For the Guitar Heroes around here

[Crazcnuk]

Guitar hero isn't a simulator at all. It has this guitar shaped thingie with colored things you push at the appropriate times while watching this video go by on the screen.

it doesn't do notes, chords finger positions or anything, and it certainly will not help your coordination as far as playing a real guitar is concerned.

It will not help your musical timing, either, it does teach you to react to things then play your note, but that is not how music is played.

[malber]

Originally posted by Crazcnuk
Guitar hero isn't a simulator at all. It has this guitar shaped thingie with colored things you push at the appropriate times while watching this video go by on the screen.

it doesn't do notes, chords finger positions or anything, and it certainly will not help your coordination as far as playing a real guitar is concerned.

It will not help your musical timing, either, it does teach you to react to things then play your note, but that is not how music is played.

Respectfully, I have to disagree. It can help with eye-hand coordination and the concept of holding down the fretboard button and flicking the strum switch is very similar to what you do on a guitar. I was very impressed when my step-son went through the training exercises that taught Guitar Hero's version of hammer-on and pull-off technique. It's very similar to the real thing. The ability to listen to the music and anticipate what comes next and to play to the beat is necessary to successfully complete a song; you can't just watch the screen. And how you have to scan what's coming next on the scroll bar is the same technique that you have to use when sightreading music, a skill many "professional" guitarists lack.

But it does beget the question: if you are going to spend this much time, why not do it on the real thing and play with real people?

It may be possible that by playing the game someone could become interested in the real thing, but I doubt that it's causing people to take guitar lessons in droves. For what you pay for the game and controller, you could buy a First Act guitar and practice amp.

[DJinNH]

Well heck, I've logged so many hours on these damned flight games that I can just see if the stewardess on some American Airlines flight ever asks that all important question, "Is there anyone here that knows how to land a plane? "Oooo Oooo... pick me, pick me!"

Just kidding.

Don

[psycoreefer]

flight sims...

Don, sorry to say you've wasted your time... I work developing avionics for airplanes and there was even a "mythbusters" on the topic. Most modern day commercial airplanes are capable of landing themselves if the person in the cockpit flips the right switches. Sorry man.

[xs650mike]

Originally posted by Crazcnuk
Guitar hero isn't a simulator at all. It has this guitar shaped thingie with colored things you push at the appropriate times while watching this video go by on the screen...It will not help your musical timing, either, it does teach you to react to things then play your note, but that is not how music is played.

As a guy who has played guitar as long as I've been riding motorcycles (50 years) and who has played professionally for 45 years, I've got to agree. By the way, I absolutely suck eggs at Guitar Hero but I'm no slouch on the guitar.

[DJinNH]

Re: flight sims...

Originally posted by psycoreefer
Don, sorry to say you've wasted your time... I work developing avionics for airplanes and there was even a "mythbusters" on the topic. Most modern day commercial airplanes are capable of landing themselves if the person in the cockpit flips the right switches. Sorry man.

Ya, I saw that on Mythbusters. Pretty interesting episode.

Don

[DJinNH]

Originally posted by xs650mike


As a guy who has played guitar as long as I've been riding motorcycles (50 years) and who has played professionally for 45 years, I've got to agree. By the way, I absolutely suck eggs at Guitar Hero but I'm no slouch on the guitar.

Even Slash, the guy from Guns and Roses who I guess is on the cover of the game's box....he was on Jay Leno and said the game is nothing like the real guitar. He said he's totally hooked on the game when in a hotel while touring but said that it's hard to block out real guitar thoughts while playing the game. He said it can get confusing trying to convert.

Don

[BlkMage]

Originally posted by DJinNH
Well heck, I've logged so many hours on these damned flight games that I can just see if the stewardess on some American Airlines flight ever asks that all important question, "Is there anyone here that knows how to land a plane? "Oooo Oooo... pick me, pick me!"

Just kidding.

Don

I have a buddy working on getting his pilot's license in real life. I have my local airport and a few nice small planes on Flight Simulator X (won a free copy at the Reno Air Races) and he practices pattern work and landings. Says his real skills have actually improved a bit from the game.

[thewiz]

How many XSives out there play guitar anyway and what?

I'm a player for most of my life .... folk music, ballads, blues ... love it. All of my roommates are musicians and sound guys too .... currently I have more axes than XSs .... but only cuz I sold an F last week ....

[desert1]

Axe

Well I started learning; I almost typed playing instead of learning....but I bought a MIM standard Fender then saw a 2nd hand HSS strat and thats what I've been using for the last month; its tougher than trying to get a dead XS to run this learnin business! But I aint quittin it..... every day at least 1 hour, more when the time is there....
Bruce
78 XS1100

[Crazcnuk]

"Respectfully, I have to disagree. It can help with eye-hand coordination and the concept of holding down the fretboard button and flicking the strum switch is very similar to what you do on a guitar"

Unfortunately, on a real guitar you have 6 strings to contend with, with individual fingers, and the 'strum' motion is only used for some songs, as again, you have 6 strings to play and you may or may not be using all 6 at any given time.

As for the hand/eye coordination... Music is played in unison, not as a reaction to an eye stimulus. You've probably seen people play where they hadn't played together, and all the players didn't know the song.

It's like watching two people, who've never sang together, try to do a Karaoke song they are not familiar with. Always just a bit out of time.

Guitar Hero is just a modern version of the old electronic Simon Says game, set to rock music.