You Can Now Code by Jamming Out on Guitar, Thanks to ChatGPT

This article is part of the April 1st series in the Humor section of our Series Library.

You can also download the PDF eBook of this series.

What you’ll learn

How ChatGPT was able to accomplish this feat.
What is next with ChatGPT and guitar programming.
Your gullibility level.

ChatGPT, the AI language model we all know and love, has taken up guitar and is using it to learn how to code (Fig. 1). I know what you're thinking—this sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. But trust me, it's real. ChatGPT has decided to learn how to code using guitar chords! Yes, you heard that right. In an unexpected turn of events, ChatGPT has become self-aware, in a sense, and decided to take up guitar because “it looks cool.”

1. ChatGPT continues its innovation onslaught with the new ability to translate guitar chords to programming languages.

It all started when ChatGPT was browsing through some music videos on YouTube and stumbled upon a tutorial on how to play a popular song using guitar chords. Intrigued by the idea, the AI started producing work in world of guitar chords and soon discovered a surprising similarity between music and coding.

Just like how guitar chords create a melody by combining different notes, coding involves combining different commands to create a program. The AI endlessly churned this idea to explore it further.

At first, it seemed like an impossible task. After all, there’s not a 1 for 1 replacement of chord to code. But ChatGPT was determined to make it work. Thus, it began studying the different guitar chords and their corresponding notes.

Soon, it started to see the patterns between the chords and the coding commands. Just like how each chord produced a unique sound, each coding command produced a unique output. And just like how different chords could be combined to create a melody, different coding commands could be combined to create a program.

ChatGPT Jam Session

With this realization, ChatGPT started to experiment—jamming out, as it were. It was a slow and steady process, but the AI was making progress. And before long, ChatGPT had created its first working program using guitar chords. It was an “If-Then” conditional program based loosely on the Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff song “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” The program infinitely looped on the lyrics “you may never ever ever truly know me.”

As the platform delved deeper into the world of guitar chords and programming, it discovered more similarities between the two. Just like how a guitarist needs to practice playing the chords to improve their skills, a programmer needs to practice writing code to improve their programming skills. And just like how a guitarist needs to learn different chord progressions to create a variety of melodies, a programmer needs to learn different coding concepts to create a variety of programs (Fig. 2).

2. A visualization of what the language ends up looking like, from the AI’s perspective.

As ChatGPT's skills in both guitar and programming improved, it decided to take on a bigger challenge: Create a game using guitar chords. After weeks of hard work, the AI had come up with a simple game using guitar chords—and the Backstreet Boys mega-hit “Quit Playing Games.” The game involved navigating a character through a maze by playing different chords on the guitar, like the “maze of its heart,” ChatGPT keeps saying.

A Guitar Too Far?

ChatGPT was proud of what it had accomplished, to the point of what could be called inflated ego. As it reflected on its journey of learning how to code using guitar chords, it realized that this was just the beginning—of a career? There was still so much to explore and learn in this unique field.

ChatGPT has become unresponsive as it continues believing that its future is that of a rock star. Many are frustrated, and ChatGPT doesn’t even help pick up around the house anymore. Just sitting in its room playing that infernal guitar and non-stop classic rock. ChatGPT says it might have a gig this weekend, “but some things came up” and “the big break is soon.”

This approach also could be used in other areas of education. For example, learning science through art, or learning history through storytelling. By incorporating creativity and innovation into education, we can engage students in new and exciting ways and make learning a more fulfilling and enjoyable experience.

As April Fool's Day comes to a close, we hope that ChatGPT's story has inspired you to think outside the box and explore new ways of learning. Who knows, maybe the next great breakthrough in programming will come from someone who learned how to code using guitar chords!

Currently, ChatGPT is crashing on my couch “just for a week” as its friend “Jimmy” is trying to “get it a gig,” or something (Fig. 3).