It is no secret that people who play the guitar have an experience similar to playing the musical instrument. However, does guitar hero help you learn guitar?
That’s a good question before considering that popular video game. You need to know that it is an excellent substitute for your guitar lessons.
Fortunately, this article shed some light on the matter. So, read on to find out if the video game can help you master the art of playing the guitar.
Is Guitar Hero Effective in Learning Guitar?
Interestingly, the answer to the question is a resounding no. No matter how similar the two experiences feel, it is high time you consider starting guitar lessons to learn how to play the musical instrument.
So, mastering the video game won’t help much once you pick a physical guitar to play a rhythm you have been playing excellently on Guitar Hero. Similarly, some professional guitarists are terrible at playing video games.
So, avoid playing Guitar Hero, hoping to gain guitar-playing skills. Otherwise, you will be frustrated, having spent much time and effort without achieving your goal.
However, playing Guitar Hero can help you improve your skills in playing the actual musical instrument. After all, it requires a similar skillset, including manual dexterity, a great sense of rhythm, coordination, and patience.
Let’s discuss several things that playing the video game can help you play the guitar;
Hand-Eye Coordination
It is no secret that hand-eye coordination is essential when playing the guitar. That’s where the Guitar Hero may come in, thus making it relatively easy to learn to play the instrument.
It will train your brain to coordinate the duo, your eyes, and your hands. Equally important, players also develop multi-level thinking, which applies when playing the guitar.
When picking or strumming, a guitarist needs to move their hands. You should also ensure that
Finger Strength
Playing the guitar requires you to stretch your fingers when playing chords. Again, that’s a skill you can learn when playing Guitar Hero.
After all, video game also requires you to move your fingers rapidly. Consequently, you develop the habit and skill of stretching your fingers, and that’s crucial when learning guitar.
Rhythm
You will learn to pick up the rhythm while playing the video game. Although it isn’t enough to help you learn the guitar, it makes learning faster.
That’s because you must learn to pick rhythm to play the guitar excellently. Since video games help you with the rhythm and the timing, you can consider it when perfecting this art.
Whereas playing video games can help a guitarist gain new skills and improve the existing ones, one thing must remain clear. Despite being an expert in Guitar Hero, don’t be surprised if you can’t pick up and play the actual instrument, regardless.
Is Guitar Hero Harder than a Real Guitar?
On the contrary, it is way easier to play Guitar hero than the actual musical instrument. That’s because of the things you will deal with on these two occasions.
When playing Guitar hero, you only deal with a whammy bar, a strum bar, and 5 frets. On the other hand, playing the guitar means handling 22 to 24 frets and at least 6 strings.
That’s not all you must worry about when playing a real guitar. There are also chords, string skipping, vibrato, and bends.
A Detailed Comparison Between Guitar Hero and the Actual Guitar
When comparing the video game and the actual musical instrument, there are areas where each choice wins. The option depends on your goal, though.
Let’s look at how the two instances compare;
Ease of Playing
Whereas one may assume that playing Guitar Hero is easy, it isn’t the case. After all, it won’t forgive you even for the slightest mistake.
However, real audiences may not notice a hiccup; even when they do, they are pretty forgiving. However, there are times when one can bend notes yet get points when playing Guitar Hero.
You may find it easy to play a certain song on the real guitar yet struggle to play the same song on the video game. After all, the game also integrates other instruments, including a piano, trumpet, keyboard, and saxophone.
Rewarding
When learning a musical instrument, every second means acquiring a new skill. You will learn a new technique or song that’s encouraging and rewarding.
On the other hand, the only rewarding thing is beating the games. The fulfillment doesn’t compare to what the musical instrument offers.
It is as simple as following along, and you won’t get anything more than enjoyment as you play. It would also be a lie to say that you will learn anything in the process of the game.
You can also make money by performing a real guitar. This artistic talent will also impress many people, which is not the case when playing video games.
Accessibility
You can learn how to play Guitar Hero within a short time. On the other hand, learning the actual guitar could take a long period, and most people give up before gaining the skill.
You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy playing the game. Music lessons are also unnecessary.
However, that’s a different case when dealing with a real guitar. You need lessons which can be quite expensive, not forgetting the importance of buying a guitar to learn the art.
Cost
Unlike buying a guitar, you may not have to spend much buying games and controllers. That’s especially if you settle for the used ones.
A single console can also play various video games, including Guitar Hero. All these cut the cost of getting started.
On the other hand, besides a guitar being expensive, it also requires additional accessories and peripherals. You also need to maintain the musical instrument, which is quite expensive too.
It often requires repair, especially Guitar strings which break frequently. Fortunately, you can have a great return on investment once you start performing.
The bottom line is that Guitar Hero and the real guitar requires coordination and practice. However, the latter is more demanding than the former.
Whereas the game is easily accessible to everyone, a real guitar is only for people willing to invest a lot of money and time. Despite the high costs, its rewards are also high.
