Overall Findings
If you learn how to play a real guitar after playing Guitar Hero, you may be surprised by how similar it feels to the game. The biggest similarity is in the chords. Two-button power chords are exactly like power chords on a real guitar. Three-button chords are also similar to full chords on a real guitar, particularly in the transitions between them. There is a difference when you play six strings rather than five buttons, but the basics are the same. Plus, you’ll develop muscle memory for movements and transitions between chords. The way the notes are laid out on the buttons is also similar to how you move up and down the neck on a real guitar. The higher notes are always on the Blue and Orange frets while lower notes are Red or Green. So, as long as you pay attention to the song, you can move your hand before a gem comes up. This is exactly like playing a real guitar: You must listen carefully to a song and figure out the general location of the next notes.
The Cost: Real Instruments Are Expensive
Buying a game/guitar bundle to play on a game system you own is cheaper than buying a real guitar. Real guitars are expensive, as are amplifiers, effects pedals, strings, straps, cables, and cases. After spending $500 or so on a beginner’s kit, you may want something else because buying guitars is addictive. Every guitar feels and sounds different, so as soon as you get a new one, you may have your eyes on something else. In contrast, the plastic guitar-controllers used in Guitar Hero games retailed for about $50. You can buy them bundled with a game for around $80 total. The individual games retailed for $60 when first released, but you can find the old Guitar Hero or Rock Band games for cheaper. You could easily drop a few hundred dollars on buying song DLC for Rock Band or Guitar Hero. That is a drop in the bucket compared to buying a new real guitar. That said, you can make money playing a real guitar, which can’t be said for the plastic version.
Difficulty: Guitar Hero Isn’t So Easy
Guitar Hero and Rock Band can teach you some bad habits. For example, the games encourage players to bend notes to rack up points. Guitar Hero and Rock Band are also terrible about negative reinforcement. Screwing up one note in Rock Band tends to screw you up for at least a few more. As a result, your multiplier disappears, the crowd boos, and it stops being fun. In reality, messing something up on a real guitar barely registers to most listeners. No one ever plays a whole song perfectly live. You just keep on trucking and hope no one notices. Some Rock Band and Guitar Hero songs are more difficult than playing the same songs on a real guitar. The games make you play a mix of both rhythm and lead guitars, usually with other instruments shoehorned in (saxophone, keyboard, trumpet, and piano), which means you play twice as many notes as you would on a real guitar. Why is Dragonforce’s “Through the Fire and Flames” so difficult in these games? It’s because you’re technically playing two guitars plus a keyboard jammed into one track.
Accessibility: Anyone Can Play Guitar Hero
Learning to play a real guitar takes time. Many people get frustrated and quit early on. Like karaoke, Rock Band and Guitar Hero are popular because they allow anyone to participate in the creation of music regardless of their skill level. Unless you have a ton of super talented friends and family, you probably aren’t going to get together and play real music. Anyone can pick up and play Guitar Hero, even people who don’t play video games, so it’s a great go-to group activity.
The Rewards: Learning an Instrument Is More Rewarding
Any time you pick up a guitar, you can learn something new, whether it’s a new song or a new technique to make the songs you know sound better. You’re always learning, and it is extremely rewarding. Guitar Hero, on the other hand, won’t teach you anything valuable. You just follow along. There’s no reward beyond the enjoyment you get out of playing the game.
Final Verdict
Playing Guitar Hero and playing a real guitar can both be a lot of fun. While gaming is a less expensive hobby than making real music, learning an instrument can eventually pay off if you become a successful musician. Don’t expect your expertise in Guitar Hero to be an asset in that regard.
