WASHINGTON -- It's a sound strummed by everyone from children to 20-somethings, dads to celebrities.

They're hooked on "Hero" -- Guitar Hero.

Rana Sobhany plays it every day to blow off steam after work.

"We work really hard so it's a great way to unwind," she said. "And I can play until 2 o'clock in the morning and not bother anyone."

She even travels with it. Sobhany knows how to play a real guitar, but finds Hero more of a challenge.

"When I play my real guitar, if I have my finger on the fret and I let go of it, I can still play a higher chord, but on this, I get feedback. It will squeal," she said.

It's that feedback that Thomas Jackson likes most.

He keeps his eye on the rock meter.

"That's gauging how much they love you," Jackson said. "It's all about pleasing the crowd."

The stage is his Alexandria living room where he and his friends focus on the 60-inch television screen.

It sounds easy. Your fingers work the colored fret keys and the strum-bar, coordinating with the colors on the screen in note-perfect timing to the beat of a song.

It comes down to hand-eye coordination. You find out fast if you have it or if you don't.

For the talented, there's the whammy bar, used with longer notes and advanced levels that can challenge you against yourself or online.

Thomas even throws Guitar Hero tournaments.

"I like the energy," he said. "When I play the tournaments, people come in with their enthusiasm and their energy and everyone feels good. Everyone wants to win."

At X-30, a Rockville gaming center, Hero bridges generations.

The owner said there's a shared dynamic and that the children are teaching their parents how to use the game itself, while the parents are teaching them how to listen to the music.