Is Taylor Swift the New Eddie Van Halen?

Modern Saint

Modern Saint

Starve your Fear, Feed your Dream!
We are not talking technique, we are talking about how more women are learning to play the guitar because of Swift!

evh-taylor-swift.jpg


http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/is-taylor-swift-the-new-eddie-van-halen/60277
 
Not even remotely IMHO.

Eddie redefined guitar.

Taylor has the guitar as more of a prop though she can play decently. If she inspires more people to take up the instrument that is good, but she is hardly seen as a guitar player in any article I have ever read.
 
Not really. I've had a handful of kids come to me wanting to play Taylor Swift over the years, but I've never had one pick up guitar because of her.

Then again, I don't get a lot of kids coming in for lessons because they want to play Van Halen either.
 
I did not even know she played guitar and she has been around for how long? I knew Van Halen played about five minutes after their first album dropped. (Well sooner than that as I had a few buds who saw them play when they were doing to local LA circuit.

If she gets more girls, or even boys, into playing then she is helping do what we guitar players want to do, Pinky: Take over the world...
 
I think Eddie was less about inspiring people to pick up the guitar, but, like Hendrix, redefined how it could be played and changed how a lot of players approached their instrument. That is not to say that some didn't pick it because of him, but even he didn't have the influence of the Beatles where there's a a generation or two of musicians that started playing because of the Beatles.

Taylor is more likely inspiring people (specifically young women) to pursue music and the guitar is certainly more accessible and portable than a piano. I'd say as far as inspring folks to take up music, she's better compared to the Beatles...although certainly not musically.
 
Kerouac said:
Not really. I've had a handful of kids come to me wanting to play Taylor Swift over the years, but I've never had one pick up guitar because of her.

Then again, I don't get a lot of kids coming in for lessons because they want to play Van Halen either.
Click to expand...

I think it's just music and maybe the idea of fame that can be the initial catalyst and there's usually a band that does that. The Chili Peppers were one of those bands, but I know Limp Biscuit had a bit of that type of influence as well.

Historically, I think the Beatles had the biggest impact (directly and indirectly) in that realm.

Oh, I have to add Nirvana. The seeming simplicity of Kurt's playing and even songs made the idea of playing more tangible than the shredders of the '80s.
 
some of you guys didn't read the article and just read the thread title and responded.

clearly they are not the same type of player. its about bringing kids to learn the guitar which they both are doing.
 
Last edited:
sleewell said:
some of you guys didn't read the article and just read the thread title and responded.

clearly they are the same type of player. its about bringing kids to learn the guitar which they both are doing.
Click to expand...

Do you even understand how the internet and forums like this work?

Of course we're not going to read the article. Many of us have a strong disdain for Ms Swift and the like and the aspect of the industry that has minimized opportunities for many other musicians in favor of the modern star factory. So why would we read about her? That said, I think most of us have been supportive of the idea, if she is in fact influencing more and younger kids to start playing music...it may be the only value she actually has.
 
Kerouac said:
Not really. I've had a handful of kids come to me wanting to play Taylor Swift over the years, but I've never had one pick up guitar because of her.

Then again, I don't get a lot of kids coming in for lessons because they want to play Van Halen either.
Click to expand...

I guess my question was' do you see a dramatic increase in female guitar students' regardless of an implicit TS factor or not?
 
I think part of it is the prevalence of female musicians becoming more of a norm than a novelty.

Back in the day we had.... Joan Jett, Nancy Wilson, Chrissy Hind and..... um..... ummm.......... you see what I mean?

Now days there's Grace Potter, Lizzy Hale, Orianthi, Nita Strauss, Jennifer Batten, Tal Wilkenfeld, Donna Grantis, drummers like Meg White and Elaine Bradley of Neon Trees, and many others. I don't think there's nearly the kind of stigma as there was 10 or 20 years ago that guitars are only for guys. Girls who play a rock instrument are cool.
 
Last edited:
also, are any of you familiar with this Phillip McKnight dude? I watch a fair share of youtube guitar videos, and have never heard of him. Justinguitar, Chappers, Marty Schwartz, privattricker, sure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top