Gaming's Burning Questions!

QUESTION: Will playing drums in games train you to be a drummer in real life?

ANSWER: “Rock Band has made playing music more accessible to people,” admits drummer Paul Abbott. “But the step from the Rock Band drum set to an actual drum set…well, that’s a big step.” Veteran drum instructor Brian Andres agrees that the two are “distant cousins” and doesn’t feel playing the game trains you to be a real drummer, just like “taking a breathalyzer doesn’t make you a better trumpet player.” However, Andres does see the Beat and Fill Trainers in Rock Band 2 as having “some legitimacy” — at least more than simply following the cues of someone else’s song.

Both agree that the biggest problem is that game drums simply don’t feel or respond like real drums. “Even the best electronic sets don’t translate into low-latency playability or the feel of a real acoustic kit,” says Abbott, so the little rubber pads connected to a 360 don’t stand a chance of teaching players how real drums will feel. Andres likens using the Rock Band 2 kit to playing “digital Whack-A-Mole.” Andres and Abbott both acknowledge that music games are young, and they think the gear can evolve to offer a more realistic feel, but right now, even velocity-sensitive kits aren’t close enough to really prepare you for a real drum kit. After all, you’re not even learning to play drums in the game; you’re learning to follow patterns, which isn’t as constructive as finding your own way around a kit. “It’s not a tool for teaching drumming,” Andres concludes, “but it is a fun game — and it’s another way for people to enjoy music.”

PREV123456789…NEXT