Women and Guitars:Why no pioneers?

[Jantine]

They don't lack the talent. They lack the ambition. Women guitarists in general don't dream about one day playing blistering guitar licks.

IMO, I think women see the guitar differently from a man. Men are more impressed by lead guitar than women are. No woman I know is impressed by amazing guitar playing. They may be impressed by how a man can play a guitar but the fact that a guy can play like Eddie Van Halen doesn't impress them any more. Thus, women guitar players don't strive to play like Eddie Van Halen.

Yet women excel on the drums. Why ignore the main arc of Rock???

I agree with your points though.

 

[Sox]

A pioneering all female band from the UK is Girlschool, they kicked off in '78 at the start of the NWOBHM and are still clocking up the miles. Why they are not given more recognition I will never know, excellent live outfit.

Emergency

 

[Aero]

Yet women excel on the drums. Why ignore the main arc of Rock???

I wouldn't say they excel on the drums anymore than they do at guitar. Karen Carpenter was just extremely talented. Way more talented than any female "artist" of this generation.

Here's an even better video of her skills. As if her one-in-a-million voice wasn't enough of a gift...

 

[DaKillerWolf]

I've heard silly things said before but lol....



and plenty of females are VERY impressed by excellent guitar skills and many are now striving
to play in that manner ...once again......



although I doubt they receive any credit in the near future ...much in the light that Jeff Loomis and plenty
of others don't receive any for being WAY more talented then anyone in the mainstream.

Mainstream music is not musical ability orientated...it's money not talent that counts..guitar heros are a thing of the past
at the moment ( as far as mainstream is concerned)....and women are just starting to really get into it in a big way.

 

[METALPRIEST]

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Cherry Bomb

 

[Jantine]

A pioneering all female band from the UK is Girlschool, they kicked off in '78 at the start of the NWOBHM and are still clocking up the miles. Why they are not given more recognition I will never know, excellent live outfit.

Emergency

So it might be the first option. Sexism, since most who like rock (in a conventional sense) are male. They might find it 'hard' to idolise a woman as a guitar hero. Even if innately. Sort of how it would be hard for a top male athlete to suddenly be gay and still have the same fan-base.

 

[Jantine]

I didn't cast a vote since none of the options appealed to me, but there have been women pioneers in guitars, even electric guitars and they have been recognized. Dont any of you read Guitar World?


In 2003, Rolling Stone gave recognition to Joan Jett and Joni Mitchell in the top 100 greatest guitarists of all time. With Joni Mitchell at #72 and Joan Jett at #87. (google it if you dont believe me) Joni Mitchell ranked higher than Randy Rhoads on that list.

Another pioneer is Lita Ford. She can belt out a riff as good as any male in the business. For those of you who have forgotten, in 1988 she struck gold with her tune "Close My Eyes Forever".

and of course Nancy Wilson, whom has been mentioned already. The riff in "Barracuda" rivals any male in the music business. And another great guitarist whom has been mentioned, Bonnie Raitt, who is legendary for her slide skills.

And more recently, you have the Great Kat. The woman can shred. She is amazingly fast. She is listed in Guitar One magazine as one of the top shredders of all time, right next to Yngwie Malmsteen.


Women have just been slower to blossom and gain recognition. In the 60's women were not encouraged to step out of their lady-like roles and pound away on guitars. The guitar didn't begin to gain popularity in rock music until the late 50's early 60's.....and became a rock music mainstay in the 60's thanks to Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, and The Beatles.

So, it is fair to conclude that the women who are pioneers for the female guitarists have been around for 4 decades now (which is true of Nancy Wilson & Bonnie Raitt) almost as long as Jimmy Page. Women are now standing up, taking off that lady-like stereotype, and making names for themselves with their guitars. They are out there, you just have to listen!!!!

Wasn't Joan Jett main appeal, is that she didn't conform to the dolly-bird, girly persona. Therefore, she was praised just for being different.

 

[LG]

Seems like some folks are getting "irritated" in this thread, personally I don't do the dissection thing to anyone's post it always leads to hard feelings. If I want to respond to someone I'll quote their comment Intact and then my answer.

I didn't vote either, although I do admit sexism does play into it.

However for an example of another genre and instrument where there is a far better balance between virtuoso's of both sexes is the piano in classical music. I don't think it's harder to play a guitar than a piano, and women have no problem establishing themselves right along side the very best male artists.

I forgot about Joni Mitchell and Joan Jett, not sure if Joan Armtrading was mentioned so I'll lob her out there too. Still no matter how you look at it the imbalance is staggering, has to be far less than 1% of all guitarists in rock music are women.

 

[Jantine]

I've heard silly things said before but lol....



and plenty of females are VERY impressed by excellent guitar skills and many are now striving
to play in that manner ...once again......



although I doubt they receive any credit in the near future ...much in the light that Jeff Loomis and plenty
of others don't receive any for being WAY more talented then anyone in the mainstream.

Mainstream music is not musical ability orientated...it's money not talent that counts..guitar heros are a thing of the past
at the moment ( as far as mainstream is concerned)....and women are just starting to really get into it in a big way.

The video showed "best female guitarist". Why the sub-category (rhetorical question).

You say "thing of the past" in regards to guitar heros. Is that lack of dedication by women as well as men?

 

[Jantine]

Seems like some folks are getting "irritated" in this thread, personally I don't do the dissection thing to anyone's post it always leads to hard feelings. If I want to respond to someone I'll quote their comment Intact and then my answer.

I didn't vote either, although I do admit sexism does play into it.

Did not mean to bring the tone down everybody.....sorry

However for an example of another genre and instrument where there is a far better balance between virtuoso's of both sexes is the piano in classical music. I don't think it's harder to play a guitar than a piano, and women have no problem establishing themselves right along side the very best male artists.

I forgot about Joni Mitchell and Joan Jett, not sure if Joan Armtrading was mentioned so I'll lob her out there too. Still no matter how you look at it the imbalance is staggering, has to be far less than 1% of all guitarists in rock music are women.

I never forgot Joni. However, she sort of falls into the Kate Bush camp. Women do brilliantly in art/progressive/alternative rock. That's my point. Why hasn't a woman taken that natural, free-flowing bohemianness (not a real word) to the guitar.