Wii Music and Guitar Hero: Music Lessons or Video Games?

You can learn just about anything in front of a screen these days. Whether it’s in front of a television or a computer, learning new trades has never been easier. While virtual lessons, such as traffic school or even typing, used to be novel advances in education, this day in age it is hard to beat the current trends in instructional gaming. In my very first post, I discussed groundbreaking curriculum (in that case, animation) that was sweeping through classrooms around the country. This made me wonder what other kinds of developments will pop up as we get further and further into a technological future. But what can apply as too outrageous to consider as classroom curriculum? My initial reaction to my original curiosity was the successful phenomena of Guitar Hero and subsequently Rock Band and Wii Music. As if rock-stardom wasn’t glorified enough through music videos, being a musician has never been cooler, or more fun for that matter. We all remember the hilarious episode of South Park where Stan’s father is labeled “uncool” (though, I believed the term they used was “gay”) for playing real guitar instead of Guitar Hero. The days of devoting hours to intense music theory are quickly fading at the click of a few colorful buttons. However, many people, especially those musicians who have devoted long hours to practice, are disheartened by this classification of Guitar Hero, Wii Music or Rock Band as music lessons because it lacks a majority of the technique and skill that comes with playing a real instrument. Strumming the little grey “string” switch while simultaneously striking the colored buttons cannot help you with pitch or note knowledge. The only assistance I believe it gives you is rhythm, but even then sometimes your guitar controller is slightly delayed causing you to get off beat. In a recent blog from Destructoid.com, a classically trained pianist and video game aficionado offers his opinions of the advantages and disadvantages of rhythm games. Similarly, in a recent gaming and technology blog on Gameplayer.com, Clint McCredie applauds Wii Music for its ability to help the understanding of real music.

Comment #1
"Music and Rhythm Games: A Classically-Trained Pianist's Perspective"

Thank you for your recent post about this issue of whether or not you believe these music and rhythm games are actual music lessons. I think you have a lot of well-written, well thought out points on both sides of the perspective. I thought your comparison to shooting video games was especially interesting – that while you are using a fake gun and simulation, it does not at all teach you how to properly hold a handgun – a point that I never considered. (Similarly, though on a completely different level, Dance Dance Revolution does not necessarily teach you how to dance well.) I agree with you in that it is a great way to improve finger strength and sheet music reading, as well as rhythm. However, I do not believe that these video games were created for the classroom, and that is why they do not necessarily teach you real skill. Rather, they are a way for normal, non-musical folk to rock out in a way they have never been able to, even if it’s just for a virtual audience. Nevertheless, as a musician myself and with my understanding of your music experience, I understand the frustration of people attempting to compare these games to real music lessons which require much more talent.

Comment #2
“Wii Music Review”

Hi, Clint – Thanks for your words on Nintendo’s newest Wii game, “Wii Music.” I appreciated your clarification on the differences between Guitar Hero/Rock Band and Wii Music, because I have not played the latter and was curious (and I admit, presumptuous) myself. Your post was very informative about the video game, however there were a few details I have to disagree with. Mainly, the part where you discuss the way the game can help a person understand music. I am not aware of your musical background, so I will be careful with my words, but I do believe that any musician would quickly reject the notion of these games teaching any real musical skill. Yes, it helps with rhythm and a few other basics; however, it doesn’t touch some of the hardest techniques to develop as a student of music, that many struggle to (no pun intended) fine-tune throughout their music careers. While I understand your post was more of a review of the successful product that Wii Music is rather than an opinionated blog, I think an important aspect to remember is the devotion and hard work that is required in really understanding music theory.