Prince turned down Guitar Hero, prefers kids 'learn how to actually play'

by David Hinkle { Apr 30th 2009 at 11:59PM }

When Prince isn't busy changing his name, starring in Hollywood movies, or giving your mother hot flashes, he enjoys making music. Nowadays, he's hawking his latest album at your local Target, which is the reason PBS caught up with the man for an interview.

The interview is pretty extensive, spanning a great deal of Prince's illustrious career, but of most interest to the gaming crowd are surely Prince's thoughts on Guitar Hero. When asked, Prince said, "Well, I ain't mad at them. I hear it made, like, $2 billion and they came to us and offered us a very small portion of that," which Prince, obviously, turned down. Prince thinks, "it's more important that kids learn how to actually play the guitar," even though he says it's incredibly tough to learn. According to him, the payoff is the joy of creating something from nothing.

Prince thinks that making music is the best thing in the world, but we think he's overlooking one important fact: You can create music with Guitar Hero's instruments.

[Via superannuation]

Tags: guitar-hero, music, pbs, prince, purple-rain, rhythm

Related From Joystiq

Use a real guitar to play Rock Band 2 AND get punched while doing so!
10 days ago
Review: DJ Hero
11 days ago
Activision: DJ Hero's 'diversity' key in attracting 'Hero' newcomers
24 days ago

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

CH3BURASHKA @ May 1st 2009 12:04AM

Speaking of Prince, bring back Chappelle's Show!

Apollo @ May 1st 2009 12:20AM

How about you and your friends versus me and The Revolution?

ArchGamer @ May 1st 2009 12:25AM

Oh dear God, I can't help but to agree with you on that!

"I'm rich bitch!"

AlterEgo @ May 1st 2009 12:25AM

@ Apollo

Assemble your crew.

Apollo @ May 1st 2009 12:27AM

If I had my way, I'd never work. I'd just stay home all day, watch Scarface 50 times, eat a turkey sandwich, and have sex all fucking day. Then I'd dress up like a clown, and surprise kids at schools. Then I'd take a dump in the back of a movie theater, and just wait until somebody sat in it. Hear it squish. That's funny to me. Then I'd paint, and read, and play violin. I'd climb the mountains, and sing the songs that I like to sing. But I don't got that kinda time.

ill trooper @ May 1st 2009 12:40AM

"Let's run a play: Computer Blue!"

Back on topic though, I can respect his opinion on it, he doesn't slam the music games necessarily, he just opts out of being part of it.

I also like the little dig at the business end of Guitar Hero when he says "I hear it made, like, $2 billion and they came to us and offered us a very small portion of that."

Hah!

"Game - Blouses!"

Alvin_Rod @ May 1st 2009 12:54AM

do you guys want some grapes?
bitches...

HighFiveJesus @ May 1st 2009 1:29AM

Now if you'll excuse me... I have to go put some water in Buck Nasty's Momma's Dish.

PR0F3TA @ May 1st 2009 1:52AM

'"Why do you think I carjacked you, Rhonda? "

''Cause the cops found you in it three hours later asleep, high on crack! ''

"That's impossible, Rhonda. How can you sleep when you're high on crack?

Killiam XXIII @ May 1st 2009 2:09AM

"Good motherfucking choice, motherfucker! Samuel Jackson! Made painstakingly by me, Samuel L. Jackson! It'll get ya drunk! You'll be fucking fat girls in no time! You might even fight a ni**a or two! Mmmm-mmm, bitch!"

F.E.F Red Fury @ May 1st 2009 2:15AM

YOU DARKNESS, YOU BLACK - LATE NIGHT - EVIL MOTHAFUCKAS - BLACK MAGIC, DARKNESS! YOU RAW... DARKNESS... YOU... DELIRIOUS... MOTHAFUCKAS. YOU WAS COLD AS ICE.

Fuck yo couch, ni**a...

furious @ May 1st 2009 2:52AM

he makes awesome pancakes

Spartan @ May 1st 2009 4:12AM

Cocaine is a helluva drug.

littleMatt @ May 1st 2009 7:33AM

You thinking of Rick James??

kbomb1upc @ May 1st 2009 2:55PM

This site is worthless.... Instead of talking about games, you could be creating them..... I'm hungry, Pancakes anyone?

PR0F3TA @ May 2nd 2009 7:04PM

Playas hater ball was def top

"Now Excuse me why I go put some water in Buck Nasty's momma's dish"

"Hate Hate Hate Hate"

darthbob @ May 1st 2009 12:05AM

I say whatever floats your boat, if you enjoy Guitar Hero or Rock Band so much, then go ahead and try a real instrument, if you're just casual, then just keep on with the game.

Ridgecity @ May 1st 2009 5:05AM

didn't you read?

"but we think he's overlooking one important fact: You can create music with Guitar Hero's instruments."

silverwolf761 @ May 1st 2009 11:07AM

^ if you're going to CREATE music:

- why would you use Rock Band/Guitar Hero instruments?
- why would you need music from Prince, or any other artist for that matter?

yayoyayo @ May 1st 2009 12:06AM

darn it! i wanted to hear prince's thoughts on tekken 6

megapenguinx @ May 1st 2009 1:15PM

Well, he's not mad at them. He heard they made like $2 billion and they came to him with a portion of that. He turned them down obviously. Prince thinks, "it's more important that kids learn how to fight".

markhill66 @ May 1st 2009 12:08AM

I love both music games and Prince, and I completely respect how he feels about this.

I will say, though, that I will buy the first game to come out with "7" and/or "Purple Rain," regardless of whether it is a rhythm game, dance game, or collection of Wii mini-games. I should just send him $60.

343 Guilty Fart @ May 1st 2009 2:31PM

So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills, you know the one, Dr. Everything'll be alright...

Kyattsuai @ May 1st 2009 12:16AM

No Prince songs probably means no wang-shaped guitar peripherals, a la his Super Bowl performance. Darn... er... I mean, probably for the best.

...darn

B3astofthe3ast @ May 1st 2009 12:19AM

ArchGamer @ May 1st 2009 12:23AM

I kind of agree with Prince, which makes me feel weird for some odd reason. Why don't people just play a real guitar, it's hard to be a doucebag when playing with plastic.

Sarth @ May 1st 2009 5:06AM

Watch one of James Like Coulter's videos. He manages it.

Max Rukov @ May 1st 2009 12:36AM

+1 for Prince. I like the Guitar Hero games, and the Rockband ones as well, but sadly some people may confuse the experience and not even explore the real thing because they're so used to the instant gratification that these games provide. Again, the games are not a bad experience, they're an absolute blast, but if they keep receiving the unchecked support of bands willing to do anything for popularity and a quick buck, we may run out of quality bands because the kids that could have been great have sadly settled. Some may call survival of the fittest on this and say good riddance to the people who may not have the dedication anyways, but that would not be right, specially when some may not be lazy, they just don't have the means to pursue music for lack of resources or guidance.

This in itself raises the possibility that this games may in fact boost the probability that people will in fact try the real thing and get into the music scene, but in order for that to happen, we NEED opinions like Prince's to surface now and then, from real musicians, so that the inspiration that they can provide to newcomers is complete, not just in the form of a sequence of button presses.

TLDR version: Madden 09 is great, but sometimes a real quarterback oughta reach out and help kids get into the sport, not just model for the cover of the game. Rockband and Guitar Hero are great, but sometimes Prince oughta come out and lay down the law with reality checks.

MrSpaceCowboy @ May 1st 2009 1:10AM

"we NEED opinions like Prince's to surface now and then, from real musicians"

I agree. Remember when Nickelback tried? (*giggle*)

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/21/nickelback-singer-put-down-the-guitar-hero/

RiccochetJ @ May 1st 2009 12:38AM

Can't I do both?

Apollo @ May 1st 2009 12:50AM

*MUST RESIST URGE*

That's what she said........

Rocketboy @ May 1st 2009 9:25AM

Actually, that's what he said...

to which she said "No.".

Nap @ May 1st 2009 12:42AM

I don't get points for playing a guitar real guitar though

aggrazel @ May 1st 2009 9:28AM

Yeah but next time I have a bunch of friends over who want to goof around for an hour, I'll tell them to go learn how to play REAL instruments so we can make our own music. Instead of playing around and having a good time on our fake ones.

vidGuy @ May 1st 2009 12:46AM

"incredibly tough to learn"

I learned how to play my first song in 15 minutes. Tough to learn my ass. I've been playing for ten years now, suck it Prince.

As for the Guitar Hero benefit - Guitar Hero and Rock Ban are way more fun than strumming a guitar in a time/fun equation.

Spartan @ May 1st 2009 4:18AM

Did you ever think that, maybe, some people learn things at different rates?

You just made yourself douche of the day for your "how can anyone find anything hard that i found easy" remark.

cuteSAVAGE @ May 1st 2009 7:05AM

"I learned how to play my first song in 15 minutes. Tough to learn my ass."

You learned how to play your first song, but did you learn how to really play the instrument? Any idiot with six fingers can play Smoke on the Water or Crazy Train if they sit in front of a tab book for 15 minutes. You need to be able to compose and arrange your own music before you truly learn an instrument.
-----

I agree with Prince. KIDS need to learn how to play music. Some adults do as well, but you are much better of starting in your childhood. These games are fun though, and I'm sure they've done more to get kids into playing real music then they've hindered instrument adoption. There's probably been more new Guitar Center openings after 2005 then there were existing prior to GH's launch.

vidGuy @ May 1st 2009 9:47AM

Hahha, oh you guys. You know, I agree with his sentiment - that kids need to get out and do the real thing. It certainly helps the brain more to create music than play a video game music track.

But I disagree that it is "incredibly tough to learn." It's not as exciting as being able to play some Van Halen tune in five minutes of a game. But most people don't play GH or RB for five minutes, it's more like a few hours at a time. I find it hard to believe that anyone could fail to pound out Mary Had a Little Lamb on a piano in a few hours.

I know plenty of people who spend upwards of 15 hours a week playing video games. That's fine for a hobby, IMO. But if their excuse for not doing "the real thing," learning a skill or hobby, is that it is "incredibly tough," I call bullsh!t. If you spent 15 hours a week at anything you'd get pretty good at it.

I think Prince would have been better served with his message if he said - "Hey kids, you can learn to play a whole song your very first day! And if you keep practicing, you'll be playing like me!" At least don't feed into the excuse.

vidGuy @ May 1st 2009 10:14AM

@cuteSAVAGE, did anybody beat Super Mario Bros in their first 15 minutes of play? Doubt it. But those who did beat the game didn't get frustrated and give up because they *just* couldn't make that jump.

Just as it took practice to beat a videogame, it takes practice to actually learn the instrument. But I doubt anyone would have beat the game if it took 701 tries to get past World 1-1. That's where "any idiot" being able to play a tab comes in - you start easy, get excited and interested, and keep practicing. With time, you learn to compose and arrange. If the very first time you sat down with a guitar you had to learn to play Classical Gas with sheet music, very few people would actually know how to play the instrument.

PSN: John-Paul-Jones @ May 1st 2009 9:57PM

I know what you mean, but I think the reason why people would go for Guitar Hero/Rock Band instead of a real guitar, bass guitar and drum set is the high cost it would total (decent instrument, amp and peripherals) and last but not least - the pain you go through.

You can learn your first song and shit for 15 minutes, but it takes years of practice to then begin to master your instruments. Also, you've been playing for 10 fucking years! Give the people who are just beginning to learn their instrument a chance because everyone's a "noob" when they first start, and stop being such a pretentious asshole.

Roto13 @ May 1st 2009 12:46AM

Musicians are weird. They seem to think it's like one or the other. Either play the guitar or play Guitar Hero. Or that playing Guitar Hero never leads to a desire to play the guitar.

Alvin_Rod @ May 1st 2009 12:56AM

well, why doesn't Prince go out and become an actual prince?

WINterfang @ May 1st 2009 12:57AM

I can't get mad a Prince and he did you said it in a great way and shows real concern and care for music, unlike the other douches that just hate guitar hero because they are jealous and their crappy band didn't make it to guitar hero or rock band.

Killjebus...PSN Killjebus @ May 1st 2009 12:57AM

Hey Prince,

can't kids do BOTH?

I have been around music for over 20 years. I can play the piano, violin, bass clarinet, clarinet, tenor sax, and sax. I have been a piano teacher, studied under various professors starting at the age of 12...and I LOVE GUITAR HERO/ROCK BAND games.

My son's interest in music has come out of nowhere since I have had those games in my house. Before....NO INTEREST (and he has my musical talent) which he now is starting to use.

Multitasking Prince....its not that hard.

Markez @ May 1st 2009 1:22AM

Thanks for the human response, please don't shy away from it in the future? Seeing growth outta kids beyond the regular bang bang bang on an instrument is a pretty awesome thing, The personality growth from year 1 to 3 is pretty incredible :)

uncle jesse @ May 1st 2009 11:28AM

Clarinet? Haha!

But seriously, I'm with you on this one. I play a bunch of different instruments as well, but I also love Rock Band.

While I dig Prince and what he's saying here, I do give the music games credit for exposing little, punk-ass kids to some classic tunes that they would have deemed "old people music" had it not been in their video games.

npa191 @ May 1st 2009 1:01AM

Good for Prince! I HATE douchebags who think they are musical gods because they beat freebird on expert. You know whats badass random GH douchebag? ACTUALLY PLAYING FOR REALS. not to be up on a soapbox but i believe music games are sullying music as a whole, because kids will relate songs to GH or RB and not the actually artists.

MrSpaceCowboy @ May 1st 2009 1:36AM

I don't think I can agree with your last comment.

GH and RB have both opened me up to a huge bounty of music I wouldn't have found on my own.

CD's I bought due to GH/RB:
Stevie Ray Vaughn - Texas Flood
Boston - Boston
Foo Fighters - Colour and the Shape
Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
Both albums by Shaimus
And an Aerosmith best of

It's through music games I discovered the rest of Shaimus' music, went on to get the Foo Fighters back catalogue and fell in love with the Boston album (I'd say it's my favourite).

I don't think music games sully music, I think they expose music for people to discover. The game element keeps the attention focused on the music.