Rock Band/Guitar Hero - are they good or bad for the music industry?

[Jason]

There's been some debate on this subject for a while now, with strong arguments from both sides - are music games like the Rock Band and Guitar Hero series hurting the music industry by potentially starving it of potential musicians?

Nickelback frontman Jesus Chad Kroeger had the following to say about it a while ago:

"I feel like there's not enough rock bands out there, especially when we go on the road, It's tough to find other bands out there, because either they're making a record or they just got done touring
......
"So kids: Start rock bands. Set down the Guitar Hero, learn how to play an actual guitar and start a band, because it's hard to find more bands to put a solid rock-and-roll package together, to get out there. It's getting harder and harder, but I think we've done it."

Now, dismissing the fact that Nickelback are about as valid in today's music culture as Tampa Bay are in the NFL this season, the Chadster has a point. Are kids today just taking the 'quick fix' of being able to just pick up a controller or set of sticks and instantly play their favourite songs with a full backing band rather than actually picking up a real guitar and spending hours making horrible noise and disfiguring the tips of their fingers?

[el canadiano]

Good. It provides high levels of exposure for an artist/band if one of their songs gets in the game. For someone who knows how to play music, it's a way for them to relax and an alternative to their instrument playing, and for someone who does not know music, at least they learn what beat is when they learn how to play.

[Jason]

As an amateur guitarist and bassist myself, I'd have to counter your second point with the fact that playing the guitar-based parts of the games is nothing like actually playing a real guitar - sometimes it's far easier, other times it's actually harder (ex: 'Monkey Wrench' by the Foos in GH2) - in fact, I'd even go as far to say it's probably counter-productive, as it doesn't promote one of the biggest factors in successful guitar playing, which is accuracy. The buttons on your average guitar controller are huge (guessing at about 2cm by 4cm), whereas an individual note on a real guitar requires far more accuracy (depending on where on the fretboard you are, it's about 1-2cm by 0.5cm). You can move your fingers as fast as you like, but if they're not in the right place, it's going to sound terrible.

Your first point is bang on, though - it's a fantastic new way of bringing money into the music industry, as well as being a brilliant way for young bands to get exposure, and for young fans to discover bands they maybe didn't know about.

[el canadiano]

As an amateur guitarist and bassist myself, I'd have to counter your second point with the fact that playing the guitar-based parts of the games is nothing like actually playing a real guitar - sometimes it's far easier, other times it's actually harder (ex: 'Monkey Wrench' by the Foos in GH2) - in fact, I'd even go as far to say it's probably counter-productive, as it doesn't promote one of the biggest factors in successful guitar playing, which is accuracy. The buttons on your average guitar controller are huge (guessing at about 2cm by 4cm), whereas an individual note on a real guitar requires far more accuracy (depending on where on the fretboard you are, it's about 1-2cm by 0.5cm). You can move your fingers as fast as you like, but if they're not in the right place, it's going to sound terrible.

Your first point is bang on, though - it's a fantastic new way of bringing money into the music industry, as well as being a brilliant way for young bands to get exposure, and for young fans to discover bands they maybe didn't know about.

Well, of course, real guitar/bass is nothing like Rock Band's, but even then, some of the best Rock Band drummers were real drummers, like azuritereaction, for example.

[Jason]

Yeah, I meant to include that in the post - drumming is much closer to the real thing, obviously. It's just a shame I'm so bad at it. :p

[el canadiano]

That's okay, I'm not that much better than you (but anyone can play Polly or Eye of the Tiger on Drums).

[BannanoPeel]

I think they are definitely good. I am sure a lot of kids have gone out to buy a guitar and get some lessons because of rock band.

[MyNameDidntFit]

I'd call it good simply because of the exposure.

I mean, I'm not about to go learn guitar because of it. But, on the other hand, I can honestly say that I think the notion that people would hold off learning guitar to play GH or RB is purely ridiculous.

[dimples]

If someone wants to learn to play guitar, they won't settle for a game. So I don't think it has any effect on anything.

[CemeteryGates]

Old thread is old.

But yeah, exposure = good. And it won't stop the determined ones from learning. Perhaps the ones who would buy a guitar and abandon it in 2 months won't spend on a guitar, amp, accessories, etc...
That's it.

Concerning Chad's comments, though...
There's metric goddamn tons of rock bands out there, and too many that suck too hard. In fact, what's rare these days is finding good bands in any genre, rock included.

If Chad thinks people should replace Guitar Hero with real guitars and form rock bands to have a "scene" or "movement" or whatever out there, then he's revealing the reason why rock sucks today.
Most bands formed by kids these days that don't go anywhere have their roots in said kids trying to mimic their idols; lacking any originality whatsoever. There is no greater plague to musical development than imitation.

You can see that anywhere. My city is full of bands that play crappy covers of any number of famous bands in bars and clubs. Tons of musicians, all of them playing covers, because that's what their instruments are to them. They don't know music beyond that. And perhaps some of them wonder sometimes how it was that the musicians they cover came up with the music they play every Saturday night amidst the stench of stale beer and sweat, under the indifferent gaze of the same drunks trying to get laid.
The answer is simple and yet so complex. The will to create... anyone can create all sorts of stuff, but does one go on to create something that isn't merely recycling of notes they've heard before and create something truly original? What are the tools to achieve this?

Education.

The thing 99% of musicians lack today, and the problem is that even 99% of the musicians who try to compose lack it; resulting in bands like Staind and Nickelback and Godsmack and others that sound far too similar for their own good, and that of good taste.

So... shortage of quality rock coming out? Send more kids to music theory school.


Sorry. Can't help doing the speech any time something like this comes up. :D