musician or gamer?

[eric_1963]

Seems there is a lot of debate about rock band and the effect on actually playing music or just playing a game. People who play An instrument think us gamers should just put down rock band and pick up a real instrument. How many of us are gamers and came in to play the game and how many of us were musicians or music lovers and became gamers.. Does rock band make you want to learn an instrument?

[tackhead311]

wow good topic hmmm. I'm not to big in to the games i play a select few. i love karaoke and i got the karaoke game hmx did back in the day and loved it. my roomies had guitar hero which looked cool and i played them all on medium to hard but never was like hmm wow I'm going to go get it.i always was a huge music fan and that what got me into rockband. the covers in the early guitar heroes i did not care for and it felt like playing a guitar which i cant do do so it doubled in my I'm not getting it. plus since i was a weak player i was always playing the bass and those games did not have fun bass charts at all. then rock band was announced and i was like ok almost no covers , i can sing and real bass charts and dlc hmmm this sounds fun. if i had put much work in getting good in this game on a real instrument i probably be pretty good. i play rock band for fun and if was to play a instrument it would olny be fun if i was in a band playing somewhere and i highly doubt that would of happened. for this is the reason i play rock band i can satisfy my inner rock guy self and plus with me not being able to tune a guitar save me some embarrassment lol. so i feel like im playing music more then i feel like playing a game. then theres the songs like the gorrilaz and smoking where im playing charted piano or something crazy and it feels like a game.

[BlackCherry831]

I've always been interested in both music and games. I owned a real bass before owning Rock Band, but I'm not a "musician". I love music and have always enjoyed learning to play musical instruments. I played the clarinet and flute in elementary and middle school. I picked up the bass during my Army days, but that's another story. So, playing Rock Band does make me want to pick up the bass again, but then I go to the closet, dust it off, and try to play it and remember why it's in the closet collecting dust. lol

[jimcallumuk1812]

My brother has all the musical ability in my family - he's played Bass and now lead guitar in a band in London for about 15 years and is frighteningly good although as yet unsigned - although they have now released their second album on the net. He won't go near Rock Band or any music game however. Similarly my step brother is a drummer who's pretty good but won't play drums on rock band, although he will play guitar. On the other hand I've played with quite a few seriously good players on Rock Band who play the actual instrument that they play in the game. This often starts off as a hinderence until you get how the game works and then becomes an asset as the rhythm / dexterity skills help woth the higher levels of difficulty. Conversely I have started playing the drums for real since playing rock band and find that I can play them reasonably well (although not as well as I play in RB). I've never really been terribly musical (played the Euphonium at school - thats a small tuba but not very well). But I've always wanted to play the drums and RB has finally let me do that - and now I have a real kit as well, lucklily I have a detached house so the neighbours haven't tried to kill me yet.

I also play with a local RB band - "The Ham Fisted Bun Vendors", the bassist plays bass for real already and the singer's not bad. The guitarist has recently started learning on a real guitar and, though he has a long way to go yet, maybe one day we'll be playing RB tracks for real (although I suspect never for anyone else to hear)

[hektek]

I think im more of a gamer than a musician. I been playing games since I was 4 (Frogger).

The first instrument I played was a single drum back in Mexico for a banda de guerra which means War band (Military style band with drum and cornets) I marched parades since I was 11 years old. At the age of 13 I started playing guitar and never did electric....so what I am trying to say is that I have played instruments but I do not consider myself a musician.

I have to say that GH was purchased because of the fun factor and I really liked the music. Then RB was announced with a drum kit and right away thought I had to get it. When the Ion kit was announce I was so excited as I always wanted to play drums and figured this had potential. I started playing medium almost immediately switched to Hard and now Im learning expert. This game has definitely made me want to play real drums and have thought about taking a class just for fun.

In regards to those who cant distinguish the difference between a game and a real instrument I called them fanboys . I see it as a way of awakening peoples music side or get involved more with music. Just wait when RB Beatles comes out to see how many Adults will start playing.

[funkdiggity]

I goofed around with guitar, piano, and saxophone at various points in high school, but I wouldn't say I ever played any of them good enough to call myself musical. Since playing Rock Band I've toyed with the notion of learning drums in real life, but it probably won't ever happen. Too many other things I'd rather spend the little free time I have on.

The whole "go play a real instrument instead of a video game" thing is all kinds of idiotic to me. I mean, yes, you can go out and buy a cheap guitar, and a crappy amp for hardly any money. And you can learn a few chords and plow your way through a couple of songs with relatively little work. But sounding like the bands in rock band, with professional quality instruments, equipment, and various effects, requires quite a bit of cash. Likewise being able to play like your favorite guitar god in real life takes years and years of practice.

Plus its an arguement that ignores the whole video games are for recreation and to distract me from my boring, crappy life angle