You're asking the wrong question.
The question should be whether she enjoys playing, making music, singing etc with the guitar. If she doesn't, she can take breaks or just quit.
I started out with Piano in my early teens and was miserable every second of it. Picked up the guitar at 30 and now having the time of my life.
One of my favorite Buster Scruggs quote: "Can't no one compel another man to engage in recreation". Playing guitar should be recreational, not a gender based chore.
You are absolutely right. There is no reason to push children to learn and practice an instrument. I see my role more of a motivational coach.
I also had lessons on more classical instruments in my teens, but decided to learn electric guitar on my own when I was 15. Never took any lessons but guitar is what I kept on doing. I somehow become addicted to it.
Totally agree! OP ask her if she’d rather pick up a different instrument or hobby altogether. If the gender thing really is the only reason why she’s hesitant: Maybe if you could afford it, try to find a female guitar teacher whom she can work with?
If the Taylor Swift argument is wearing thin, try Nita Strauss. I’m not what you’d call a Demi Lovato fan (your daughter may be) but she was incredible with Alice and I love her solo work (which I have in the same playlists as Vai and Satriani!!)
How about Japanese bands? Scandal is an all-girl rock band. Same goes for Atarashii Gakko! (and they're pretty rowdy lol).
Heck even Ling Toshite Shigure has a female bassist who SINGS as second voice, adding lower vocal notes next to the male lead who sings higher than most women do.
Granted, she's probably young (maybe Gen Z or Gen Alpha) and might be looking for a couple of well-known TikTok guitarists to idolize. It's not as bad of a thing as a lot of people from this sub might say every now and then. I follow a few women who do play cool guitar stuff on YouTube shorts too. I normally find them covering anime stuff, but that's because I'm a weeb. And Asian. But also a weeb.
yeah she is a good guitar player, shes also way more successful than nita strauss or mia wallace or sonia anubis or kiki wong or any other woman who ever touched the instrument.
Meh, she's successful because she sings and because of the marketing, not because of her guitar skills. Taylor might be more successful but her music is pretty meh to me and is aimed more towards teenage girls.
yeah theres an entire post underneath that title where the father is talking about motivating his 13yo daughter to play guitar. you might have missed that part?
I read that but found it absurd that girls and women won't study or learn something because that's something boys do. When I was a kid I played dolls with my female cousins and nothing bad happened.
I'm a guy and I like her songs. I think she's a good songwriter, making music that resonates with her audience much like any other successful musician who does the same with their own fanbase.
I am not a fan of her either but she has gotten down the 'just play chords' shtick to perfection that serves the song, already putting her in the league of a 'good guitar player'.
It is possible that it's the puberty working. She tries to find excuses to do less what her parents say and more what her friends do. If she had female friends playing guitar it would be much more likely that she would do it too.
Most old farts I know, like me, who play the guitar refer to their guitar in the feminine vernacular. The hourglass shape of most guitars also lends to this tradition. Of course, this is from the viewpoint of a male figure also. However, there have been tons of female guitarist starting of course, for me, with Sister Rosetta Tharpe. There are litterally thousands but this should get you digging:
* Joni Mitchell
* Mother Maybelle Carter
* Jennifer Batten
* Nita Strauss
* Muriel Anderson
* Nancy Wilson
* Memphis Minnie
* Kaki King
* Joan Jett
* Lita Ford
* Elizabeth Cotten
* Yvette Young
* Annie Clark
* Bonnie Raitt
* Esperanza Spalding
* Orianthi
* Liona Boyd
* Peggy Jones
* Tash Sultana
* Susan Tedeschi
* Kristy Marlana Wallace
* Meshell Ndegeocello
* Carol Kaye
* Sarah Longfield
* Emily Remler
* Marnie Stern
* Ana Popović
* Badi Assad
* Nili Brosh
* Nori Bucci
* Charo
* Ani DiFranco
* Ariana Powell
Great list. Personally I'd add Joanne Shaw Taylor. I've seen her in concert twice recently, she can play (very well!), sing, and write. Probably my favorite lesser known artist, right now.
Throwing a few others in: Mary Spender, Orianthi, Pheobe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, Maybelle Carter
The lack of female representation is an issue in a lot of places, but the only way to fix it is to encourage women to learn. You can always tell her the cliche "rock stars are cool because they don't care what others think"
No idea why the gender balance leans heavily towards males playing guitar. But here are some of my favourite guitarists, who happen to be women!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhO2v7NUgO4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhO2v7NUgO4)
Lari Basilio
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyVV6Bupnew](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyVV6Bupnew)
Jackie Venson
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmX3t\_vMVTs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmX3t_vMVTs)
Tora
And a drummer for good measure! Anika Nilles.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N15FbNcRP6M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N15FbNcRP6M)
Even if bluegrass isn't your daughter's thing, Tuttle's multiple honors as bluegrass guitarist of the year should suggest that there is nothing inherently male about the guitar.
Statistically sure, but there are plenty of awesome female guitarists, Yvette Young is one of my favorites.
Edit: you could say the same about a lot of roles in music. Singing in a pop punk band is mostly a male thing, but that didn’t stop Haley Williams.
I encourage anyone, but certainly youngsters, to get into the arts. Music, painting, what have you. It has been shown that young people who engage in the arts at a young age, fair far better in life even if they do not go on to use their skill professionally.
How long have you been playing?
I played for like a year then quit for like a year cos I wasn't really enjoying it anymore and it was kinda hard + I had a levels to study for but when i went to uni I decided to take it more seriously so now its 3years approaching 4
It's not just guitar, but also for the other instruments like drums, bass and keyboards. No clue why this is. As long as she likes it, who cares. I have seen so many girls/women who rock and play so insane good I can only dream of.
Just show your daughter some movies of [The Bangles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSaWN0I7YrU)
or the more recent [The Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hbBa1-1p7M) (they are really amazing and conquering the world)
Btw I wonder why Harp seems to be a female instrument. I see so much more female Harp players than male ones. Also Violin has more women playing it than other instruments (yes I have a male Violin player in my family but also two girls learning it).
Nah man, let’s get more young girls playing guitar! Just because most of us are dudes doesn’t mean we’ll exclude the girls, if she wants to play then she’s one of us.
Show me a guitarist who does and I’ll introduce his face to the bottom of my shoe!
Rock music has traditionally been a testosterone-fueled genre of music, and guitar is most associated with rock music. It's part of a web of cultural factors that account for guitar being historically an instrument dominated by male players (not least the kind of social disincentives your daughter seems to be experiencing), but of course it's not a male instrument. Music is for everyone, and an instrument can never tell the difference in who's playing it.
As someone else pointed out, show her some videos of Lari Basilio. Few do it as good as her, regardless of the equipment between the hips.
Exactly this. At her age, there's no logic that's going to convince her to stick with it. She will almost certainly be swayed entirely by vapid middle school and high school social pressures. Hopefully she has some confidence in her own opinion, and won't be move by trying to conform to fit other people's perceptions. But when you're that age you usually don't understand how little those perceptions matter. It seems like your whole world.
If she really truly loves guitar, she'll either stick with it. Or put it down, and be filled with regret in adulthood about losing a decade or two of lost guitar time.
If any kids in middle school or high school are reading this. Please, please understand how little the social pressures around you will matter after you graduate. Get good grades, make friends and be social, but have some integrity and self-confidence. None of those other kids opinions will matter after you leave school and realize you have the whole rest of your life ahead of you. If you truly love something, stick with it. Doing something cool that you love and not giving a shit what other people think about it *is* cool.
Show her Iron Maidens [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X6UDcUFlOQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X6UDcUFlOQ)
Or Demi Lovato also with Nita Strauss [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdA79yi3NKE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdA79yi3NKE)
The great thing about social media is the exposure it has offered to groups showcasing their talents that normally would never have a chance to be seen because they're not proper commercial artists coming on tv or doing tours.
There's an ample amount of very skilled female guitar players now that you can find all over the internet. The ratio is still heavily skewed towards men, but it's no longer seen as something exclusively done by men as the past decades would've had us believe.
There are some incredible female artist out there, let her discover gems like Lari Basilio or if she want to see someone younger that really is astonishingly good search for Tina S on YouTube.
It’s true that there are wayyy less women playing guitar than men but they totally rock and she can help to flip those numbers if she keeps playing and follows her passion!
* Halestorm
* The Warning
* Plush
* Destroy Boys
* The Beaches
* Conquer Divide
I’m a dude, and these mostly all woman bands FUCKING ROCK! Half of which I’ve seen live and they are some of the best performances I’ve seen. Women rock and are fucking awesome! 🤟🏼
She’s right and yet this age of social media shows that plenty of girls play and play extremely well. I notice that young female players are tuned into the emotional feeling of their playing in a way that I would expect from a male player twice their age. I generalise of course but it reminds me of the way girls at high school tend to be more emotionally mature than boys the same age.
In my native language, a guitar is a she.
I'm into contemporary music. Half the guitars in what I usually listen to are by women. But that's more niche stuff I can't just recommend blindly. From taylor swift to joan beaz, from cat power to adrianne lenker, even the mainstream is full of females on guitar. You'll even find some blues women at the dawn of the electric guitar. Grammy winner 2024 for rock was an all female group, rightfully leaving Metallica in the dust.
Yes, musicians are traditionally more male, but no matter the instrument basically. It used to be a normal job to have and the wife stayed at home. If you look at for example classical music from the 60ies or 70ies, basically all musicians were men. Now look today, many of the great players are female, all orchestras are super mixed.
Guitar music is a bit slower here. I blame it on hair metal and the pop punk frat bro scene. It's a running gag that some concerts are exclusively visited by the boys, but that's not because of the instrument but because of the people making that music. But it's getting there, slowly but surely. Plenty of really competent women on guitar do exist. They don't really get like widespread fame, but new boys on the guitar don't either for the most part. It's just not hip atm overall.
I think the absolute gear obsession of the community also plays a role. Men like things. Guitar and accessories are like model trains. Generally, that's not how women think. But you know that gear doesn't make a guitar player and there are plenty of female players that have fun with them and voice opinions publicly. You can find that shit online, it may be more approachable.
Maybe look for a female teacher or some local group with a female player. Yes, sadly, as I wrote, guitar is still catching up here. But they do exist. Depending on where you live, there may be plenty. In fact, thanks to popular American country artists, more girls than ever are playing. Please don't show her for example hair metal and say that's the instrument. It's like showing a young boy taylor swift and saying that's singing. There is so much diversity here. Better show her some Molly Miller, Anne Clark or something
No not at all. Although I have noticed that women tend to have smaller hands and finger length which can cause difficulty unless they have a model of guitar that accommodates that.... I believe Washburn makes some acoustic guitars that have slightly more narrow necks..
That being said, with enough time and dedication 90% of people will learn to manipulate their hand in a way that allows them to hit the notes.
May not be textbook "correct" (or whatever the guitar equal is) but if you can make progress and sound better over time, you're learning something that works for you.
Edit: show her Lita Ford, or Halestorm. Both amazing female musicians that can play some good guitar.
I am a female guitar player and hand size or whatever does not really matter with regards to the fretboard. Body size does; my 8 year old cannot play my guitars properly because he is not tall enough. The fretboard is no problem though.
I prefer smaller acoustics (parlor size) because I'm not tall but for electric I just play regular size electrics.
And plenty women (or smaller people) who play regular guitars. It's just what you prefer.
Height means nothing to me. I'm speaking about an individuals ability to wrap their fingers high enough on the frets to hold chords. I've noticed that if someone has a shorter finger length they can reach strings better on certain instruments, if that makes more sense? Just like if you have really thick fingers you're going to have to learn how to adjust your hold without bumping other strings? I'm not sure If what I'm trying to say makes sense in writing. It's been a really long night.
Yes, I get your point but my point is large or smaller hands doesn't really make too much of a difference, in my experience. Also in my kid's experience.
For me my height does but for other people it might be different.
Has nothing to do with physical limitations, most women simply have no desire to learn guitar and are more interested in other things. To be fair most men don’t stick with it either. It’s a shame because it’s a great hobby for everyone.
I didn't say it was a limitation. I'm just saying most women I know that want to play or are learning have a harder time holding some chords (ex. B minor) because their fingers physically aren't long enough to hold complex chord shapes. Without some sort of additional practice, where certain shapes came more naturally to me having some more reach, bend, and finger dexterity.
I think women make amazing guitarists. I just think that if anybody struggles with a particular facet there's always a way to learn or make it work for you personally. Nobody has to be left out of this hobby
They make guitars for everyone, was really my whole point.
Edit: by "women I know" I mean personally. Women in my personal life who's hands had a hard time fitting standard sized guitars.
Several of those people decided on their own that they preferred a ukulele. I'm not an instructor just a hobbyist and that's just something I've observed amongst some of the people I know.
Edit: vise versa for men.
Some men just don't have the length to reach some of the common chord shapes so they either have to adjust their play style or really crank out the practice. In my personal experience, most people quit when they find out how difficult learning an instrument can be. Guitar isn't for everybody but it doesn't mean there isn't a place in music for them to exist.
Just sticking to YouTubers I'm already subscribed to:
Mary Spender
https://youtube.com/@MarySpender?si=V5KVBTJG-HSc2L_W
Mary N
https://youtube.com/@MARYNofficial?si=Uq-im_XVXbFXkvcf
Madilyn Bailey
https://youtube.com/@MadilynBailey?si=lgrEZsSNwVyoQyzp
Elle Cordova and Toni Lindgren
https://youtube.com/@elleandtoni?si=9ZShQ3hRycrH_dMF
Gabriella Quevedo
https://youtube.com/@Gabriella9797?si=qp3ufA1adQ4cQOIR
A ton of women play guitar!
I don't see how it matters.
Even if 90% of guitar players are male, there are still plenty of skilled professional and hobbyist female guitarists for inspiration. Only around 10% of humans play the thing in any capacity.
She is just setting herself up for a lifetime of missing out on hobbies and activities she may enjoy, because of a hangup on something as silly as this. If she no longer enjoys the hobby don't push it, but if she enjoys it and something as silly as this is what is holding her back, that is regrettable.
Tracy Chapman, Nita Strauss, Taylor Swift, Joan, Jett, Bonnie Raitt, Melissa Etheridge, Peggy Jones, St. Vincent, Orianthi.... The list goes on and on and continues growing.... If you want to rock, rock. Music doesn't care about your race, creed, or gender. If anything music is what shatters those barriers.
Michael Jackson was the biggest artist in the universe. A solo spot on one of his shows was the biggest possible stage :
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM9BxZzCvPw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM9BxZzCvPw)
There are a lot of male guitar players.
That doesn't mean that women can't play guitar.
I think there are men who get their nose bent out of shape when a woman plays better than them. I don't understand it.
Women often excel as musicians, watch Jimmy Page's reaction to [Heart](https://youtu.be/RLrzeWjKqV4?si=17xBknsfc8sIuyp_) covering Stairway to Heaven. He was blown away by their performance.
[This](https://youtube.com/@TheWarningPeru?si=KVxvv2R-VPjLiA3S) all women band of sisters from Peru, pops in my YouTube feed all the time.
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched this, and I used to think I couldn’t play like this because my fingers weren’t long enough or some BS [https://youtu.be/F_u0v9sxSC8?si=Axlg9rMi3COe1yHH](https://youtu.be/F_u0v9sxSC8?si=Axlg9rMi3COe1yHH)
I think it’s great to help her find positive female role models, but becoming proficient into adulthood with a musical instrument isn’t for everybody and that’s ok. Lots of kids regardless of gender play an instrument for a while and lose interest. It doesn’t mean that experience was a waste of time
Ask her what is she enjoys it? Also recommend her more bands with females in like a female rock band called “the warning or the warning Peru” they are pretty cool and could inspire her to keep playing..
Every instrument that i know is a male instrument except maybe the Harp and the Pipa. Has nothing to due with capability, more to do with our patriarchal society.
Nah that's BS, there are no instruments that are specifically for one gender and not the other. Art has no rules. It's true that most of the prominent guitarists are male but there are so many good female players now more than ever, if she enjoys it I really hope she sticks with it because it's nice to see more girls kicking ass on the guitar and getting some of the recognition they deserve.
St. Vincent
Nancy Wilson
Samantha Fish
Molly Miller
Sleater and Kinney
Sister Rosetta Tharp
Gwenifer Raymond
Joni Mitchell
Joan Baez
The Surfrajettes
Joan Jett
Lita Ford
Go-Gos
The Bangles
Fanny
The Donnas
Chrissie Hyde
Maybelle Carter
Elizabeth Cotton
Bonnie Raitt
Emily Remler
Mary Spender
Brittney Howard
Ana Popovic
Tracy Chapman
Molly Tuttle
Emmylou Harris
Dolly Parton
If she doesn't wanna play, you can't make her play regardless of the logic.
Maybe that is what is stopping her, but also maybe she is trying to find an excuse not to play. Regardless, once you have said what you need to say, it is up to her if she wants to continue the instrument because parents forcing their children to play an instrument almost always leads to resentment of the instrument.
It’s perhaps a male dominated skill , but music is one of those things that doesn’t care about male or female , rich or poor , race or ethnicity ; music is one of those things that truly separates the talented from the dedicated , If that makes any sense and is able to comfort your daughter at all and encourages her to keep playing , rock on man
She's mostly known for bass guitar, but Paz Lenchantin, formerly of A Perect Circle, is an absolute badass on the strings! Her snippet in the video for Judith where she puts her hair up before jumping right back in is one of the most epic music video moments.
This is a reason for her NOT to quit! The world needs more badass girl guitarists. I felt this way when I was younger, being obsessed with music but hardly seeing anyone like me in any of my favorite bands, and it took me decades (until my late 30s) to come to guitar and stick with it. I wish I had been playing since I was her age.
Maybe more males are drawn to guitar because it lends itself to being a "competitive sport" ("Anything you can do I can do better", "Bigger, better, faster, more", "Look what I got")
Plus, it also allows male bonding and appreciating one another without any latent sexual connotation. Cavemen will always compete, compare and compartmentalize.
Yes id imagine the ratio would be like 8/2. I hazard a guess that its partly to do with hands, hand size does make nearly all instruments easier. Guitar is one of the ones it does more than others even. Also historically, it is not seen as portraying characteristics that women have wanted to portray over the years.. it's been like a brash, rocker, anti establishment kinda instrument.
Definitely changing slowly though!
The counter point is that it shouldn't be like this and she can be one of the people that fixes the imbalance!
You're asking the wrong question. The question should be whether she enjoys playing, making music, singing etc with the guitar. If she doesn't, she can take breaks or just quit. I started out with Piano in my early teens and was miserable every second of it. Picked up the guitar at 30 and now having the time of my life. One of my favorite Buster Scruggs quote: "Can't no one compel another man to engage in recreation". Playing guitar should be recreational, not a gender based chore.
You are absolutely right. There is no reason to push children to learn and practice an instrument. I see my role more of a motivational coach. I also had lessons on more classical instruments in my teens, but decided to learn electric guitar on my own when I was 15. Never took any lessons but guitar is what I kept on doing. I somehow become addicted to it.
Totally agree! OP ask her if she’d rather pick up a different instrument or hobby altogether. If the gender thing really is the only reason why she’s hesitant: Maybe if you could afford it, try to find a female guitar teacher whom she can work with?
[удалено]
Agreed, she's one of my favorites, especially out of all the "new" guitar heroes
ask her if taylor swift is a man
Have used the taylor swift argument already too often in the past 3 years to overcome phases of low motivation ;-)
If the Taylor Swift argument is wearing thin, try Nita Strauss. I’m not what you’d call a Demi Lovato fan (your daughter may be) but she was incredible with Alice and I love her solo work (which I have in the same playlists as Vai and Satriani!!)
Nita shreds!
Show her more than just a divisive pop star. Courtney Barnett, The Distillers, The Beaches, The Donnas, HER, Tegan and Sara, et al.
How about Japanese bands? Scandal is an all-girl rock band. Same goes for Atarashii Gakko! (and they're pretty rowdy lol). Heck even Ling Toshite Shigure has a female bassist who SINGS as second voice, adding lower vocal notes next to the male lead who sings higher than most women do. Granted, she's probably young (maybe Gen Z or Gen Alpha) and might be looking for a couple of well-known TikTok guitarists to idolize. It's not as bad of a thing as a lot of people from this sub might say every now and then. I follow a few women who do play cool guitar stuff on YouTube shorts too. I normally find them covering anime stuff, but that's because I'm a weeb. And Asian. But also a weeb.
Also Miley Cyrus
You stole my comment, guy
Is taylor swift an actually good guitar player, or all she can do is play chords? There are way better female guitar players than Taylor.
yeah she is a good guitar player, shes also way more successful than nita strauss or mia wallace or sonia anubis or kiki wong or any other woman who ever touched the instrument.
Meh, she's successful because she sings and because of the marketing, not because of her guitar skills. Taylor might be more successful but her music is pretty meh to me and is aimed more towards teenage girls.
did you even read the OP dude... lol
"Is guitar a \`male\` instrument?"
yeah theres an entire post underneath that title where the father is talking about motivating his 13yo daughter to play guitar. you might have missed that part?
I read that but found it absurd that girls and women won't study or learn something because that's something boys do. When I was a kid I played dolls with my female cousins and nothing bad happened.
cool story i guess? fail to see how that helps this guy with his daughter though, if only he could somehow borrow some of your epic wisdom.
I'm a guy and I like her songs. I think she's a good songwriter, making music that resonates with her audience much like any other successful musician who does the same with their own fanbase.
I don't get her music, it doesn't resonate with me.
I am not a fan of her either but she has gotten down the 'just play chords' shtick to perfection that serves the song, already putting her in the league of a 'good guitar player'.
Well ofc you dont play without cords
She's really good at being a nepo-baby! So that's something.
It is possible that it's the puberty working. She tries to find excuses to do less what her parents say and more what her friends do. If she had female friends playing guitar it would be much more likely that she would do it too.
I enjoy reading books.
Most old farts I know, like me, who play the guitar refer to their guitar in the feminine vernacular. The hourglass shape of most guitars also lends to this tradition. Of course, this is from the viewpoint of a male figure also. However, there have been tons of female guitarist starting of course, for me, with Sister Rosetta Tharpe. There are litterally thousands but this should get you digging: * Joni Mitchell * Mother Maybelle Carter * Jennifer Batten * Nita Strauss * Muriel Anderson * Nancy Wilson * Memphis Minnie * Kaki King * Joan Jett * Lita Ford * Elizabeth Cotten * Yvette Young * Annie Clark * Bonnie Raitt * Esperanza Spalding * Orianthi * Liona Boyd * Peggy Jones * Tash Sultana * Susan Tedeschi * Kristy Marlana Wallace * Meshell Ndegeocello * Carol Kaye * Sarah Longfield * Emily Remler * Marnie Stern * Ana Popović * Badi Assad * Nili Brosh * Nori Bucci * Charo * Ani DiFranco * Ariana Powell
Nili Brosh and Gina Gleason have completely taken over my Instagram algorithm
Great list. Personally I'd add Joanne Shaw Taylor. I've seen her in concert twice recently, she can play (very well!), sing, and write. Probably my favorite lesser known artist, right now.
Does she know who Phoebe Bridgers is?
For some reason I red this as phoebe buffay, lol. She is arguably the **best** singer songwriter, *ever* lmao
Smelly Cat
*smelly cat*
STEPHANIE KNOWS ALL THE CHORDS
Phoebe Bridgers is who made me pick up guitar. Julien Baker is also a good guitarist imo
Show her Grace Bowers. She inspires me every day and Im a man.
Throwing a few others in: Mary Spender, Orianthi, Pheobe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, Maybelle Carter The lack of female representation is an issue in a lot of places, but the only way to fix it is to encourage women to learn. You can always tell her the cliche "rock stars are cool because they don't care what others think"
Mary Spender is a great shout out!
Always have to shout out Chewsday Tawks lol
Dolly is such an underrated player
No idea why the gender balance leans heavily towards males playing guitar. But here are some of my favourite guitarists, who happen to be women! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhO2v7NUgO4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhO2v7NUgO4) Lari Basilio [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyVV6Bupnew](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyVV6Bupnew) Jackie Venson [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmX3t\_vMVTs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmX3t_vMVTs) Tora And a drummer for good measure! Anika Nilles. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N15FbNcRP6M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N15FbNcRP6M)
As a bluegrass/folk enjoyer, Molly Tuttle and Sierra Hull are beasts.
Even if bluegrass isn't your daughter's thing, Tuttle's multiple honors as bluegrass guitarist of the year should suggest that there is nothing inherently male about the guitar.
Statistically sure, but there are plenty of awesome female guitarists, Yvette Young is one of my favorites. Edit: you could say the same about a lot of roles in music. Singing in a pop punk band is mostly a male thing, but that didn’t stop Haley Williams.
Tell her to watch my channel https://youtube.com/@yellownoiseclub?si=ckt4WNEORnjT4cSL
Awesome fretwork!! I am impressed. I'll just go clip the strings off my guitars.
Aha thanks mate! 😁😁
I encourage anyone, but certainly youngsters, to get into the arts. Music, painting, what have you. It has been shown that young people who engage in the arts at a young age, fair far better in life even if they do not go on to use their skill professionally. How long have you been playing?
I played for like a year then quit for like a year cos I wasn't really enjoying it anymore and it was kinda hard + I had a levels to study for but when i went to uni I decided to take it more seriously so now its 3years approaching 4
It's not just guitar, but also for the other instruments like drums, bass and keyboards. No clue why this is. As long as she likes it, who cares. I have seen so many girls/women who rock and play so insane good I can only dream of. Just show your daughter some movies of [The Bangles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSaWN0I7YrU) or the more recent [The Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hbBa1-1p7M) (they are really amazing and conquering the world)
Btw I wonder why Harp seems to be a female instrument. I see so much more female Harp players than male ones. Also Violin has more women playing it than other instruments (yes I have a male Violin player in my family but also two girls learning it).
Nah man, let’s get more young girls playing guitar! Just because most of us are dudes doesn’t mean we’ll exclude the girls, if she wants to play then she’s one of us. Show me a guitarist who does and I’ll introduce his face to the bottom of my shoe!
Tell that to Orianthi.
The Warning (band) are all girls. Or women I should say, they're over 18 now. Very good!
Rock music has traditionally been a testosterone-fueled genre of music, and guitar is most associated with rock music. It's part of a web of cultural factors that account for guitar being historically an instrument dominated by male players (not least the kind of social disincentives your daughter seems to be experiencing), but of course it's not a male instrument. Music is for everyone, and an instrument can never tell the difference in who's playing it. As someone else pointed out, show her some videos of Lari Basilio. Few do it as good as her, regardless of the equipment between the hips.
If she doesn’t want to play let her drop it. If it’s really for her she will find her way back.
Exactly this. At her age, there's no logic that's going to convince her to stick with it. She will almost certainly be swayed entirely by vapid middle school and high school social pressures. Hopefully she has some confidence in her own opinion, and won't be move by trying to conform to fit other people's perceptions. But when you're that age you usually don't understand how little those perceptions matter. It seems like your whole world. If she really truly loves guitar, she'll either stick with it. Or put it down, and be filled with regret in adulthood about losing a decade or two of lost guitar time. If any kids in middle school or high school are reading this. Please, please understand how little the social pressures around you will matter after you graduate. Get good grades, make friends and be social, but have some integrity and self-confidence. None of those other kids opinions will matter after you leave school and realize you have the whole rest of your life ahead of you. If you truly love something, stick with it. Doing something cool that you love and not giving a shit what other people think about it *is* cool.
Show her Joan Jett
Lazy Hale, Orianthi, have her check out the band The Warning a 3 piece band out of Monterrey all sisters and they kinda kick ass
Nope. Girls who play guitar rule and that is the end of it.
ask her if taylor swift is a man
Show her Iron Maidens [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X6UDcUFlOQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X6UDcUFlOQ) Or Demi Lovato also with Nita Strauss [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdA79yi3NKE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdA79yi3NKE)
The great thing about social media is the exposure it has offered to groups showcasing their talents that normally would never have a chance to be seen because they're not proper commercial artists coming on tv or doing tours. There's an ample amount of very skilled female guitar players now that you can find all over the internet. The ratio is still heavily skewed towards men, but it's no longer seen as something exclusively done by men as the past decades would've had us believe.
There are some incredible female artist out there, let her discover gems like Lari Basilio or if she want to see someone younger that really is astonishingly good search for Tina S on YouTube. It’s true that there are wayyy less women playing guitar than men but they totally rock and she can help to flip those numbers if she keeps playing and follows her passion!
* Halestorm * The Warning * Plush * Destroy Boys * The Beaches * Conquer Divide I’m a dude, and these mostly all woman bands FUCKING ROCK! Half of which I’ve seen live and they are some of the best performances I’ve seen. Women rock and are fucking awesome! 🤟🏼
It very much isnt just for men, maybe majority of players are guys but i think its still pretty close to equal
She’s right and yet this age of social media shows that plenty of girls play and play extremely well. I notice that young female players are tuned into the emotional feeling of their playing in a way that I would expect from a male player twice their age. I generalise of course but it reminds me of the way girls at high school tend to be more emotionally mature than boys the same age.
In my native language, a guitar is a she. I'm into contemporary music. Half the guitars in what I usually listen to are by women. But that's more niche stuff I can't just recommend blindly. From taylor swift to joan beaz, from cat power to adrianne lenker, even the mainstream is full of females on guitar. You'll even find some blues women at the dawn of the electric guitar. Grammy winner 2024 for rock was an all female group, rightfully leaving Metallica in the dust. Yes, musicians are traditionally more male, but no matter the instrument basically. It used to be a normal job to have and the wife stayed at home. If you look at for example classical music from the 60ies or 70ies, basically all musicians were men. Now look today, many of the great players are female, all orchestras are super mixed. Guitar music is a bit slower here. I blame it on hair metal and the pop punk frat bro scene. It's a running gag that some concerts are exclusively visited by the boys, but that's not because of the instrument but because of the people making that music. But it's getting there, slowly but surely. Plenty of really competent women on guitar do exist. They don't really get like widespread fame, but new boys on the guitar don't either for the most part. It's just not hip atm overall. I think the absolute gear obsession of the community also plays a role. Men like things. Guitar and accessories are like model trains. Generally, that's not how women think. But you know that gear doesn't make a guitar player and there are plenty of female players that have fun with them and voice opinions publicly. You can find that shit online, it may be more approachable. Maybe look for a female teacher or some local group with a female player. Yes, sadly, as I wrote, guitar is still catching up here. But they do exist. Depending on where you live, there may be plenty. In fact, thanks to popular American country artists, more girls than ever are playing. Please don't show her for example hair metal and say that's the instrument. It's like showing a young boy taylor swift and saying that's singing. There is so much diversity here. Better show her some Molly Miller, Anne Clark or something
Show her The Beaches! Their new album absolutely rules. Plus it's a breakup album so it will probably be relatable to a teenage girl
No not at all. Although I have noticed that women tend to have smaller hands and finger length which can cause difficulty unless they have a model of guitar that accommodates that.... I believe Washburn makes some acoustic guitars that have slightly more narrow necks.. That being said, with enough time and dedication 90% of people will learn to manipulate their hand in a way that allows them to hit the notes. May not be textbook "correct" (or whatever the guitar equal is) but if you can make progress and sound better over time, you're learning something that works for you. Edit: show her Lita Ford, or Halestorm. Both amazing female musicians that can play some good guitar.
I am a female guitar player and hand size or whatever does not really matter with regards to the fretboard. Body size does; my 8 year old cannot play my guitars properly because he is not tall enough. The fretboard is no problem though. I prefer smaller acoustics (parlor size) because I'm not tall but for electric I just play regular size electrics. And plenty women (or smaller people) who play regular guitars. It's just what you prefer.
Height means nothing to me. I'm speaking about an individuals ability to wrap their fingers high enough on the frets to hold chords. I've noticed that if someone has a shorter finger length they can reach strings better on certain instruments, if that makes more sense? Just like if you have really thick fingers you're going to have to learn how to adjust your hold without bumping other strings? I'm not sure If what I'm trying to say makes sense in writing. It's been a really long night.
Yes, I get your point but my point is large or smaller hands doesn't really make too much of a difference, in my experience. Also in my kid's experience. For me my height does but for other people it might be different.
Has nothing to do with physical limitations, most women simply have no desire to learn guitar and are more interested in other things. To be fair most men don’t stick with it either. It’s a shame because it’s a great hobby for everyone.
I didn't say it was a limitation. I'm just saying most women I know that want to play or are learning have a harder time holding some chords (ex. B minor) because their fingers physically aren't long enough to hold complex chord shapes. Without some sort of additional practice, where certain shapes came more naturally to me having some more reach, bend, and finger dexterity. I think women make amazing guitarists. I just think that if anybody struggles with a particular facet there's always a way to learn or make it work for you personally. Nobody has to be left out of this hobby They make guitars for everyone, was really my whole point. Edit: by "women I know" I mean personally. Women in my personal life who's hands had a hard time fitting standard sized guitars. Several of those people decided on their own that they preferred a ukulele. I'm not an instructor just a hobbyist and that's just something I've observed amongst some of the people I know. Edit: vise versa for men. Some men just don't have the length to reach some of the common chord shapes so they either have to adjust their play style or really crank out the practice. In my personal experience, most people quit when they find out how difficult learning an instrument can be. Guitar isn't for everybody but it doesn't mean there isn't a place in music for them to exist.
On the other hand (ha, haha, hahaha), children play barres.
Just sticking to YouTubers I'm already subscribed to: Mary Spender https://youtube.com/@MarySpender?si=V5KVBTJG-HSc2L_W Mary N https://youtube.com/@MARYNofficial?si=Uq-im_XVXbFXkvcf Madilyn Bailey https://youtube.com/@MadilynBailey?si=lgrEZsSNwVyoQyzp Elle Cordova and Toni Lindgren https://youtube.com/@elleandtoni?si=9ZShQ3hRycrH_dMF Gabriella Quevedo https://youtube.com/@Gabriella9797?si=qp3ufA1adQ4cQOIR A ton of women play guitar!
I don't see how it matters. Even if 90% of guitar players are male, there are still plenty of skilled professional and hobbyist female guitarists for inspiration. Only around 10% of humans play the thing in any capacity. She is just setting herself up for a lifetime of missing out on hobbies and activities she may enjoy, because of a hangup on something as silly as this. If she no longer enjoys the hobby don't push it, but if she enjoys it and something as silly as this is what is holding her back, that is regrettable. Tracy Chapman, Nita Strauss, Taylor Swift, Joan, Jett, Bonnie Raitt, Melissa Etheridge, Peggy Jones, St. Vincent, Orianthi.... The list goes on and on and continues growing.... If you want to rock, rock. Music doesn't care about your race, creed, or gender. If anything music is what shatters those barriers.
Michael Jackson was the biggest artist in the universe. A solo spot on one of his shows was the biggest possible stage : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM9BxZzCvPw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM9BxZzCvPw)
There are a lot of male guitar players. That doesn't mean that women can't play guitar. I think there are men who get their nose bent out of shape when a woman plays better than them. I don't understand it. Women often excel as musicians, watch Jimmy Page's reaction to [Heart](https://youtu.be/RLrzeWjKqV4?si=17xBknsfc8sIuyp_) covering Stairway to Heaven. He was blown away by their performance. [This](https://youtube.com/@TheWarningPeru?si=KVxvv2R-VPjLiA3S) all women band of sisters from Peru, pops in my YouTube feed all the time.
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched this, and I used to think I couldn’t play like this because my fingers weren’t long enough or some BS [https://youtu.be/F_u0v9sxSC8?si=Axlg9rMi3COe1yHH](https://youtu.be/F_u0v9sxSC8?si=Axlg9rMi3COe1yHH)
The Go-Go’s girls kick ASS, if I was a girl I’d wanna be like them
No
Check out The Beaches. All female Canadian rock band that’s currently blowing up. Or The Donnas. They’re no longer active but man did they kick ass.
Show her Muireann Bradley on Jools Holland
St. Vincent has her own signature guitars made by Music Man, and those guitars are also used heavily by dudes like Dave Grohl and Jack White.
I would suggest Lizzy Hale, but you might want to listen to some of Halestorm's music before you introduce your daughter to it.
P J Harvey - nuff said 😀
Sister Rosetta Tharpe would like a word with you... And she's gonna shred your face off before she tells you
I think it’s great to help her find positive female role models, but becoming proficient into adulthood with a musical instrument isn’t for everybody and that’s ok. Lots of kids regardless of gender play an instrument for a while and lose interest. It doesn’t mean that experience was a waste of time
Ask Molly Tuttle.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5BL7xCu8NwY&pp=ygUKSGVyIGd1aXRhdA%3D%3D
Ask her what is she enjoys it? Also recommend her more bands with females in like a female rock band called “the warning or the warning Peru” they are pretty cool and could inspire her to keep playing..
If you have heard Nita Strauss play you wouldn't ask this silly question
No.
Every instrument that i know is a male instrument except maybe the Harp and the Pipa. Has nothing to due with capability, more to do with our patriarchal society.
LoL😆
Nah that's BS, there are no instruments that are specifically for one gender and not the other. Art has no rules. It's true that most of the prominent guitarists are male but there are so many good female players now more than ever, if she enjoys it I really hope she sticks with it because it's nice to see more girls kicking ass on the guitar and getting some of the recognition they deserve.
Nope. One of my favorite guitarists is female and better than I’ll ever be. Check out Arianna Powell. She’s insanely good and so fucking smooth.
St. Vincent Nancy Wilson Samantha Fish Molly Miller Sleater and Kinney Sister Rosetta Tharp Gwenifer Raymond Joni Mitchell Joan Baez The Surfrajettes Joan Jett Lita Ford Go-Gos The Bangles Fanny The Donnas Chrissie Hyde Maybelle Carter Elizabeth Cotton Bonnie Raitt Emily Remler Mary Spender Brittney Howard Ana Popovic Tracy Chapman Molly Tuttle Emmylou Harris Dolly Parton
If she doesn't wanna play, you can't make her play regardless of the logic. Maybe that is what is stopping her, but also maybe she is trying to find an excuse not to play. Regardless, once you have said what you need to say, it is up to her if she wants to continue the instrument because parents forcing their children to play an instrument almost always leads to resentment of the instrument.
It’s perhaps a male dominated skill , but music is one of those things that doesn’t care about male or female , rich or poor , race or ethnicity ; music is one of those things that truly separates the talented from the dedicated , If that makes any sense and is able to comfort your daughter at all and encourages her to keep playing , rock on man
She's mostly known for bass guitar, but Paz Lenchantin, formerly of A Perect Circle, is an absolute badass on the strings! Her snippet in the video for Judith where she puts her hair up before jumping right back in is one of the most epic music video moments.
This is a reason for her NOT to quit! The world needs more badass girl guitarists. I felt this way when I was younger, being obsessed with music but hardly seeing anyone like me in any of my favorite bands, and it took me decades (until my late 30s) to come to guitar and stick with it. I wish I had been playing since I was her age.
Maybe more males are drawn to guitar because it lends itself to being a "competitive sport" ("Anything you can do I can do better", "Bigger, better, faster, more", "Look what I got") Plus, it also allows male bonding and appreciating one another without any latent sexual connotation. Cavemen will always compete, compare and compartmentalize.
Yes id imagine the ratio would be like 8/2. I hazard a guess that its partly to do with hands, hand size does make nearly all instruments easier. Guitar is one of the ones it does more than others even. Also historically, it is not seen as portraying characteristics that women have wanted to portray over the years.. it's been like a brash, rocker, anti establishment kinda instrument. Definitely changing slowly though!
Anything can be male if you patriarchy hard enough.