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Chicks, Guitars and Respect | Advice wanted
Submitted by Michael on Thu, 03/16/2006 - 04:56.
I had an email from a guitarist who is seeking some advice. She says that no matter how hard she tries and the more she learns, male guitarists just don't take her seriously. She says it always a case of blokes noticing only her flaws and then patting each other on the back for far worse performances.
Musician issue or a every-day issue chicks face in a lot of areas - maybe a combination?
Any advice she will I'm sure she will appreciate, spesh from other female players.
Maybe she needs to realise that she doesn't require the approval of male musicians to succeed. Many of the young ladies I teach guitar to are streets ahead of their male conterparts as musicians. They usually sing better too.
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ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES
Inherent in this complaint is the need to seek approval. Tell your friend to generate her own sense of worth as a musician and as a person and to avoid the pitfalls of the "Men are Bastards and here's the evidence" routine as although this may feel nice for a bit, it is ultimately destructive and is a victim's stance.
This is an every day issue for the vast majority of people although it is often cleverly hidden with a false "identity". Your friend is not alone!!
"Noticing flaws".. it's just feedback (no not that type of feedback!!). Shift the interpretation and it's a gift!!
"Everyone needs a wife, nobody needs a husband." - Germaine Greer
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STRAIN INDEX
Here's my tuppence. As a bassplayer, the arrival of the two Kims (Pixies and Sonic Youth) pretty much made female bassists de riguer, to the point I wondered if I'd ever get picked to play. I don't know whether this is because of the instrument (bass) or the genre (indie) but I can think of Tanya Donnelly (Throwing Muses, Belly) playing guitar and Vanessa auf der Mar (Hole) switching from bass to guitar for her solo album (as Kim Deal did for The Breeders).
It's probably a genre thing. I was on another forum and happened to post up that we'd switched from a female singer to a male and it suited our music better. A heap of neo-offensive "I would never have chicks in my band" replies followed, mostly from blues-rock types.
If it makes your emailer feel better, Mike, it may be nothing to do with todger-lacking. I've got 1st hand exp of types who backslap each other for "really nailing that Page/Beck/Santana/Young" whatever riff, but couldn't write a song if the pen were pushed through their scrote and about to self-destruct in 24hrs. I don't give a buttock for their opinions of me, and neither should she.
But its not just Girls Dat get da treatment!! I advoid jam sessions Like da plegue, because its not a jam at all it turns into a competetion
I've heard stories of female guitarists not being taken seriously in music shops when looking for a guitar to buy.
But then, hey, we've all encountered jerks working in music shops.
Cheers guys,
I'll pass it on.
And we really ought to start the "jerks working in music shops/ hanging around 'open mike' sessions" thread. Endless fun with those stories... :lol:
She must know a bunch of dumb/asses--a player is a player--close your eyes and you'll know it's all in the music. I was in a huge guitar shop a while back and this young woman was ripping it up ona a new american tele she was considering buying-I told her how well I thought she played ( much beyond My skill level)--if the blokes she knows can't be honest and critique the musician not the sex she needs to hang with a different crowd.
There's plenty of great female players out there.
Did anyone see the interview with Lady Bo in this month's Guitar magazine? She was Bo Diddley's guitarist. Apparently he often got the credit for her licks on record.
http://www.ladybo.com/
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