Comments on: Why Don’t You Play a Real Instrument?

By: moose39

moose39 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:37:01 +0000

I agree with pretty much everything you said. It’s horrible that middle aged news reporters do nothing but bash video games. The only AAA-title video game that’s gotten any positive media attention from recent memory would be The Beatles: Rock Band. All the other games that get any praise are the Brain Age games and how they’re helping kids and stuff. I have yet to see Fox News or CNN say anything positive about the 360 or PS3, just the Wii. I say screw ‘em.

By: Jim Ryan

Jim Ryan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:35:44 +0000

Very nice! I think it’s a bit of a stretch to assume that the “media detractors” of video games are using anything even approaching logic. Unfortunately, logic tends not to sway crowds and grab ratings — emotion does. So we see these folks rather ham-fistedly applying double standards to the various games out there because it’s in their own self-interest. Same thing, unfortunately, with the musicians who put Rock Band and Guitar Hero down and talk about picking up a real instrument. Sure, maybe some of them are just joking, but I suppose the idea that anyone off the street can develop an interest in playing music might be a bit threatening to them. For others, maybe they’re just scoffing at these games because they had to do it “the hard way” and didn’t have things like this to inspire them. A pity, really, as it would be far more advantageous for them to be accepting than to be bitter.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:06:51 +0000

Coming from someone who was motivated to play a real instrument because of Rock Band (I never would have even THOUGHT about playing bass before I started playing bass on Rock Band), I think all these people who say “GO LEARN A REAL INSTRUMENT” are just stupid. I know of a ton of people who started playing instruments because of what they experianced playing Rock Band, and they wanted to learn the real thing. I also know a ton of people who didn’t. And that’s fine too, I mean not everyone wants to learn a real musical instrument. Take my mum for an example: She’d never want to play ACTUAL electric guitar, but she loves playing guitar on Rock Band because it lets her experience some of her favourite songs in a whole new way.

And Rock Band’s also great because it introduces younger kids (like myself) to the awesome music their parents listened to when they were young. I would have never gotten into grunge music if Harmonix hadn’t released Pearl Jam’s Ten album on Rock Band and my dad told me to buy a few songs and play them. And I wouldn’t have discovered Styx if I hadn’t downloaded Renegade.

And Rock Band’s also great for those kids who can’t afford/don’t have room for/can’t have the noise level of real instruments. I mean, take bass for example, the cheapest new bass I’ve seen anywhere around here was $250, and that’s not even including amp or anything. And I know drum sets especially are pretty big. So not everyone CAN play a real instrument, and Rock Band is the closest thing they’ll get.

Not to mention it can be a lot more rewarding to play on a fake instrument and hear a bunch of (virtual) cheering and screaming than it is to play your real instrument and then have your parents yell to turn it down.

By: Mike Duquette

Mike Duquette — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:12:58 +0000

For years, I’ve wanted to work with music in some capacity. My interest has always been in back-catalog stuff (I guess I’m an old person in a twentysomething’s body), but even a back-catalog enthusiast like myself knows that it’s tough as nails for many people – younger folks in particular, but even some people a decade or two older than myself – to go out and buy a full album or compilation of great vintage songs.

To me, though, that’s where Rock Band comes in. I’ve seen a lot of classic cuts queue up between the games themselves and all the DLC, and I love what I see. The sad truth is this: kids might not discover Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Cars, Queen, Pearl Jam, James Brown or The Jackson 5 on their own musical merits. But all of them have some sort of presence in the Rock Band games, and if that’s the way to get people to realize the importance of such acts – maybe even get ‘em to kick a few bucks over to Amazon or wherever to buy some of their records – then Rock Band has done a great job at spreading the love of music.

That’s why it saddens me to see artists grouse about how RB is sapping future generations of the opportunity to play a real instrument. Holding a plastic instrument may not give you the wisdom that comes from playing a real guitar, but it does offer a chance to delve deeper into popular music history. And that’s a large part of music fandom that we have to keep alive. Kudos to you for reminding us all that even a so-called “silly game” like Rock Band can give us that power.

By: davebi

davebi — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:36:32 +0000

The last thing I want to see is more people throwing together bands that sounds anything like Nickleback, Chad. I went out and picked up a used bass guitar about a month after the first Guitar Hero came out, and I’m still pretty poor at it. I play it because it’s fun, just like Rock Band. If it wasn’t fun, I wouldn’t spend my valuable leisure time doing it. Putting together a half-assed band with friends who would be just as bad at playing instruments as myself doesn’t sound like a great use of my time. Playing Rock Band with them for a bit before the pizza arrives does sound like fun. Connecting with friends halfway across the country and chatting on our mics in between playing songs is also a joyful experience.

So far the few people I’ve heard say things like “why not play a real instrument” in real life (because internet comments don’t count for much,) have been the kind of people who generally spend their leisure time watching reality tv.

By: Colin

Colin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:13:19 +0000

Gonna do you one better and say that Guitar Hero changed my life. Yeah, yeah, it’s lame to say something like that, but it’s actually true. If it weren’t for Guitar Hero and GH2, I wouldn’t have had the motivation to delve into back catalogs of artist after artist. I wouldn’t have found out how much amazing music there was out there. And I wouldn’t have ever been motivated to write some of my own.

And I will do myself one better and say that if I hadn’t been motivated to write my own music, right now I would be wasting my life away in a major I neither liked nor understood instead of studying something that I love more than I thought possible. I’m graduating with a B.S. in Music Industry in the spring and I’ve never been happier with my decision. So I say thank you, Harmonix, for creating this new way to experience music. I may have given myself carpal tunnel trying to pass “Free Bird”, but it’s all been worth it.

And yes. I do play a real instrument.