It's Only Rock and Roll To Me
You could say my teenage son is a connoisseur of video games. Not only does he play them, but he also knows every detail about them--from voice actors to the individual histories behind the production companies that make them. As a result, in both conversation and deed, I have been exposed to almost every genre, and have personally watched my sons hijack cars, kill aliens, score touchdowns, and defeat the Nazis.
I'm now convinced one video game threatens the very fabric of life as we know it, and it should be banned permanently from all game consoles forever.
Guitar Hero.
OK, so maybe I'm being a little extreme, but consider for a moment the basic conceit behind this game. You spend hours in front of a TV screen pretending to be a rock star by accurately pushing the right buttons on your faux guitar.
What would happen instead if you spend that same amount of time trying to learn how to play a real guitar?
About a year and a half ago, I got an acoustic guitar for a present. I had always wanted to learn how to play a musical instrument, and now in my late forties I was trying to recapture a little youthful indiscretion. My boss at the time had played rock and roll with the same garage band since he was in junior high, and that provided some additional inspiration.
There is an old Cheech and Chong routine in which a heavy metal star named Alice Bowie proclaims proudly that he is a success even though he only knows three chords. You would be amazed how accurate that statement can be.
Little by little, I set aside part of the day to practice strumming chords, and going online to sites like Chordie.com to see how these chords formed the musical shape behind popular songs. My son was taking guitar lessons, too, and on occasion I would share a class to pick up a few pointers.
No one will forget Jimi Hendrix when they hear me play, but there is a special sense of satisfaction when you are jamming out a tune, and your teenage son yells downstairs that you are playing too loud.
Fighting off the forces of the Covenant is pure fantasy, but learning how to play an instrument is a personal pleasure that can last a lifetime. If your child really wants to pretend to be a rock star, maybe they should be encouraged to experience what it's like to make real music instead.
Get them a guitar, a set of drums or some other instrument. Just make sure to invest in some earplugs for awhile.
I'm now convinced one video game threatens the very fabric of life as we know it, and it should be banned permanently from all game consoles forever.
Guitar Hero.
OK, so maybe I'm being a little extreme, but consider for a moment the basic conceit behind this game. You spend hours in front of a TV screen pretending to be a rock star by accurately pushing the right buttons on your faux guitar.
What would happen instead if you spend that same amount of time trying to learn how to play a real guitar?
About a year and a half ago, I got an acoustic guitar for a present. I had always wanted to learn how to play a musical instrument, and now in my late forties I was trying to recapture a little youthful indiscretion. My boss at the time had played rock and roll with the same garage band since he was in junior high, and that provided some additional inspiration.
There is an old Cheech and Chong routine in which a heavy metal star named Alice Bowie proclaims proudly that he is a success even though he only knows three chords. You would be amazed how accurate that statement can be.
Little by little, I set aside part of the day to practice strumming chords, and going online to sites like Chordie.com to see how these chords formed the musical shape behind popular songs. My son was taking guitar lessons, too, and on occasion I would share a class to pick up a few pointers.
No one will forget Jimi Hendrix when they hear me play, but there is a special sense of satisfaction when you are jamming out a tune, and your teenage son yells downstairs that you are playing too loud.
Fighting off the forces of the Covenant is pure fantasy, but learning how to play an instrument is a personal pleasure that can last a lifetime. If your child really wants to pretend to be a rock star, maybe they should be encouraged to experience what it's like to make real music instead.
Get them a guitar, a set of drums or some other instrument. Just make sure to invest in some earplugs for awhile.
Labels: guitar, hero, sockol, videogames
posted by msockol at 11:15 AM
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