Hello There!

Hi!

I tried to learn guitar when I was 14 and now it's about 30 years later that I'm trying again.

I had a really tough time as the guys in my local music store weren't supportive of a woman (or girl back then) learning to play guitar and they also had really strong opinions - like that a guitar should always have the aboslute heaviest guage strings possible and that guitar picks that were less than extra heavy guage were pure garbage.

A couple years later a friend who was really good at guitar tried to play my guitar he said it was pretty much unplayable. He restrung it for me but said it was still exceptionally hard to play. I couldn't afford a different guitar.

I also tried having a guitar teacher but he'd keep saying 'That's good, for a girl' - when I tried to press him on what that meant - like was that bad, but because I was a girl it was ok? Or was I doing well despite being a girl?' He'd just laugh. I was literally discouraged for decades based on my experiences.

So now I've started the lessons with Lisa McCormick and she's so amazing and inspiring! I love how she breaks down the fundamentals. It feels so great when I know something - I cheer and say 'yay I know a little more than nothing!' and then she's filling in all these critical fundamental gaps of knowledge I never knew but I know will help me learn how to play guitar! And she writes songs especially for us to get exactly the practice we need in such a fun way! That's so sweet and awesome!

I'm really happy to be here and to have this great opportunity to learn without judgement at my own pace and to have an amazing woman role model.

Hi there,

I'm happy to hear that you're picking up the guitar 30 years later, and thank you for giving Guitartricks a shot!

Your guitar teacher sounds awful! I'm sorry to hear about that. And yes, Lisa is really great, and even though I did not learn how to play with Lisa, I've still picked up a few things or two from watching her videos over time.

Don't forget, you can always leave Lisa a message on her forum here: https://www.guitartricks.com/forum/threads.php?f=46

Guitar playing is mostly dominated by men, but lucky for us we have a handful of really great women that also teach.

Don't forget to check out Caren's lessons here: https://www.guitartricks.com/instructor.php?input=1796810

And Sharon's lessons here: https://www.guitartricks.com/instructor.php?input=2006207

Keep up the great work!

Best,

Billy

triggerasynapse, SO great to hear all this!!!!

Yes, the music world is in need of a lot more women teachers, players, learners.

I'm SO glad you and I found each other! Let's do this!!!!

Have fun, -Lisa

Yay! Lisa! Thanks so much for welcoming me. It means so much and it motivates me.

I wonder if there are any other ladies out there who don't quite feel ready yet to start their own thread but maybe would be willing to say 'hi' here too?

Oooo, maybe we need a Forum for Guitar Tricks Women!

(would not want the guys to feel left out at all - its just that it can be helpful for women to connect with one another around being in the music world. It's different for girls.)

-Lisa

Yeah! In guitar basics I saw The Old Folks’ Beginner’s Thread and saw that a lot of people were excited to connect in that way. So in the same way, I think having a place for women to connect and share their experiences would be cool. I would see a women’s forum about an opportunity to make connections and build a sub-community that has the potential to address our specific worries and support each other, but to also help people build confidence to join in the rest of the conversations across the other forums.

[br]But then again, it depends if other women would even be interested?

Well, I think the Old Folks Beginners thread began with a single post! And so many people responded, it has become an ongoing conversation that’s been going for years, I think!

Maybe you’d like to initiate a post called something like “Women Guitar Players”, and we can see who jumps in?

Just an idea - Lisa