the guitar hero effect

[k.gormley]

I was at my music store today and asked if buisness was down since the economy has slowed. Basicaly the hole buisness has slowed ....however the guitar sales are still strong in entry guitar and amp sales from kids playing guitar hero and wanting to learn to play for real.

 

[TNT]

Who woodah thunk that!!

Hey, how about a MM "Guitar Hero" guitar??? Oh, BP...........................

 

[Shadowbox]

That's great.

This is off-topic, but I tried Guitar Hero once. I sucked at it. It's counter-intuitive to me. One of the guitar players I play with beat a recent version on "Expert" level. I wonder how good he'd be if he spent that time practicing?

I would much rather be playing with my Balls than with a piece of plastic with buttons. But I don't have any Balls yet.......waiting for the phone to ring......sigh..,,,,,

 

[Big Poppa]

here comes the judgemental old farts that thank god I didnt listen to when we signed on to guitar hero.

Shipments of begining guitars are up 40% I sick of trying nicely to explain that something that involves the guitar or the name guitar that does billions of business is good for planting seed for real guitarists....


this has saved our businesses ass. period If we get a long discussion form the narrow minded judgemental psycobabble I will just close it.

As I said to a group of industry leaders who spent 45 minutes debating its relelavance and worth "WOuld you prefer it to be called Tractor Hero?"

As you can tell I have lost patience on this subject

 

[colinboy]

you cant beat the feeling of knowing you creating the sound out of playing a real guitar as opposed to a computerised piece of crap!

 

[GrooveHT]

here comes the judgemental old farts that thank god I didnt listen to when we signed on to guitar hero.

Shipments of begining guitars are up 40% I sick of trying nicely to explain that something that involves the guitar or the name guitar that does billions of business is good for planting seed for real guitarists....


this has saved our businesses ass. period If we get a long discussion form the narrow minded judgemental psycobabble I will just close it.

As I said to a group of industry leaders who spent 45 minutes debating its relelavance and worth "WOuld you prefer it to be called Tractor Hero?"

As you can tell I have lost patience on this subject

Agreed, I think anything that gets people wanting to play guitar and interested in music has to be good. I think the playing toy guitars will usually lead kids to wanting the real thing, so they can play something other than tracks on the video game. Thats just my take, but I'm happy the guitar biz is reaping some benefits.

For what its worth, flight simulators got me interested in flying years and years ago. Here I sit as a pilot, so take that for what its worth as well

 

[Big Poppa]

Colinboy are you a friggin moron? Its like saying apple seeds dont taste as good as an apple. IO just said that I would close the post if I got responses like this. If we left the future of the guitar up to you I would be selling cars.

The guitar was on its ass!!!!!!!! Now it is on fire. It is up to our industry to convert and provide good education and applications for people to continue with the progression from guitar hero to a chinese guitar to hopefully a music man...

As an ndustry we need to give people an opporunity to play live and develop better interactive teaching methods.

Colin dont take this personally but I think that you were forewarned that this is a hot button from the myopic arguments that have been raging while the proof is in the pudding. The world is producing more guitars than ever in history. To not directly give credit to this is just really not right.......

 

[Jack FFR1846]

I never really thought of it that way. But I gotta agree. I was in a "music" store while on vacation this summer. They mostly sold CD's but had maybe 5 Chinese guitars for sale. Next to them was a sign "No Stairway to Heaven"........to me...an obvious play on Wayne's World. After I played a couple of the guitars, I went looking at the CD's and a couple teens came in and were looking at the guitars. Their conversation was along the lines of "woa...is that a Strat?". Almost like the Wayne longing for that pre-CBS strat in the movie.

Maybe a few people will take the guitar hero/rock band to the next level and pick up a guitar and give it a shot. I do know that my 8 year old does both and I'm sure that success on either spurs him on with both.

I can even use myself as an example. Early this year, while re-discovering guitar playing, I've picked up a bunch of cheap guitars....played em....figured them out....sold some (including an OLP Benji copy), and upgraded to better guitars. I'm currently in the "sell some to get that Axis that Pete hooked me on....I think he uses Ninja mind control" and indeed, I feel like the cheap guitars have helped me understand what I really want. Without that easy path, I would have stuck with my 39 year old guitar and not discovered all the cool alternatives out there.

As a counter point.....I do see plenty of starter packs out on craigslist from teens who thought guitar playing would be way easier. But hey......I could say the same of skateboarding.....that I took up 3 years ago. I just hurt myself too much on a skateboard. So far, I haven't fallen too bad with a guitar.

jack

 

[dmullen]

My son has always enjoyed video games. He got into Guitar Hero when it first came out. He became very good at it and asked for an electric guitar for Christmas that year. He wore that one out pretty quick and bought himsef another with his own money. He is in the band at school and is one of the highest sitting trumpet players in his grade so he is getting a good musical foundation. Not too many years back I retired from playing trumpet after 30 years and went to the guitar and MusicMan. Now my son is taking guitar lessons, practicing all the time and playing better than me and wants a blue JP BFR!

No way around it, it really does work to encourage someone to want to play a real guitar.

 

[Dead-Eye]

For what its worth, flight simulators got me interested in flying years and years ago. Here I sit as a pilot, so take that for what its worth as well

GTR2 got me into sportscar racing...not that I've done it myself yet since it's a bit more expensive than buying a guitar, but the trip to Le Mans is planned
It's sad that many people just don't get the importance and influence video games have today

 

[adouglas]

BP is right on target here.

Being a kid is all about play and pretending, and when something sticks you wind up going back to it later in life.

Having a real guitar as a kid would not have made me want to become a musician. It would have been too hard, and practicing is no fun when you're a kid. What you want at that age is the STYLE, not the substance. That comes later.

Guitar Hero plays right into that.

I think back to when I was a kid in the mid-60s listening to The Beatles and playing "guitar" with anything I could lay my hands on. I remember using an arrow from my archery set. A friend of mine used a hockey stick.

He never learned to play for real, but I've been having a lot of fun with it for a long time now.

 

[mb99zz]

I think Guitar Hero (and Rock Band) are fantastic ideas for two reasons:

a). It gets kids interested in music and will hopefully spawn a new generation of aspiring musicians and/or casual players. That's great for the music instrument industry. And even if a Guitar Hero / Rock Band junkie never plays a real guitar, bass, drumset, or piano, he/she will at the very least gain a new appreciation for music (e.g. exposure to new genres, recognizing the talent required to play an instrument...).

b). It gets kids away from some of the mindless junk they've been playing on XBOX and Playstation. Don't get me wrong -- I love a good shooter game, but I wouldn't let me kids near them. It's good clean fun that has all the benefits listed above. What's not to love?

 

[mb99zz]

GTR2 got me into sportscar racing...not that I've done it myself yet since it's a bit more expensive than buying a guitar, but the trip to Le Mans is planned
It's sad that many people just don't get the importance and influence video games have today

+1. I was always into sports cars, but GT1 and GT2 really opened my interest to watching the American LeMans series as well as the European racing leagues. I would have never been a viewer of these races on TV, seen the sponsors' commercials, purchased some trinkets, and attended two races in person if it weren't for those games.

I think that's a perfect analogy to what Guitar Hero has done for the music industry as a whole (be it for instrument sales, album sales, downloads, concert ticket sales, artist merchandise...). It's all good.

 

[Jack FFR1846]

......warning....going off topic......

For you guys wanting to learn sports car racing....at least in the US, there are a lot of clubs who offer instruction at HPDE days (high performance driver education). You use your own car and cost is usually between $200 and $400 a day, depending on the club and the track. I've instructed for 3 clubs in the Northeast for the last 10 years. Just did it yesterday at NHMS.

There IS some transfer of skill from Grand Tourismo to the real thing. I've used the example of a front wheel drive car.....when you get in trouble, get the car pointed in the right direction and floor it. My racecar is a front driver and it's a mainstay of my technique.

........ok....back on topic......

jack

 

[Danserrano]

personally speaking I love guitar hero have em
All and when I play with my buddies or little nieces and nephews I run don't hesitate to say c those strings I just got a deal on, or that bass in there that's the company that makes my jp. They all say cool. My neice wants to learn to play guitar, she's 9. & for the last 9 yrs has seen me play every Sunday in church. Yet it took a game to peak her interest. I think it's great, it gives companies a chance for some great exposure. No offense to the these storescuz I think they're great at what they're intended to do but what's better a small pic of a sterling in a gc
Or musicians friend mag or millions of kids playing one in guitar hero. I think both, some may disagree but either way the word on eb and Ebmm r getting out. Besides now I can play some songs on there that I could never play In the stressful real world LOL.

Just my Humble opinion.....

 

[Axilla]

+"infinite" on this.

I'm 32 and am lucky to being able to afford quite a collection in guitars (not only EBMM, but don't beat me...they're definitely my faves ) as well as amps & gear.
This is my passion and during the last 1,5 years, more and more "kids" who know me thru whom ever contact me asking if they could have a look at this or come to rehearsals to try out guitar & stuff.
It is simply magnificent - I sorta feel we're getting close to having a more active music scene around where I live and work. The kids (and even people my age who are into the consoles) get interested, show up, try gear, buy entry stuff and after a first phase of "getting used to" and simply loving it even bought my SUB1s so I could afford other Balls.

I just love the turn this whole story took !

...let's go on like this, cuz with more music and more musicians, the world might be a better place tomorrow

My humble 2 cents...

 

[Dead-Eye]

......warning....going off topic......

For you guys wanting to learn sports car racing....at least in the US

Not in the US, but about an hour's drive from the Nürburgring
Okay, now really back to topic, maybe we should get a racing thread in the current events section

 

[jamminjim]

I was at my music store today. Basicaly the hole buisness has slowed .....

I was unaware that music stores sold holes.......

(found it humorous, sorry)

Honestly, anything that gets kids to pretend to play guitar would be good for the guitar business......

+1 to everyone that thinks so...

 

[INMT]

I don't see why people get so hot about this subject. One is a game made for enjoyment, the other is an instrument that is to be played for enjoyment. Why lump them in the same group?
It's not the games fault you and people you know expect you to be good at the game just because you play a guitar or bass.
If you must lump them in the same group, look at it for what it really is, an advertising opportunity for instrument or whatever manufactures. Then maybe to spark the interest in finding out what the game is based on.

In short if you suck at the game, don't blame it just play it more.
One more thought, you don't have to play guitar here with the guitar shaped controller.........


By the way I bought the Aerosmith version and I suck at it, but damn I've never laughed so hard.

 

[andynpeters]

Could this be the future of the guitar?? After all we've basically been playing Les & Leo's designs for 50 years. No divine commandment says music must be produced by strings and frets. Surely a computer controller is as much an instrument as a "proper" guitar...they're just devices for creating a musical noise, hard to argue that one is a real instrument and the other isn't.....is a synth less of an instrument than a piano?

Maybe a lot of snobbery here....real guitar playing has to be difficullt and take ages to learn???? If music making can be made simpler, why not?

But what do I know....most of the music I own is still on black vinyl.