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Why do people choose this instead of the "real thing"?
I'm totally out of the loop about the whole "Rock Band" phenomenon, that is, these gaming systems like Wii, etc., where you can buy a plastic guitar thingy with buttons on it, put in your Rock Band or whatever software, and push the right buttons on your faux guitar.
I was watching YouTube and saw this teen who was some kind of Rock Band "virtuoso" apparently. His fingers were hitting all those buttons on the "neck" of the guitar, and it was very impressive.
My question is: If people are so into music and have the digital (as in "finger") dexterity to become pros at these games, why the heck don't they just buy a REAL guitar (about the same price as a whole Rock Band setup, I imagine) and just learn to play it? If your fingers can fly around on that plastic guitar neck, pushing the right buttons, and you have good enough hand/eye coordination to follow all those little colored "notes" on the video console screen, it's not really a HUGE jump to being able to teach your hand to "fly around" on a REAL electric or acoustic guitar fretboard, and not only that, if your eyes can follow all those little colored dots on the video game screen like that, you could PROBABLY even learn to READ MUSIC, which is something I'm not good at because I can't scan real musical notation that well. So, once again:
If you're going to invest all those endless hours learning to be a "Rock Band legend", why not master the actual instrument. You never know, you could be the next Eric Clapton,........So why choose the "virtual" when you might as well be choosing the "real" in this particular case/???
jason sl8 five
Dude, I don't know what kind of guitar you overspent your money on that costs 3 times as much as a Wii with Rock Band, etc. Maybe you should've been a more competent consumer. I have about six guitars (including the 3/4 size Oscar Schmidt I bought for my son) and the most expensive one, the Martin backpacker, for which I paid I think $150 new, also happens to be the worst. All my other "cheap" guitars play as well as those costing a lot more, because I didn't go for (other than the Martin) "big name' brands and I did a lot of research before I bought them. So, I don't "buy" your argument that those who are into video games such as Rock Band are spending less money, necessarily, that is.
As far as all your reasons why the virtual type of music making is preferable over the real thing, well, I read your list and disagreed with a lot of them. BTW, you can't play "real" instruments with your friends? How do you think many rock bands got started?
"Would you ask someone playing Call of Duty why they don't just enlist in the Army if they want to experience combat?"
Bad analogy... I'm totally against war. I wouldn't ask anybody to go off to another country and kill babies and children. I've got a kid of my own, and if there was ever a draft again, I would encourage him to go to Canada.
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Why choose virtual instead of actual?
I'm totally out of the loop about the whole "Rock Band" phenomenon, that is, these gaming systems like Wii, etc., where you can buy a plastic guitar thingy with buttons on it, put in your Rock Band or whatever software, and push the right buttons on your faux guitar.
I was watching YouTube and saw this teen who was some kind of Rock Band "virtuoso" apparently. His fingers were hitting all those buttons on the "neck" of the guitar, and it was very impressive.
My question is: If people are so into music and have the digital (as in "finger") dexterity to become pros at these games, why the heck don't they just buy a REAL guitar (about the same price as a whole Rock Band setup, I imagine) and just learn to play it? If your fingers can fly around on that plastic guitar neck, pushing the right buttons, and you have good enough hand/eye coordination to follow all those little colored "notes" on the video console screen, it's not really a HUGE jump to being able to teach your hand to "fly around" on a REAL electric or acoustic guitar fretboard, and not only that, if your eyes can follow all those little colored dots on the video game screen like that, you could PROBABLY even learn to READ MUSIC, which is something I'm not good at because I can't scan real musical notation that well. So, once again:
If you're going to invest all those endless hours learning to be a "Rock Band legend", why not master the actual instrument. You never know, you could be the next Eric Clapton,........So why choose the "virtual" when you might as well be choosing the "real" in this particular case/???
"Though a good question, I detest your ignorance for the hard work that must go into music."
Oh, I forgot to mention" I play the piano, guitar, harmonica, recorder, drums.....
You know what they say about ASSumptions...maybe you make too many, my friend.
Yeah, you have one thing over me...I never played a "virtual" instrument, but have played "real" instruments for years. Sounds to me like you just started playing real ones. You probably played the video game versions for longer than the real ones. Maybe that's why you forgot how hard it was to "master" Rock Band, or whatever virtual one you played.
By the same token, when you just start with anything, like a real instrument like guitar or bass, obviously it's going to seem much more "difficult" at first than when you get better at it. Oh, a "tip" for you, 'bro: Don't get too overwhelmed by all those notes on a real fretboard. If you play a serious of notes starting at the first fret, let's say, and then move the exact same notes
(cont.) up one fret, you're already playing in a different key? Did you know that? The guitar fretboard has repeating patterns. It's not as tricky as you think, if you understand the logic behind the way it's laid out. Contrast that with a piano, in which you have to know the flats, sharps, whole and half notes, etc. in every scale, because you can't just "move the whole note pattern up a fret" as with the guitar, bass, etc.
BTW, your post sounds suspiciously like the other one I received by "jason..." because I entered the posting in 2 different catergories. He was as disrespectful as you are with your last sentence, although he placed his disrespectful comment at the top of his answer. Are you the same guy, with 2 different accounts. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I would have given you the "best answer" rating for this question, but you blew it with your rudeness, pal. Learn some manners, eh????
Sorry Kay, didn't know you were a woman. For that I sincerely apologize.
Incidentally, I got the following comment at the end of "longaway" 's answer to this same question (I posted it in 2 categories, because I wanted it to be read by both musicians and those who play games like Rock Band (and/or those who do both, since you and some others seem to fall into that category). Here's "longaway"s comment:
"Would you ask someone playing Call of Duty why they don't just enlist in the Army if they want to experience combat?"
You lose points for originality Kay (*joke*) since obviously you're reiterating his argument. If you want my answer to your question, therefore, read the answer I gave him.
Apart from that, I think you ought to know that at least ONE respondent to my question told me that playing the drums on Rock Band actually helped him play the real drums better.
So, despite what you and others who have answered my question have implied, some people believe there IS a carry-over effect from virtual musicianship to "actual' musicianship. I also know this because I have read there are "transitional" softwares out there for people who are "virtual musicians" a la "Rock Band" etc. and who want to play an "actual" instrument. If there was absolutely NO carry-over, they wouldn't bother inventing such "transitional" software, now would they? The word "transition" implies there is already SOME basis for going on to play a real instrument if you're already exposed yourself to the "Rock Band" experience.
I have to tell you Kay, I NEVER this to be a "hot button" question, but apparently it is. I got some people who were reasonable in their answers for all but maybe one or two lines, then they just got all hissy on me and starting launching what amounted to ad hominem attacks on me for daring to ask such a question. Weird.
Well, Kay, I accept your apology if you accept mine. I'm wondering if some people got the impression that my question was intended to be "provocative" since I somehow managed to push a few buttons out there. It really WAS just interested why more people didn't try to put the work into learning a real instrument (although some have) if they were spending so much time learning virtual instruments. Maybe some people perceived an unintended "judgmentalism" in my question. It was not intended and I apologize if it came off that way. I mean, it's not like I never played a video game in my life. I didn't THINK I was being a musical "snob" but maybe I was in the eyes of some people. Hey, if people would rather play virtual music than the real thing, I would be the first to defend their right to do so. I'm totally down with freedom of speech, freedom of choice, and all that. And no, I never played Call of Duty in case you were wondering. I never fought in a war, but did grow up in NYC.
(cont.)
I've seen enough violence and (wo)man's inhumanity to (wo)man. Enough for a lifetime (I lived there for over 3 decades. So I really don't need to play violent video games. Like I said to "longaway", I would never suggest somebody go fight in a (senseless) war just because they enjoy playing COD in the comfort of their dens and living rooms. Like I told "longaway", if the draft was ever reinstated, like in Vietnam, I would do everything possible to make sure my son did not go if his number was picked. I'd spend my life savings protecting him from the hell that is war.
But hey, if you and other kids out there get your jollies from virtual violence, I perfectly understand. Gets kind of boring in the "burbs, and/or out in the hinterlands, right? I know. I live in a safe, boring town in New England now, where soccer mom's drive huge SUVs with yellow ribbon stickers on the back window. Where I live, the cops will detain you if somebody said you looked at them cross-eyed.
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