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Topic: "Guitar Hero"... sigh... |
Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
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Posted 21 Dec 2007 7:57 pm |
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So, tonight the wife and I are at Wal-Mart (I know, that's enough already!) and we head into the electronics area. There, gathered in front of the "Guitar Hero" display are a group of toothless, tattoo-laden, tackle-box faced, glow-in-the-dark necked, pimpled teenage "wunderkinds," taking turns whacking away, all thinking they're actually doing something related to guitar playing. 
Heaven help us...
_________________
Mikey D... H.S.P.
Music hath the charm to soothe a savage beast, but I'd try a 10mm first.
http://www.steelharp.com
http://www.thesessionplayers.com/douchette.html
(other things you can ask about here)
http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/ |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 21 Dec 2007 8:20 pm
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Michael,I think the same thing every time I sit down behind my old MSA.But I have some friends that could'nt play a triangle,that think I'm great.
_________________
Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Tony Dingus
From:
Kingsport, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 21 Dec 2007 9:12 pm
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There's some people that couldn't play dead in a western!
Tony |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Kyle Everson
From:
Nashville, Tennessee
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Posted 21 Dec 2007 10:58 pm
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My roommate used to play this game all the time. I would come out of my room (from woodshedding for hours on end) to find all our friends watching him rack up high scores.
It's funny; when myself and our other guitar-player roommate tried it out, we got booed off the stage!  |
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LJ Eiffert
From:
California, USA
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Posted 22 Dec 2007 4:27 am
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| Hello Mikey D,I tried playing that Guitar thing too,but,the five color key mixed me up.To sharp and to flat.Great songs came off that thing. Merry Christmas & God Bless you and your Family brother Mike. Leo J.Eiffert,Jr. & Pigeons. PS; waiting for that Letter!!! |
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Tamara James
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Posted 22 Dec 2007 5:14 am
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Mr. Douchette,
It's really not that bad of a game. Good thing you didn't see the 53 year old woman beating the 12 year old's score. That must have been scary for on-lookers. I bought it when they came out with the wireless controler. I don't play six-string (yet) but ya can actually hear cord changes if you listen. Not to mention the rhythm. You have to keep up or lose. IF you miss the beat, you lose the points. My justification is that I am using it as ear training. I must admit, it was a rush when I beat slash. I know it's a kid's game, but what ever it takes to learn steel guitar. Just change the words (in your mind) from slow ride to Steel Ride...it helps.. 
- sincerely,
Steel player wannabe |
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Jay Fagerlie
From:
Lotus, California, USA
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Posted 22 Dec 2007 8:08 am
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I was surprised to see that Guitar Center now sells it.
I guess really leaning to play is too much for some.....
Jay |
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 22 Dec 2007 8:43 am
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Even stranger, they have custom made, personalised "guitars" that people carry with them to "compete". Like pool players taking their own cue.
_________________
Bo Borland
Rittenberry SD10 , Derby D-10, Quilter TT12, Peavey Session 400 w/ JBL, NV112, Fender Blues Jr. , 1974 Dobro 60N squareneck, Rickenbacher NS lapsteel, 1973 Telecaster Thinline, 1979 blonde/black Frankenstrat
Currently picking with
Mason Dixon Band masondixonband.net |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 22 Dec 2007 8:50 am
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Bo,That's what I'm talkin' about.I saw a thing on the "Today"show and these people were showing up with there custom guitars to enter a competition at a bar for money.I like going to Best Buy and watching these kids go nutz on that thing. 
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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ajm
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 22 Dec 2007 9:27 am
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Karaoke comes to the guitar.......
It was only a matter of time.
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Artie McEwan |
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Dave Biller
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 22 Dec 2007 9:37 am
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| "South Park" had a great episode where the kids get so good at guitar hero that they end up getting a recording contract! doesn't seem too far fetched these days. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 22 Dec 2007 10:18 am
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What's the best way to hook up a Peterson VSII tuner to one of those guitars?
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 22 Dec 2007 10:41 am
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| We're doomed. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 22 Dec 2007 11:10 am
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Oh, this is the tip of a large iceberg. There's a large contingent of people out there who live "virtually". Look at the virtual world "Second Life" http://secondlife.com/whatis/ which is an online world that many people just lose themselves in. People spend thousands of dollars to "own" so-called islands, and spend a substantial portion of their life dealing with this kind of stuff. I read an article recently about a married guy who also has a "virtual" wife, which is of course raising hell with his "real" wife. I'm sure the divorce lawyers will have a field day with this kind of thing as time goes on.
I dunno, it seems that there's a pretty large group of people that just aren't satisfied with the "real" world. One has to actually do things, it takes time and hard work and there are no instant payoffs. Ya' need to deal with the real problems, clean up your own garbage, and the annoying laws of physics force themselves upon you. I can see how this would be tough if you've been sold a bill of goods that none of this matters anymore. |
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Ken Lang
From:
Simi Valley, Ca
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Posted 22 Dec 2007 8:47 pm
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I got on second life out of curiosity. It was an engineering magazine that talked about it.
It was interesting in the beginning, but soon became boring. I was not about to invest my own money into something that did not exist in the real world.
I did take the time to make a postcard of myself in that world. Whole lot younger and better looking that I'll ever be.
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Leslie Ehrlich
From:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Posted 23 Dec 2007 12:47 am
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| Dave Mudgett wrote: |
| hard work |
I hate that phrase.
As far as I'm concerned, music involves creativity and discovery, not work.
Work is stuff like shoveling coal, pitching bales, driving nails, lifting boxes, and digging ditches.
Playing Guitar Hero or just playing guitar period is entertainment. Some people like to push buttons while others like to make music. I have no problem with either one. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 23 Dec 2007 1:04 am
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Well, Leslie - if you suggest that creativity and discovery never involve hard work, I guess I disagree. Science and art in all forms involves creativity and discovery. But IMO, some things are discovered only through hard work.
I guess this is a semantical difference. I guess you would argue that scientists or artists who work 16-18 hours a day are just purely entertaining themselves. I do agree that one must love something to do that - but this doesn't negate the idea of hard work to me. I think it's possible to love something so much that one is willing endure periods of work hard to really achieve it. |
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Leslie Ehrlich
From:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Posted 23 Dec 2007 11:25 pm
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| Dave Mudgett wrote: |
| I guess you would argue that scientists or artists who work 16-18 hours a day are just purely entertaining themselves. |
What you are discussing here is intellectual labour.
I won't get into an argument over intellectual labour versus manual labour and whether both should be called 'work'.
I'm assuming you're talking about practising when you say that there is 'hard work' involved in learning how to play an instrument and get good at it.
But the 'work' need not be hard. It depends on how you want to play your instrument. I've never spent long hours 'woodshedding' and trying so hard to sound like the people who inspired me to play. When I play I'm searching for sounds, not combinations of notes. All the parts I play are quite simple, but it's the way those parts fit together that make the music interesting. And I do it because I want to do it, not because I need to be as good as or better than anyone else.
But if I was playing Guitar Hero I'd be tempted to think otherwise. It'd be all about beating the next guy's high score. |
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Bob Ritter
From:
pacfic, wa
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Posted 24 Dec 2007 11:22 am
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A fishing buddy of mine has this thing he knows I play guitar so when I come over he tries to get me to play this thing. He is not a musician but he bangs away wasting his time. I told him look I will give you a couple of lessons on a real guitar and if you practice as much as you play this game you could be as great or better than Chet Atkins was in a few days...I picked it up and tried one song and put it down and told him it was a joke...that scrolling timeline with the coloerd buttons to push hipnotizes me so I cant play it. 
_________________
Let's go catch a steelhead |
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John Floyd
From:
R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Dec 2007 2:57 pm
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I HAVE TWO GUITAR HEROES IN NASHVILLE.
EARL ERB
GREG GALBRAITH
AND TWO MORE AT SALUDA SC
WOODY LEDFORD
JOHNNY THOMAS
None of which have any pushbuttons on them  |
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Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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David Kurrasch
From:
Royse City, Texas, USA
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Posted 24 Dec 2007 9:08 pm
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| I noticed that the clip of the 8 year old playing has been viewed over 5 million times! There are several clips of the artist that I work for on Youtube, and I think the highest hit counts on them are in the 7 to 8 thousand range. I guess the South Park episode was not so far-fetched! |
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