Guitar Hero

10 Apr 08 - 11:57 AM (#2312115)
Subject: Guitar Hero
From: olddude

Now here is a silly thought! Every kid I know must have the game guitar hero. Also many adults. Now wouldn't it be a novel idea if they had to actually put their fingers in some simple chord positions instead of using a glorified joy stick that looks like a guitar. Hmmm maybe after playing the game for a million hours they could actually pick up a real guitar and strum a happy tune ...

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10 Apr 08 - 12:20 PM (#2312131)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: George Papavgeris

As a teenager I had two guitar heroes.
The first was Andres Segovia - I still admire him, not least for achieving the acceptance of the guitar in symphonic works.
The other one - don't laugh - was Alvin Lee of Ten Years After, for playing riffs at breakneck speed. I had to grow up a little to realise that he was crap and missed every third note in his mad dash, had no feeling for the music, and was just a show-off.

Nowadays I am envious of many guitarists, all of whom I consider better than me. In no order at all, Martin Simpson, Bob Fox, the Chilean Alexandro, Brian May, and probably just a tad above the rest, Hans Fisser of Flairck (Netherlands), etc etc - the list is very long.

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10 Apr 08 - 02:00 PM (#2312208)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: olddude

Alvin Lee
You have good taste for sure, Boy could he rip. How about the gig on woodstock going home to see my babe

Amazing rocker

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10 Apr 08 - 02:58 PM (#2312269)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: GUEST,Neil D

I keep telling my kid that if he spent as much time playing a real guitar as he does playing the game (Guitar Hero) he could actually learn to make music and wouldn't that be so much more worthwhile. That being said, I do understand the appeal of the game for young people. Its like air guitar with buttons and a scoring system. The down side is the introduction of "classic" rock to a new generation.

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10 Apr 08 - 04:59 PM (#2312376)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine

It gets worse

When I used to teach guitar I was amazed how many classic rock songs some of the kids knew, until I realised they were all in "Guitar Hero".

Strangely enough, it was always the same kids who seemed to think that if they put their fingers in roughly the right area on the fretboard and threw some shapes, the music would take care of itself.

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10 Apr 08 - 06:46 PM (#2312479)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Stilly River Sage

Well, MY 16-year-old guitar hero is learning classical and electric (we started with classical alone, but now he trades out between the two at his lessons). He's also a dynamo at the Guitar Hero games. These things can go together. It's achingly beautiful when he picks out "Stairway to Heaven," it's also beautiful when he picks out the Bach he has been given to learn.

SRS

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10 Apr 08 - 07:59 PM (#2312539)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Mooh

My observations as an instructor of guitar. Contrary to popular belief, Guitar Hero doesn't help the real thing.

The controller trains the hands not to co-ordinate, ie the pick is trained not to follow the fretting hand. There is no intervalic recognition. Though it may help in exercising the left hand it does nothing for the dexterity (ie finger placement) and may in fact hurt the established dexterity of real players. The player is not even required to play strings or use a transferable technique. The ear/hand training to recognize interval distances on a real guitar is not replicated in the game, and is in fact very inaccurate and inconsistent.

Sure, folks are introduced to classic rock standards, but do I want to hear Freebird again?

Many seem to give up the game after the novelty wears off because there's no art and creativity.

The game seems to be meant to train wankers, posers, and pretenders, and that's fine if that's the shallow life one wants. But if you want real guitar hero, practice the real thing, listen to the real thing, study the real thing, and pay your dues instead of wasting your time.

Oh yeah, Pierre Bensusuan, Joscho Stephan, Danny Gatton, Rory Gallagher, Roy Buchanan, Don Ross, Peter Finger, Jeff Beck, Joe Pass...

Peace, Mooh.

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10 Apr 08 - 08:24 PM (#2312552)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Nick E

If the game leads three kids to want learn the real thing is it not more than worth it? Honestly the number of downers, stick in the mudcat, no fun alowed, short sighted purists is rather digusting. I see it thread and thread again.

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10 Apr 08 - 08:57 PM (#2312569)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Mooh

Perhaps, but isn't it easier and cheaper to put real guitars in kids' hands, play them real music, take them to real shows, jam with them, and make the whole process interactive with humans rather than with computers? That's not short-sighted, or a downer, and it IS fun. It's a great investment in people and art. In the process maybe they won't be mislead by the falsehoods of the game.

Naturally, your milage may vary.

Peace, Mooh.

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10 Apr 08 - 09:19 PM (#2312577)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Beer

Jimmy Hendricks

Beer (adrien)

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10 Apr 08 - 09:30 PM (#2312587)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Mooh

My personal first guitar heros were Keith Richards, Brian Jones, and Mick Taylor of The Rolling Stones, then Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, then Jimi Hendrix, then once I heard him live, Roy Buchanan. These days, not much has changed except there are a lot more names on the list. My latest is Joscho Stephan, but there are so many other worthy guitarists to listen to that there's hardly time to make favourites.

Sometimes my hero is the one I'm listening to this moment.

Peace, Mooh.

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10 Apr 08 - 09:46 PM (#2312593)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Beer

Tommy Emmanuel is also very very good.

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11 Apr 08 - 05:37 AM (#2312754)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Bryn Pugh

In order, from age 15 - Duane Eddy, Chet Atkins, Hank B Marvin, John Williams, Julian Bream, Alvin Lee, Al Caiola, Charlie Christian, Barney Kessel, Jerry Donahue, Chet Atkins, Alvin Lee, that guitarist out of "Madness", Chet Atkins . . .

Does anyone else remember a gadget, gizmo, dooberry, thingio that could be placed on the fingerboard, and buttons pressed on it might, if it were rightly positioned, form a chord which could be played then ?

Some eejit locally who fancied himself a guitarist had one. Mind you he also had rich parents and a Hofner "Golden" which, in the days of the embargo in the UK on US guitars, was top of the range.

Tommy Emmanuel is exceedingly good.

Did I mention Chet Atkins ?

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11 Apr 08 - 09:19 AM (#2312885)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: olddude

My God could Chet Atkins play. Don't I wish I had a tenth of the skill. Amazing picker

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11 Apr 08 - 10:02 AM (#2312923)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: HipflaskAndy

My guitar heroes from m' youth....

On the one hand....
Martin Barre, Dave Gilmore, Andy Powell, Andy Latimer

On the other hand....
Martin Carthy, Nic Jones

....mebbe that's why my own two hands are so mixed up! ;0)

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11 Apr 08 - 10:18 AM (#2312935)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Jack Blandiver

Micky Jones

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11 Apr 08 - 11:28 AM (#2312995)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: GUEST

A few months ago, my son (age almost 30!) started playing Guitar Hero, and became convinced that there would be some crossover with learning real guitar. So I showed him some stuff, and he promptly took my electric guitar back to his place.

He later admitted that it was a bit "different", but claims to be practicing both.

I'll see how it turns out. When he was very young he loved his music lessons and learned a bit of about 5 different instruments. Somewhere along the way it vanished, but maybe this will stick.

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11 Apr 08 - 11:30 AM (#2312997)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: GUEST,john f weldon

Sorry, don't know why that last post lists me as Guest; it just lil ol me.

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11 Apr 08 - 11:48 AM (#2313020)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: GUEST,Bob Ryszkiewicz

Most of the kids I see playing the game seem to focus on the "BEAT YA" mentality. And SPEED. Finger wigglers...But it is just a game...

I think it would be cool if the manufacturers would provide an interface where you could plug in a REAL guitar and have to play chords and lead lines in order to win the game...

Sort of "Are you ready for the real thing", a GUITAR HERO PRO version...
Ya got to believe SOMEBODY over there has thought about it...

bob

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12 Apr 08 - 05:35 AM (#2313530)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: cptsnapper

Vic Flick, Nic Jones, John James, Albert Lee, Doug Morter, Jerry Reed

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12 Apr 08 - 06:12 AM (#2313550)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Big Al Whittle

Eddie Condon, Tal Farlow, Wes Montgomery, Ian Buchanan, Bert Jansch, Manitas de Plata, Stefan Grossman......

I think the thing about a real guitar hero is that he reduces you to playing air guitar. You know bloody well nothing you do will sound like him ....ever!

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12 Apr 08 - 07:00 AM (#2313569)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Lowden Jameswright

Seems to me that a genuine guitar type interface would be a great learning tool and a sure big seller; something to rival "Singstar" which is a great take on Karaoke.

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12 Apr 08 - 08:16 AM (#2313615)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: GUEST

In my youth- Jimi Hendrix.In my old age- Martin Carthy and Nic Jones

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12 Apr 08 - 09:20 AM (#2313638)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: The Fooles Troupe

Guitar Hero

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12 Apr 08 - 11:01 AM (#2313674)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: GUEST,leeneia

Richard Gilewitz. Have a listen:

http://www.richardgilewitz.com/recordings.html

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As for the game Guitar Hero, I suspect it's just another way of sticking the kid in front of a tube so that parents can get on with what they want/have to do. It's all right, but only for a while.

In a nation where the Center for Disease Control says that 25% of the older girls have a sexually-transmittted disease and one baby out of 50 is abused or neglected, I believe that parents need to spend more 'quality time' with their children. A lot more.

And if Mooh, who actually is a guitar teacher, says it doesn't help guitar players, then I believe we should value his opinion.

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12 Apr 08 - 11:10 AM (#2313681)
Subject: RE: Guitar Hero
From: Stilly River Sage

In a nation where the Center for Disease Control says that 25% of the older girls have a sexually-transmittted disease and one baby out of 50 is abused or neglected, I believe that parents need to spend more 'quality time' with their children. A lot more.

I think the discussion is best left to the merits of the game and if it contributes to the desire to learn the guitar - or not. My point was, they aren't incompatible. You'll have to address sexually-transmitted disease transmission rates and the teen births on a different thread.

SRS

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