Sure, you're not really playing anything when you pick up the guitar controller to play Guitar Hero or Rock Band. But for some kids, the guitar games could lead to the desire to take real lessons. And in my book, that's a great thing.
At least it seems to be working for one guitar instructor named Bo Moore, interviewed in the Johnstown, Penn Tribune-Democrat. Moore says that he is enjoying a 35 percent increase in new students due to the guitar videogames.
"Kids who might never have become interested in learning to play the guitar are now coming to us," Moore says.
"We’re so busy right now, and I think these games have been a big factor behind it," he said. "We especially see a big boom right after Christmastime. We’re always swamped, with a long waiting list."
And it seems that the song choices of these young students are also influenced by the games' tracklists:
"Kids wanted to be like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. Now it’s nice that bands like Foghat, the Steve Miller Band and the Rolling Stones are cool again."
The only downside is that Moore says that other teachers of other instruments tells him that lessons are down. Get on that Keyboard Hero or whatever, Activision!
[Via Gamepolitics]
Contest:
1:20 PM on 05.11.2009 | 
It looks like he was wrong.
Not just him (Chad Kroger I think his name is), but every self-righteous music elitist douchebag on the planet.
Not only does this prove them wrong, but it proves every FOX news fuckknuckle is wrong about video games being bad for the kids.
i love games, and i love music.. games are a great way to learn about something new, or to tell a story, and music is one of the best ways to express feelings imo.
but i think people are misunderstanding this inspiration to suddenly learn about guitar, for something to be cool. these people know nothing of what it's like to actually learn how to read music notation, and to learn about music theory.
i've been a musician all my life. i've learned how to play the saxophone, the trumpet, the french horn, the piano, i've trained my voice and i'm learning how to read music for voice and be accurate, and i've been taking guitar lessons for about a year now. i started with piano 11 years ago and then progressed through all those other instruments.
i played guitar hero and rock band when they came out, and i enjoyed it and i don't regret it, but what really got me into learning guitar was when my friend started taking lessons. i was always intrigued by guitar before, but never really had the time or the resources to start taking lesssons or anything, then when i got to college i had more free time on my hands, so i started taking guitar lessons from the same guy my friend did.
i guess what really just gets on my nerve is just that, people think they can look up tabs for "back in black" or the beginning of "sweet child o' mine" and they end up calling themselves a musician. i have no problem if music games create a legitimate interest in music and get people to actually learn about music and what it's really all about, but if it's going to just create a bunch of noobs that play on crappy instruments on amps really loudly with heavy distortion who just pound out some tabs they found on the internet, then that is very bad.
i know i've probably pissed someone off, so if you want to send me a message and try to debate with me on the subject.. feel free
I don't know any.
Seriously, I think that's as much of a stereotype as the person who thinks that they're a rock star because they play GH on Expert. On the one hand, I have met one person who boasted like that? But you know what else? He was seven. If they stick with it, great; if not, oh well. But if you really want them to be 'true' musicians, then don't just stand there mocking them- help a brother out. Like I said earlier, I'm still learning; I took an actual class, so I can read sheet music, and I'm starting to work on pentatonic scales- I don't consider myself a pro guitarist by any stretch of the imagination, at least not yet.
It's a bit like making fun of kids who draw Naruto and thinking they call themselves artists- they probably don't. It's just a way for them to learn the ropes. All artists start by imitating their idols; whether or not they move on from there is up to the individual.
I see what your saying. But whats wrong with tabs?
I havn't been playing guitar for too long, only about 2 years. But i have no problem with anyone not knowing sheet music. I know all my scales, chords, techniques and I still have to read tab. It's simple. If you want to learn your favourite song, its a down to earth way of learning it.
Anyway...I got into guitar shortly after completing GH on expert.
But from reading some posts here it's like some people here don't understand two of life's simple truths, that is, 1. Everybody is An Artist and 2. There will always be somebody better than you at anything you do.
But i had slacked off on my guitar playing, until Guitar Hero came around and made me think, "damn, that'll be a cool song to play for real"
I'm now back playing with a vengance and loving every riff.