A
t some point in your life, you
may have had a poster on
your wall featuring one of
your guitar heroes. Hendrix,
Page, Clapton, Gilmour, the list goes
on. A whole generation of dudes had
long curly hair because they wanted
to emulate Frampton and Van Halen.
We associate iconic instruments with
particular artists, such as Old Black, Neil
Young’s beat-to-hell Les Paul, or Johnny
Winter’s Firebird. Notice a pattern here?
Not a single woman. Guitar playing is
now, and historically has been, both
dominated by and aimed at men.
They get most of the attention. This
is understandable due to the sheer
number of recognizable male players
who have made significant contributions
to the music world, but female guitarists
should not be overlooked. Too often,
women in bands are categorized as
“cute” or a novelty, which undermines
their talent, musicality, and place in the
guitar pantheon. When I was in high
school, I played drums for the vocal jazz
ensemble. Our group performed at
various festivals throughout the school
year. On one occasion we were at such a
festival. One evening, when we weren’t
practicing or performing, we listened
to a combo from the other side of the
state. A girl was playing guitar, and
she was amazing. Our guitarist looked
perturbed; he couldn’t play the way she
did. When someone commented on
her playing ability he looked off into the
distance and shrugged, his juvenile pride
preventing him from acknowledging
that she was way beyond his level. A lot
of people already knew what I learned
that day—that someone’s talent and
ability has nothing to do with gender.
But it was an important lesson for young
Sam to learn, and I’m grateful for it.
From Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Bonnie
Raitt, there is a bevy of badass female
guitarists worthy of everyone’s respect
for their approach to the instrument and
overall musicianship. While there are
many wonder women to choose from,
I’m highlighting three of my favorite
female six-string slingers from the indie
and alt-rock realm.
ToneReport.com
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