(http://bronney.com/)
I get so PO'ed using any guitar controllers I switched back to the PS2 pads. Just choose the inverse button layout, or assign your own layout by holding the pad upside down, using the analog sticks for picks. You'd be surprised how good it is to handle.
Guitar Hero is a blast and not the same old FPS (Score:1)
My friends and I end up playing this game, with it's silly little plastic guitar - outfitted with a whammy bar - all night. And the hard level is HARD. (Bark at the moon solo anyone?) I love that the virtual artists actually move their hands and body language like they are playing the song. All I want is an OPEN API so I can plug in my own songs, or other songs from my favorite bands (copyright issues) Star Power baby!!