Sep
17
Ragazza Blusera asked:
I’m not really bothered by it, but I think it’s odd, I’ve been playing the guitar since age 14 or so (I’m 29) and reading all the guitar magazines (guitar, guitar world, guitar player, etc) and all the other women are just dancing around in bikinis in the gear advertisements. I’m just curious as to why a disproportionate number of people who share my passion for the guitar are male? And it is my passion, other girls get hot and bothered when they see musicians but I just think, Oh my goodness, I’d better go practice, I’m not satisfied with my guitar playing and don’t want someone else to be better than me, lol. But what bothers me is that people discriminate against you if you’re female, they expect you to be either the singer (I sing ok but it’s not my passion) or the groupie, throwing yourself and your underwear at whatever musician you think is ****. But instead, I try to figure out their technique (if he’s a decent guitarist).
It’s not that I care what people think but why DO people find it weird that I have a passion for the guitar. Why does society have the notion that you have to have a Y chromosome to be a guitar player?
Oh yeah someone pointed out to me the one from Tokyo Hotel is a woman but I can’t think of her name… sorry
Oh yeah I saw Susan Tedeschi in person, live… interesting technique, she oscillates between finger picking and using a pick.
i realize that there are women who play the guitar, Lita Ford, bonnie raitt, etc…
But a DISPROPORTIONATE number of guitarists are men… like 95% perhaps?
Why are MOST of them guys?
thanks if u can hlep me figure this out, I’m really curious!
I’m not really bothered by it, but I think it’s odd, I’ve been playing the guitar since age 14 or so (I’m 29) and reading all the guitar magazines (guitar, guitar world, guitar player, etc) and all the other women are just dancing around in bikinis in the gear advertisements. I’m just curious as to why a disproportionate number of people who share my passion for the guitar are male? And it is my passion, other girls get hot and bothered when they see musicians but I just think, Oh my goodness, I’d better go practice, I’m not satisfied with my guitar playing and don’t want someone else to be better than me, lol. But what bothers me is that people discriminate against you if you’re female, they expect you to be either the singer (I sing ok but it’s not my passion) or the groupie, throwing yourself and your underwear at whatever musician you think is ****. But instead, I try to figure out their technique (if he’s a decent guitarist).
It’s not that I care what people think but why DO people find it weird that I have a passion for the guitar. Why does society have the notion that you have to have a Y chromosome to be a guitar player?
Oh yeah someone pointed out to me the one from Tokyo Hotel is a woman but I can’t think of her name… sorry
Oh yeah I saw Susan Tedeschi in person, live… interesting technique, she oscillates between finger picking and using a pick.
i realize that there are women who play the guitar, Lita Ford, bonnie raitt, etc…
But a DISPROPORTIONATE number of guitarists are men… like 95% perhaps?
Why are MOST of them guys?
thanks if u can hlep me figure this out, I’m really curious!
Gracias,
Girasole
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Comments
7 Responses to “The majority of guitar players are guys?”
I have a passion for playing the guitar too, and I’m a girl aswell.
I’ve done a few things that have discriminated girls such as skateboarding, but the thing that I’ve learned about discrimination is the satisfaction of knowing that you’re different. It’s cool knowing that I’m one of the only girls who can play a solo on the guitar. It makes me feel special.
I know they discriminate, but just keep on playing, and take those insults and smack talk to make you a better player and work harder. That’s what I do and it just helps me so much. And the next time some dude tells you that you’re only a groupie, pick up a guitar and wow them and make them shut up. It’s the most satisfying thing ever. =]
Oh and that person in Tokio Hotel, I think they’re all guys…
Lita Ford
Joan Jett
The Go-Gos (Charlotte Caffey, Jane Wiedlin, Kathy Valentine)
The Bangles (Susannah Hoffs, Vickie Peterson, Michael Steele)
Nancy Wilson (from Heart)
Bonnie Raitt
Chrissie Hynde
Susan Tedeschi
Melissa Etheridge
Jennifer Batten
Janis Ian
Joni Mitchell
Mary-Chapin Carpenter
All women. All guitar players. Plenty of role models for you to emulate and point to when people get on your case for being a female guitarist. And I’m sure there are a bunch more I’ve forgotten…..
I think if you went with a more scientific set of statstics, it would prove you wrong.
However, Guitar is a sort of macho instrument. Lead guitarists in ANY band are the ones who get all the ****** (often because they are also the lead singers), and for that reason, the magazines target a male audience. I believe that if you actually checked on who PLAYS guitar, and plays with passion, as opposed to who THINKS they play or WISHES they could, you would find it much closer to even. (and I don’t suggest you look at who are the rock stars either, because there are surely more men than women filling that role, but, again, that goes back to the *** appeal piece).
hi there! im a guy, yes i play the guitar (maybe as long as u did), self taught, but not as good as u r from ur description, i play classical just recently, and during my early years played acoustic. well, from my point of view, it doesn’t matter if its a he or she that plays, what matters to me is how a person expresses himself/herself with a guitar. if i’m a lady guitar player, i’ll be very very proud to think that i’m one of those handful ladies that play the guitar. honestly, i like lady guitar players, having that talent, skill,knowledge, and discipline they possess in playing that instrument. those people that discriminate lady players either does not understand that a guitar is not made only for men, or they do not know music at all. do u know Ioana Gandrabur? check her out, here’s a video of her on youtube=-7iFUgc2bhc and here’s her website she’s remarkable, and i believe so are you. keep on playing!
Lots of interesting comments here, but not too many answers. Let me at least TRY to get at what you’re looking for.
This may well have to do with the fact that unlike yourself, I am 53 years old and was THERE for the beginnings of rock and roll; before the Beatles, before Elvis.
In those days, the ONLY rockers playing guitars were men. In the early days of rock, much of society looked down on these brave souls and called them degenerates and rebels who played the devil’s music. Now if that’s what they thought of the men, you can onlly imagine what they might have thought of women doing the same thing! Keep in mind, we’re talking about the days where DAD — not MOM drove the family car, brought home the paycheck and did all those things that so many considered men’s work.
One woman I can think of immediately who was active during those years was Mary Ford… but hey! she was with Les Paul so it was okay.
In any case, it’s unfortunate that this discrimination has continued, but here in Minnesota (US) it’s at least getting better. I’ve learned how to command the attention of the male salespeople in guitar shops, mainly by playing circles around many of them. Learn all the stupid riffs that boys play over and over again and make them seem effortless. Stairway to Heaven is a perfect example. I am the only female guitarist I know who can play the WHOLE song, not just the intro. Now I play fingerstyle jazz and let me tell you, it knocks the socks off the boys in the bands.
Yeah, it’s pitiful that this situation exists, but it’s people like you and me who must do everything we can to eliminate it. Usually that means, as you say, more practicing.
And about those magazines… don’t subscribe to them. The best of the lot is Acoustic Guitar Magazine which regularly features female guitarists and in fact, has both female teachers and writers on tis staff. I highly recommend it.
Hope this helps,
Kabum
There is probably tons of great female guitar players that we will never know about because greedy record labels would rather make money off image and looks rather than musicianship and talent. I know it is fucked up but that’s how it is. The Mainstream makes it seem like there are less female guitar players.
One of my new favorite guitarist is female actually. Her name is Michelle Suarez from a punk band called MIKA MIKO. She’s better than most mainstream male guitarists right now.
Ok, maybe she’s not the best but I think she’s really good!
There’s always going to be someone better than you at guitar. Who cares if you’re not the best as long as you enjoy what you play. That is all that matters.
There is nothing holding women back from learning to play. The only people that can answer your question are your fellow sisters who choose not to learn the guitar. Its been their choice for so long not to be players that the field ends up being all guys.
Most modern guitar mags do have feature columns on female players. But, you’re right, the ads are definitley geared towards young males (the VAST majority of its customer base so of course they are going to aim ads at them)