Why aren't there any great female guitarists?

This question was recently posed on a well respected rock band's message board.

This was my response.

As for female guitarists. I think Melissa Etheridge has done some nice guitar work. Her guitar certainly has helped her write some great rock songs. She is not a lead guitarist however. Wilson from Heart is a good lead guitarist. Recently I've seen Joan Armatrading do some nice guitar work as she has headed back to the blues roots with her new release. Another rocker who is probably not on most people on this site's radar screen is Amy Ray from the Indigo Girls. She flat out rocks and plays lead very nicely. She also has a great voice and great song writing skills.

I am not familiar with many of the female rock guitarists who have often been mentioned as great electric players when this topic comes up: Davies and Hopkins most frequently. I've listened to Davies and don't like her material and can't say she has any guitar work of interest to me. Joan Jett is another who's material I am not interested in. I'll have to check out the other women mentioned in this thread. (It isn't just their guitar playing that matters to me but the whole musical package.) Susan has truly grown as a lead guitarist and overall guitarist over the past six years I've been listening to her. I would say she must have a good teacher or something like that. :-)

To me the question lies in how difficult it is for women to break into the rock world. I agree with the assertion that it is difficult for women who play any instrument within a rock framework, other than singing, and even with singing there aren't nearly as many female singers fronting rock bands as male singers.

I don't want to be perceived as a rabid feminist, though I don't mind the feminist label, but let's face it: the world of rock music is 30 years behind the times when it comes to equal opportunities for women in the field. Why, even in the business angle there is a wide divide. And, it isn't going to change until men start doing things differently. As a female observer new to the behind the scenes activity, I would say, the guys have a lot of growing up to do.

Of course there is also the larger society. Let's face it, most parent's don't tell their daughters "go ahead and learn how to play that thing." "Go ahead and be a rock star, you can forget about going to school to become a teacher or nurse or social worker." Then when the girls look around at the images that are prevalent, they don't see themselves represented. Furthermore, most girls learn not to be so assertive after they hit about 11 because it isn't "lady-like" and the boys won't like them if they are too forward. Studies have been done that actually show that girls lose some assertiveness as they hit their adolescent years just because they want to be "liked" more than their male counterparts.

Then there is the push and shove that happens if you are a female and you do want to play rock music. Men just aren't asked to give other men blow jobs quite as often as women are. So, if you are a woman and you want to be a rock star, you have to face the fact that you may be asked to perform sexually for a chance at your dream. And while many of you might say "oh, no that ain't true," you are kidding someone but not the countless young female adolescents have looked at the field and said "no, I won't do that."

Then there is the issue of looks. For women to be on the stage they must look good. Just look at the women who have made it in the popular music scene over the past 20 years. You would think there aren't any unattractive women who know how to sing or play in the world if you only looked at the surface of the field. I think men face that issue too, though not quite as deeply as women do. Certainly, do not be a fat woman. Sure you can point to one or two women here and there through the last 20-30 years who have made it without the acceptable visuals, but they are rare exceptions to the rule.

Then there is the whole guitar issue. I've tried to learn and I will say it ain't easy. Many guitars are not made to work for women who tend to have smaller hands than men. Of course it is true that some men hand's aren't tremendous as well, but in general the instrument is not designed for a female's hands. Shawn Covin has a nice signature acoustic designed for a smaller hand but most kids learning to play do not buy expensive guitars just to learn on.

Anyway, there is always hope and I am hopeful that the young women growing up today will take up instruments and be supported by their parents. I am also hopeful that things can change in the business end of the field as well. But like I mentioned it really is up to the men who have a lock on the field to be more accepting of women who try to break into the field. Efforts like the Mule bringing Grace Potter and her band to open for them is a case in point. :-)

Also efforts like these:
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/30/32/30_32schoolofroc k.html
http://torontoist.com/2007/08/for_girls_about.php
http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2007/07/24/news/09r ock.txt
http://www.nikkioneill.com/article_rock_chicks.html

are happening throughout the world right now. :-)

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Angelemerald