I'm just going to come right out and say it: the Guitar Hero video game series is ridiculous. To me, it is a prime example of the decline of society as we know it.
Put simply, there is really only one reason to play Guitar Hero instead of buying an inexpensive guitar, learning chords, and developing proper guitar-playing technique. That reason is a disinclination to work for the satisfaction of actually creating music. I play the alto saxophone, and the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment I gain from progressing in that skill is wonderful.
What is to be gained from playing every song on the "Expert" level of Guitar Hero? Whatever it is, it is at best a hollow, cheap knock-off of the actual satisfaction of playing those songs in front of a crowd of ecstatic fans. Just a brief high attained through lazy means. It's rather the same reason why some people use drugs recreationally. Instead of achieving true happiness or intellectual or spiritual enlightenment, they settle for the cheap, easy imitation--a knock-off that provides a fleeting glimpse without the need to do what it takes to achieve the real thing the right way.
I see and hear of people who can move their fingers over the plastic guitar/game controller with an impressive agility, and I can't help but shake my head at the waste of potential talent. What the hell good does such raw ability do in that application? Why the hell didn't the kid learn to play the guitar, practice it for hours on end, and become a REAL guitar legend?
Why waste such a huge amount of ability and time? Because learning the guitar might have required a little bit more work. Never mind the absurdly huge upside to investing that little extra effort; it's enough just to pretend to make music, rather than make music itself.
The next time you think about playing Guitar Hero, consider the fact that the most famous guitar player of our generation is John Mayer. Then listen to some Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton. The reason why we have been stuck in a tremendous musical (in terms of guitar-driven music, at the very least) doldrums for the better part of a decade ought to become clear to you.
Good night.
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PS: Do feel free to comment on any of my blog posts, be it anonymously or otherwise.
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4 comments:
You realize this is all based on the assumption that playing guitar hero and practicing a real instrument are mutually exclusive? Why not enjoy the pseudo fandom of guitar hero and use that as inspiration to practice in the real world even further? There are probably lots of people who do both.
Not to mention far more people can reasonably buy a video game than become a legit guitar legend. For some people, it's just not possible. Can't they at least experience the joy of that in some albeit smaller way? It's not that they're inherently lazy and part of the "downfall of society" either, maybe they were spending time that could be spent perfecting their real-life guitar skills to 'legend' status going to medical school instead, or something of the like.
....Sorry, not to come off as bitchy, I just got out of my logic class so I'm in the argument zone. I actually sortof agree with you I'm just less critical and don't see it as such an imminent, negative influence as you do.
Juicy--
Of course playing GH and racticing an instrument are mutually exclusive! You can't do both simultaneously!
My point: the joy of playing music well (e.g. on a guitar) far outstrips the joy of pretending to play music well (e.g. on Guitar Hero). As for the people who do both: given X hours to do one or the other, why devote any of that time to GH other than because of an ornery disinclination to endure the struggles of learning to play a real instrument for that amount of time?
I also believe that any "joy" they'd derive from playing GH is far less meaningful than from actually making music.
My man Aristotle would agree with me, I think. Spending hours playing GH by oneself (or even with others watching) would a form of self-indulgent pleasure because it really only benefits the person playing the game in any practical way. The 'techné' of musicmaking, however, is virtuous, because it potentially benefits others in addition to the player.
As my evidence I give you Julia Nunes (http://www.youtube.com/user/jaaaaaaa?ob=4). While I'm not a huge fan of all her songs, a growing mass of people are. She is very talented on the ukulele, guitar, and other various instruments she uses in her songs. What use would her talent be if she just played GH all day? Would that be a fruitful existence with regard to her natural talents?
My guess is that as the Guitar hero franchise matures, the game will come more and more to resemble actual guitar playing. Who knows, maybe GH will be teaching people guitar someday. That said, I'm a terrible GH player and usually take your stance on the matter in angry spite.
I love Guitar Hero. When I say I love Guitar Hero I mean I love it more than anything in the whooooolleee world.
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