Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

[DreX]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Since guitar solos have been out of fashion for so long, I have no idea how women think of them, but I get the feeling it's not the pinnacle of the song the way it is for me. The other thing is that women seems to actually listen to the lyrics more often, to me they're just a bunch a words, and I sure they amount to has much for the singer more often than not.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

I highly doubt women go to a U2 show for the riffs. Could be wrong though :scratchch

I always thought women went to U2 shows because they still haven't found what they're looking for.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

I always thought women went to U2 shows because they still haven't found what they're looking for.

Haha! Thanks for the laugh!

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Haha! Thanks for the laugh!

:bigthumb:

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

I always thought women went to U2 shows because they still haven't found what they're looking for.

If your bride suggests this song on your wedding day then run...

But back on topic, I can mentally list off a ton of female acoustic guitar players but only a couple of electric guitar players. Most guitar advertising that I see shows males with electrics. Perhaps if marketers added more females in advertising more girls would get into it? I dunno, just a thought.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

. Perhaps if marketers added more females in advertising more girls would get into it? I dunno, just a thought.

You mean like when they get a model and dress her in a cut off shirt and a gstring and dump baby oil on her chest and then have her lick a guitar and take a picture of it?

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

These are all great comments, but they're probably all or nearly all coming from men (please correct me if I'm wrong about that). I wonder what women have to say on this topic? Even if they're not forum members, I wonder what the wives and girlfriends would say.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

It's because in rock and roll, women are the object and men with guitars are the warriors on stage. The girls are the prize. That may not be fact, but in the history of the industry and marketing, that is somewhat how it is portrayed. Now, in reality, I have seen quite a few female guitar players of all ages. They just may not all be in to certain genres of music that most men are in to playing and or listening to. Where I see more female electric players than anywhere else is Blues. Some even in Country.

My 11 year-old has picked up guitar with the help of yours truly, and I never forced it on her. She asked me to show her some chords and I did and now she's off and running with it on her own. Even taught herself some songs. The music school where she takes drum lessons has a lot of girls taking guitar lessons.

I believe the numbers will increase. It's just a matter of time. With social media and all the outlets to get themselves out there, more and more will be found.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

These are all great comments, but they're probably all or nearly all coming from men (please correct me if I'm wrong about that). I wonder what women have to say on this topic? Even if they're not forum members, I wonder what the wives and girlfriends would say.

I think that mostly you're going to find that people with strong opinions have them because they're passionate about something. Many times, those who aren't just never felt compelled by something. I can already hear my wife's answer... "meh... I just never really felt moved to pick up a guitar and go for it. It wasn't a conscious decision to avoid it or not do it... I just wasn't into it and had other priorities." That's my exact answer as to why I'm not into a myriad of things that others are into. Facebook and watching reality TV for starters. I'd rather jam a fork into my thigh than spend time participating in those things. And not because I'm anti-social (because I'm not). I just HATE them and think that they're an incredible waste of time and energy. Anyways... I'm not necessarily comparing those trivial things with a lifelong passion for guitar playing. But some people are just drawn to things for whatever reason and not drawn to others for whatever reason. Education and exposure can change the numbers... but I don't believe that they'll change drastically.

My daughters grew-up seeing their dad and other guys associating over guitars and music and witnessed very little such activity with women involved. But it didn't stop them from wanting to be involved themselves and just going for it. With all of my kids, I made it clear that their OWN passion and interest would have to drive their musical explorations, because I wasn't going to spoon-feed it to them. It's their life, their decisions as far as I'm concerned. Same with my boys. Wanted a quarterback (though I never played), but of my three sons... my youngest MIGHT end-up being a QB (beyond his excellent performance at the youger levels) at some point. But it's all his deal. I'll be there to support him, but his life is his to explore as he wishes (within certain boundaries of course).

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Asked my girlfriend, who plays piano, and she said it's because a lot of girls don't like music that features guitar such as rock or metal. However, they do like music such as pop or dance that features synthesizers, keyboards, or pianos.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Asked my girlfriend, who plays piano, and she said it's because a lot of girls don't like music that features guitar such as rock or metal. However, they do like music such as pop or dance that features synthesizers, keyboards, or pianos.

On the flip side, we could go to a metal concert and ask some of the women there. Ask 100 men and 100 women, of similar age ranges, at a metal show, to find out who plays an instrument and who doesn't, and why or why not. I bet plenty of fans like the guitar playing in their favorite bands, know who the guitarists are, could hum some of the solos. But what separates the players from the non-players? What gender differences and similarities might we see?

 

[elelpe]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

^^ Hello, are you Frudua?

No, I'm not. I just find his knowledge is useful.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

You mean like when they get a model and dress her in a cut off shirt and a gstring and dump baby oil on her chest and then have her lick a guitar and take a picture of it?

Most definitely not that...I was referring to family friendly Advertisements...

 

[DarkMatter]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

I just want to know why I only saw 3 women at the last King Crimson show I went too.

 

[elelpe]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

I don't think that's true at all. The fact that a woman is playing an electric guitars, especially lead guitar, gets people's attention. She doesn't have to play better than the guys do. If she keeps up with them, the crowds love it. I've seen a few female lead guitarists at the Florida blues festivals I go to, and they are invariably well-received. In the blues world, there's no stigma to being female. They're warmly welcomed, as they should be.

I'm aware of that kind of scene. Usually they got attention foremost because they are women in this manly guitar world - not because they're players - which is kind of sad. If their playing is just 'good enough', people won't bother because they're just women. If they're not well-received, some people do say these women got the stage mostly because of the look ... and mediocre playing. I would be shocked if blues world has the stigma. Blues should be perfect for any marginalized human being.

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

You're all overthinking it. Women don't play guitar because a sorcerer named Huschmrimfdurschifrum turned the female lineage of guitar players into dragons centuries ago and then sent them to hybernate in the sun so that they maintain it's core temperature. Modern female guitarists are the result of the curse weakening as time passes so that few dragons may return to the earth, hiding in human form and scarcely reproducing to produce shredding women for the world to embrace. Yes all guitar skills and interests are hereditary, but they are recessive, which explains why it can skip generations and stuff. It also explains the typical female guitar player's insatiable craving for lamb as well as their ability to breathe fire.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Since guitar solos have been out of fashion for so long, I have no idea how women think of them, but I get the feeling it's not the pinnacle of the song the way it is for me. The other thing is that women seems to actually listen to the lyrics more often, to me they're just a bunch a words, and I sure they amount to has much for the singer more often than not.

You need to look around on YouTube. There's a number of female lead guitarists, I found a few more today. They're out there, you just need to look a little. Most male players aren't well known either in these days of corporate playlists.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Asked my girlfriend, who plays piano, and she said it's because a lot of girls don't like music that features guitar such as rock or metal.

That's changing. Look around, you'll find some.

 

[Silver]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Whilst there are certainly biological differences between men and women, I don't think you can narrow it down to saying "That's why guys like guitars, cars and films with lots of explosions... and women like dressing up, playing violin, and rom coms".

It's more to do with socialisation than with biology, IMO.

And you might think that the 'I just let my daughters do whatever they want...' solves the problem. It doesn't. You will notice as they get older that they will (more likely than not) tend to want things that are traditionally associated with the feminine and they will not want things traditionally associated with the masculine. This is because, from a very young age, the people around them teach them that some things are for boys and some things are for girls... and even with the best meaning parents in the world, you can't stop this happen at school/amongst friends/on TV/advertising/etc. Supporting whatever they choose to do is certainly the right thing to do, and is good parenting, but nonetheless your daughters will be less likely than your sons to do things traditionally considered masculine.

We all know that women are under-represented in the technology industry, for example. This is not because of some biological difference. It's not 'it is what it is'. I'm not suggesting social engineering. I'm not suggesting we sponsor women to learn guitar or hand out free products to encourage them (and I'm against the sponsorship of women in IT, too). Just remove some of the barriers.

People here seem to be posting that 'guitar is just a mans thing... y'know?'. An electric guitar is just a piece of wood with some strings and electronics, and men/women are just a mass of organic matter... any other values are imposed upon those things by society.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

I don't think that's true at all. The fact that a woman is playing an electric guitars, especially lead guitar, gets people's attention. She doesn't have to play better than the guys do. If she keeps up with them, the crowds love it. I've seen a few female lead guitarists at the Florida blues festivals I go to, and they are invariably well-received. In the blues world, there's no stigma to being female. They're warmly welcomed, as they should be.

I don't know about that. Perhaps from a fan's perspective, but certainly not from the organizers or other bands. Sexism is alive and kicking on the blues festival circuit (jazz festivals handle this much better, but there is a lot more $$ and talent involved) I play at many blues and jazz festivals around the state, and know many heads of blues societies throughout Florida. I know (and my band has performed with) tons of bands. In my band, the singer, who writes all of the music and plays several instruments regularly has to break through the 'old boys club'. Get a guy with a hat and a strat up there, the men fall all over themselves. When a girl is up on stage, there are always comments (not kind ones) from the guys about her. No wonder there are not as many women out there. I have been playing the festival circuit for years and this is *always* the case. Women are always treated like they have to be twice as good as the guys to get any attention. Women might be warmly welcomed, but they are not respected by other bands and many organizers of these festivals.