Introducing Classical Guitar Hero
Alex writes "I've just uploaded the video of a piece of classical electronic music I wrote for 2 Guitar Hero controllers and software (which I created). More information about this piece, its software, and the notation involved in playing it is at alexwroten.com/works.asp and alexwroten.com/excuses.html.
I just figured people might be interested in finding new ways to use their Guitar Hero mastery ... especially with the hot debate over whether or not it hinders people's musical instruction."
Did Zonk die or something?
King Crimson ate a bunch of "Reds"!
God. Such racket!
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
what the fuck is this doing on the front page of slashdot?
Modding Trolls +1 inciteful since 1999
I'm not sure what nonsense I'm seeing there (in the first six seconds of video before I stopped it; it started to feel too much like RTFA), but it's not what I imagined which was bringing classical music and the associated instruments to Guitar Hero. I could dig that. Think about it, instead of endless rehashes of the same Guitar Hero game, you could have new ones, like: Lyre Hero, Recorder Hero, Viola Hero, and the always impressive Oboe Hero.
The enemies of Democracy are
I was really, truly hoping that would be great. Or good. It was neither.
I stole this sig from a more creative user.
Kinda like abstract art. Throw some shit at a wall and call it a masterpiece.
Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
WTF? seriously, whats does all this shit do on the /. frontpage today. are we transforming into /b/?
This is terrible. If there's some fun news for nerds hidden in here, someone else will have to find it and point it out. I can't get over how awful that video is.
painful
Sigs are for Terrorists.
Go and find a friend or two, buy a ticket each to a good concert, go out and get some fresh air and a few beers, watch someone who's job it is to play a guitar properly - and if you're as lucky as I am, you'll meet a nice girl, get laid and still be totally in love with her 15 years later.
You "hip young axe hero wannabees" are all well and good but you are also guaranteed to have these three things - a plastic guitar, a surround sound system and your virginity.
Capiche?
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
It's funny to me how venomous all of these comments are, especially after the phrase "I only watched the first 6 seconds of it." Surely you must understand these people don't play guitar hero controllers all of the time; it's experimental. Obviously in your eyes the experiment failed. Enough said.
Nothing beats spending hours pressing a button on something that looks like a guitar. Let the Chinese do the tedious work of learning to actually play something.
Wrong crowd to chastise for sitting at home playing games and such. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
No comprende? Let me type that a little slower for you...
No.
And why?
Because they are ***NOT QUALIFIED*** to do all those wonderful things with operating systems that we Slashdotters are.
This should be a ***REAL BIG HINT*** to you.
So put down the plastic guitar, go back to your computer screen, earn some money and go buy a CD or a concert ticket.
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
Maybe you do not know how /. used to be like, but very rarely should the person that created the 'article' be the one who submits it. Slashdot should work where 'news for nerds, stuff that matters' is 'discovered' and then posted. There was another recent article (rather video) that made the front page which you accepted and it was of questionable interest as well.
I just watched the *whole* video. And it really really was that bad, I'm afraid. Don't quit your day jobs. Seriously. The score was monotonous as hell, and it sounded like, well, two guitar-on-overdrive-pedals copies. Which is exactly what it was.
I'm not at all against using the guitar hero controllers as instruments. Shit, people like Kevin Johansen can even make mouth harps sound cool, so why not?
But calling this drivel "Classical" music is kind of akin to calling Delius a "classical composer".
Hot debate? I don't think the debate is so hot over whether this helps or hurts one's musical introduction. It's just a simple timing game. Only a few media boobs who like to repeat themselves over and over are the culprits behind your misinterpretation that there is actually a hot debate flaming over such things.
I play the keyboard and guitar. I don't think it's helped or hurt my playing in either. Just as Quake didn't make me any better or worse at hunting dove with a shotgun, or the countless hours of playing counter strike, my accuracy with my 7.62mm sport rifle never changed. It's a game, that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. The 'real thing' in all cases is completely different.
That was Mozart's best work EVER!!!!
Yeah, my karma sucks....but so do the mods.
This has actually inspired me to dig out my real guitar, and practice a little bit. I never want to get so far into guitar hero that I write a mod for it, or play it in front of a crowd.
I listened to the video and thought it was pretty clear that your music education has been hindered by something.
I hope you enjoy being "That Guy".
The role of the writer is not to say what we can all say, but what we are unable to say. -Anais Nin
I forgot to mention in my previous message that it's high time /. give up on the hip youtube linkage. Most of us read this shit at work and save the media filled garbage for a setting that allows for lots of bad audio and questionable content on the screen.
/. on the screen, it's no big deal. If the boss comes by and sees two guys pressing buttons hardwired into a shitty synth, he won't be thinking I am staying up to date on the latest geek news that is pertinent, such as security articles, the latest drive technology and such.
For years, if the boss walks by and sees
But go ahead, if you want to turn this into fark and end up eventually blocked by the nanny proxies, keep at it.
Wow... I suppose next you're going to tell me that downloading porn won't improve my technique with the ladies either?
Guitar Hero sucks as an "instrument" and this proves it once again.
Smashing your oboe against your amp stack?
Just doesn't feel the same...
Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
Why read slashdot when you can just go on Youtube?
If you want to train a little kid on piano, but don't feel like giving them lessons: Paino Hero. Link a computer to some LEDs on the piano keys. Then when the notes are supposed to be played, they light up on the piano.
God spoke to me.
In Soviet Russia, Slashdot gets slashdotted, with spam from other web sites with little links like "slashdot it!"
I guess Slashdot has become popular because it gives a lot of other web sites hits, so people know to submit stories here outside the usual audience. Which poses a problem for the usual audience I guess. Maybe all things mass-submitted should be put under a different category that we can just block. I mean, I would probably read this kind of thing if I came across it on another site, or in an email forward... but that's not what I come to Slashdot for personally.
Twinstiq, game news
If people spent as much time practicing a real guitar as they do on the games they might find that they are a REAL guitar hero!
Keep passing the open windows...
You know what you call a Guitar Hero player without a girlfriend?
...Actually, uh, you just call him a Guitar Hero player.
DRM: Terminator crops for your mind!
Guys ?
Didn't you hear me ?
Stop having fun !
http://xkcd.com/359/
You said it brother! Learn how to play a REAL instrument, build up REAL calluses and the WORK it takes to play correctly. While this game may inspire some, you will find that playing a game where the computer covers up ALL of your mistakes just shows you the work it takes to be a REAL guitar hero.
"I bow to no man" - Riddick
I think the youtube link was the problem here - if you read the site first and went 'hmm looks interesting this guy's put a lot of effort into it' and so on - instead of comparing it to the million 'you tube guitar hero' videos you've seen, where hand/eye coordination allows twitch freaks to sound as good as Mustaine - you'd have given this a bit more support than 'LOL sux F5 what next?'
"Give me perpetual instant gratification, or give me death." - with apologies to MacLuhann, Biafra, and Henry, in that order.
By the time you finish reading this sentence will end.
HORRIBLE!!!!
I don't get why everyone's so mad for this being on /.. If your worried your boss will be pissed because your reading this, you probably shouldn't be reading /. at work.
/. article. It's a creative and interesting example of how users find new ways to manipulate and use both software and input devices.
This is a legit
It's also a great example of someone piggy-backing off someone else's ideas to develop their own idea tailored to their own level of interest (a great support for the free-flow of information, albeit this particular example is somewhat trivial)
If there is no news, there is no news. Don't post stupid news to ruin the reputation of the site. All this is saying is that they are starting to value site traffic more than site reputation.
To be more specific I don't come here to see "BREAKING: NES Nudity Galore [VIDEO]!!!" It is the same reason why an investor doesn't expect to see scandalous pictures of Britney Spears on the Wall Street Journal.
Now if Slashdot does want to compete with digg and reddit for the top nerd sensationalist website then fine. People like me will simply stop visiting.
Your bring a unique and interesting argument to this already stale and stagnant conversation! Thank you friend!
'Guitar Hero' is a misnomer - with only five buttons, a wammy bar and single 'string' to pluck, 'Sequencer Hero' would be a more accurate name.
The perceived lameness of this original composition, is a shock because you're having an 'emperor's new clothes' moment. How shit do you think all those rockin' songs would be if each fret was limited to a single note per string, you know, like a real guitar?
I would like to see more on the pick and the wammy could be used to access different sets of notes to increase the range of the instrument. The inrestesting thing is, most early musical instruments only had a few holes / input points, best example I can think of is the Ocarina. Paging Orobouros to the thread.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG1eOsmj8wQ
(ps your mom's only got three holes, you should hear the music we make together BAM)
By the time you finish reading this sentence will end.
...that it has better sales than Sousaphone Hero.
Oh, no! You have walked into the slavering fangs of a lurking grue!
How can I configure /. to ignore everything posted by timothy? Or by Zonk, for that matter?
That didn't take long ... the ability to add comments to his video has been turned off. It seems that they failed to realize that people may be extra critical of a piece that is neither especially nerdy nor especially musical, yet which aspires to perhaps be both.
... this just does not have the fun or the musicality that can be found elsewhere. Certainly an interesting exercise, but not a good one, and not really Slashdot worthy.
/.ed ... too much negative feedback caused the comment functionality to crash and burn! Or was it something else that crashed and burned ...
I love midi controllers, I love what fun can be had hacking the Wiimote
Interesting that his vid has essentially been manually
If guitar hero could teach me to learn to read sheet music and recognize different pitches, notes and keys then I would fork over the money for it.
Ascii artist &
It hurts your ability in the same way as using tablature to learn to play songs. At least tablature is better in a sense that you actually have to listen to the song to understand the timing. For someone who doesnt know the instrument / is a beginner, this is is a distraction from the real thing.
I feel like I just got Rickrolled. Thanks Slashdot.
http://www.coderoshi.com/
Dear Sir,
/.
/.ian
GTFO my
Yours,
Loyal
No Frets on Fire? Seriously? http://fretsonfire.sourceforge.net/
I call it 'The Aristocrats'
But then, I hate the pop crap that's in the charts these days.
This was different at least, and I liked it well enough to listen to it twice.
So no, the video hasn't ended that debate.
The comment is rapidly disappearing off the main video page due to a debate over the dancer's sexuality...
StaceyLovesHimxx: lmao
good song (ed: this is a blatant lie)
shame about the guy whos obviously had too much e
Consciousness is a myth. Trust me.
Not everyone aspires to be a classically-trained, sight-reading musician, y'know. I believe Richard Wright, keyboardist of Pink Floyd, to this day cannot read music.
Why is this on the front page, but not my stuff?? I wrote software to turn a GH controller into an instrument: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3ohtqvF33c http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkyRRSSKHLU
Guitar Hero came out in 2005. No one became a "REAL guitar hero!" in 3 years, jackass.
Of course, what about those of us who enjoy Guitar Hero (I've played it a few times at a friend's place, and had a great time, but don't actually own it myself), but have ZERO interest in learning how to play a real guitar?
I am under no illusion that I have any guitar skill, despite becoming relatively good at Guitar Hero. It's a game. It's about pressing buttons with the right timing, like MANY games, but somewhat simplified to the most basic game play form and with a soundtrack of music that for the most part I rather like.
My book about LSD and Self-Discovery
Also on facebook as: DroppingAcidDaleBewan
Thats a different issue. If you reread my post i never mentioned whether its good or bad for people who have no interest in learning the instrument whatsoever.
My apologies - I guess I just got a little riled up by other posters who were spouting off about, "but you're not a REAL guitar hero for playing it!", and took my frustration out on the wrong person. You didn't deserve it.
My book about LSD and Self-Discovery
Also on facebook as: DroppingAcidDaleBewan
seriously, i just lost a few minutes of my life and i want them back.
no issues.
especially with the hot debate over whether or not it hinders people's musical instruction."
:)
No matter the outcome of THAT debate, I think no one can dispute that this upcoming game teaches people to play for real. I'm going to get it.
Being bitter is drinking poison and hoping someone else will die
As an experienced keyboard & guitar player and as an experienced listener of various genres of rock, metal & prog, I would have to say (at the risk of being modded troll) that is the worst piece of music my ears have ever been exposed to. Sure, Britney Spears tries "really hard" to achieve this level of "sophistication", at least she remains within the boundaries of her genre. This piece is neither genre-specific, nor is it in ANY WAY pleasing to the ear. It displays no musical proficiency whatsoever and probably ends up infuriating those who actually appreciate good music. Calling this piece of crap "Classical Music" not only undermines the reputation of classical music in general, but also belies a complete lack of understanding in the history of music (There being other eras of music also labeled 'Classical' such as Baroque). This post also indicates the decreasing quality of articles appearing on Slashdot. I sincerely hope the moderators review such material before allowing it to be posted on the front page.
Yeah thats just cos doves are usually in the sky though so its harder to run up to them, shoot them in the face then backpedal out of reach of their chainsaw.
I have discovered a truly remarkable sig which this post is too small to contain.
Please tag 'slashvertisement'
First post = troll. Cleverly worded post designed to enrage others = flamebait.
GRANDSPA'S GUITARS!!
horrible shit. YOu should be banned from Slashdot and whoever aproved this shit.
Not always. I learned to play Stairway to Heaven from tabs without ever having heard the song. When I eventually did, I was quite impressed that I sounded pretty much exactly like the original song. If you have a very good tab, you don't need to have heard the song before, although it does help immensely.
If you, sir, knew anything about the history of classical music, you wouldn't pull a keyword like 'Baroque' out of your ass to undermine this post's creativity. Baroque music ended before 1750. Classical music has continued through today.
In fact... believe it or not, a genre of classical music known as... Electronic Music (what?!) emerged in the mid-20th century. Composers such as Stokowski, Boulez, and Stockhausen engaged in experimentation with electronic instruments to create music (deemed classical mind you).
I don't understand why everyone has such a hard time understand what's classical about it. There's a freakin' atonal fugue in it. What's that? You don't know? Oh yeah... I forgot, you think that the bands on Guitar Hero are the pinnacle of musical achievement - not untrained garage bands with a record contract.
Open your minds people.
I'd love to have a Piano Hero where you could hook up a normal, MIDI digital piano or keyboard up to the system and sightread. It would need to be normally scored music on treble and base clef though, otherwise I don't think I'd want to play it. Imagine trying to play on a full 88-key keyboard where all you see is Guitar Hero-style notes dropping from the sky in 88 columns. Umm, no thanks.
Unfortunately, this would only target aspiring (or actual) musicians so wouldn't sell nearly as well as other games.
You know, Future Man has been doing something similar, but far better (in my opinion), for a long time.
you probably just got lucky, no matter how good a tab is, all it can tell you is how many beats there are per measure. and it gets trickier with tricky time signatures. It can never tell you the duration of an individual note the way sheet music does.
I found the video interesting, and the entire concept great. I wasn't too thrilled by the performance, but the idea of the performance is awesome: GH controllers can be used as reasonable instruments (or at least a midi/synth controller of some sort), basically making a proof of concept.
Whether you liked the music or not doesn't matter... if you deny it can be used as an instrument, then you're merely yelling "git off my lawn" like generations of sightless non-musicians have done forever. Might as well yell at the Beatles for daring to use a sitar in their cacophony.
I was honestly surprised by the negative response from
I meant theres a difference between sight reading and being able to read sheet music.