Women flatpickers

Subject: Women flatpickers
From: Wesley S
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 02:14 PM

I heard a nice new group the other day called Hit and Run Bluegrass out of Colorado. The CD is called "Beauty Fades". Some great songs and great picking too. It's my favorite bluegrass lineup. Mandolin, dobro, banjo, guitar and bass. John Frazier is the mandolin player and there are times on the record when he sounds a bit like Adam Steffy. And that's a compliment in my book.

There is some fiddle on the CD too. Aubrey Haynie is listed as the only guest musician.

I guess what suprised me is that there is only one guitar player credited on the CD - a woman named Rebecca Hoggan. If she plays all of the guitar parts on the CD she's a pretty talented picker. I guess I'm pleased to hear a woman flatpicking so well. I'm curious why we don't hear more women flatpicking the guitar , esp in bluegrass. Any ideas ?

Anyway - a darn good CD. I'm looking forward to hearing their next one.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Peace
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 02:19 PM

Here.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: kendall
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 04:21 PM

Two names,
Debbie McClatchy and Carol P. Weiss

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Peace
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 04:39 PM

Cathy Fink

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: greg stephens
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 04:48 PM

Interesting the comparative lack of agile female flat-pickers, when you consider the huge number of great female fiddlers. The hand position when holding a pick is not all that different to the hold you use when skimming stones: and I don't think I am being unduly sexist when I mention that this is not a sport traditionally excelled in by women. Could there be a connection?

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Kaleea
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 05:21 PM

In the olden days, the the men came out of the fields & my Granny was still working. The men washed up & ate & my Granny was serving the food. The men finished eating & Granny was cleaning up after them. The kids needed to eat & my Granny fed them. A couple of the men finished up the chores around the barn & Granny washed up the kids & put them to bed. The rest of the men would go sit on the front porch and play a few tunes while Granny was still working--cleaning, fetching more water, etc., sewing if there was any light left (kerosene was costly), and the men played a few tunes. My Granny never played any Musical instrument, but long after the circuit preacher no longer came*, when the family all piled in for a visit, (& the womenfolk all helped with the cooking & cleaning) she did occasionally dance a jig while Grandad played a tune on this Marine Band Harmonica.
* I once asked my Aunts why why they never taught my generation to dance the Irish dances or play the Irish tunes, & the oldest one replied, "Why the Baptist preacher would never have allowed it!"
    Apologies to our fine Baptist Mudcatter friends.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Grab
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 05:48 PM

Kaleea, I guess you've heard why the Baptists are opposed to sex before marriage - they think it might lead to dancing...

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Midchuck
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 05:54 PM

...rule.

P.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: pdq
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 07:00 PM

Glenda Faye is a fine flatpicker who used to work in the Grand Ol' Opry stage band, Porter Wagoner's band, maybe others. I really enjoy the one record she made called "Flatpickin' Favorites", a Flying Fish release from 1987. Looked at eBay today and found that it has just come out on CD. Check out the "hired Help":

FAYE, GLENDA - FLATPICKIN FAVORITES - CD

Personnel: Glenda Faye (lead guitar), Bill Monroe (mandolin), Vassar Clements (fiddle), Jesse McReynolds (mandolin), Bobby Thompson (banjo, rhythm guitar), Roy Huskey, Jr. (bass) and Nancy Given (snare drum). ts (fiddle), Jesse McReynolds (mandolin), Bobby Thompson (banjo, rhythm guitar), Roy Huskey, Jr. (bass) and Nancy Given (snare drum).

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Kaleea
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 07:11 PM

By the way, I have an uncle & a couple of cousins who are ordained Ministers in the Baptist Church, as well as fine men. None of them play any Musical instruments that I know of.

   At any rate, I'm glad that there are some fine Musicians out there who happen to be of the female persuasion who are receiving their due!

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: John Hardly
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 08:02 PM

It is a remarkable void. Many women play with a flatpick - electric -- Bonnie Raitt, Melissa Etheridge, etc, but as one would think of "flatpickers" one of the few that come to mind is Nina Gerber, and even she is a bit more of an accompaniest who uses a flatpick on an acoustic.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 08:16 PM

Wesley S. - a year ago at Easter a buddy of mine called up and wanted to go hear this young bluegrass band at a little bar in Wolf Creek, Montana. They were coming through from a gig in Spokane and needed some gas money. There were maybe a dozen people in the audience.

The group, of course, was "Hit & Run" - and I was amazed that the guitar player was a woman. And when she started flatpicking I about fell off my chair - she picked the fire out of that guitar!
The male banjo player was hot but didn't sing. The bass player was a tall lanky gal who sang a bit and had a really nice smile. The mandolin player was an innovative picker and also perhaps the best singer in the group. He also played the fiddle a bit. The flatpicking woman was perhaps the second best singer. They are all very young - just out of college a couple of years.

It was an enjoyable Easter sunday evening, and I thought then that I didn't know any other women pickers of this gal's equal. I'm sure they're out there - I just don't get out much.

The only other local woman I've heard flatpick is still very tentative and much too precise. She gets all the notes right, but there's no flow to the music.

Actually maybe Greg is on to something about skipping stones. It's a mystical connection !

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 08:19 PM

And by the way, that woman flatpicker isn't hard on the eyes either!

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Peace
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 08:21 PM

I ain't too sure that males outnumber females on a per capita basis. Just because someone uses a flatpick doesn't mean they know how to use a flatpick. Most guitarist can't flatpick worth a darn. Male or female. IMO.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 08:21 PM

I'm having CRS tonight. "Hit & Run" also had a really good dobro player. I think he's won the Colorado State championship at least once. As i remember he sang only one or two songs.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: GUEST,Sleepless Dad
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 08:26 PM

http://www.hitandrunbluegrass.com

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: kendall
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 11:36 AM

I think I misspelled her name, it's Caryl P. Weiss. She picks the Beaumont Rag like she wrote it.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Wesley S
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 01:28 PM

I'm glad Les confirmed what I thought. But it makes me wonder why there aren't more women flatpickers to be found. Hmmm.....

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: greg stephens
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 01:39 PM

I mentioned that women have no problem with fiddle technique, and I would add to that. There doesnt seem to be any difficulty for either sex to acquire unbelievable proficiency keyboards. Likewise woodwind instruments. The lack of a lot of female flatpick guitarists is an anomaly, which seems to me to suggest a possibly physical basis.
I am assuming, with others, we are talking here about "flatpick guitarists" as opposed "people who play the guitar with a flatpick": the latter includes the former, but not vice versa, at least in the context of this thread.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: GUEST,Martin Gibson
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 02:44 PM

Wesley S, coincidently I just read a review of Hit and Run's CD in the newest issue of vintage guitar magazine and it was quite favorable. No one in the group is over 30. It is refreshing to hear bluegrass, even the traditional is being done well by young people.

The torch will be carried.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: kendall
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 04:49 PM

I love to watch young people picking the hell out of bluegrass and showing up the old guys!

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Wesley S
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 05:24 PM

Check out King Wilkie someday. I don't think any of them are out of their 20's yet but they can tear it up.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 08:08 PM

In thinking about why no women flatpickers, I suspect it's a strength issue. Fiddle and keyboards don't require quite as much hand pressure as do those heavy strings on a guitar. You also don't find many women who are hot mandolin players either.

On the other hand, there are a lot of women who play standup bass in bluegrass groups. So maybe hand strength is not an issue ???

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: number 6
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 09:45 PM

Not a guitar flat picker but I'm going to mention her anyway ... Rhonda Vincent who plays a very good bluegrass mandolin.

"I love to watch young people picking the hell out of bluegrass and showing up the old guys!"
... and there are some pretty impressive young pickers out there Kendall.

sIx

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: GUEST,Susan West
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 06:19 PM

Kathy Barwick is one of my flatpicking heroes. She's played with all the best. She writes and provides tabs for Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. She has a new album out where she plays guitar and I believe banjo and dobro, while Pete Siegfried plays mandolin.

I do flatpicking having learned from my teacher Walter Croll and a bit from Chris Silver.

I have one flatpicking number on my last album, Words Of a Friend.
It is called Bon Pour La Lingue or Good For the Tongue Hornpipe. It is a Leizime Brusoe fiddle tune which I arranged for guitar. I have a special love for the lumberjack and French Canadian tunes. I also play rg for an old time string band.   

I will soon be releasing albums with Doug MacKenzie which feature my flatpicking, and also will appear on a compilation album published by Kyle Fosburgh, which will feature Minnesota guitarists.

If any other ladies would like to get together for some flatpicking tunes, give me a shout! I am one hour east of St Paul, Minnesota.

http://www.ruralrootsmusic.com

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: GUEST,Susan West
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 06:23 PM

As for why women rarely learn to flatpick, I feel that it is a purely social thing. I was certainly never encouraged to try it. I happened upon it by accident and during a period of illness had the time required to practice and perfect the skill.

It is challenging at first, but the deeper I got, I had a real sense of coming home, and that this was the style I needed to play to become the best guitar player that I am capable of being. I love it more than oxygen, I really do love to flatpick fiddle tunes. I am not a super-fast picker tempo wise, but I get along when I've a notion to....:-)

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Mark Ross
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 10:39 PM

Kajsa Ohman, who used to be around Montana, learned from Clarence White back in the day. I think she's living in Seattle now. She's a real strong hand with a flatpick. Good songwriter and singer too.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: GUEST,Bignige
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 02:06 PM

We have a great girl in the UK who flatpicks like a dream, Charlotte Carrick of the Carrick Twins, check her out.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Janie
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 06:34 PM

https://bluegrassjournal.wordpress.com/2006/12/24/women-flatpickers/

Susan West, any links to videos or soundfiles of your picking? Would love to take a listen.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: PHJim
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 10:11 PM

Marcy Marxer

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: PHJim
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 10:25 PM

Marcy Brown Marxer & Rolly - Dixie Darling

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: PHJim
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 10:42 PM

I'm not sure how Rolly's last name got in between Marcy's first and last names.

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Mar 15 - 06:05 PM

Never mind women flatpickers, what about Swedish flatpackers like Ike Ear?

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: PHJim
Date: 26 Mar 15 - 07:15 PM

Wil Maring's Arkansas Traveler

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: PHJim
Date: 29 Mar 15 - 01:48 AM

Sarah Jarosz and Courtney Hartman are both great flat pickers. Sarah is mostly known as a mandolin player, but also plays great guitar and clawhammer banjo. In this video, she plays back-up on along necked mandolin and concentrates on her vocals.
Courtney takes a nice flat picked guitar solo in this song.
Sarah, Courtney & Friends play Blackbird

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 29 Mar 15 - 02:38 AM

BigNige: I think you mean Charlotte Carrivick of the Carrivick Sisters. They *are* twins but play as "Carrivick Sisters".

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 29 Mar 15 - 02:51 AM

A couple of Carrivick Sisters links:


Garden Girl

Church Street Blues

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 04:35 PM

Seven years ago, when they were both just 17:


Cherokee Shuffle

Subject: RE: Women flatpickers
From: Nick
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 05:59 PM

Sophia Johnson from the Toy Hearts flatpicks very well