I have to laugh at some things I find online when I'm doing searches for music-related items. I was looking for software that will take a guitar chord sheet and be able to change the chords instantly without manually going through each song to change it. As a music teacher and worship leader I often have to rewrite the chords to put a song in 1.) an easier key to sing in for me and my team or 2.) an easier key for a guitarist (usually just rewriting my part and then throwing a capo on...do I hear some gasping by other guitarists?). When I did a google search, I came across one of those Yahoo Q&A pages where someone will ask a question and others can come in and answer it. This individual was asking how he can get better at changing between chords on his guitar. He was concerned because he only moved one finger at a time and it took him a while to form the next chord. While this is a common problem for any beginning guitarist, I couldn't believe what one of the responses was: "play more Guitar Hero, it helps!" You're kidding me, right?!?

From a musical point of view, Guitar Hero does have its merits. First, it gets kids involved and interested in music. They're listening to it, and learning how to be rhythmically accurate with the notes they are given. Is it as good as playing a real instrument? I don't really believe so. It's kinda like that other little gizmo I just saw advertised on TV...you strum a little electronic unit to the beat in order to hear the riffs. Again, it helps teach rhythm and kids can gain a certain aspect of performing, but they are not really doing it on their own. Imagine with me, if you will, the following:

You are in your local Civic Center getting ready to listen to your favorite band. You have just shelled out some major cash to listen to music and to see a show. When it's time for the concert, the house lights dim and the stage lights come on in an array of colors and movement. Smoke begins rolling off the stage into the crowd and the girls start screaming while the drums begin playing; the spotlights finally rest on the band. Up on stage, you see your favorite band rocking out with their... Rock Band paraphanelia. There is something to be said for playing real instruments.

I am an owner and player of Guitar hero, and I enjoy it, but as a real guitarists, I can enjoy playing that game and appreciate even more that while the songs I am "playing" are challenging, how much more challenging would it be to play the same song, the same way on a real guitar? It blows my mind to think how good some of these guitarists had to be to play what I am struggling to play with just five buttons, and their strumming/picking patterns are so much more complex than the little back-and-forth motion I'm making on my "guitar."

All that being said, I want to remind you that I do find merit in those types of games and I think that they have been getting kids interested in real instruments in a time where music education and student involvment in music programs is on a decline. Playing Guitar Hero will help you get a better mind for being rhymically accurate, but it will not help you to change chords more quickly. The only thing that will help you on a real guitar, is to practice on a real guitar. Take it nice and slow at first, and then speed things up a little bit at a time. You will not be a Guitar Hero overnight, but with a little hard work, you will be able to succeed!
I just want to leave with one more thought....could you imagine how good these kids could be on real instruments if they would spend as much time playing those as they spend trying to conquer "Through the Fire and Flames" by Dragon Force?

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