As a music educator, I find Guitar Hero II to be a particularly interesting piece of software/hardware. I recently purchased this game and was able to get some “hands on” experience with it. Here are my first observations:
- The soundtracks are original and awesome
- The graphics are good-looking and great
- The interface (read guitar) is well done
- The game is addictive (even for one who plays the guitar like me)
All those things being said what makes the game “addictive” and “playable”? For many non-musicians these types of games are the first time they get the thrill of being in a band and “creating” music. When you play this game on the harder levels it really does seem that you are playing every note; the designers made it that way. The very fact that you have to strum each note and “fret” each note gives you that feeling of musical creation. When playing this game you can easily imagine yourself taking the “lead” and running riffs and solos. It’s particularly interesting if you like/love “Rock” as the tunes that are playable are certainly some of the very best of the genre.
There are some very real and all too familiar strategies for getting better at this game: `Practice`, `Slow Down and Practice` and `Repeat and Practice`. True to form with any discipline, especially music, these are the same ingredients that make one a better player at the piano, trumpet or any other instrument. This is the key to success at this game…and any other `real` instrument for that matter!
You can certainly learn some basic things as an aspiring “real” musician practicing this game such as rhythm and pitch to some extent (think whammy bar hear) and you will gain some independence of hands as you have to strum and finger the “chords” at the same time. But, that’s about it.
The biggest thing this game is missing is live human interaction, the feel you get when you are actually “feeding” off another musicians creative energies… building and creating something new together. Although there is no substitute for the feeling that you get by playing in a real band in front of real people, this game does provide a glimpse of that kind of “glory” and for that it is addictive in its nature.
There is a new game coming out called “rock band” that will allow you to form a band over “Microsoft Live or some other “live” venue” and have each player play a part, drums, bass, guitar, vocal., etc. It will be very interesting to see how that develops and if there is room for real music creation in it rather than “stock” riffs and solos.
Do I recommend the game? Sure, it’s great fun. If you’ve never experienced playing in a band for real, this game is really exciting, for me however, I’d rather play in one of my own bands… not that I won’t play a few riffs on this every now and then though! :)
[…] greeted with enthusiasm by a wide range of musically-oriented individuals; Joseph Pisano gives it a review on his blog, and is impressed by its addictive rockability. Rafael Mizrahi and Tal Chalozin have taken their […]
I have only played Guitar hero once. I have been wanting ever since to play it some more! It is addictive!
You use controllers that look like, for the most part, the real thing!
It makes you feel like you are in the real band- when you miss a note, it’s missed! You don’t hear it!
The songs are up beat and are rock n’ roll!
So, don’ get me wrong, I think Guitar Hero is amazing!
My problem with it is that people who formerly desired to play a real guitar will never pick one up and learn because they have the next best simulation in their hands. Yes, Guitar Hero requires hand/eye coordination and practice, but it will not substitute for learning a real guitar.
Playing and knowing real strings and frets is more complicated than memorizing five colors. On a real guitar being perfectly in tune requires correct hand placement , between the correct frets and on the correct strings. A person knows what note they are playing, too. Guitar Hero only demands correct hand placement that “plays” the correct note every time just by pushing a button. The player does not have to know what note they are pushing. A real guitar requires more knowledge to operate.
In a sense, Guitar Hero is another video game that is captivating people away from real life. Instead of kids going outside and playing football, they sit inside for hours and play football on a tv screen. Instead of picking up a guitar to play in a local community or church band, your child stays alienated from his peers in his room and plays a fake guitar.
Guitar Hero, like anything else, is a fun and harmless game if used in moderation. It does stimulate the brain to some degree and is an entertainment activity for many. We just need to remember what is real and what is really important in our lives!
Being a college student, I have seen first hand the exitment and joy that is stimulated through the playing of Guitar Hero II. I have to say that I am most impressed with the feeling that it gives it players. I am an advocate of any game that teaches the fundamental of music. In the case of Guitar Hero, I guess that would be accuracy and rhythm. But as you mentioned in the article, it does give the player a “part of the band” experience. Even players with no music experience can eventually learn to play the game fairly well. I just want to point out that in today’s society, I think that it is more important than ever to promote moderate use of these kind of distractions, because other than stimulate the brain, nothing else of significance is accomplished. Thanks for you thoughts.
[…] You can read the rest of this blog post by going to the original source, here […]
[…] completely ruin your PS2 by modding if you dont know what you are doing.Powered by Yahoo! AnswersChris asks…Guitar hero?Forget software guitar heroes. Who is actually doing something interesting …/h2>Forget software guitar heroes. Who is actually doing something interesting on the guitar […]