Keeping the guitar musically relevant

[OldSausage]

Apparently, this is how it is done:

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http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-04/music-digital-ax?src=SOC&dom=tw

[Michael Bridges]

If I could find software to make that sound just like your Silverangel, I might consider it!

[Marty Jacobson]

Good grief.

With a realistic instrument, Sullivan thought, all the time devoted to games like Rock Band could produce impressive musical proficiency.

Maybe with a better shower, all that time singing in it could produce a whole race of impressive vocalists!

[Jim Garber]

The frets are all equidistant. I know that should not make any difference. Not so sure...

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[catmandu2]

Looks like a decent controller to me--for its intended use. Keyboard controllers, too, needn't be full-size and are often just a small slice. Conversely, woodwind controllers tend to be more "full size"--about the size of a clarinet or sop sax. The significant thing is the full-size proportion aspect

I agree with the designer--in that this is a closer analog (and thus, more useful as a "training tool" for acquiring actual guitar instrument playing skills) than a Gameboy, iphone, or whatever kids like to have fun playing "music" with. Whether it will be used as such by those who might purchase--my guess is it will be at least as likely to be used as a discrete "toy"

There is some comparison--with other instruments: there is a similar transferability between melodica and larger keyboards, for example

[JH Murray]

With a bit of modding, it would not be a stretch to create a mandolin version, or any other stringed instrument. Could be an interesting travel instrument, usable with headphones.

[Michael Bridges]

I don't know. Seems that 6, equally spaced frets would really screw me up when I tried to go back to the real thing!

[catmandu2]

I don't know. Seems that 6, equally spaced frets would really screw me up when I tried to go back to the real thing!

Well it's certainly not ideal, is it. Although, even with a weird proportion it's easy to adjust among scale/size. But I'm thinking the idea here is not so much as a "serious" trainer for acquiring actual guitar/theory skills--and facility shifting between 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions--but probably merely to learn those "open" position chords. In this sense, it can have the pernicious effect of perpetuating yet more popular simplistic guitar approach (strumming open chords vis a vis "folk" style) and perhaps serve to inhibit "proper" study (personally, my kids don't have controllers of any kind, but instead have a bunch of instruments...but I'd bet they would prefer to have this thing, most of the time)

In another sense, one may learn the majority of fundamental chord shapes over 3-4 frets and later apply them on a full-size instrument.

My sense is that this will be used as simply another controller--albeit, one that more closely approximates the "feel" of a guitar--and likely wind up "junked" in the child's toy box. Look for these turning up at your local Goodwill soon

I was trying to think of anyone who uses those trainers--I thought I once read that Sharon Isbin uses one...long road trips, airplanes, etc. Certainly, one could use such a device to maintain some facility with right hand. In fact, when I was studying flamenco such a contraption would have been great--a lot of arduous physical practice is required for the right hand when learning rasqueados, especially

[OldSausage]

It reminds me a bit of this earlier ground-breaking musical instrument:

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[Jim Garber]

[QUOTE=OldSausage;1164575]It reminds me a bit of this earlier ground-breaking musical instrument:

That was brilliant, OS. Thanks a ton for that including the beautiful music.

Back at ya with this virtuoso piece...

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[OldSausage]

Impressive. I'd like to see him play the stylophone.

[almeriastrings]

I just hope we now see a lot more "musically irrelevant" old D-18's and D-28's hitting the market for peanuts.

[dang]

It reminds me a bit of this earlier ground-breaking musical instrument:

The attention to detail and complete believability of this clip is genius!