Female Guitarists in the rock and metal music industry

Guitar has always been a popular instrument for people to play. It's an instrument that a lot of people want to learn. There's more and more females becoming musicians and it's amazing to see. I think most female musicians tend to go for guitar and vocals than any other instruments. Female musicians are a lot more accepted than they were before.  

There's a lot of amazing female guitarists on YouTube playing amazing covers. A female guitarist I watch on YouTube is Jess Woess who also shows off her talent by covering the likes of Tonight Alive, Metallica, A Day To Remember and many more. One of the first covers I watched of her was lonely girl by Tonight Alive and I loved her playing and I ended up watching more and more of her videos.  

Another female YouTube guitarist I watch is JJ's one girl band who posts covers by bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, Skillet, Metallica, Sum 41 and many more. Showing off her amazing skills to the world not caring what people think but the majority of the people love her guitar playing which is amazing.  

Here's my interview with JJ

1. Who inspired you to play guitar?  

That was clearly Sum 41! I used to play a lot of video games and one of my favs was Obscure. The intro song always caught my attention and when you finished the game, there were some goodies you got. One of them was the music video of "Still Waiting" by Sum 41! And they got me into rock music and to playing the guitar! 

2. ‎What made you decide to post your covers on YouTube?  

That was a rather spontaneous idea that started with an instrumental cover of "Hello (Good To Be Back)" by Scooter. Somehow it was fun to record and that is how I started my channel. As I was really shy I did these karaoke videos first but then started to show me while playing as me best friend encouraged me to do so. 

3. ‎What's the most impressive song you can play?  

Hmmm. Better ask my fans? haha! I think it is the Vivaldi Tribute by Patrick Rondat. 

4. ‎How long have you been playing guitar for?  

There is a video called "7 years guitar progress" on my channel where I talk about my progress and now it's 7 years and 5 months https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0knp3oMD1Y 

5. ‎Do you think people are more accepting to female guitarists, especially within the YouTube community? 

I think it is so-so. I get a lot (LOTS) of lovely supporting comments but there are also many people stating that girls cannot play guitar, which is really annoying... It feels like people are much more critical when they hear and see a girl playing, that is what I observe. If there is a tiny mistake people tend to talk you down and such. I hope this changes. And yeah. Girls obviously shouldn't play metal is a comment I got on one of my videos 

 

I think people should care more about the playing than the gender of someone because to me the gender of the person performing doesn't matter. Is the playing that counts and there's so many people making an amazing sound and showing off their talents. 

We caught up with Anija, Tara, Molly, Kate, Georgia, Alex, Sophie and Kitty about being a female guitarist in the rock and metal music industry.  

Anija Sly 

1. Who got you into playing guitar? 

My dad. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing musicians whilst growing up, but yes, my dad was, and still is my main influence.  

2. ‎What is it like being a female in the rock and metal music industry? 

I have always found it okay! Yeah you get the odd comment, mainly along the lines of "Can she ACTUALLY play though?" But I'm stubborn, so I used any negativity to prove myself more. The rock and metal community tend to be a very accepting bunch in my experience, so I've always just turned up to gigs and played, no real questions asked.  

3. ‎Do you think people are more accepting of female guitars? 

I think it's been like that for a long time. Looking back at Girlschool, Vixen, Lita, Suzi etc etc. Female musicians, especially female guitarists have been at the forefront of pop culture for a long time, so in response to this particular question, people are accepting of female guitarists, but it's nothing new.  

4. What's 3 struggles of being a guitarist?  

As a female guitarist?  

1) Not being able to get your nails done. Nobody wants to pay good money for tips and a shellac only to get them soaked off 3 days later.  

2) Hair. Tuning pegs. Ouch. (Though this is not specifically a female issue.)  

3) Boobs can be an issue, straps can cut into them, and if you're sat playing guitar, either one or both get shoved up right under your chin.  

5. How long did it take you to learn how to play guitar? 

To a decent level, like the basics? A couple of years. I'm more of a play as it comes, rather than learning the hard theory behind scales and modes etc. It's hard to put an exact timescale because the truth is, I'm always learning. Everytime I jam with someone, I find some strange and wonderful technique, sound or set up that I'll either get on board with entirely, or completely f*ck up. There's something new everytime I see a gig, and I love it.  

Tara Behan 

1. Who got you into playing guitar? 

It was strange, I’ve always had an interest in guitar so when I was quite small, around 11 or so, I begged my Mam to get me one for Christmas! Sadly, I had this mad thing of not sticking to anything so it wound up just collecting dust in the corner until I discovered the amazing Paramore and just had this insatiable urge to learn their music!  

2. ‎What is it like being a female in the rock and metal music industry? 

Being a female in the rock/metal scene is an odd mixture of frustrating and extremely gratifying. Constantly being faced with people expecting less of you or not taking you seriously can wear extremely thin but getting up on stage and watching their faces drop as you play a Dream Theater riff is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever experienced!  

3. ‎Do you think people are more accepting of female guitars? 

I think people are interested in female guitarists as we seem to be a relatively new breed, or more so, we’re finally being given a platform to show case ourselves. I think we face a lot of skewed perceptions with regards to our ability and credibility but it’s slowly getting better.  

4. What's 3 struggles of being a guitarist? 

Awh man, three struggles as a guitarist..  

One: Pushing yourself to practice every single day, no matter how busy your schedule.  

Two: To keep encouraging yourself even when you hit a wall in terms of progress, it always gets harder just before you make a big leap in your playing.  

Three: Carrying a whole shit tonne of guitar gear from venue to venue!!! When we toured Japan, we had to carry all our gear every day and oh my Lord, guitar in one hand and a pedal board in the other equals a whole bunch of pain.  

5. How long did it take you to learn how to play guitar? 

Well I started teaching myself when I was 16, it probably took me about a year to be proficient enough to say “I play guitar” but I’m honestly still learning every day! Always trying to reach that next level.  

Molly Boden 

1. Who got you into playing guitar? 

When I was 11 we had to make an attempt at playing stringed instruments and I picked it up very quickly thanks to my first music teacher. Then it was my love for McFLY that motivated me to get better and have fun with it  

2. ‎What is it like being a female in the rock and metal music industry? 

I think it’s a rush, back when I was in a permanent band it was incredible! Playing shows, meeting new people, opening for the bands that kept me going with music through high school  

3. ‎Do you think people are more accepting of female guitars? 

I think the industry is getting there but there’s still a long way to go. I’ve been fortunate enough to not experience much sexism but I know a lot of phenomenal musicians that have gone through a tough time with not been taken seriously or have felt like their gender has been used as the focal point of their project’s success 

4. What's 3 struggles of being a guitarist?  

1- there is ALWAYS someone better than you or some child prodigy that makes you think “why do I bother?” and it can really knock your confidence as a player.  

2- I would say finance is a big set back if you aren’t in a position to fund the essentials. If you want to write and you don’t have the recording equipment or you want to record but the quality is terrible because you can’t afford the high end software or amps, that can be a huge struggle (one that I’m facing right now!)  

3- The pressure that comes with being any kind of musician can be overwhelming and keeping your head in the game is tough sometimes. Finding the time to care for yourself is one of the biggest issues I find when the pace picks up with a project.  

5. How long did it take you to learn how to play guitar? 

I picked up most of the basics in a matter of weeks. I’ve been playing for almost ten years now and there’s ALWAYS something else to learn!  

Kate Thompson 

1. Who got you into playing guitar? 

I don’t really recall any specific person who truly influenced me to pick up a guitar, it was just something I spent my whole life wanting to do. At the age of 15 I decided to see if I could actually learn how to play and it changed so much for me, I haven’t looked back. Learning how to play an instrument is one of the most liberating and therapeutic things anyone could ever do, I’d recommend it to anyone and everyone I know.  

2. ‎What is it like being a female in the rock and metal music industry? 

Sometimes it’s not something I really think about too much. I have always been surrounded by guys more than girls, and for the most part the industry is very male-oriented, which doesn’t phase me in the slightest. However, what makes me happy lately is seeing the movement in the industry as a whole, it’s 2018 and there are hundreds more women getting involved in any job roles from performing, to sound engineering, tour managing, you name it. It’s important for everyone to feel as if they have a place in the industry, nobody should ever be made to feel like they can’t sit in a studio, or show up to a gig, or browse a music shop because of their gender. This applies to anyone, no matter what they identify as, who has ever felt uncomfortable pursuing what they love. Music should be a safe place for absolutely everyone.  

3. ‎Do you think people are more accepting of female guitars? 

Absolutely - on our most recent tour (and most of the shows we play in general) I was the only girl performing in all the bands. Was that an issue? Hell no! The guys I had the pleasure of touring with never made me feel like anything less than a performer who was there to sing and play guitar to a crowd each and every night. We’d discuss guitar tones, help each other carry gear on and off stage, and create bones that we’ll never forget about. If anyone is shallow enough to look down on you because of something as unimportant as your “gender”, it’s not the kind of person you wanna associate yourself with anyway. Nobody needs that kind of negativity in their lives.  

4. What's 3 struggles of being a guitarist? 

3 struggles? Ok. 

Number 1 - buying 300 plectrums and losing 298 of them on a 5 day tour. 

Number 2 - never being satisfied with a tone. Maybe it’s just me, but I can never seem to get the sound I want. I am on a never ending hunt to find the guitar tone I love. 

And number 3.....probably breaking strings at shows. That’s a bit annoying.  

5. How long did it take you to learn how to play guitar? 

Hard question - I feel like I learnt basic chords pretty quickly! But I’m 7 years down the line and still trying to learn new techniques every day. I guess playing guitar is just a constant journey of finding new ways of playing to improve your skill, and it never gets boring.  

Georgia Bell  

1. Who got you into playing guitar? 

It was actually Guitar Hero 3 that inspired me, I'm a massive gamer nerd and got to expert and i thought "omg I should go learn an actual chord now" haha  

2. ‎What is it like being a female in the rock and metal music industry? 

It feels incredibly fun and very inspiring. I feel female musicians in the industry are constantly growing and I love being surrounded by them, seeing them on the magazine's and headlining shows! I hope one day, metal shows will be 50:50 female and male!  

3. ‎Do you think people are more accepting of female guitars?  

Absolutely! if anything I think female are more accepting then male because there is such a small no. of us! people wanna see more woman on stage, there was a time when Motown was happening that it was more woman then men. And watching a woman nail it on that is stage is very inspiring, especially to our children. So yea I think people are!  

4. What's 3 struggles of being a guitarist?  

Confidence - such a huge no. of guitarists out there I've always struggled to believe I'm as good as them. But there ain't no such thing as being better then someone, you are always your own unique player and if you connect to your audience emotionally then that's all that matters  

Knowledge - One thing I've struggled with is knowledge with gear. There are tons and tons off new stuff out there that when it comes to look for something new it literally blows my head off everytime! Haha. But as long as you got patience to try them all out then you'll be just fine haha.  

Comparing yourself to others - it's so so easy to watch someone play to then you go behind your neck and think "oh god I'm terrible!" Haha. But it's always remembering that everyone has had their own journey to get to where they are and you are currently still on yours, and there will be a time.  

5. How long did it take you to learn how to play guitar?  

I've been guitar coached for like 8-9 years now! And I've loved every minute of it now!  

Alex Rose 

1. Who got you into playing guitar?  

My dad and Paramore (mostly Taylor York though)!  

2. ‎What is it like being a female in the rock and metal music industry?  

You've definitely got more spotlight and higher expectations on you than your male counterparts and there is traces of sexism (aka not being taken as seriously as easily), though I‘ve personally never had a seriously bad experience. There’s usually a respectful and really positive energy around me doing my things and I‘ve even been told „I‘m so glad you’re interrupting this wiener party“ by a guy once after a gig.  

3. ‎Do you think people are more accepting of female guitars? 

I think they‘re growing into it. The more women turn up, handling their guitars like any proper guitarist, the more acceptance there‘ll be. It‘s of course still a bit of a „we’ve got to take the stairs while male guitarists take the escalator“ kind of thing but it‘s definitely gotten a lot better with guitarists like Lynn Gunn, Tash Sultana or Kacey Dalager, doing more than just strumming basic chords, though this sadly emphasizes the stairs-escalator thing, also, it‘s of course legitimate to just play basic and supporting stuff on guitar.  

4. What's 3 struggles of being a guitarist?  

1- For me, on stage, it's controlling my facial expressions and making sure I actually perform and move around instead of just concentrating on my playing (and singing).  

2- It's rather hard to find a signature sound and it certainly takes a lot of pedals, guitars and amps (and with that, loads of money) you'll try out and reject until you find what might suit you and your needs best, though that's an ever-evolving process too, of course.  

3- Honestly? Shoulder pains from the strap and the weight of the guitar, at least after very long sessions.  

5. How long did it take you to learn how to play guitar?  

I think it's taken me about 5-6 years of dedicated practicing to get to a point where I can say I‘m satisfied with my performance in the studio and on-stage, though this of course depends on the kind of genre you‘re situated in and the difficulty of the songs you‘re writing or trying to learn. 

Sophie Burrell  

1. Who got you into playing guitar?  

I watched the movie “The School Of Rock” when I was 5 years old, and from that day onwards I was obsessed with music and guitar in particular. I didn’t actually start learning how to play until I was around 9/10 years old, though I was given a really cheap toy electric guitar at age 6…which I taught myself how to play things like smoke on the water on! When it comes round to influence later on when I actually started learning how to play, I loved Avril Lavigne with a passion for a few years, though I shortly went onto the likes of Guns N Roses, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath!  

2. ‎What is it like being a female in the rock and metal music industry?  

Being a female in the rock and metal industry is great fun, it has its ups and downs for sure…though it has generally been more pleasant than not for me (so far). One of the perks of being a female in this industry is that they we aren’t too common, so to begin with you stick out like a sore thumb which is great! You’ll also get a fair few people who are really confused and intrigued by what you’re doing…as you rarely see metal guitarist chicks out and about! This comes hand in hand with the type of support you receive from it too, people can be so lovely and positive! On the other hand, it can also be slightly brutal in a few ways. You get a lot of jealous people who will try to tear you down, because they want to be doing what you’re doing! I’ve had quite a few comments made about image too, things like “she’s only in the band because she dresses that way”…and then once the show kicks off they usually shut up as they can see I can actually play my instrument haha. I’ve also had random strangers who have tried to tell me what I should and shouldn’t wear, what I can and cannot do etc. etc., it seems that as soon as you’re out in the eye, some people get very weird and obsessive/possessive over you! Though the percentage of people who are really great and supportive is way higher than those who are a little strange hahaha, so it’s okay!  

3. ‎Do you think people are more accepting of female guitars? 

This is a strange one for me, as I’ve had two types of experiences when it comes down to it. It can swing one way, or completely the opposite I’ve found! I’ve had experiences where people are in absolute awe of the concept, and they’re rooting for it. ‎Some people really dig the fact that girls can shred too! ‎Where as on the other hand, I’ve found that they can also really hate it…again, I think it boils down to jealousy. Guitar and rock/metal music in general is quite a male-dominated society, which is a shame…though it can work in our favour! A lot of male guitarists love seeing females shred at the same standard as they can, or even better, it’s quite a powerful tool. Though you’re always going to get that beige character that’ll suck every last bit of fun out of it because they don’t want to accept the fact that girls can do it too. People can be very quick to judge, though if you put in the hours and the work, it’ll pay off and people will dig what you do! I’d hope that no female is put off trying to be a guitarist because they fear the judgement and what the music/guitarist community has to say. So, I wouldn’t say people are more accepting, necessarily. Though I would say it’s almost easier to get noticed if you’re a chick doing it. This is purely because the guitarist community is so male-heavy, so you are going to be just that little bit more rare! Then again, the number of female guitarists is increasing, which is awesome!  

4. What's 3 struggles of being a guitarist?  

1) The amount of strings you go through, especially if you’re a live guitarist!  

2) ‎Lugging head/cabs everywhere.  

3) The never-ending want/need for new gear!  

5. How long did it take you to learn how to play guitar? ‎ 

I started off with a private tutor really, which was great to get me started and to help me find my feet with it. So, I started private lessons around 9, and became predominantly self-taught by age 12. Once I hit secondary school I got heavily into my guitar, so I’d play for hours and hours every day. I’d say it took a couple of years before I could play completely independently, confidently. Though if I remember rightly, I was so determined to make it happen when I was young that I wasn’t letting anything stop me when I was having those lessons initially anyway. As a guitar teacher now, it’s interesting to see those who are so motivated that they live and breathe all things guitar, and those who you can see are just doing it for another hobby. Those who live and breathe it are 100% committed to practice, therefore they progress a lot faster, which is rewarding to see for both them and for me! Those who don’t practice don’t improve as much, of course, so they don’t feel as proud with themselves when they aren’t seeing the visible progress! The moral of the story is that the more you practice, the faster you’ll get better!  

Kitty Staunton  

1. Who got you into playing guitar?  

Hearing Joan Jett and thinking, damn, I want to form a band. I was a big fan of Nirvana (most of their discography being the first songs I learnt to play) and then discovering the riot grrrl movement just spurred me on even more. I had just always wanted to make music and guitar just seemed like the perfect tool for songwriting.  

2. ‎What is it like being a female in the rock and metal music industry?  

There is a lot of casual sexism. I know my male bandmates have never received patronizing explanations about their own gear, or received comments like “you shouldn’t play guitar, because it hides too much of that beautiful body” (yep, that is a real quote). We joke about it in-band a lot because it is just so preposterous. Luckily, I would say that the vast majority people are nothing like this. Ultimately, making music and performing is what I love to do- my sex doesn’t factor into that. As a band, we all put on a flamboyant show, with silly outfits and loud music, dong or no dong.  

3. ‎Do you think people have a more accepting attitude towards female guitarists in recent times? 

Absolutely. There are plenty of people rooting for more female musicians.  

4. What's 3 struggles of being a guitarist?  

1) Dropping a guitar pick and it disappearing forever into the abyss.  

2) Having to cut your nails constantly.  

3) Lugging around my hard case, which is almost the same size and weight as me.

  

5. How long did it take you to learn how to play guitar?  

I taught myself when I was about 14 and I would say it probably took a couple of years to reach a comfortable level of skill for songwriting. Guitar playing just takes a bit of perseverance through the really tedious early stages, but it’s totally worth it. 

As mentioned by the guitarists above, people are a lot more accepting of female musician's than they were before but there's still higher expectations to be met that they always meet and they always show that they can rock! 

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BELONGS TO THOSE THAT HAVE TOOK THE PHOTOS 

A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE GUITARISTS WHO TOOK PART IN THIS ARTICLE 

CROSS SKULL MEDIA 

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