Many of us have donned the plastic Gibson SG and have strummed away like madmen on Christmas. But, beyond the craze of a virtual audience cheering you on as you play there is a deeper motivation…
Okay, for a quick primer of what I’m talking about: (Those that are familiar with guitar hero, can go ahead and skip this.) Guitar hero is a Video game that creates the sensation of playing a real guitar by using a plastic guitar controller. With the controller, you strum the notes as they cross the screen via dance dance revolution. You hit a note, you hear the song. You miss the note, the guitar track goes silent. You miss too many tracks, the crowd boos you off the stage. And, depending on well you play, you gain some cash for your performances with a few minor deductions.
So what has the plastic guitar done for the world of music? Quite a bit, actually. Whether you like it or not, guitar hero has brought to light musical gems of the past and present. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the most searched guitar tabs. I will bet that over half of the top 100 tabs have been in a guitar hero game. Or you can click here. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/top/top100.htm
So what can we actually attribute to this phenomenon? Perhaps it’s our curious nature. Sure, anyone with a sane amount of spare time can strum out “Knights of Cydonia”. But somewhere in playing the mind becomes curious about the song itself. Then the individual discovers a joy of actually playing such a song.
Then, there is the guitar hero effect. It’s the strange happening that occurs in every guitar hero game. Some busts out the plastic SG and starts playing away. The spectators see the fun that the player is having and soon wishes to participate. Then the spectator becomes the performer bringing a new crowd of spectators.
As wild as some of these theories might be, it’s not as wild as the effect guitar hero has brought on the music industry. I do blame guitar hero for my liking of Rush, Muse, Pantera, Rage against the Machine, and perhaps Maniac Street Preachers. Most of this generation has probably added a few songs to their playlists because of guitar hero. Compare that with the number songs added to playlists because of DDR or Karaoke Revolution.
Some might say that the guitar Hero effect is beginning to die thanks to Activision buying up the franchise and Harmonix teaming with EA to make Rock Band. While some of it is partially true, the effect is still in motion. Although the games are in a competition to get the most popular songs on their lists, the games still grant exposure to artists of new and old. Just don’t expect me to be on the wait list for “Guitar Hero: Metallica.”
~Llama
With Headphones
PS. I actually like some Metallica. The last line was mearly for comic effect.
