A Simple Change in Hand Position will Take Your Guitar Hero Skills to the Next Level

Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II are popular games for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 video game systems that require both patience and rhythm to become a skilled player. In fact, if you just pick up the game, there is approximately a several day to even several week learning curve to become an advanced player. As you progress through the game from beginner all the way to the expert level, the game becomes much more difficult as fourth and fifth keys become a part of the game, and the speed to properly strum the notes and chords increases exponentially.

Whether you are playing the original Guitar Hero game, Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, or whether you are eagerly awaiting the release of Guitar Hero III on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, there is one thing you can do to help yourself become more of an elite player: use a special grip on the guitar controller. Specifically, place your left index finger on the second key (red), rather than placing it on the first key (green). With this grip position, your middle finger should be on the third key (yellow), your ring finger on the fourth key (blue), and pinky on the fifth key (orange).

The majority of players playing Guitar Hero, after starting with the beginner level, mistakenly start playing with their index finger in position on the first key (green), the middle finger on the second key (red), and the ring finger on the middle key (yellow). Because the beginner and medium levels do not incorporate all five keys, players can get away with this at first. However, once these players advance to the hard and expert levels - where Guitar Hero legends are truly made - they struggle to stretch their pinky fingers to reach the fifth key (orange) consistently, which eventually becomes an impediment to unlocking their full potential.

By switching to a grip where the index finger is placed on the second key (red), you can easily use it to cover the first key (green) when necessary. Because an index finger usually has more dexterity than the pinky, you should become more consistent at the game, and you will not have to worry about your pinky finger covering a second key. Further, on expert level, when you reach a difficult part of a song that requires quick strumming on the first two keys which cannot be simultaneously covered by your index finger (green and red), you can temporarily slide your middle finger up to the second key so that you can play that portion smoothly. When you complete that bar, simply slide back to the original grip position. This can be effectively accomplished without taking your eyes off the screen by feeling for the raised plastic identifier protruding from the middle key (yellow). Likewise, if you ever lose where you are on the controller, the identifier on the yellow key can quickly guide you to the correct hand position.

In sum, if you are picking up Guitar Hero for the first time, use a grip with your index finger on the second key (red) in order to advance your skills more quickly and to become an elite player. However, if you have already been playing the game with a different grip, switching to the recommended grip herein will help you get past any plateau you may have reached in order to take your Guitar Hero game to the next level.