Members Mr.Hand! Posted December 14, 2008 Members Posted December 14, 2008 Hey guys,I'm fairly new around here but had an idea today. A guitar student I have was over for his lesson this afternoon. He's 10 years old and REALLY excited to learn how to play guitar. I got him started on basic theory and chords and he's really making progress. We started talking about different styles and I'm trying to find out what he's interested in. The kid LOVES Green Day. So he asks me what I like. I've recently been getting into blues and a lot of different types. So I mention Stevie Ray Vaughn. I asked him if he knew who that was. He said no so I started to play Pride and Joy and he lights up. "I know that song! It's on Guitar Hero!" I laughed. So know he wants to learn some 12 bars. At least that game is exposing these younger guys to some classics. What are some of your stories, insights, proud moments as instructors??? Edit: I realize my error in the title. Asked to have it changed...
Members jonfinn Posted December 14, 2008 Members Posted December 14, 2008 Hey guys,I'm fairly new around here but had an idea today. A guitar student I have was over for his lesson this afternoon. He's 10 years old and REALLY excited to learn how to play guitar. I got him started on basic theory and chords and he's really making progress. We started talking about different styles and I'm trying to find out what he's interested in. The kid LOVES Green Day. So he asks me what I like. I've recently been getting into blues and a lot of different types. So I mention Stevie Ray Vaughn. I asked him if he knew who that was. He said no so I started to play Pride and Joy and he lights up. "I know that song! It's on Guitar Hero!" I laughed. So know he wants to learn some 12 bars.At least that game is exposing these younger guys to some classics.What are some of your stories, insights, proud moments as instructors???Edit: I realize my error in the title. Asked to have it changed... I've never thought GH was really a bad thing. I'm pretty sure that people who play GH don't think of themselves as guitarists. It does expose kids to guitar music and thats a good thing! One thing i did realize is that GH pretty accurately simulates sight-reading. Although it's over-simplified, it's essentially the same process. Having said all that, a friend of mine (a professional guitarist) showed up at a "Guitar Hero" competition not realizing the contest wasn't for "actual" guitarists! ooops!
Members Mr.Hand! Posted December 15, 2008 Author Members Posted December 15, 2008 That's funny! I never really had a problem with Guitar Hero per say. It just bugged me a little that kids would spend so many hours in front of a TV with a plastic guitar when putting in the same amount of hours with a real guitar they could actually play something. We need kids learning music. That said, It is exposing them to rhythm and music they might not otherwise hear.
Mark Wein Posted December 15, 2008 Posted December 15, 2008 When GH first came out it seemed to distract my younger students from actually playing their real guitar. Recently it seems to have motivated kids who wouldn't otherwise be interested in playing music to take up guitar lessons, and they are already familiar with rock music other than whats currently on the radio. The average GH fan/beginning guitar student seems much more motivated and educated about music then kids I was seeing 5-6 years ago...
Members windmill Posted December 15, 2008 Members Posted December 15, 2008 The last few time I have youtubed guitar lessons all this guitar hero and game stuff comes up ... and their playing some of my favourite sings !!! Including the Clash and the Ramones
Members benzem Posted December 15, 2008 Members Posted December 15, 2008 It does expose them to some great music. I have had the same exp. w/my students. My newest, a 10 yr old is all about AC/DC. Luckily, I was able to steer the parents to the right guitar amp since we set up the lessons b4 they had bot him a guitar. And they gave me a AC/DC Tshirt from the concert!!!
Members Mr JinX Posted December 16, 2008 Members Posted December 16, 2008 I play GH - its a no brainer and I don't understand the hate - I play guitar, and I also play video games why not play a game about guitars? I don't think non gaming guitar players get it
Members jeremy_green Posted December 16, 2008 Members Posted December 16, 2008 I use guitar hero with my children as part of their lessons as a reward for good work. They love it and look forward to it. They also ask to learn songs they would never hear otherwise. My daughter last week asked if she could lear "Cliffs of Dover" by Eric Johnson. That's pretty cool. Guess it depends on the kid.
Members Mr.Hand! Posted December 16, 2008 Author Members Posted December 16, 2008 I play GH - its a no brainer and I don't understand the hate - I play guitar, and I also play video games why not play a game about guitars? I don't think non gaming guitar players get itI do understand the novelty of it. I game myself but mostly shooters. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that It's not a bad thing and It took a 10 year old to teach me that.
Members bdemon Posted December 16, 2008 Members Posted December 16, 2008 It does expose them to some great music. I have had the same exp. w/my students. My newest, a 10 yr old is all about AC/DC. You know, in my fifteen years of teaching guitar AC/DC has been about the only constant as far as rock bands that everyone knows and wants to play. I can whip out "Back in Black" on any student, any age and they'll be cool with learning it.Gotta give serious props to those guys. Angus using the same pentatonics, the same power chords for thirty years and they still pack arenas, still have that sound that you know is either AC/DC or someone trying to copy them. As I've said in other threads, GH's has almost saved this generation from the bad music pumped into the mainstream. I get the same moments as you guys...kids wanting to learn "Through the Fire and Flames", "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (Isn't that a fiddle song from that 70s John Travolta movie? Yeah, but it's in GH too!)For a number of years, Green Day was pretty much the only guitar driven band all the kids wanted to learn. Made my job easier (I remember bringing my teacher all the hair metal riffs in the 80s) and built their confidence, but the bar in those tunes is pretty low. GH is giving them a taste of what else is really out there and they're LIKING it.
Members DanSlime Posted December 16, 2008 Members Posted December 16, 2008 the other day my friend told me his kid's favorite song on guitar hero is reign in blood by slayer...pretty funny.
Members 335clone Posted December 16, 2008 Members Posted December 16, 2008 One of my kids friends brought it over last weekend for a sleepover, and it wasn't as bad as I expected. They do tend to pick and choose which songs they play though, so exposing them to Cliffs of Dover lasted about 5 seconds. My kid plays guitar, but not his friend. Everytime my kid was playing GH, I'd hand his friend my strat and tell him to 'play along'His answer? Nope, too hard.So I'd plug in and play along, then the friend would put on some thrash song at expert level and I was done.
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