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Original message:828 days 8 hours 38 minutes ago
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Member: Jason
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How "Guitar Hero" saved guitar music
Contrary to some purists' claims, the popular video game is inspiring kids to rock out for real.
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Reply:827 days 17 hours 44 minutes ago
Member: Zanary
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All I can do is stare and shake my head.

My son has friends that love Guitar Hero...I have to bite my tongue 'til blood runs freely in my mouth. I just don't understand, especially when you compare new game system prices to starter guitar pack prices. Buy the real thing, and make sounds all YOUR OWN, not just follow-the-dots silliness on some plastic paddle!

I guess it's cute in a way...it reminds those of us doing it for real how many folks dream of performing on stage...but it's still creepy.
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Reply:826 days 22 hours 33 minutes ago
Member: goodbyeboy
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just because someone plays guitar hero doesn't mean he/she should try the real one.

after all it's just a game - and IMO guitar hero is so much better than ones that make you sitting down on a couch with joysticks for hours and hours.
i occasionally play guitar hero in my dorm with my buddies....it's fun, enjoyable. but nothing else. because that's the purpose of this game. not something that has educational purpose that should connect people into the real guitar.

if people choose to learn guitar in their lives - great. if people just don't care and stick it with guitar hero, it's their choice. can't argue about that...
Where words fail, music speaks.
Reply:827 days 17 hours 23 minutes ago
Member: Richey
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I have a problem. My kids couldn't care less about a guitar. My wife says that it is my responsibility to get them interested and teach them. If this will do it, I will buy it. The only problem now is that one of my kids is a lefty.
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Reply:827 days 17 hours 2 minutes ago
Member: Jason
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Interesting perspective you bring to the conversation. Perhaps the title should read "Guitar Hero" the last resort when your kid won't play the guitar :) I've noticed having my son watch some of these kids his age or younger ripping it on youtube, sparked some interest. What really worked was when I taped his eyelids open (watered them frequently) and made him watch Jimi Hendrix videos over and over again. He really seemed into it after that.

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Reply:827 days 16 hours 12 minutes ago
Member: ibzRG
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I guess you can approach this game as a way to train your hands without sounding terrible...
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Reply:827 days 15 hours 14 minutes ago
Member: bradZILLA
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Guitar Hero is what got me into playing real guitar, its fun but besides helping your pinky learn to move it doesn't really help you with real guitar.
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Reply:827 days 14 hours 29 minutes ago
Member: Zanary
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I'm letting my son decide on his own if he wants to play guitar or not. He's just a bit younger than I was when I picked it up for real, and I encourage him to find his own interests as much as possible. So far, he's kinda neutral on the whole subject.

Guitar Hero...man, what a double-edged sword it's becoming. While it doesn't teach anything about real guitar, it sure reminds us how many people wish they did what we do!
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Reply:827 days 14 hours 25 minutes ago
Member: Richey
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I agree. I am so glad that I made the decision to bust ass and learn this thing. I don't know if I would have the patience to do it today so I am glad I did it when I was young. I am very thankful to myself for doing it. Thank you, self.
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Reply:827 days 6 hours 2 minutes ago
Member: Jeff Osborne
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My seven year old son kicks my butt on the thing and I have been playing guitar for 30 years, Yes I am old. The good thing about it is that he comes in to my home studio with his guitar now and asks me to teach him new chords and licks. Old Dad is now cool because he can play some of the Guitar Hero game tunes for real. Sparking an interest in a young kid to play is well worth the cost of a video game.
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Reply:827 days 5 hours 17 minutes ago
Member: Knotted
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From what I have seen of "Guitar Hero" it appears to have some pretty classic tunes involved. It is good to give the younger generation exposure to this music that they may not have heard otherwise. Also, if it does encourage and motivate kids (or adults) to pick up a real guitar and give it a go, it doesn't neccessarily seem like a bad thing. Realistically, not everyone will get their chance to perform in front of a crowd on stage, and if they get enjoyment out of a game, then good for them.
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Reply:827 days 4 hours 51 minutes ago
Member: Mike D.
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That entire article upsets me. Guitar is being made easier and more likable for the lazy and the ignorant youth. The best way to get your kids into guitar is have them listen to the music. Simply that. That's why I became a guitar player; it's all about the music. I've seen first hand how "great" guitar hero is. My cousin is 11 years old, and he is addicted to guitar hero. He plays it instead of spending time with family. I asked him, he has no interest in real guitar.

The light up fretboard? That is about the laziest thing I've heard of. Someone so lazy that they don't want to learn tablature, and would rather be shown directly... It just doesn't seem right...

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Reply:825 days 6 hours 27 minutes ago
Member: Luke Dennis
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I agree with the statement that todays youth is lazy and the ignorant. It's kinda upsetting really.
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Reply:826 days 4 hours 7 minutes ago
Member: Zabel Dentaro's Guitar Guide to Shred
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Guitar Hero, make kids to know and learn more on songs that we all loved.
Which 12 years old listen to Jimi Hendrix? They listen to stuffs in the tv and radio.
Which are the trendy and popular kind.
But for me, Guitar hero series really light up a lot of kids in my country on Playing the guitar.
Coz i get more students nowadays and they all said b'coz of Guitar Hero.
I play them too.
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Reply:826 days 37 minutes ago
Member: Mike D.
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I listened to Hendrix at 12.

I have yet to see anyone who plays guitar hero start to learn the real thing. In fact most of the people I know who play it were guitarists beforehand and they still suck XD

I understand the introducing classic rock, but shouldn't that be for the parents to do (expose them to the kickass musics...)

That brings me to my next observation, videogames are a way for parents to escape their normal duties; if the kid is in front of the tv, he can't do anything stupid. This leads to weight problems, temper problems, inability to communicate well with others, lack of patience (ie. to sit down and learn guitar) and even ADD. [/END_RANT]
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Reply:823 days 16 hours 59 minutes ago
Member: Richey
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Do you have some data to back up this observation?
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Reply:825 days 10 hours 46 minutes ago
Member: Damarae
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i think its awesome that those kids are getting smart and playing the real thing, its the way to go, everybody should play guitar its an amazing instrument of power.
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Reply:823 days 16 hours 47 minutes ago
Member: Jimmy Burns
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Just cuz someone can play guitar hero really good doesnt mean he will be able to play guitar well. Although it does help with pinky movement, thats about all it does. I think it really could get someone interested in guitar though but other people will just want to play guitar hero. Those people would probably not have played guitar even if it wasnt for guitar hero, so at least some people are learning guitar due to the very popular game.
Reply:823 days 14 hours 58 minutes ago
Member: collisi0n
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hahaha i dunno, i think it's kind of refreshing because so many of my friends (i'm 15) are only into stuff like damn MIMS and all that. hopefully it'll be easier to find a teen who can recognize a good black sabbath riff that isn't crazy train soon.
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Reply:823 days 14 hours 44 minutes ago
Member: Richey
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Just for the record, "Crazy Train" is not a Black Sabbath riff.
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Reply:823 days 14 hours 34 minutes ago
Member: collisi0n
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sorry, i forgot ozzy wrote it with RR. :X forgive me
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Reply:822 days 17 hours 19 minutes ago
Member: Richey
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Go in peace my son.....lol
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Reply:823 days 11 hours 5 minutes ago
Member: dcunning30
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I tried Guitar Hero. I sucked at it really really bad. I then when home and picked up my 7-string guitar. That felt much better. Oh well.
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Reply:803 days 23 hours 52 minutes ago
Member: JTC
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When I go to Best Buy I always stop and watch the kids play Guitar Hero. (I suck at it myself) But I have to say that I really enjoy watching the concerts on screen. I don't know what it is but I think the visual is pretty cool. And when the kid operating the goofy looking plastic guitar is really good the music turns out pretty good. So I'm egging him on to do better. I don't know... I don't really play video games any more but this one draws my attention. I don't think in any way, shape, or form that it was intended to increase a persons skill at playing an actual guitar but certainly someone in the guitar industry had dollar signs swirling above their heads as they envisioned every kid wanting to run out and buy a new guitar after getting addicted to this game. I welcome anything that promotes new guitar players. The more of us that exist the more new riff's people will think of.

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Reply:803 days 8 hours 59 minutes ago
Member: SATAN
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i am guilty. i like the game, i have played it on a few occasions. but i have realized that in most cases, if you play the REAL guitar, you might suck at guitar hero. especially if the guitarhero song you are playing is one you know in real life, because your hands want to make the REAL movements that they do on a real guitar. but, at the same time, i think if you start with guitar hero, you may have a slight advantage when you try the real guitar, because your fingers move independently just slightly better than the normal persons. i also think it could get kids interested in playing the real thing, and hope it does. playing the guitar changed my life, and i can just hope it does the same for others.
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Run for thine therapy transition meeting!!!!
Reply:803 days 7 hours 54 minutes ago
Member: Grensley
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its how i learned to love the pinky. Its just ddr for your hands
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Reply:803 days 4 hours 2 minutes ago
Member: Christopher
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guitar hero got me into playing the guitar and it also got me to listen to the music that's a heck of a lot of fun to play on a real guitar
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Reply:803 days 3 hours 24 minutes ago
Member: Prowler
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I hate that game...it's way too easy and makes kids arrogant and cocky haha. I played 3 times and by the third time I was playing on expert...my friends were amazed...but I don't see how they could be, its a really easy game. Now if only they would make a guitar hero game with a guitar that has all the standard frets and strings...hehe...then we would see who could excel at it or not. Oh and on that comment that if you play real guitar you might suck at the game is not necessarily true...your fingers adapt really quick, almost at light speed cause its like basically playing the same thing over and over in different variations no matter how fast it is, I think you have an advantage if you already play guitar and play it well because you'll be able to stretch and move your fingers quicker than the cocky guitar hero kids.
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Reply:803 days 3 hours 20 minutes ago
Member: Kenny Baccus
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Whatever. People are inspired by differnt things, and I've seen some kids at school want to learn guitar because they like guitarhero so much, and that's enough for me to try and teach them. What I don't like is that a lot of kids would be dissapointed by the fact that real guitar is way harder than the video game and end up quitting.

Also, I don't see what your guy's problem with the game is. It's just a game.
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Reply:803 days 1 hours 19 minutes ago
Member: JTC
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Wouldn't it be awesome if you could plug your own axe into the guitar hero game instead of using that weird plastic thing?

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Reply:800 days 10 hours 21 minutes ago
Member: Zombre
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If they could find a way to get midi guitar to work like that, it'd be AWESOME! What a practice tool it'd be. People would learn music so fast...

(I love Guitar Hero by the way, but I'm not real great at it...)
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Reply:802 days 15 hours 48 minutes ago
Member: Prowler
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Thats what I'm sayin man...thatd be a really good game, probably revolutionary. Especially with some of those intermediate songs they have on the game, like jordan and stuff like that.
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Reply:799 days 6 hours 19 minutes ago
Member: Taco
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I had an acoustic guitar I had played less than 30 or 40 times. It sat there in its case for years. I picked up Guitar Hero the day it came out because it combined the two things I love: music and games. A year later I had 4 guitars (2 acoustic, 2 electric), 2 amps, a plethora of other gear and I was (and still am) practicing pretty much every day. Yeah, as corny as it sounds, GH lit the fire in me and made me WANT to play guitar in a way I hadn't before. My wife is amazed at the energy (and $!) I now put into it. And yes, I still play the GH series (not nearly as much, though). I think it serves well as a decent finger dexterity exercise. The real thing is infinitely more rewarding, obviously.
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