For me computer games begin and end with Lemmings. I just don’t have the patience to work out the key sequences for anything flashier. But now the age of the Wii and XBox is upon us it would seem that computer games are branching out…
So, last night I went to ‘band practice’.
Without regular rehearsals or any real reason to practice I have recently neglected my various musical ventures. I honestly can’t remember the last time I sang anywhere apart from in my car. And despite resolving back in January to crack out my violin at one of the many Open Mic Nights in Falmouth, the last time I played my violin properly was when I took my grade 8 two years ago. And as a result I found my ass being kicked by a computer game!
Make derogatory comments if you wish, shout about the lack of musicality but you cannot deny the popularity of Guitar Hero and the like.
But as I watched my compatriots keep in time to the beat and rock out on complex chord sequences it made me wonder… can you really learn to play an instrument via a computer game? It is claimed, for example, that if you can consistently play at expert level on the drums, you can recreate that performance on the real thing!
If guitar hero teaches you anything it’s hand eye coordination and an awareness of rhythm and beat. It also introduces the notion of tonality through the different coloured ‘frets’ to the guitar and the graphic score used for the vocals. No, there is no score as such but the colour-coding is not that dissimilar to colourstrings (a way of teaching the violin which gives each of the strings a different colour).
Technical prowess is, however, only one part of learning an instrument. And unfortunately the other elements can’t be taught via an electronic medium. But it was an interesting experience. When I first went along I expected to be good at it, I mean surely if you can play an instrument you’re in with a fighting chance. But where music is organic and embraces the individual’s interpretation of the notes in front of them, a computer is no way near as forgiving. Consequently I failed. Epically!
So can a computer game ever ‘rock’… well there’s only one way to be sure, and that’s to line up some of the world’s most famous and talented musicians and see how they fare. (Maybe I’ll try this one day). Failing that give it a go yourself.. Trust me, it’s an eye-opener!
