Jack White and Jimmy Page Don't Like Guitar Hero

[Ayjona]

Ah, well I do agree they actually have a valid point. I however just don't agree.

Neither do I, fully, so in that respect, your opinions are a good judge of "correct"

Not everyone wants to put in the time and effort to be a rock star. Some people just want to sing some karaoke, bang on a plastic drum, and pretend they are Jimi Hendrix with some buddies before going about their day. To your average Joe, pressing some buttons and making Iron Man blast through the TV is a lot more fun than drilling scales, changing broken strings, getting calluses on your fingers, and being depressingly, God-awful terrible at a real guitar.

the same results with about the same level of investment, both economically and in terms of effort. Within the same period of time, with similar amounts of effort and money, they could have had just as fun, but gained SO much more in the process.

 

[Ayjona]

Well than good day to you sir.

I was being a bit ironic regarding the "correct" part (aimed at meself, not you ;-) ), but I wish you an equally splendid day.

 

[Ayjona]

Ah, well in that case I shall be forced to murder you.

*Stabs Ayjona*

Good day.

Thanks. I needed a good death. Helps me keep life in perspective.

 

[antipunt]

This issue is a little too controversial for me to make a stake on. On one hand, I actually agree with the OP. I mean...c'mon...Guitar Hero can provide some great fun on a Saturday night with friends. Isn't having fun what it's all about?

On the other hand, the rock-pros really do have a point as well... being a musician and all, I kind of understand 'what they're getting at'. It's the 'heart of music' and all that, but I don't really want to get into that because it's really abstract, etc.

 

[Maddness101]

If RB/GH didn't exist then would I have got into proper instruments? Well no i'd likely be playing some more Left for Dead or similar. The only reason I have them is because I like rhythm games and these particular games are great fun to play with friends, while the music is a nice bonus (for me anyway, I realise others see the music as the main thing).

I can see (well just about) how it grates on some peoples nerves that without GH/RB there could be more people playing real instruments, but I'm sure theres plenty like myself who'd just be playing other games instead.

Edit: Oh sorry thats Left 4 Dead ofc (stupid numbers in titles)

 

[Ayjona]

If RB/GH didn't exist then would I have got into proper instruments? Well no i'd likely be playing some more Left for Dead or similar.

This is actually an excellent argument for GH/RB. You've a very good point.

This alone might be enough to convince me that the existence of RB/GH is indeed a good thing. (Not intended to bash Left 4 Head... sorry, Dead , and I certainly believe there are many excellent action games out there (I've heard it said Left 4 Dead is one of them), but there is something about playing a game which revolves around music in the way that GH and RB...)

 

[Jsnoopy]

I think part of the defensiveness musicians have about Guitar Hero & Rockband is that when you spend years refining your musical talents & become a genuinely brilliant musician, watching your art turned into a colour matching rhythm game kinda degrades all that effort u put into it.

I can see where that arguement is coming from, but at the same time they should still have way more professionalism, just like authors don't get mad when they see their art, stories, distilled into something simpler, like a childrens book. And just like children need to be introduced to reading through simpler books, newcomers to music can be introduced to some of the basic mechanics of an instrument, just don't expect it to get you very far.

 

[5stringedbandit]

It is pretty messed if the only way some people are hearing music is via video games, however surely this can be very good for marketing for the bands purposes

 

[ProjectileVomit]

Hearing Page's statement on Guitar Hero, I'm sure Led Zeppelin will not drop to other band's level and sell out to Rock Band/ Guitar Hero. I cringe when ever people start liking a song if their first exposure is on these popular music games.

 

[Aries_Split]

Jimmy Page and Jack White are confused about what these games make people want to do. Two of my cousins want to play real instruments because of Rock Band. One has bought a real drum set and is looking for an electronic replacement due to noise. The other wants to play bass and will be starting soon.

Further, they had 0 respect or knowledge about 'old' music. Despite showing them it, playing it for them on guitar, and doing any number of things, they just didn't get in to it. At all. When they finally got their hands on 'playing' it on a plastic instrument. By playing it, I mean playing the actual song, they garnered a huge respect for the music that they didn't even know or care about before hand.

Page added that he can't imagine that people are really learning anything significant about playing instruments by playing video games.

It seems he hasn't really played one. Timing. They learn timing. The most crucial thing ever. Timing makes people laugh, cry, smile, get pumped, etc.

It teaches timing.

No, it does not. It teaches reflex. Reflex and timing are two different things. Timing is the ability to KNOW when you need to do something, reflex is the ability to react to something TELLING you when you need to do something.

Reflex is not needing for playing guitar half as much as timing is. Again, more misinformation propagated about rock band.

 

[Maddness101]

Hearing Page's statement on Guitar Hero, I'm sure Led Zeppelin will not drop to other band's level and sell out to Rock Band/ Guitar Hero. I cringe when ever people start liking a song if their first exposure is on these popular music games.

So you'd rather people are not exposed to the song at all rather than having their first exposure being through games? Or is it just GH/RB in particular and you'd not mind if the first exposure was through, say, GTA's radio stations or similar?

 

[HardRockSamurai]

Maybe THIS is why none of the games feature "Stairway to Heaven"......

 

[Meado]

Hearing Page's statement on Guitar Hero, I'm sure Led Zeppelin will not drop to other band's level and sell out to Rock Band/ Guitar Hero. I cringe when ever people start liking a song if their first exposure is on these popular music games.

So you'd rather people are not exposed to the song at all rather than having their first exposure being through games? Or is it just GH/RB in particular and you'd not mind if the first exposure was through, say, GTA's radio stations or similar?

This. I just don't get the mentality of some people.
A song you liked before is now popular, the band who made it gets more money, and the new listener gets a new song to listen to. Where in all of this is here a problem?

 

[toasterslayer]

curse that guitar hero for spreading music in a fun and enjoyable way!

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Why is it that, whenever I read articles like this, the musicians' complaints seem to sound more like the following?

I had to learn a real instrument to score chicks! How dare these little bastards take the easy way!

I mean, seriously. If Guitar Hero and Rock Band get Jimmy Page's ire up, he must be absolutely incensed at the Air Guitar Championships [http://www.usairguitar.com/]. That doesn't even need the ability to push buttons on demand!

Also, all you people who are upset that people are discovering a band you like via a video game: Please grow up and stop being so elitist. There is no law that says you have to have first heard Led Zeppelin on a scratchy 45 you bought at a yard sale in '82 in order to like the band.

 

[In Limbo]

As a musician and a music journalist I'm torn. I think Guitar Hero and Rock Band do music and its fans a great service, but I'm worried that it could stifle the ambition and creativity of young people who would otherwise be predisposed to get out there and make music. Learning an instrument, forming a band, rehearsing, arguing, dreaming, lugging gear around, bitching about other bands and playing live (and really LOUD) shows (even if you suck) really is a unique experience. Fair enough, not everyone has the desire to do this stuff, and for them GH/RB is a great way to experience it casually in a format that's guaranteed to be fun. Or maybe you're in a band, and play Rock Band to pretend you're gigging international stadiums - that's fair enough. But I'd hate to think rhythm games were wish-fulfillment for people who actually want to get out there and be in a band, but haven't got the initiative. The biggest barrier to creativity is laziness, and GH/RB do pander to it a little - though that's not meant to be an accusation.

Basically, the more people making music, the better music will be for everyone, and that's something I support.

 

[ProjectileVomit]

So you'd rather people are not exposed to the song at all rather than having their first exposure being through games? Or is it just GH/RB in particular and you'd not mind if the first exposure was through, say, GTA's radio stations or similar?

No no, I'm glad people start listening to classic bands. I just don't like the fact that Guitar Hero/Rock Band players claim they like this song simply for the sake of the song being in the game.During lunch in my high school, the student body often plays rap/ hip hop music with a large speaker in the cafeteria. After the release of Guitar Hero III, they started playing "Through Fire and Flames" by Dragonforce. First I thought, "cool, People start listening to Dragonforce now" But after they repeatedly play just this one song over and over, I soon realized the songs in Guitar Hero became pop- people only listens to them because the songs are trendy at the time. And these hipsters even claim they like the band when they only listened to one song in the game.