lack of great female guitarists

[JOFO]

there are a couple of jazz guitarists like emily remler and leni stern who are great.


also, alanis sure looks cool witha guitar, but she's not quite "playing" it.

 

[u2elevatejo]

it's true there are some good female guitarists, but no GREAT ones, no one on the level of Hendrix, Beck, Page, Clapton, Townsend, Vaughn, etc

It's taken years for women to get noticed as top quality musicians and theres still a lot of discrimination out there in the music scene that makes it hard for female musicians (esp drummers and guitarists) to get any further than local gigs etc.

People feel uncomfortable when a women gets on stage and actually plays a rock instrument well - it's not the 'norm'. You become a novelty and people don't take you seriously (I'm speaking from experience).

There are great women guitarists out there with loads of talent - they just need to be heard.

Jo

 

[Tabby]

Nancy Wilson is probably the best, and Chrissie Hynde!

Others I can think of are Charlotte Caffey and Jane Weidlin of the Go Go's and Lita Ford.

 

[dream wanderer]

Did any of you see the last Diva's on VH-1? Who was the woman guitarist who played while Celine and Anastacia (sp) sang "You Shook Me All Night Long?" She was cranking it...whoever she was...

I guess it was a girl:question: I thought it was anyway


dream wanderer

 

[joyfulgirl]

Certainly there are female guitarists, but most mentionned are known more as singer-songwriters rather than "great" guitarists.

True, but I guess what I'm saying is that even tho there may not be a female Hendrix or Clapton, some of these female singer songwriters accompany themselves on acoustic guitar with the same level of finesse as, say, a Dave Matthews. I would put Joni Mitchell, Nancy Wilson, Ani DiFranco, Melissa Etheridge and Emily Saliers in that category, for example. These are women whose guitars are important extensions of the music for them--they are really, really accomplished, versatile and passionate players. I would certainly not put Jewel or Sheryl Crow or most of the others mentioned here in that category.

It is curious, though, why more women aren't drawn to the electric guitar.

 

[cloudimani]

In case anyone took me up wrong, I dont have anything against female singer-songwriters, in fact I'd probably rather listen to most of them before a male or female Hendrix.

Being a great guitarist isnt about knowing 10 zillion chords, its about being original, playing for the song, not playing something simply because you can.

 

[joyfulgirl]

In case anyone took me up wrong, I dont have anything against female singer-songwriters, in fact I'd probably rather listen to most of them before a male or female Hendrix.

Being a great guitarist isnt about knowing 10 zillion chords, its about being original, playing for the song, not playing something simply because you can.

I didn't take you wrong...and I totally agree with you.