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The plastic instrument band game genre is just about dead. For the first time in a long time, there aren't any new Guitar Hero or Rock Band games coming out this year. Ubisoft is making a new music game, Rocksmith, but that is a real guitar game so it is a bit different. Despite the genre being on a bit of a downslide, I have to admit I'm still a fan. And, surprisingly, even though I do play real guitar as well, I still find myself coming back to Rock Band and Guitar Hero every now and then just to have some fun.
Now seems like as good a time as any to take a look at plastic guitar and how it relates to playing real guitar.
The Good - How Rock Band / Guitar Hero Can Actually Beat Real Guitar
Cost - Buying a game / guitar bundle for $80 or so to play on the game system you already own is a lot cheaper than buying a real guitar. Tips On Buying A New Guitar. Real guitars are expensive, plus you need to buy an amplifier. And effects pedals. And strings, straps, cables, cases, tools, etc. And $500 or so dollars later once you have all of that for your "beginner" kit, more than likely you're going to want to buy something else. Real guitar players know what I'm talking about, but buying guitars is sort of addictive. Every guitar feels a little different, and sounds a little different, and as soon as you finally get a new one you probably already have your eyes on something else. And, more than likely, the prices keep going up with each new guitar you buy because you want better stuff. And then you realize the solid state amp you bought is sort of a hunk of junk (yes, a several hundred dollar hunk of junk) so you start looking at tube amplifiers and choke at the $1500 price tags.
But you start saving up anyway.
It is a process you have to do when you start playing real guitar, though, because it isn't really worth it to spend the cash on decent equipment if you aren't even sure when you first start out if you really like it / can do it or not. Starting out with beginner equipment is a good way to get your foot in the door, but you will outgrow it (tonally, not physically) sooner or later (likely sooner) and have to spend a bunch more money. It is a vicious, but fun, cycle.
See, Guitar Hero and Rock Band don't have that problem. The plastic guitars are relatively cheap and even if you have to buy a new one, replacements are $50 once a year or so. You don't outgrow the tonal capabilities of a plastic instrument because they are all the same. I suppose you could drop a few hundred dollars on buying song DLC for Rock Band, but that is a drop in the bucket compared to buying a new real guitar every 6 months.
Tone - Sometimes you want to pick up a guitar and get a specific tone and play a specific song. Unless you have a digital modeling amplifier (which I don't really like, personally, but they are undeniably good for beginners), that means spending a lot of time adjusting amp and pedal settings to try and make it sound like you want. With Guitar Hero or Rock Band, you just pick the song you want and away you go. Yes, laziness is definitely a factor here. Also, the games give you consistent sound each and every time. Real guitars need to be tuned, the electronics can go bad, the strings go dead or break, your cables can go bad, your amp can go bad, and even the weather can affect your tone. It can be frustrating chasing tones on a real guitar when there are so many elements that can go bad and mess everything up.
Guitar Hero Isn't As Unrealistic As You Might Think - Something that has surprised me as I've learned to play real guitar is that a lot of it feels very similar to playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero. The most obvious similarity is in the chords. Two-button power chords are exactly like power chords on a real guitar. Three-button chords are also remarkably similar to full chords on real guitar as well, particularly in the transitions between them. Now, there is obviously a big difference between them when you are playing six strings versus just playing five buttons, but the basics are all the same. You develop muscle memory for movements and transitions between chords and they really do feel the same on both plastic and real guitars.
The way the notes are laid out on the buttons is also similar to how you would move up and down the neck on a real guitar. You know that higher notes are always going to be on the Blue / Orange frets and lower notes always use Green as the home location, so as long as you are paying attention to the song you can move your hand before a gem even comes up. This is exactly like playing real guitar by ear where you can listen to a song and figure out the general location of the next notes. Harmonix didn't design this system without thinking. It is all based on realism, even if it is greatly simplified.
Accessibility - Learning to play real guitar takes a long time and many people get frustrated and quit early on. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Music is one of those funny things, though, that everyone wants to be part of, and can be part of, if you throw your pride out the window and just focus on having fun. Why do you think karaoke is so popular? Rock Band and Guitar Hero are the exact same way. They let you participate in the creation of music, even if only on a basic level, and can be incredibly fun no matter your skill level. Unless you have a ton of awesome, super talented friends and family you probably aren't going to all get together and play real music. But you can get together and easily play Rock Band with everyone.
Find Out How Real Guitar Comes Out On Top On The Next Page
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