Learn to Be a Real Guitar Hero?

Answer 1

Believe it or not, the fake bass and guitar playing of Guitar Hero has been linked to improved performance on real Guitars. A study by the University of Rochester compared the performance of novice guitar players who were Guitar Hero regulars to novice guitar players who did not play the game. Novice guitar players who were Guitar Hero regulars were shown to grasp lessons more quickly, both intellectual and muscle memory based.

Guitar Hero players had a much easier time learning scales, achieving complete playthroughs without mistakes in half the time of the non Guitar Hero players. The Guitar Hero gamers were also shown to have increased aptitude in finding and remembering chord fingerings.

The lesson? Even playing a fake guitar develops the portions of the mind used in learning an instrument.

"The fact that the guitar used in the game Guitar Hero is not an instrument in the traditional sense does not negate the fact that it is an instrument," lead researcher Dr. Tate Yolunder said to interviewers. "The fact is, you have to have the same discipline, timing, and focus to correctly play the Guitar Hero guitar that you need to have to play a traditional guitar."

This has interesting implications for parents of children everywhere looking for a suitable pasttime for their ADD ridden kids. Kids who hate taking lessons would gladly play Guitar Hero with their friends, which means that they would actually be learning an instrument, albeit one that could only be played for that particular game.

However, the skills developed could lead to an easier transition into musical proclivities later, say researchers. The habits that are formed playing Guitar Hero definitely develop a discipline that can be used in other areas.

The bottom line? Parents of bad kids need to plop them down in front of the TV set after all. It is too bad that no one has come up with a similar solution for math and science!