Rock Prodigy is an app that plays like a game, but uses a real guitar and teaches real songs and skills. It teaches you these songs and skills by allowing you to play along with notes displayed on the screen, like a real-life Guitar Hero. You simply play along with the 'game' on your real guitar, and in doing so learn guitar techniques and songs. Rock Prodigy, however, is not a game; it's an instructional tool. Rock Prodigy's purpose is to teach you how to play the guitar in a fun way. It is intended to provide some relief to the burden of practicing, making learning the guitar easier, faster, and more fun.
One large benefit of Rock Prodigy is its mobility. It works with any recent iOS device, and requires no plug-ins. Also, you can use any guitar, electric or acoustic. And so, you can use Rock Prodigy anywhere that you can bring your iOS device and guitar. It's very portable.
More importantly, however, it works with any level of experience. If you are picking up a guitar for the first time, or if you already know how to play well, it has lessons and songs adapted for your level of experience. It teaches you the basics, such as how to hold and tune a guitar, and then increasingly advanced lessons, such as scales and difficult songs. This leads into the main function of Rock Prodigy: it is an instructional tool designed to assist the learning and practicing of any guitar player. It is not intended to replace any traditional methods of learning or practicing. Rock Prodigy, as a supplementary tool, can help any guitar player learn and perfect songs and techniques. Learning how to play a song requires repetitive practice. Why not practice in a way that is fun?
In The Shallows, Nicholas Carr claims that our brains change and develop based on our behaviors and experiences. I think it's possible that, after practicing the guitar with Rock Prodigy for some time, guitar players could come to develop positive, fun associations with guitar practice. Do not be deceived; no app can make learning and practicing an instrument easy. It requires hard work and consistent practice. However, if Rock Prodigy can make learning the guitar a little easier, faster, and more fun, then that is a worthy accomplishment.
I definitely feel as though this technology could make learning the guitar more fun and interactive. Younger people may see this app and find playing the guitar more appealing than the "old-fashioned way." Also, for people that don't have a natural ear for music, this app could potentially make playing the guitar more accessible to a broader audience. I feel as though Sherry Turkle's ideas support this technology. Since we often retreat from the world to technology instead of choosing personal interaction, Rock Prodigy would bring people back to the real world. A guitar is a real, tangible object and you can produce music that others can hear in person. People could get together with their newly learned guitar skills and play together. They could also play for friends and family. I feel as though this technology could bring people together instead of driving a proverbial wedge between people.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of ways to learn to play an instrument. I think that using this technology might benefit those who have some music knowledge to begin with. For example, my first instrument was the saxophone, and I went to class every day to learn more about how to care for it, how to make it not sound like a dying goose, etc. After that, every other instrument has been easier, like learning the flute. I already understood the concepts of posture, how to curve your fingers and not lift them from the keys, and not to mention already knowing how to read music.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rock Prodigy is excellent for someone who has already taken (or is currently taking) a course from an instructor who can interact, highlight their mistakes, and give feedback on how to improve. Some things a computer will just never be able to detect accurately, like posture. That being said, anyone with some experience with music already should be able to teach themselves, and as far as a tool for self-teaching, Rock Prodigy seems like an exceptional tool.
I think the nicest thing about this technology is that it works with all experience levels. It's especially great for people who have never played any instruments or had any lessons but are interested in knowing how to play a song or two on the guitar. They might have a busy schedule or a budget that doesn't allow them to take guitar lessons, so this technology is a great alternatives.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I totally agree with Kristina on how this technology can actually bring people closer together.
Rock prodigy is also great for introducing people to music because it makes learning music affordable and accessible. You don't need to pay for music lessons and, because it is so easy to learn with this technology, people will be more likely to approach learning music. Like Mandy says, Rock Prodigy can increase an experienced musician's repertoire of songs, but I see the technology's main promise to be bringing music to people who might otherwise never have approached music.
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