The DOUBLE STANDARD

[Annah]

Lol, yeah, you're right, things are starting to balance out more. I suppose the key to dealing with it all is to remember that everyone has their own perspective on a given situation. The best progress being made has to be the acceptance people have for each other's perspectives.

[charvelguy]

ahh, but woman can be very competitive in sports or in the workplace Annah...so.. IMO that blanket doesn't always apply. I think the artistic field has opened up in alot of ways and there's always room for new players. Heck, I was surprised to see Madonna donning a Les Paul during Live Earth. Maybe she wants to be like Courtney Love.

Personally, I'm a not so taken a back when they feature a no name chick in GP. I think women in the field can offer possible fresh approaches.
However, if there's a chick in my kitchen, she better watch out.. I'm a mean ass veggie shredder and pretty damn good cook.

[Annah]

Objectively subjective

Not to unearth an old thread, but I just found this and thought the volley of conversation interesting, especially how some people fit me into the mix. I appreciate the respect shown toward me here. That means a lot to me and is important, not just to me, but to the greater picture.

Yes, I grew up a bit differently than most. I would not say, as some have, that I was ever a "man" because I surely was not. I was male, which is different. Anyone can be a "man", even some women are very much like men. I did a great job acting like one, but then, that's not terribly hard when the costume is so well done. The fact of the matter is, during every single waking moment of my life in which I was learning to play, which was mostly pre-transition, I was struggling with my issues on a very core level. Even on stage in the early 90's I was struggling with that. I think I may have had a harder time learning many things because of the impact that had on me. I say this because ever since I transitioned I have been mentally unencumbered and my mind seems to absorb things far better without that distraction.

Having lived on both sides of the gender line, and spent so much of my time in the music world, specifically hard rock/heavy metal scenes, I have found an incredible difference in the way I am treated, not so much because of my playing (which has hardly changed) but because of my gender. The main difference I noticed comes from males. For example, before transition when I would go into a Guitar Center and look at guitars guys spoke to me on what I can only describe as an even playing field. They didn't act like they knew more than me or like I knew more than them. The vocal exchanges about guitars and music were essentially even-keeled. When I would play guitar people didn't act impressed. Granted, I'm no Yngwie or Eddie, but I can do a fair bit of shredding.

Now things are completely different. I have walked into Guitar Center and been asked, "So are you looking for something for your husband or boyfriend?" Which is indicative of the fact that (some) men in the business don't even see women as even possibly being interested in (or capable of?) playing guitar. Often, I'm completely ignored, until I pick up a guitar and start playing. I've been patronized by music store salesmen and spoken to as if I am a child who doesn't know how to hold a guitar without dropping it on the floor. That kind of treatment pretty much makes me laugh, but I find it deeply disappointing. In response to the guy who asked me the question above, I said, "Dude, I can't believe you just asked me that!" and he turned red and walked away. He came back and apologized, but only after I grabbed a guitar and plugged it in and he heard me play. This is sadly typical of most music stores I walk into, and I find that I don't even want to go into them anymore because of the sublime way I get treated. I wonder how many other girls/females/women get disenchanted with music for the same reasons.

My playing hasn't changed a whole lot since prior to my transition, but I find it very funny how people react to it. Now I get comments from guys after shows like, "Hey, I don't mean this to sound bad, but for a girl you're really good." Funny, was I "really good" for a guy? I don't play guitar to impress people. Never have. Like my style or don't. My purpose in playing is to feel the crunch of pure metal shake me to the bone, work up a sweat, thrash around, and have a damn good time... for myself mostly. If others get off on it too, then so much the better!

I never could understand the need to impress people with guitar shredding. I have always played as a release of emotion and frustration, and because I love music. I think that's probably true for most women who play, and most men seem so bound to impressing others with their abilities to sweep, or speed pick, or play the most notes in two seconds, or to do whatever. It's all about competition. And there, I think, is the key to the male/female, man/woman guitar player issue...

My conclusion is this: Men can't see female guitar players in an equal light because they know (consciously or not) that women are non-competitive. Generally speaking, women do not play guitar because we want to impress others, we play for different reasons. Men generally play guitar to impress others - guys because of the instinctual male competitive nature, and girls because of their "I want to impress her so she'll sleep with me" nature.

This is just my observation and objectively subjective opinion. Rock on!

[jgcable]

So, where does she stand in this mess? Check out her videos.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...ndid=106253095

She has good technique but no feel and fairly sloppy. My guess is that she really has no clue what she is actually playing. Very stiff, lifeless and robotic. She sounds like she has been playing for 5 years. (which she has been).

[charvelguy]

She has pretty solid technique, good hand positioning, decent vibrato. Even though she's doing some advanced things..still a little sloppy as well as stiff in the feel at times than I'd care to hear. Very focused tho.

[guitarsjb]

So, where does she stand in this mess? Check out her videos.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=106253095

[GodOfRhythm]

I rest my case:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDIdJQq3RMQ

...., but she's hot, so I think the playing's alright.

[OnlineStageGear]

Hey guys, it all comes down to who comes up with the cool riffs. Even in the guitar god hayday, the guitar lead/solo was usually only 20 seconds or less out of 4 mintes of song. I know I hated listening to 3 minutes and 40 seconds of crap to hear 20 seconds of a good guitar solo.

[Norton]

They only "tool" I use is my son..

Does he listen to Tool?

[OnlineStageGear]

How about this one... Tipton.. Downing.

My take (after being a Priest fan since Rocka-Rolla), and seeing them live at least 20 times... Tipton is the far superior soloist and Downing is the better rhythm player. Live proves it because Glen plays 80% of the most recognizable guitar solos. KK is usually relegated to the whammy type solos.

I agree. I can almost always tell the difference in the solo's. I think KK closed the gap a bit on the Painkiller album but Glen always had the better solo's.

[horns666]

OH..as everyone knows..I'm a moron..so I don't use any "tools" when writing music. I jam with my son, and if the riffs are worthy. We remember them and arrange shit untill it just flows..

I guess that is old school..

They only "tool" I use is my son..long ago..I always jammed to a Roland 505 Drum Machine..meter is very important to me..I'm a stickler for meter..my son has better meter than most seasoned dudes I've played with..well, I can critique my son and he listens and goes with it. Most drummers are a pain in the ass..

It's always the same BS with drummers..you write a riff with a exact feel/meter/timing in mind and they always want to put their "spin" on it ..fucking it all up. god forbid you try to explain how you want it to go ..

I hate that!

[horns666]

I'm not into copying other people's music, but I do let it inspire me. I'm into "grooves", must be the bass playing thing I did for years. As soon as I hear a cool riff..I'll grab my guitar before I finish listening to the riff. It seems to "spark" my own ideas..I do that alot. Then it sounds nothing like the riff that inspired me..which is exactly what I want.

I don't do tabs, or anything...I just play until I stumble onto something if I'm lucky. My prob is I blow off alot of riffs that so many people would use. I like a "challenge"..if it's too easy I feel kinda gay..so I like to come up with complex shit..but it must groove..something that makes people's head bang..it always MUST be a bangable riff...that's most important to me, as well as my tone and how it comes across.

BTW..this fucking girl is killer..there seems to be alot of asian prodigies for some reasom..that always amazed me..they start really young!..this is just one of many I've seen..but it's fuggin' good and I enjoyed it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98y0Q7nLGWk

[shobet]

I wish I could do this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98y0Q7nLGWk&mode=related&search=

and no I don't mean wear a skirt!

[Brick]

Well if u think of it guys have the better side of some other double standards, i'm sure you know what i'm talking about, so I'm not going to worry about it. But what your saying is true.

[Evol]

Tabs, whether transcribed accurately or not, are a stepping stone to becoming a better player. The tab can be horribly transcribed but if your learning from it, i.e., new chords, bends, vibrato, trills or any other soloing technique, how can anyone with common sense say they aren't useful? No one can ever tell me that by using Power Tabs I'm not becoming better. It's one of the great tools out there today that gets you on your way. Becoming a GREAT player is dependent on YOU and how much you're willing to invest to get there. If using a program like Power Tabs makes me a sell-out, a stupid novice with no ingenuity or imagination, then so be it.

No,I'm saying that access to tabs has not suddenly been responsible for churning out smoking guitar players in record time,I contend that they always have been there,and we just havent seen them because they had no vehicle to promote themselves.

I know plenty of players that are great,without having to play other peoples songs,they developed their own style from what they heard and what they wanted to play.


All of these guitar players nowadays "heroes" or the people they are copying didn't need any of that to become great(and most did so at quite a young age,not unlike today at all),and they forged ahead with new sounds and ideas,since the advent of widely accessable tabs and whatnot it's been stagnant ever since. We have lots of copycats and sound a likes,that's all.