# Why Guitar Hero sucks



## Shannon (Aug 24, 2008)

Couldn't have said it better myself. 

Why Guitar Hero Sucks « The Brown Journal

Guitar Hero Sucks « Mental Slavery

My final words of advice....
Throw away your gaming system & learn how to play a REAL guitar.


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## stuh84 (Aug 24, 2008)

I keep trying to tell people this, but they go on about "but its great at parties!". Picking up an acoustic guitar is fun at parties too. It also means you have learnt to do something more than press 4 buttons and waggle a bit of plastic around.

I dunno, I guess people just find it fun to imitate something, rather than spend the same amount of money to actually do the same thing....


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## Metal Ken (Aug 24, 2008)

I dont see why so many guitar players have to be stuck up about it. Its a game, its not supposed to be real. Have fun with it.



The first link said:


> I can understand this was defenitely not the intention of the makers of Guitar Hero. Obviously, everyone is trying to make a good game now and days. And hell yeah, Guitar Hero owns! But when making such a game, one must ask themself: am *I really contributing to the next generation, or am I killing it? Guitar Hero, you have killed the next generation of guitar players and future musicians. It will be such a shame, too, when I have children. I&#8217;ll introduce my kid to an xbox 360 controller rather than an actual string guitar that really makes the sound that true music comes from.*



wow, this is just asinine. If anything, i'd say the opposite. Its preventing losers from picking up cheap guitars and learning how to play half of a korn or nirvana song, and saving the rest of the world the trouble of having to listen to them.


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## HammerAndSickle (Aug 24, 2008)

Metal Ken said:


> I dont see why so many guitar players have to be stuck up about it. Its a game, its not supposed to be real. Have fun with it.
> 
> 
> 
> wow, this is just asinine. If anything, i'd say the opposite. Its preventing losers from picking up cheap guitars and learning how to play half of a korn or nirvana song, and saving the rest of the world the trouble of having to listen to them.



+1 

When people are envious of how others live their lives enough to bash it, that shows more about the people doing the bashing than anything else, in my opinion. It's not hurting you. Even if 1 out of every thousand that plays guitar hero ends up buying a guitar, that's supporting the industry you're a part of. It brings bands into the limelight that deserve it (for the most part, I'm looking at you Dragonforce XD) and gives kids a chance to enjoy music they wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to. So what if they get cocky and think they're guitar gods? A few minutes with a six string (or seven, given our context ) will sort 'em out.


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## playstopause (Aug 24, 2008)

Metal Ken said:


> Its a *GAME *its not supposed to be real. Have fun with it.



 Do people blame the game "Battleship" for ruining the next generation of marines?

Killing the next generation of guitar players? Come on, get real.

That's freakin' stupid. LMAO.


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## Shannon (Aug 24, 2008)

Metal Ken said:


> wow, this is just asinine. If anything, i'd say the opposite. Its preventing losers from picking up cheap guitars and learning how to play half of a korn or nirvana song, and saving the rest of the world the trouble of having to listen to them.



I dunno, man. In an age where kids have instant access to the internet that provides.....
Tons of video guitar lessons from big rockstars to badass everyday joe's
Every tab you can think of & software programs (Powertab, GuitarPro)
The ability to research & find the guitar that fits you
The ability to buy said guitar that your local store doesn't carry via the net
Talk to other guitarists for advice via discussion boards
Home recording software that makes creating your own music easier than ever
Guitar trainer gadgets that slow down fast parts for you to decipher
Guitar amps with built in backing tracks for you to practice over
etc
etc
....the talent that COULD come from the current tennage generation could be staggering. I was in high school between 89-93 & personally, I would've loved to have all this at my disposal when I was learning how to play.

Instead, you now have kids who have all of this, but instead they play fake guitars to a fake audience on a gaming system that really is just that Dance Party game on a plastic fretboard. Why not just spend that time on learning how to play a real guitar? 
I just don't get it. 

But hey, chicks dig a Guitar Hero guy over a badass real guitar player, right?


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## The Dark Wolf (Aug 24, 2008)

Metal Ken said:


> wow, this is just asinine. If anything, i'd say the opposite. Its preventing losers from picking up cheap guitars and learning how to play half of a korn or nirvana song, and saving the rest of the world the trouble of having to listen to them.



My heart is with Shannon, because I think Guitar Hero sucks. Video games are for killing things and owning people at Madden. That's about it. 

But I've never thought of it the way you put it, Ken. Interesting point.


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## The Dark Wolf (Aug 24, 2008)

Shannon said:


> I was in high school between 89-93 & personally, I would've loved to have *all this at my disposal* when I was learning how to play.



Oooooh, can I ever relate to that.


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## Metal Ken (Aug 24, 2008)

Shannon said:


> Instead, you now have kids who have all of this, but instead they play fake guitars to a fake audience on a gaming system that really is just that Dance Party game on a plastic fretboard. Why not just spend that time on learning how to play a real guitar?
> I just don't get it.


Maybe cause they just want to play a video game and be done with it and not actually want to play guitar? People who are stuck up about guitar hero are the same as people who are stuck up about Street Fighter, except with a different game. And people who are stuck about about kicking other people's asses at street fighter are just better anyway


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## kung_fu (Aug 24, 2008)

The article raises a few interesting points, but overall I gotta say that i don't think we'll see any negative repurcussions as far as a shitty generation of real guitarists is concerned. One is a game and one is real. I must agree that this game is a bit of a strange phenomema. For instance I used to be pretty good a Field & Stream Trophy Buck, but have never gone hunting. Unlike your typical GH kid, you don't see me bragging about the 12pt whitetailed trophy buck I took down with a bow and arrow mostly due to the fact that in never *really* happened

On a related note I actually just purchased a playstation 2, so now i actually have the means to play this game. Although i hear it's fun, I don't think i'll be getting it mainly due to the fact that between school and sleep i barely have the time to play my real guitar. I'd love to borrow one though for like a weekend to see what the fuss is about.


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## Brendan G (Aug 24, 2008)

If anything it could be turn kids on to real guitar. For example "Hey this is pretty fun maybe playing guitar would be even better", or "I really like the music to this, I want to do that too." As others have said, it is a game and shouldn't be ridiculed or praised more than any others.


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## Shannon (Aug 24, 2008)

Continuation of my last post....



Metal Ken said:


> If anything, i'd say the opposite. Its preventing losers from picking up cheap guitars and learning how to play half of a korn or nirvana song, and saving the rest of the world the trouble of having to listen to them.



To be a good at anything, you do have to learn how to crawl before you can walk. After you learn to walk, you can learn how to run. Honestly, I'd rather hear a kid struggling to play an instrument than to see him numbed out in front of a TV all day. The half of a Korn or Nirvana riff could become something great in a few years with a little practice. Most of musicians we look up to now were once considered "losers," Ken. 

I know over a dozen instruments fluently at this point. I know I problably drove my parents nuts with all the "dying moose" noises that came from my bedroom. But again, at least I was being creative & LEARNING something. 15-20 years later, all that knowledge really payed off & I keep really busy playing a variety of gigs now. Honesty, who will give a fuck about Guitar Hero in 15-20 years? It's just the latest fad. 

I was in the local GC the other day & I saw this kid who couldn't have been more than 12 years old. He walked right past the stupid Guitar Hero display they had there & picked up a cheap Epiphone guitar. He sat there trying to play the intro to "Sweet Child O Mine" from GNR over....and over....and over....and over again. Everytime he screwed up a note, he'd just start over again until he got the sequence of notes right. He only played it about 1/2 the intended tempo w/ an out of tune guitar & a really shitty amp. However, while it did grate on my nerves & made me cringe a few times, I admired his perseverence. It made me smile to see this kid stick to it because he wanted to get it right. While he was definately crawling, his attitude will surely have him running in no time. There's something to be said for that.


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## HammerAndSickle (Aug 24, 2008)

I do agree with that, and indeed my post encouraged anyone who wanted to play to try and learn "just like guitar hero" to put in the effort.

Just because _actual guitar_ is preferable to guitar hero doesn't mean the game is without merit. It's a game, seriously. No one yells at the armchair quarterback in Madden that he should "GET OUT THERE AND PRACTICE THIS IS JUST A GAME!". Never once heard that argument. But now that it's guitar hero and "real musicians" feel their turf is being invaded, it's suddenly inane to play a video game.

In essence it comes down to that. People are jealous that they had to learn a whole instrument and the entire pantheon of musical history to play like that, and now some kid can get the same "feeling" from pressing buttons to prerecorded tracks. It's not like the guitar hero jockey is gonna steal your spot in the band, people.


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## The Dark Wolf (Aug 24, 2008)

Actually, all you guys make good arguments.

I suppose it's just karaoke for instruments, really. No real singers get all pissed because people sing karaoke. 

I still hate Guitar Hero, though.


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## HammerAndSickle (Aug 24, 2008)

Reminds me of that movie where the japanese dude sang the theme to Bonanza on karaoke and everyone just walked out XD


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## Metal Ken (Aug 24, 2008)

Shannon said:


> To be a good at anything, you do have to learn how to crawl before you can walk. After you learn to walk, you can learn how to run. Honestly, I'd rather hear a kid struggling to play an instrument than to see him numbed out in front of a TV all day. The half of a Korn or Nirvana riff could become something great in a few years with a little practice. Most of musicians we look up to now were once considered "losers," Ken.



You're misreading what i said and you know it. There's a difference between someone who plays something all the time and someone who sees it as soemthing to fuck around with occaisionally. Sucking at something and trying to become better at it doesnt make you a loser at it. Sucking at something and saying fuck it, and occaisionally trying to show it off to your friends does.


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## Stitch (Aug 24, 2008)

My sole problem with Guitar Hero is the people who are 'good' at a song in GH seem to feel better than me if I (a 'real' guitarist) can't play it. Sure, I can't play the entirety of "Through The Fire and Flames' by Dragonforce on Expert level - but what I've increasingly heard is that this somehow makes them a better guitarist than me because, seeing as I already play the instrument, I should be able to play it on a guitar, because somehow game-real thing.

If that were true, I'd be a)the best Mechwarrior in the universe b)best Jedi Knight in the universe and c)best BTCC racer in the UK.

Seeing as none of these are true...

Crazy.


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## Alex-D33 (Aug 24, 2008)

Shannon said:


> Couldn't have said it better myself.
> 
> Why Guitar Hero Sucks « The Brown Journal
> 
> ...





 And I'l drink to that


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Aug 24, 2008)

i dont get why musicians have to have an elietist attitude toward shit like this. Its just a fun little thing to play. 

I find most musicians find it a great punching bag when they arent getting the attention they think that they deserve.


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## Mattmc74 (Aug 24, 2008)

Alex-D33 said:


> And I'l drink to that



 So True!


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## BigM555 (Aug 25, 2008)

Stitch said:


> My sole problem with Guitar Hero is the people who are 'good' at a song in GH seem to feel better than me if I (a 'real' guitarist) can't play it. Sure, I can't play the entirety of "Through The Fire and Flames' by Dragonforce on Expert level - but what I've increasingly heard is that this somehow makes them a better guitarist than me because, seeing as I already play the instrument, I should be able to play it on a guitar, because somehow game-real thing.
> 
> If that were true, I'd be a)the best Mechwarrior in the universe b)best Jedi Knight in the universe and c)best BTCC racer in the UK.
> 
> ...



 Stitchy

That's the only time GH bothers me. It's when some video game players start to mistake themselves for musicians instead of game players.

Hell, I love video games, but if I've got the time for playing GH I'd rather be playing the real thing.

Disclaimer - I sucked at GH the one time I played it.


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## Groff (Aug 25, 2008)

Shannon said:


> Couldn't have said it better myself.
> 
> Why Guitar Hero Sucks « The Brown Journal
> 
> ...



"Dad, real guitars are for old people!"


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## Shannon (Aug 25, 2008)

> You're misreading what i said and you know it.


Ummmm....how could I possibly know what I MISREAD? 
How in the hell can I intentionally misunderstand something? 
So, I guess we unintentionally agree. 



> My sole problem with Guitar Hero is the people who are 'good' at a song in GH seem to feel better than me if I (a 'real' guitarist) can't play it. Sure, I can't play the entirety of "Through The Fire and Flames' by Dragonforce on Expert level - but what I've increasingly heard is that this somehow makes them a better guitarist than me because, seeing as I already play the instrument, I should be able to play it on a guitar, because somehow game-real thing.





> i dont get why musicians have to have an elietist attitude toward shit like this. Its just a fun little thing to play.
> 
> I find most musicians find it a great punching bag when they arent getting the attention they think that they deserve.



This should cover both statements above. This isn't about musicians having an elitist attitude because they aren't getting "the attention." Shit dude, ALL musicians (whether they own up to it or not), like the attention they get when they PERFORM, so the attention factor doesn't apply here. I've seen several of these GH fanatics who really believe they are some badass guitar player because they know how to push buttons on a plastic guitar-shaped controller! The generation of kids now will be our future rockstars within the next 10 years. I just feel a majority of these so-called Guitar Heroes should put more time into creating music on an actual instrument, rather than thinking they are so some walking god because of a game. Creativity vs. mind numbing entertainment.

Type in "Guitar Hero" on YouTube = 225,000 entries
Now type in "Guitar Lesson" on YouTube = 66,200 entries


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## Naren (Aug 25, 2008)

Shannon said:


> This should cover both statements above. This isn't about musicians having an elitist attitude because they aren't getting "the attention." Shit dude, ALL musicians (whether they own up to it or not), like the attention they get when they PERFORM, so the attention factor doesn't apply here. I've seen several of these GH fanatics who really believe they are some badass guitar player because they know how to push buttons on a plastic guitar-shaped controller! The generation of kids now will be our future rockstars within the next 10 years. I just feel a majority of these so-called Guitar Heroes should put more time into creating music on an actual instrument, rather than thinking they are so some walking god because of a game. Creativity vs. mind numbing entertainment.
> 
> Type in "Guitar Hero" on YouTube = 225,000 entries
> Now type in "Guitar Lesson" on YouTube = 66,200 entries



 When the South Park Guitar Hero episode came out, it just completely captured that feeling. "So, that's their song?" "No... that's Kansas. But they scored over a million points playing it on Guitar Hero." "Wow. That is impressive."

I personally don't have anything against Guitar Hero on its basic gaming level, but it does annoy me when people somehow think they are good at guitar because they can press buttons in a game. It'd be like, "Hey. You just annihilated an entire civilization on Deathwraith IV." "Yeah. You know how in that movie that criminal got taken down by all those cops and SWAT guys?" "Yeah." "If that had been me, I could have taken them all down AND the National Guard AND the entire city of Los Angeles." "NO WAY, DUDE! THAT'S AWESOME."

They seem to think that they can do everything that their fictional character in the game can do.  "Eddie Van Halen? Hah. Piece o' cake."


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## HammerAndSickle (Aug 25, 2008)

Although that one bald dude is a total n00b, I 100% FC'ed his song on expert, surfing with the silver surfer or something like that


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## HotRodded7321 (Aug 25, 2008)

I've never understood the hype behind this game, rock band, or any others I'm unaware of. But then.....I'm one of those weirdos that only plays Gran Turismo, Tourist Trophy, and Mortal Kombat, ...mainly because I can't afford the cars/bikes so I like to pretend drive them, and Mortal Kombat is just fun with a few beers and an un-experienced, pissed off friend that you can juggle til they toss a controller and throw a fit.

So I guess I just don't know/understand how "cool" it is to know how to button mash and pretend you're a rockstar. IMO, it's a stupid game...it teaches nothing, it has no real value and is in NO way related to playing a real guitar other than the fact that the controller is shaped like one.


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## daybean (Aug 25, 2008)

this is why i stoped playing madden for xbox. i wasnt the real thing. those fans were not cheering for me but cheering because i rule at madden and can score so easy on anybody. 

my dreams of becoming a football hero ended with this thread.


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## Durero (Aug 25, 2008)

In the last year or so I've started to get a number of new students who've told me straight up that they're taking up guitar because of guitar hero, so in my experience the game is having a positive effect on people. 

It's my personal speculation (and we're all just speculating until someone does some statistically valid studies on this topic - which no doubt someone will) that any guitar hero players who are actually satisfied with playing a plastic game controller in front of the TV are not being tragically diverted from some burning inner passion to play a real instrument, they're just entertaining themselves.


For instance, I've had two very young students (brother & sister) who were coming for lessons because their parents decided it would be good for them, but they had very little interest in guitar themselves. For a while it felt like pulling teeth just trying to find any music at all that they would show the slightest interest in. Then they got guitar hero. Now they're just about bursting with enthusiasm and ordering me to teach them their favorite guitar hero songs.


I also disagree with the idea that guitar hero has no musical skills or value. Of course it has nothing to do with guitar technique at all, but what it does do is fool thousands of people into doing the equivalent to practicing rhythm exercises with a metronome for hours on end. This is no small feat in my opinion, and speaking as a professional guitar teacher for 18 years I'd say that it's far easier to teach guitar finger technique than it is to teach someone a good sense of rhythm, and rhythm is the most fundamental and valuable musical skill.

But perhaps the best thing about the phenomenon of guitar hero type games is that so many kids are now growing up with the impression that playing music could be a mighty fun thing to do. I can't possibly keep count of the number of students I've had, of all ages, who've told me how traumatized they've been by their childhood piano lessons that their parents forced them into. I'll take silly but fun music video games over that any day.


Edit: all of the above was from my perspective as a guitar teacher, as for my opinion of playing the game itself, the one time I did I found the most entertaining thing to be how extremely brutally badly I sucked at it! It was a good laugh, but I still have no interest in the game at all.


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## Naren (Aug 25, 2008)

HotRodded7321 said:


> it teaches nothing, it has no real value and is in NO way related to playing a real guitar other than the fact that the controller is shaped like one.



 Exactly, dude. Now on that other hand, Mortal Kombat teaches you A LOT of stuff. Or Gran Turrismo. I mean, I know so much about car engineering and mechanics through that game. Mortal Kombat taught me so much I don't even know where to begin. On the other hand, Guitar Hero teaches nothing; it has no real value.

Waaaaait for it.


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## HotRodded7321 (Aug 25, 2008)

Never said those had any real-world value....but I'm also not playing those games with false ideas in my head that I'm "awesome" at them or that they could ever possibly amount to any more than being exactly what they are....GAMES.

I have actually heard people say to me that they're SO good at GH or rockband that they think learning the real thing would be "so easy" for them, which personally I take as a huge slap in the face considering I put time and effort into my playing and that game is a fucking joke, flat out. On drummerworld's forum, someone actually posted a thread stating they were frustrated because REAL drums were harder than they were on their Rockband game and they wanted tips to make learning EASIER. My only thought - How fucking lazy and impatient can you possibly be? 

Then again, this is just my experience with how people have interpreted these games...hell, I've never even played them, so I could be totally wrong. What I'm basically saying is that games are games, and musical instruments are definitely NOT, in ANY way, related to video games like Rock band or GH. You don't get cheat codes or walk-thrus, and you don't get it NOW or after a couple days of staying up jacked up on soda and junk food. I can maybe understand the rhythm part...MAYBE...but these games have, as stated before, no real value when it comes to learning an instrument.


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## darren (Aug 25, 2008)

What REALLY sucks about Guitar Hero and Rock Band is that some bars are now doing Guitar Hero competition nights and Rock Band Karaoke. Do you think those same bars are supporting live music with real bands who play real musical instruments? Nope.


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## darren (Aug 25, 2008)

TheMissing said:


> "Dad, real guitars are for old people!"



We should be embarrassed to plays these grandpas instruments.


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## The Dark Wolf (Aug 25, 2008)

darren said:


> What REALLY sucks about Guitar Hero and Rock Band is that some bars are now doing Guitar Hero competition nights and Rock Band Karaoke. Do you think those same bars are supporting live music with real bands who play real musical instruments? Nope.



That's a great point, too.


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## Scali (Aug 25, 2008)

Shannon said:


> ....the talent that COULD come from the current tennage generation could be staggering. I was in high school between 89-93 & personally, I would've loved to have all this at my disposal when I was learning how to play.


 
I fully agree. Back when I started, there weren't any really good beginner amps and things. Cheap quality guitars were around, Epiphones and Squiers and such. But they weren't as cheap and as good as guitars today.
I started out on pretty crappy stuff, and I sometimes went to the library to rent some tab books or Star Licks on VHS to try and improve my playing.
At the time I was developing reasonably well as a player, compared to my peers.
But when I see the current generation of players online, they seem to be a lot better in a shorter period of time. So I do think the new generation makes good use of the new facilities (better than an 'old' guy like myself I have to admit).

I think people playing Guitar Hero just want to play a game. I mean, I'm a big fan of the Need For Speed series, but that doesn't mean I'm going to enter the Gumball 3000 or that I want to be a race driver or anything. I just want to play a game.
I've never played Guitar Hero, but I wouldn't be surprised if I actually liked it as a game. At least it's a way to measure how 'good' someone is at something, so there's an element of competition, which is always a difficult issue with real guitar playing


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## Uber Mega (Aug 25, 2008)

Metal Ken said:


> I dont see why so many guitar players have to be stuck up about it. Its a game, its not supposed to be real. Have fun with it.



+1, same here.

It's a game, if anything kids could be doing 101 more constructive things than playing GTA, MGS4, Half Life as well, not just guitar hero. No one here cares that people spend hours playing Pro Evo soccer, Tony Hawks, NHL or Madden when they could be out developing their skills in these areas, but somehow this "guitar" based game is Satan...it's just supposed to be fun. At least GH3 is more engaging than many other games out there, and it does develop rhythm and coordination at the same time as being really fun.

Maybe it's me, but I really don't see why playing guitar hero is any worse than playing any other game.



darren said:


> What REALLY sucks about Guitar Hero and Rock Band is that some bars are now doing Guitar Hero competition nights and Rock Band Karaoke. Do you think those same bars are supporting live music with real bands who play real musical instruments? Nope.



That does suck, I'd agree that if it's replacing live music in certain bars then that's a different side of the coin, that's damaging...i've yet to see it anywhere in the UK doing that luckily.


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## mikernaut (Aug 31, 2008)

ummmm NOOOOOOOOOOOO seriously GTFO Ratner itching to make Guitar Hero movie - GameSpot News Blog - Gaming News and Videos


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## kung_fu (Aug 31, 2008)

They should cast will ferrel as the lead. He'd make an entertaining GH "kid"


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## 7 Dying Trees (Sep 1, 2008)

Well, i can't get into it. Playing guitar makes me suck at guitar hero. It may be cool, but I'd rather play my guitars, and hence i haven't bought it and have no plans to buy it either


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