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

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

I know a few japanese groups with female guitarists, singers and entire groups. Mostly metal, But yeah it seems more common over there.[/QUOTE]

yes, it always seems that the girl guitar players in some countries have more opportunities but it could be just like here, I am not well versed in the Japanese view of women in music or in a metal bands so I can't say if that's common or not but it does seem to be that way.

I can only speak about my experiences in the US and even my experience is going to be different than another female guitarist just like the men.
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Liko said:
I agree totally with this analysis. I think it has to do with traditional chauvinist viewpoints about men and women (as it is in many other fields); when you think popular music, you think "extrovert". That is a trait traditionally encouraged in men, discouraged in women. Popular music also has the additional reputation of being the way guys get girls, and we subconsciously know what goes on backstage in the green room. That kind of lifestyle is tolerated if not encouraged among men, but to see a woman up front doing the same thing on stage, we assume she does the same off-stage and "slut-shame", even if the actual goings-on couldn't be further from our stereotypical view.

All that said, one of the most skilled living bassists I know of is Tal Wilkenfeld, and there are dozens of female singer-songwriter types, and even more pop/rock frontwomen that play (Bonnie Raitt, Joan Jett, Courtney Love), so progress is definitely being made as far as women in music. Women specifically as guitarists (without also singing) are lagging behind, but notable counterexample Kaki King proves women know their way around the skinny-stringers too.
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Yes, Liko you are correct there are things that we are taught that are acceptable for men but not for women and this is what keeps them out of certain fields. Like I think my mom gave me a hard time about playing because it's her intention to protect me, it wasn't a bad reason.
I know I was being put through a knowledge test when I went to jam with others is because they didn't want some dumb girl dragging them down. It was probably hard for them to believe I wanted to be there to actually play because they think its such a male thing. But that can get tiring after awhile when no one else I assume has to go through that and I get no arguments or stand off attitudes from pre-recorded backing tracks.

I think there are a lot more female guitar players out there than any of us can imagine whether they are known or not so I don't think anyone has to market to them specifically or that we have to have a giant influx of female guitar virtuoso's in order to get women to play. I think they will show up, they just don't want to deal with the BS.
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

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

Can I be an honorary female guitar player?
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

I dare say that you could manage to dress the part. :fingersx:
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Well, I do have guitars to wear.
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Rats. You ignored my triple entendre.
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

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

As a woman who has started playing electric recently, I have some thoughts on the OP question....

To start with, I found this forum as I had been looking for a ‘female friendly electric guitar forum’, given that women are often trolled in male dominated areas of the internet, unfortunately. Cars, gaming and electric guitar are bundled into this category. This might also explain why so few present themselves in public internet arenas.

To add to the point above - female electric guitar players are only just starting to have more presence now than in the 80’s thanks to the internet. The more women we see playing, the more younger girls will feel that they can do it themselves.

As a woman who grew up in the 80’s, I was largely socialised to be quiet, pretty and not have much of an opinion. Add shyness into the mix. Electric guitar can be a loud, in your face instrument...ie: masculine... not generally considered a feminine pursuit.

Babies - Anyone who has kids would know that it’s difficult to be disciplined in any hobby with kids around, unless you have a very supportive partner who could give you the time alone. Many women give up hobbies, sports etc when of child bearing age. If you don’t start when you’re a kid and continue into your 20’s it’d be pretty hard to pursue with kids. I am lucky enough not to have children and can spend a couple of hours every night, large parts of my weekends practicing, loudly.

Recently, I was attempting jam sessions with a female friend who has young children, it was near impossible as her kids would want to grab the guitars, sit on us, play their own toy instruments loudly in the same room while her husband watch t.v at full volume in another room ( no offer to entertain the kids for an hour). She gave up guitar because it just got too hard. A more supportive/ thoughtful partner would have gone a long way... she is longing to get better and lean more but probably never will. Some (not all) women find it hard to ask for the time/ help.

Girls are not socialised, generally, to seek loud, noisy hobbies and tasks... like cars, lawnmowers, electric guitars. Which incidentally, I like all 3....but I didn’t in earlier life. A supportive husband has encouraged me in these areas (he doesn’t like mowing the lawn!) very important to have the support of our men.

Callouses - the tops of my fingers on my fretting hand are pretty hard and gnarly (perhaps more so from the steel string acoustic)... think of all the money women spend on softening their hands and getting long nails!

Electric guitar can be a highly aggressive and sexualised instruments- not all women are comfortable expressing those elements of themselves, because of socialisation - history tells us to be neither.

I wish that I had picked up the instrument in my earlier years but I am now thoroughly enjoying learning every aspect of both the acoustic and the electric guitar. I started out thinking I would like to just strum an acoustic guitar gently, unaware of this monster that was lurking inside of me all along! I Love the gentle as well as the loud, dirty, aggressive rock and am busting to be able to play all of it.
I am very lucky to have a great male guitar teacher who is supportive of women playing electric (Orianthi was told that ‘girls can’t play guitar’ by a teacher...as were many other well known female players...food for thought) and a supportive husband who encourages me all the way. Some girls/ women are not so lucky.

I hope my reply is helpful... I guess that I’m hoping that I can encourage a few more men to be openly encouraging and supportive to female players- the more, the better...in life, on the internet and on YouTube comments in particular. Your support is SO appreciated.
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Greetings Izzioz. Welcome to the Forum. Helluva first post...

Well said in all respects. You bring up a great reality that I think women in general, and especially a certain subset ignore in may situations: Child bearing. As much s we want to believe that we are all equal, men and women, we are not, and at a biological/DNA level. There are literally women that CAN NOT ignore their children's noises after birth. It is psychologically/physiologically uncomfortable to do so. Your point about your friend not going further is a good one. At the end of the day - raising her children is a choice (more or less) that she is making. There are likely a number of things should would "like" to do, but nothing that she would "like" more than raising the children.

That's her. That's not every woman. But it is far more women, IMO, than anyone would like to acknowledge because, well, that wouldn't fit the "Everyone is equally capable" script. Same thing happens at work. At the end of the day - after birth and 5 years, a man not raising children has accumulated a significant amount of greater on-the-job and on-the-floor time. It DOES hurt your career. It is ridiculous to think it wouldn't. Is it fair? No. Is it fair men can't have babies? No. Hey - I don't make up reality. I just accurately perceive it, and a lot of pain comes when you don't do that. People vary...and they vary differently based on gender.

I'll now be tabled a mysogynist by the more "gentler" members....even though I just said the same thing a woman did.

I applaud you stick-to-it-ness. Make yourself visible around here. We would love to hear your opinions on all things. Especially things like pickups, guitars, amps, and effects!
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Breeze671 said:
I came across this thread and found it intriguing, so I thought I would offer my viewpoint.....

In the end I just want to be treated like an individual who is interested in playing guitar. I don’t want to be singled out or celebrated because of my gender and the choice of instrument I choose to play. If I show up to play and don’t know something don’t ignore me, show me what I’m missing. If I know something you don’t, don’t get mad about it, just ask me and I will be more than happy to show you what I know.

Sorry for the long post :)

--Elizabeth
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Great post. This brings up a very interesting point: How do you know your mother's approach was based on your Gender, and not just bad information/lack of knowledge.

Case in point: I wanted to play electric guitar because I wanted to be Ace Frehley. Now, my parents didn't make me play Piano, but they did make me play acoustic guitar for TWO years. Because, you know, all of those acoustic hits by KISS???? In all honesty my Dad probably wanted me to play Merle Haggard songs, not KISS.

Most people who don't know about music or play believe that a) Everyone should learn Piano to get a good foundation in music and theory, and b) That you should learn acoustic before electric. SO while you interpret that as a Gender thing, I'd say it is a very common and prevailing attitude by all non-musicians. Of course, it may have been a Gender thing with your mom too.

But men & women are different, and they won't ever be seen in the same roles in the same percentages.

Example: We take 100 men and 100 women.

In "perfect all is equal" world, we would have 10 classical pianists and 10 boxers in each group.

In our actual culture we end up with Men having 2 classical pianists and 12 boxers, and Women having 15 Pianists and 0 boxers.

And - if we could take all of bias of culture out of it, would we end up with 10 and 10 in each group? Every human being, man and woman, would nail it without ever having to do study one: There would be something more akin to
Men: 4 Painists and 10 Boxers, and Women: 10 Pianists and 2 Boxers.

And the difference between perfect, and where it should be is where we battle, except we don't. For a lot of reasons there are more men attracted to electric guitar. That is not the same as saying "music" because I'd bet that it is a LOT closer over all types of instruments. But still, it isn't the same and it isn't ever going to be. Just like no matter how much you take away, there won't ever be an equal number of women competitive full contact martial artists as men. Women just don't like to be hit. Men like the physical roughness. No doubt there are many cultural and socialization factors that go with that.

My comment - be yourself. I have three children who all grew up in the same house, exposed to all kinds of music. None of them play. One messes around a little. But he messed around a little with singing, saxophone, and guitar. Definitely STOP pushing people away from things "just because" but also stop pushing them towards things in some unrealistic quest for 10 and 10.
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

As a teacher, I am seeing about twice as many girls and women taking up the guitar these days than men/boys. The girls are more interested in writing their own music rather than 'rawks greatest riffs'. It is refreshing.
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Mincer said:
As a teacher, I am seeing about twice as many girls and women taking up the guitar these days than men/boys. The girls are more interested in writing their own music rather than 'rawks greatest riffs'. It is refreshing.
Click to expand...

Cool. What do you teach?
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Mincer said:
As a teacher, I am seeing about twice as many girls and women taking up the guitar these days than men/boys. The girls are more interested in writing their own music rather than 'rawks greatest riffs'. It is refreshing.
Click to expand...

Interesting...But let's see how many of them keep it up.
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

Mincer said:
As a teacher, I am seeing about twice as many girls and women taking up the guitar these days than men/boys. The girls are more interested in writing their own music rather than 'rawks greatest riffs'. It is refreshing.
Click to expand...

Why is that refreshing? I think hearing great guitar music is what drove most of us to pick up the guitar. Is that bad somehow? Doesnt mean a child will stay that way, whatever drives them to play and practice is a good thing as I see it
 
Re: Why Aren't there More Female Guitar Players, Especially Electric?

OLDERBUDWISER said:
Why is that refreshing? I think hearing great guitar music is what drove most of us to pick up the guitar. Is that bad somehow? Doesnt mean a child will stay that way, whatever drives them to play and practice is a good thing as I see it
Click to expand...

I think ^^ that's part of the reason why you don't get too many women sticking with guitar playing...ie..there's a simple reason why all guitar forums are huge sausage-fests :lmao:

With guys it's (99% of the time) 'cause your into the same music 'as a fan' & that inspires you to pick up a guitar yourself..whether it's Van Halen or Yngwie or Maiden or w/e crappy metalcore band is trendy these days. That's not to say that women are'nt into music or whatever..the one's that stick with it probably do so for that reason among others ...but yeah a lot of the guitar playing one's seem to get into it for other reason's. If you don't come from that background & interest in the music your'e trying to play I guess it's hard to have (and sustain) the same level of motivation as someone who does..


That's why it's best to start learning & playing songs you like rather than twinkle twinkle little star or whatever. My first song that I learned to play was Kreator's 'Tormentor' ..and here I am jamming my guitar almost every day almost 30 years later :bigthumb:
 
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