I've been dating a lot recently and many girls I've come across have told me how great they are at guitar.  While I'm expecting a player of equal skill to my own, they always disappoint with simple progressions and sloppy strumming.  To be honest i have only met one good female guitar player.  Why is this and have you noticed the same gender-related divide?

...FWIW one of my first guitar lessons was from a girl, who played damn well. I'm sure she's still probably better than I am but I'll never know for sure.

the best guitar player in China is a girl.so ,in our country ,femal guitar players is really good than us.

Keep dating you'll meet more? And sooner or later you'll meet one that's better than you?

GuitarZen

bonnie raitt, the wilson sister's, allison kraus, most of the c & w gal's and most any female celtic guitarist.

my first day here.  love the site.

you just happen to meet what, about 5 girls who cant really play guitar? and you see that as a representation of the entire female population? Don't you think the more logical assumption to be made is in relation to the sort of people you meet/attract?
Talk about blowing something out of proportion!!!!!!

Most people who tell you how great they are on guitar are probably not that great.

Anyways, I could give you lots of anecdotal evidence of great female guitarists and males who suck, but the truth is there are probably more great male guitarists than there are great female guitarists in the world.

One reason might be because a lot of parents don't put their little girls in guitar lessons, because it's not a stereotypical "girlie" thing to do.  I think this is slowly changing though.

Hello seaspell19, you are so right that things are changing...in my guitar class there are 5 females and two males.

GuitarZen

That rocks, Guitar Zen.  I think as females we have a very different perspective to bring to the table, and balance is always a good thing. 

Good luck with your teaching!  It's a beautiful gift that you're giving.

....'I think as females we have a very different perspective to bring to the table,....'  you sure do seaspell19 and this came as no surprise to me. Thank you for your good luck wishes and the kind words also.

GuitarZen

Most people, Male or Female that brag about how good they are at anything, including guitar, Probably suck and are a legend in their own mind only.
    Jag.

Wow, no mention of The Great Kat? C'mon.

JCT, would that be Stevens?

jahlahgey wrote:

Most people, Male or Female that brag about how good they are at anything, including guitar, Probably suck and are a legend in their own mind only.
    Jag.

Had good laugh at this post

Glad you had a good laugh, Sometimes truth is funnier than fiction.
As for the fender strat, truth is its the best, Spend the extra cash. No laugh.

jahlahgey wrote:

Most people, Male or Female that brag about how good they are at anything, including guitar, Probably suck and are a legend in their own mind only.
    Jag.

Hehe.....thats funny and true

i have classmates at my high skool who say there good....but its not neccerely true...

i never say im good....cuz i learn the guitar with no teacher....im actually the teacher...

Half the guitar players i know at my skool...dun even know how to read music notation...

Weird

OK, we've established that the OP is an anecdotal generalization based on a very small sample and that there are great female guitar players (I loves me some Indigo Girls, Melissa Etheridge, and my wifey is a damn good guitar player) but it's interesting and worth pursuing.  In our P.C. society we are afraid to look and see if there are specific differences in genders.  But are there physical reasons why one gender would excel at guitar?  Is there a nature vs. nurture component?  I definitely feel that there is a nature vs. nurture component and agree that girls typically are steered to other instruments.  My wifey is an exception but she is a great athlete and a tom-boy so maybe she isn't an exception.  Her cheerleader sisters both play piano.  If you are looking at differences in strumming my first thought is natural rhythm.  Is there a difference in the natural rhythm of the genders?  My first thought would be that females have better rhythm because they typically are better dancers than males but is strumming really rhythm or the ability to perform a task with the right hand while the left hand is doing something else.  Is it a right brain/left brain thing?  The concept of right brain and left brain dominant thinking is generally accepted as a difference in the genders, could that be a reason that would make one gender better at guitar than the other.  There are obvious physical differences in the genders.  Female hands are typically smaller and body frames are smaller also.  Is it possible the standard equipment has necks to big or too long or that a full dreadnaught body is too big for females.  I know in golf there are women's clubs which are shorter and more flexible.  Of course there are smaller body guitars etc, but how many females have failed at guitar because they were handed a standard guitar that just didn't fit them.  I've been told that the physical size of Ovation guitars is why many women (including my wife prefer them).  So what do you think?  Is possible that there really is a reason why one gender may out perform the other at guitar?

I'll weigh in with something that I heard in class. The young lady said, to the effect, "Oh, I can't do the bar chord, no, because my fingers are too short, see?" The instructor walked over, and held his hand up to compare. The young lady was surprised to see his fingers weren't much longer than hers. When asked to attempt the bar chord, the young lady proceeded to hold the guitar on her lap, which in turn moved her wrist at what looked like a painful angle.

The instructor offered that the young lady might try holding the guitar in the proper position, which allowed her wrist to 'unwind'. Still citing that her index finger wasn't long enough but suddenly realizing that now it was since she wasn't having to contort her wrist she got a smile and once shown how to place the thumb behind the neck to complete the bar across all six, the strings were all sounding for her and the young lady's wrist was closer to being straight online with her fingers.

The difference between the genders in this case was, that the male had been shown how to hold the guitar and to shape his hand and fingers to make the bar chord whereas the young lady had not. Once shown, the gender barrier had fallen in that instance.

P.S. The young lady had a wider neck guitar,
relatively short fingers but in the end learned
to make the bar chord.

GuitarZen

...POINT: "Charro" the guitar-playing equivalent of "Dolly Parton" plays the same guitars as the guys do, she just does it better and with more elan and flair!

...think about it.

i've seen some nutz male guitarists that can shread like nothin' else, and i've seen the same in females... if there is a difference, its probably about mindset and attitude towards learning the instrument, if you have the right mindset and the will to practice then you'll become a "great" guitarist, however if it wasn't your first choice in instrument or are easily discouraged then you'll most likely suck. ego is also a massive part of it, those who say their good, probably are, but because they advertise the fact means that they try and pull things off that are way beyond their ability therefore giving the impression that they suck