Why Real Guitarists Suck at Guitar Hero

by Brian Casel | April 2, 2009 | 34 Comments

photo by fiskfisk

I admit, I don’t own Guitar Hero or Rock Band so I can’t say I’ve had much practice. But the few times I picked up the dinky guitar with the colorful buttons, my virtual rock-god skills were less than stellar. I sucked. My non-musician friends shredded me off the stage with ease. Unfair! I’m the only REAL guitarist of the bunch. Why do I suck at Guitar Hero?

I have come to the conclusion that having real musical skills actually diminishes your skills on Guitar Hero and Rock Band. While the concept of these games is genius, it’s pretty far from simulating actual guitar playing or drumming.

Guitar Hero for Real Guitarists

The first thing any guitarist will notice when they fire up the game in beginner mode is that they over-simplify the guitar riffs and rhythms. As a musician, your inclination is to play along with the song, not a fraction of the song. It usually takes you up to the second verse to figure out the dumb-downed version of the patterns.

The other obvious hurdle for real guitarists is understanding the fret board (if we can even call it that). It’s a set of 4 big buttons in the shape of frets. Nothing like six strings. They randomly represent different chords and notes, with no sense of high and low notes.

Rock Band for Real Drummers

Rock Band has a drumming component in addition to the guitar. I found better luck here than on the guitar, but still ran into many of the same challenges. I also play drums in the real world, so this took some getting used to.

Again, they over-simplify the rhythms on the beginner and medium difficulty levels so it takes some time pick up the drum track for dummies version.

Once you have a handle on that, you have to get used to the latency. Each physical drum hit must strike a fraction of a second before the beat in the song. Any type of groove is far gone at this point. We’re back to just playing a video game.

Monster Fills = Monster Points

My friends show me how they rack up the points by whipping out totally ridiculous fills when the game gives you the “fill” queue. On the guitar, that means choking the life out of the virtual wammy bar. Not even the most legendary of hair-band rock stars would over-use the pitch bending effects like we see with top scorers in Guitar Hero.

Drummers get to rack up the points at these “fill” queues as well. These are more along the lines of a 10 second drum solo with the drummer having both an ego and a coke problem. Come to think of it, this might be the only real part of the game.

Musicians, am I right?

I’ve said my piece. I shamefully suck at Guitar Hero. The game itself is really not bad, and great for hangin with friends. But real musicians, beware. It won’t be as easy to master as you think.

Have you experienced the same thing? Are there any musicians out there who are actually good at Guitar Hero or Rock Band? Maybe you can give us some tips for representing next time we’re up against the non-musicians.

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34 Comments:

04/2/2009
10:32 am

Calysta Rose

Cool, I will totally blame my inability to do the drums in Rock Band on the latency and over-simplification.

Seriously though, as a non-musician and a non-gamer, I did find Rock Band to be great fun. And while I know it’s nothing like playing a real instrument, it certainly increased my desire to get a real guitar and learn it.
04/2/2009
2:10 pm

Kawlinz

The drums just weren’t calibrated properly on the TV you were playing. If you’re playing on an HDTV, HDTVs have a visual lag that most games don’t account for. Your friend probably didn’t calibrate it.

The drums are really good, albeit only 4 pads to hit, but playing the songs on hard or expert make the drums almost perfect to the actual song. They make the easy levels for… you know… people who can’t coordinate two hands and a foot at the same time.
04/5/2009
11:34 am

Stephen Shapiro

I’m a drummer and also play the guitar. I got pretty good at guitar hero III on hard level, but to get the really hard songs you just have to practice, then it’s just muscle memory, which takes the fun out of it for me. It gets back to the foundations of primitive video gaming – hand-eye coordination.

I’ve played rock band only once or twice but the “drum fills” are so funny. People will be playing the beat, then just make as many hits as they can. It sounds nothing like a drum fill.

Although these games can be frustrating for real musicians, they have really helped music in general. My brother, a guitar instructor, can testify that the “guitar hero” guitar students are significantly more inclined than the “non-guitar-hero” students. It establishes basics of guitar like rhythm and having to strum down and hit frets simultaneously.
04/5/2009
3:30 pm

Brian Casel

@Stephen – I agree, these games certainly break down the barrier to entry into music for many folks – and that is a great thing.

From a video games standpoint – these games clearly redefine what a hit can be, especially for party / group games.
04/7/2009
3:29 pm

Robbie

I am a real musician and have gotten pretty good at Rock Band/Guitar Hero. To get accustomed to the guitar, it took a LOT of practice. I started on Medium and slowly made my way to Hard and then Expert. I agree completely that playing this game is seriously harder than playing the real guitar. My favorite example of this was “Sweet Child of Mine” on Guitar Hero II. Way easier to play on a real guitar.

The drums took me some time to get good at as well. I started on medium, but quickly found that, once I got use to hitting the drum set in the right places, Expert was actually easier than Medium because I could just get into the groove of the easier songs. Again, practice made me better and now I can play songs up to the second-highest difficulty, and even some with the “devils” on Rock Band 2. I don’t get to play much anymore, but I also found that playing with headphones (I use Sure In-Ear headphones) makes playing easier for musicians because you can actually hear the music clearly instead of the noise from the drums.
04/14/2009
3:32 pm

Hawke

Agreed with the initial article. Instruments and games don’t match up. I’m so busy, I figure, any time I have to play Guitar Hero, I’d rather spend actually songwriting (not really working on my “chops,” per se). I’m no hotdog guitarist, but I certainly know my way around. While I, personally, don’t enjoy the game, the more musicians it takes OFF the market, the better. Clears some of the saturation of noise and allows room for passionate and dedicated musicians to emerge.
04/16/2009
11:36 am

Jonathan

I am currently working on a study of this for my data management class, I have gathered information from about 160 people so far (age, gender, skills at guitar hero, skills at actual guitar) I play guitar myself and with time I can play medium (sometimes hard or expert on some songs)

my biggest problem with playing the game is the timing, I want to play all the notes not just a couple and I struggle also in part to having to consciously watch the screen to see what notes they play, because (as mentioned in the original article) the notes are almost randomly assigned to the buttons so I can’t play naturally at all, it’s all memorization and hand eye coordination. the only songs I managed to play expert on were ones that I couldn’t play any easier because the notes that I was told to play didn’t match up with the timing of the song, this applied for drums as well.

when I finish this project I will post my results here (it will not be finished for over a month)
08/2/2009
3:24 pm

adb1969

How about – Why do Guitar Hero players suck at real guitar? Not as catchy a title, but more accurate
08/24/2009
2:54 pm

JS

With these video games, you have to watch the screen and then try to match what’s happening on the screen with your finger positions. That is mechanical to an extent. There is no creativity or artistry.

When you play the guitar, you are playing it with nothing to distract you. It’s the raw emotion and feeling in your mind that translates into the music you play.

Simply put… The video game guides and directs you. On the other hand, you guide and direct when you play the guitar.
08/25/2009
7:43 am

urPathos

“I agree, these games certainly break down the barrier to entry into music for many folks – and that is a great thing.”

I really don’t care if people like these games or not, but the above statement is quite silly and deserves a response. What barrier?? Would you be referring to actual effort being the barrier?? Look dude, it takes hard work to get good at anything in life, the first step is getting your a*s off the couch. I am a guitar teacher and I can tell you some of my “guitar hero” derived students are delusional in regard to their “skills”. At their very best, these games are just mindless entertainment for legions of mindless, 2-second attention span consumers who have little drive in life to actually accomplish anything outside of their “virtual world”.
08/25/2009
9:44 am

Hawke

urPathos: I totally agree. Video games can easily become a life-drain. Additionally agreed on the “barrier.” It isn’t like no one has ever heard of music: “What’s that? Oh do please tell me more.” People know music, it nearly universal in its attraction, so if someone wants to become a part of the realm, there is only one way: going through the pain of building callouses, playing crappy nursery rhymes, and trying as hard as one can to switch between an A and E chord without pausing to remember the positions. That is, guitar will always take forever to learn. It is what makes it special.
08/30/2009
10:27 pm

Dave Thompson

guitar hero and the like can get young folks into music and beyound. for me I would rather play the real thing.
09/16/2009
7:56 pm

AADEN

im an amazing guitar player and i totally had a melt down with that game im 14 i’ve been beaten by a 9, 7 and 6 year old before it kind puts a bad name on guitar and us i think i’ve broken bout 2 or 3 of those cheap hunks of plastic i find no time to play viedo gmes now which can be a good thing
10/5/2009
11:22 pm

Rob

I’m just glad I’m not the only “Real” Guitar Player who has trouble with this Game! I have been playing Guitar for years and just last year picked “Guitar Hero III” (Wii) up for my kids and I to have fun with, since they always wanna take Daddy’s guitars down and play with them. The first night, I sucked so bad I almost threw the d@mn thing in the street and rode over it on my bike… But my Wife who has never played guitar and my kids, non musicians as-well, slayed the d@mn thing! My wife beat the game two weeks later. So, I put in a little time (very little) practicing it… Lame!!! Got fed up with the format and continued to only play my real Gibsons! I’m not saying it’s a bad toy, but that’s all it is folks, a toy!
12/15/2009
9:08 pm

Scott Cottingham

I really learned a lot from reading this article. To be honest, I’m discovering more about playing the guitar from your website, then I’ve ever did from any training DVD set I’ve bought over the past few months. Hope it’s ok that I share this post on Facebook?
12/23/2009
12:13 am

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12/31/2009
10:27 pm

Kathy Dahlkemper

Tech Question:
Q
01/2/2010
10:01 am

Adam Pratt

Wow….. Snobbish much? I’m no guitar god but I’ve been playing off and on for 32 years. My 17 year old son is an aspiring song writer, singer, drummer and guitarist. He recently won his first talent competition and I have high hopes for him. He’s also an expert on Guitar Hero. I never understood how he and his friends could spend so much time on that game (they, also, are aspiring musicians) until my wife bought GH3 for me as a Christmas gift. IT’S A BLAST! Crank it up through the surround sound, listen to great new and old rock tracks and get in the groove. What’s not to love? I can guess that it inspires kids to pick up the instrument because it gives them a brief glimpse of what it feels like to nail a great groove with a band. Until GH, most would never know about that rush. By the way, after two weekends playing the game on medium difficulty, I’m ready to move to hard. With out all the hours playing the real thing, I don’t think I’d be very good at the game at all.
01/8/2010
10:29 am

Vallie Quincel

Nette Seite! Dein Post ist interessant. Danke dafuer.
01/17/2010
12:54 am

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Hi there. my mom told me about your site a couple days ago. and I absolutely like it. I will be subscribing! Thank you!
02/1/2010
12:07 am

Loren Dircks

I REALLY appreciate your comments, and have discovered exactly the same thing myself. I recently made a music video poking some fun at GH and pointing out the MUCH BIGGER picture of the over commercialization of our pop culture and the gaming community IS FURIOUS. They have sent out a mission for all of their followers to troll us. Check out the video, and if you enjoy, please share it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QcZ2a6sams
02/4/2010
4:05 pm

Osvaldo Defrancisco

Been searching for awhile for something like this great info very useful.
02/15/2010
11:57 pm

andrew

Wow, all the GH haters seem more like grandpas than rock musicians…the musicicans who inspired you would be ashamed of you people….
02/15/2010
11:59 pm

raj

so if the real guitar is sooooo great, what are all you so called professionals so THREATENED by just a game???? You guys sound like a buncha fuddy-duddys….i bet Hendrx (the REAL guitar hero) would have been the first to embrace GUITAR HERO the game:))
02/25/2010
1:00 am

Cecil Krakowsky

Thanks for sharing the info – but unfortunately it seems to be down? Does anybody have a mirror or another source?
02/26/2010
9:40 pm

Shaylok

Need to hear from the real musicians on this question. It inspires alot of kids to seek out a teacher and take lessons, but does it teach them any bad habits they have to unlearn to play a real guitar? (Hope that made sense)
05/15/2010
8:52 am

Strider

My situation is pretty similar to @Rob’s
I’m a guitarist in RL and I’ve played the guitar for years. I first picked guitar hero just a few months ago (saw it in an arcade centre and said to myself ‘wowwee, gotta check that out, looks interesting’). My first attempt at playing the game was a total failure. I felt really bad and rather ashamed because some little kids were playing way better than me.
Yesterday I went to the same arcade centre with my buddies and decided to give it another shot. Lord, I failed again XD
I’m glad I’m not the only one who has this problem. Guitar Hero can inspire kids to pick up an instrument and might be good for killing some time – tho for me spending time practicing with my Gibson is way more fun than smashing some buttons on that plastic thingy
06/13/2010
2:50 am

Scott

Actually I play guitar and am pretty awesome at Rock Band and Guitar Hero. I play in expert and get 80% plus. I know many fellow guitarist have trouble though. I separate the real thing from guitar because I know that it’s a game and realism isn’t the point of these games which is probably why I don’t relate it to real guitar. Rock Band 3 include a real guitar though with pro mode which makes you play real guitar. Maybe that’s something to check out?

Oh, and the controller has 5 buttons not 4. Just saying…
10/13/2010
1:01 am

Jack Cahalane

It’s more of a guitar emulator, not a simulator. I don’t think the intention was to create an authentic guitar playing experience,it was to make a fun game where you can pretend to be a rock star in your living room for an hour or so.
It’s like driving a car and then going to an arcade and having a go on Ridge Racer and finding out that you’re shit at it, to get good at it takes practice.
10/21/2010
8:26 am

James Kins

It took my a few weeks to get used to guitar heros weird ass guitar controller. I finally have it down and mastered it but i agree, its a complete joke for us real guitarists.
12/6/2010
11:19 am

Wendy Love

Comparing Guitar Hero to playing real guitar is like comparing jet fighter piloting to playing some kind of jet fighter video game. It`s not the same thing. Maybe in the future it will be with the kinnect and all that, but for now, they’re just games.
04/30/2011
2:38 pm

Kim

I totally agree. I’ve been playing guitar for 6 years. Acoustic and electric. So I’ve learned the trade of both styles pretty well. And I must say that Guitar Hero and Rockband alike throw me for a loop. I’ve come to find my own conclusions as to why I am a lot worse at the game than the real thing. I’ve found that when your tabbing a song on the real guitar you listen to every strike off the note and that’s how you then play it. You hit every note, string slap, palm mute, bend, hammer on and pull off. And you hit it on time with the beat. In the game, depending on what level your on, not every note is incorporated into what they want you to hit. So you as a musician are hearing all the notes and wanting to play them but in the game your not suppose to. It also throws you off when you can hear all the other notes that the game tells you not to hit. It’s hard to get into. And even on the expert level the game doesn’t incorporate every possible note. Non-musicians can’t hear or feel this well becuse they’re not trained to so it’s easier for them to do what the game says. Also, when the notes come down the conveyer belt, your suppose to hit them when they get in the colored bubble, but if you listen to the song, it’s not in sync with the conveyer belt so you actually have to hit it a second before you normally would. It’s just a mess.
07/7/2011
11:24 pm

Garan

You know, as a lifelong musician and gamer, I have to say I took to guitar hero pretty quickly. In two tries I was getting 95% on the hardest difficulty of pretty much any song my friends threw at me. All it is is recognizing the patterns, reading ahead of the line, and double-strumming the “string.” It’s nothing like playing a real instrument, but the patterns are there. They just take some getting used to. I’d also recommend not playing on the easier settings as they truly make no sense from a musical frame of reference.