Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Well, yes, sort of......

I can play and I can sing, but there's only one woman around here that I know personally that plays. And, not to blow my own horn, I play better than she does. But, she sings better than I do (she has one of those naturally wonderful voices that she can make sound like an angel singing or like a big ol' black woman singing the blues) while I have to think about it and sometimes struggle with certain notes (my voice just doesn't have the range or power that hers has, it's a perfectly acceptable "little" voice, but it sounds much better when I harmonize with Susan).

Most of the men that I play with (that could sound odd, couldn't it? :) ), like to play stuff where they can make their guitars scream (they're definite rock and rollers). I like to fingerpick and play "pretty" things (like "After The Goldrush", "Homeward Bound", "Blackbird", "Ain't No Sunshine", you get the idea). So, I'm lucky to have Susan, since she likes to play the same things. She also plays keyboard, which is her primary instrument, she just started with guitar a few years ago. So, when we get together with her on keyboard, me on guitar, her singing lead and me singing harmony, we can kick some butt!

We've been saying for a while that we need to find some more female musicians, like a drummer, bass player and maybe another guitar player so that Sus can switch to keyboard. But it's VERY difficult. When we find a female that can play, more often than not there's a big age gap which means that there's a big musical preference gap as well, so we haven't found a "fit" yet. And we may not ever find all three (bass, drums, guitar), given the scarcity of female players 'of a certain age' (I'm 48, Susan is 40).

So, in the meantime, I play in a rock and roll band with men, Susan does a solo thing (sometimes I go gig with her, too), and we play our fingerpicking stuff on Tuesday nights.

Most of the men that I play with (that could sound odd, couldn't it? :) )

I'm afraid I've made you paranoid... :shock:

Can't say I really relate since I'm just starting out. I live in a college town, so I know most of the guitarists (or other musicians for that matter) round here are interested in hard rock/metal/alternative. I may listen to some of it, but I really prefer playing acoustic and tend toward country or folk type stuff. Maybe one of these days I'll find someone I can jam with. I'm really thinking I should move. The people who share my two main hobbies round here are not the type I want to hang out with.

Hi Electrablue,
Are you ever in California? We could play for sure. I know all those songs and I'm 41. (I say that like it's a wonderful thing). Sounds like we have the same taste in music. Good taste. :D
Where abouts in Texas do you live? I have some good friends that moved to Austin about 6 months ago. In fact I wrote them a song.I'll jot down the verse for ya. I like it.
The road don't mean a thing,
The miles between us is nothing more then a paved way to your gate
Austin Texas Ooh I hear is very nice
When they count their blessings at night
I hope they count you twice.
Anyway, I will be visiting there next spring. Maybe sooner,who knows. So for now, I guess I'm stuck playing with myself and my guy friends. How's that for sounding off color?

(Get your minds out of the gutter, you're crowding me) Take care and once again,
I am so happy I found Guitarnoise.
Pix

I can relate to that, too. One of the women Susan and I "auditioned" was into metal and headbanging stuff. When we told her what we wanted to play she looked at us like we were from the stone age, and when she told us what she wanted to play we pretty much showed her the door! It took me a long time to find Susan, though. And, honestly, if we weren't both musicians I don't know that we would have EVER gotten together because our lifestyles and other interests are SO different. I'm basically a middle aged hippie chick who likes to drink Corona beer, who plays guitar and works in my garden and tries to live a peaceful and quiet life, and Susan is a middle aged redneck woman who likes to drink whiskey, get loud, go to rodeos and chase cowboys! She tells me that I'm just WAY too laid back and that I need to get mad every now and again, and I keep telling her to loosen up and lighten up! But, our music blends perfectly even if our lifestyles don't. Maybe that's why our music works, we're like opposite sides of a coin, and we need the other side to be complementary.

Hippy chick here too. I LOVE digging in the dirt and is it ever to early for a beer? Not if i'm in the mood for one.I like my life and I am protective of it.I don't want to pull my friends out of a bar to keep them from getting thier butts kicked because they're drunk. I will if necessary. But don't really wanna.
Another thing thats pretty cool is that even though you and Susan are so different, the bond of music makes you more alike then either of you would probably like to admit. Hows that for long winded?

Are you ever in California? We could play for sure. I know all those songs and I'm 41. (I say that like it's a wonderful thing). Sounds like we have the same taste in music. Good taste. :D
Where abouts in Texas do you live? I have some good friends that moved to Austin about 6 months ago. In fact I wrote them a song.I'll jot down the verse for ya. I like it.
The road don't mean a thing,
The miles between us is nothing more then a paved way to your gate
Austin Texas Ooh I hear is very nice
When they count their blessings at night
I hope they count you twice.
Anyway, I will be visiting there next spring. Maybe sooner,who knows. So for now, I guess I'm stuck playing with myself and my guy friends. How's that for sounding off color?

(Get your minds out of the gutter, you're crowding me) Take care and once again,
I am so happy I found Guitarnoise.
Pix

I used to live in California when I was married to my first husband. Up around San Francisco (Daly City, San Bruno, Foster City, San Mateo area....) I also have a friend in Santa Monica who's a player, in fact he just sent me some of the cuts from the new CD he's about to finish.

Right now I live in Weatherford which is about 30 miles west of Fort Worth (60 miles west of Dallas), but I went to high school in Austin in the early 70's (you couldn't ask for a more perfect place for a budding little hippie chick to come of age in! It's definitely a unique place!) :D Your friends should have a great time there. It is, after all, the live music capital of the world! I still go back regularly for the music. There's an area there where they've taken about a 5 block square area and turned it into nothing but live music places (well, and the Black Cat Lucky Thirteen Tattoo Parlor, but that's another story!). Sixth Street (but it encompasses more than just Sixth Street). There's one little bar there that I go to every time. It's called the 311 Club (I think that's actually the address.... 311 E. Sixth), anyway, it's a great little blues club and there's a woman who plays there fairly regularly. Her name is Catherine Denise. She's no bigger than a minute and she plays this big, white Strat that's nearly as big as she is. That tiny, little woman can belt out the blues like nobody's business and she can make that Strat cry! Tell your friends to look her up if they like the blues! I look for her specifically every time I go because she puts on such a great show (and because it's really cool to see another woman up there fronting a band!).

Well, I'm glad you found GuitarNoise, too! We need some more women in here!

Don't you just love finding a gem of a place like that 311? Especially when its full of great talent like that lil lady w/ big white guitar. Theres a small town here " San Jaun Capistrano" That's full of some really great talent. I have been inspired to learn the steel guitar by a band in one of those joints.
Who knows, anything IS possible right?

I've thought about steel, too! And dulcimers! And mandolins! I know I'll never be able to "master" them, but it sure would be fun to become "adequate"!

Hey Electra,
I just checked out your website! Pretty cool stuff. The links will keep me busy for days.(like I dont have enough to do) I signed the guestbook too!

I have a mandolin already and since I played violin when I was young it is easier for me to figure out. (They tune the same) I havent been challenged with an instrument in years so I thought steel would feed my need for a very long time. One problem.....not cheap! It gives me a goal to work towards. :D I like the fact that few woman play steel. Some day!

Pixnstrings

Hey Electra,
I just checked out your website! Pretty cool stuff. The links will keep me busy for days.(like I dont have enough to do) I signed the guestbook too!
Pixnstrings

Well, thanks! One of these days I might even get it organized! I just can't seem to find the time between playing guitar and hanging out here on the GN forums! I've got a whole bunch more pdf's to upload. I guess I ought to just do it......... dammit..........