Women and Guitars:Why no pioneers?

[TheSound]

Historically, if I was a total cynic (oh wait, I am) I'd say this has more to do with the female's constitutionally protected right to manicure every 3 weeks or so, it doesn't matter how great your plectrums are, guitar playing of any variety is pretty brutal on the nails and the cuticles, to say nothing of the callusses you get on the fingers of your non-strumming hand. Plus rock music is a notoriously misogynistic and macho/male dominated activity, where I'm sure many still believe that a woman's place isn't so much in the kitchen... as strapped onto the back of a Harley Davison behind her man. Plus there's that whole 'guitar as an exaggerated phallus' thing that began with Hendrix, and has never gone away.

My wife plays violin (professionally) and she reckons at least 50% of classical musicians are women, and the charts are frequently these days dominated by women in many other genres, so I'd say that sisters are doing it for themselves and managing quite nicely without the big noisy electric willy substitute hanging around their neck.

I'm not going to vote in the poll as there's an element of truth in all 5 options.

 

[DaKillerWolf]

@ Magic,

No I'm definitely looking in the right era...there are PLENTY of male guitarist that have changed the shape of guitar playing. Jimi Hendrex, Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Richie Blackmore, Y.Malmsteen, Johnny Winter, Dave Mustaine, Steve Howe, just to name a handful. These are players that defined a style of play that others followed and or expanded upon. That is the definition of a true guitar pioneer.

Nancy Wilson plays rhythm guitar, Lita Ford is not even the number one guitar player on her solo material...these types of players have not expanded the language of guitar orientated heavy rock...they only pavde the way to make it acceptable for women to become part of the club. Which in itself is quite a feat but nothing that blows guitar players minds and makes them want to learn their songs so they can push the envelope, too.

And this is just fact not sexism...

 

[Khor1255]

Because..............that's why



She opened the door for other women. Anne and Nancy both are pioneers for women. They made it "OK" for women to rock.

Sorry I didn't get to it first but I think the question Jantine asked was from a universal perspective (ie guitar players regardless of gender). I am answering from this perspective not the 'which females were the first...'.

There is no way you can deny the fact that "Dreamboat Annie" and "Little Queen" aren't ground breaking classic albums. These two girls forged their way through a man's world and have become legend.

They are groundbreaking only where they address gender issues. Don't get me wrong, I love both of those albums and much more-so than some of the beloved rock albums from male bands. But the ground they break had already been covered by other male bands.

Maybe I just shouldn't have said anything here but I want to emphasize that I am talking about ALL guitar players.

Argue as much as you want, the riff n' hooks of Barracuda are just as memorable and recognizable as Smoke on the Water

Barracuda was admittedly inspired by The Immigrant Song so...... That was a cheap shot and I hope you found the humor in it especially since I don't care at all if something is inspired by something else.

I think Barracuda has one of the more memorable riffs yeah but I think we are talking about overall guitar prowess. Ace Frehley and The Rolling Stones have some of the more memorable rythms in rock but I don't think anyone would put either on a top 10 (at least anyone who was looking objectively).

 

[DaKillerWolf]

I just want to state that I respect many women musicians in various genres and musical stylization. I just honestly do not think that at this stage of the game women have made the mark that men have in heavy guitar.

 

[Khor1255]

Or 'light' guitar for that matter.