How Video Games Encourage Kids and Teenagers to Learn How to Play Musical Instruments

Most American children do not learn how to playcomes with a real looking electric guitar that
an instrument at school anymore due to manyattaches to the game unit and has buttons on it
schools having to eliminate music programs fromthat are color coded. In order to play the correct
their curriculum. In recent years, however, a risingnote, you must press the correct color button
number of young children and teenagers want towhen it shows up on the screen. For beginners it
learn how to play instruments like acoustic guitars,has some slower easier numbers to get the hang
keyboard, electric guitars, singing and drums forof it and the speed and difficulty increase with the
kids. This new interest has been influenced by thehigher levels. This is a fun way for someone who
several different video games out there thatdoes not know how to play guitar to feel like a
mimic singing, musical bands and playing guitar andreal guitar playing rock star. Because so many
other instruments.teenagers have liked this game so much, they
Some of the first video games that came outhave been showing up for guitar lessons at a
that were about performing musically were onesrecord rate since the debut of this video game.
that involved singing. Many of them requiresThe last great game that was created to join the
having a special microphone to hook up to theother musically influenced video games is called
game console and then you could pick a song toRock band. This takes the same idea as the
sing to usually in a karaoke -like technique. TheAmerican Idol one and the Guitar hero game and
most popular ones were the kind that copiedput it all together with a complete rock bands
popular singing shows like American Idol. You couldwith a singer, drummer, guitar player and a
create yourself into a video contestant and thenkeyboarder. Because so many games only
sing before a panel of judges and a large crowd.accommodate one or two participants at a time,
Your performance was then followed by the criticthis has been a great one for a group of friends
of how well you did. You actually had to learn howto do all together. This has made teenagers to
to sing on key and to follow the song, or youwant to learn all of the various instruments
would perform poorly. Due to these types offeatured in this game.
games, more kids than ever now want to takeMany parents do not like the fact that their kids
singing lessons because they enjoyed singingplay so many video games but the fact that
through their video game so much.some of these have encouraged many of them
The next popular video game that came out thatto learn how to play a musical instrument is a
has increased the interest in kids wanting to learngreat thing.
an instrument is the game Guitar hero. This game