Evolution of Guitar Hero Controllers: From 5 Buttons to 6 String
Hyung-Min “Sam” Lee
Single Notes/Chords
The button and strum bar
interaction emulates holding
a fret on the neck of the
guitar and strumming one or
multiple strings of a real
guitar.
The Whammy Bar
The whammy bar on the
guitar hero controller is an
emulation of the whammy
bar on electric guitars.
Buttons
Hammer-On
The hammer-on technique
involves lifting or holding a new
fret while the string is still
vibrating.
Accelerometer
Strum Bar
Whammy Bar Bridge Button
Star Power
To activate the Star Power, the
user must hold the guitar upright
as some rockers do during
concert. The angle of the guitar is
identified using an
accelerometer.
In the newer version of the
controller, the bridge button can
be pressed to activate star power
without holding the guitar up.
Touch Pad
Tapping
The controller has a small touch
pad on the neck that can be used
specifically for tapping sessions.
The player will often bring both
hands to the fretboard for the
session.
6 String
The new 6 string controller for
Power Gig has, as its name
suggests, six strings. The
controller has colors on the side
of the neck that indicates which
fret corresponds to each color
buttons. The touch sensors on
the fretboard recognize the fret
input and the pick-ups recognize
the strumming. The combination
is interpreted as a game
controller input. The string’s
vibration can trigger multiple
inputs so when the controller is
used for gaming, a rubber
damper is added to mute the
vibration.
If connected to an amplifier, the
controller will function like a
normal guitar.