Guitar Hero is a rhythm game series launched in 2005 where players use a guitar-shaped controller to simulate playing guitar, bass, and rhythm parts in various songs1. The game displays notes on-screen that players must match with the colored fret buttons on the controller, strumming in time with the music to earn points and entertain the virtual audience12.
While Guitar Hero can be dynamic and entertaining28, it is generally not considered a musical instrument8. Some argue that Guitar Hero is a skill that requires practice, but it is not comparable to playing an actual instrument4. The Guitar Hero controller is a plastic, scaled-down replica of a real guitar with only five buttons as opposed to strings5. Although the gameplay is inspired by real guitar playing techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, and whammy bar usage13, it ultimately remains a video game8.