Guitar Hero Is Gone, But The Real Guitar Journey Can Be Just As Fun

Feb. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- — The reign of Guitar Hero™ is over.  Guitar Hero ™ sales have been steadily declining since late 2009, causing Activision Blizzard to kill the production of their fun and entertaining video game directed towards music lovers.  Some researchers claim that the rise and decline of real guitar sales in the guitar industry, mirrors that of the video games’ sales.  If so, the guitar industry will need something to help bridge the gap between the two worlds of gaming and real playing in order to keep the art of guitar alive.  
The Fretlight Guitar™ could be that bridge.  It is a real electric guitar with LED lights built right into the fretboard (neck) of the guitar.  The Fretlight plugs into your PC or Mac computer and lights up the riffs, songs, chords and scales of your choice to help an aspiring guitarist learn faster.  The goal is to eliminate the back and forth between charts and books and bring the learning to your fingertips.  Learning guitar the traditional way is known to be challenging.  The Fretlight is an easier and faster way to learn to play guitar, or to improve your guitar-playing skills.
According to escapistmagazine.com, in 2009 Activision said, “Two-thirds of non-musicians who play or have played music video games plan to start playing a real instrument, while three-fourths of musicians say that they're inspired to spend more time with their instruments after playing a music game.”  The problem with that statement is that we don’t really know if the gamers have followed through with their “plans” of playing, because as we know, the step up from playing a real electric guitar from playing the video game, Guitar Hero™ is a big one.
“Guitar Hero™ was a way for dreamers to get their feet wet with playing the guitar.  If they go straight from playing the dynamic Guitar Hero™, to reading scale and chord books, they are going to get frustrated and give up on their dreams.  People need a way to keep their attention.  Learning should be fun.  The Fretlight gives you instant gratification and has taught thousands of people how to play guitar- most of which tried to learn the traditional way and failed,” said Rusty Shaffer, inventor of the Fretlight Guitar and CEO of Optek Music Systems.

Guitar Hero’s curbed appeal could mean it is the perfect time to engage the public with an alternative way to learn to play a real guitar.  The Fretlight may be the answer for those who have outgrown their video game and are ready to take the next step.

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Optek Music System, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is based in Reno, Nev. Developers of the Fretlight® Guitar, this privately-held company, manufactures and distributes six-string electric guitars that utilize a truly revolutionary patented technology through its interactive light system that allows the player to learn the guitar quicker and with better retention. Notes, scales, chords, progressions, lessons, songs, riffs and more are easily accomplished through its Video Player software. Additionally, Optek produces and sells educational products available online, through its distributors and exclusive partnerships. Optek has many U.S. and international patents as well as patents pending for its interactive guitar learning systems and musical instrument manufacturing designs.www.fretlight.com