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The makers of video game Guitar Hero surprised the industry yesterday by announcing the end of production for the popular game after February. The news is sure to disappoint wannabe musicians the world over, but it's a small victory for one segment of the population: music instructors. "I don't think it's a huge loss to the society that Guitar Hero is no longer being produced," says one teacher. "I hate it." The List consulted local guitar instructors on why they aren't sorry to say goodbye to Guitar Hero.

1. Guitar is structurally unsound

   “The guitar doesn’t even have strings on it,” sniffs Cara Lyles, an instructor at the International School of Music in Bethesda, who says she hates Guitar Hero.

2. The beat is off

   “It’s about matching colors and keeping the beat, and the beat isn’t even accurate,” says Lyles. “It’s a millimeter of a second off. … It drives me crazy.”

3. Guitar Hero’s ability to inspire young musicians is debatable

   Bhagwan Khalsa, co-owner of B&B Music World and a music instructor, has a more positive view of Guitar Hero but says it’s hard to say if any of his young clients were actually inspired by the game. Lyles is doubtful. “I do think it did spark some interest with kids,” she allows. “But nothing that was going to, you know, flood the market with little musicians.”

4. Musicians can’t play it

   B&B guitar and bass instructor Dominic Elliott “tried playing it a bunch of times” but “had a hard time.” Elliott remains miffed over a kid who dominated him in “Welcome to the Jungle.”

5. Gives kids false confidence

   Khalsa liked that the game gave kids “a feeling of, ‘Oh, this is something I can do,’” but Elliott points out that the sense of confidence might be misplaced. “The only problem I saw with the kids was because Guitar Hero is really easy and playing a real guitar isn’t.”

6. Teacher prefers Rock Band

   “Rock Band is more social,” says Khalsa, adding that it simulates the experience of actually playing in a band. “The drummer and bass player need to be locked in a real tight rhythm section,” he says.

7. But it did introduce kids to Guns N' Roses

   “They were a huge band back then,” says Elliott, “and if it wasn’t for Guitar Hero, they never would have heard it. Every student I have wants to learn ‘Sweet Child o' Mine.’”