Guitar players of today are more diverse than ever before, according to new study by Fender, which shows that half of all beginner players are female.
The guitar manufacturer conducted the research with players in both the UK and US, finding that women account for 50 percent of all beginner and aspirational guitarists.
The research echoes findings from a previous Fender study in 2015, which chief executive Andy Mooney said had been referred to by some, as 'the Taylor Swift factor' to suggest that it was 'short-term and aberrational.'
'In fact, it’s not,' he told Rolling Stone. 'Taylor has moved on, I think playing less guitar on stage than she has in the past. But young women are still driving 50 percent of new guitar sales. So the phenomenon seems like it’s got legs, and it’s happening worldwide.'
Elsewhere in the study, 72 percent of respondents said they picked up the guitar to gain a life skill or as a means of self-betterment.
Half of UK guitarists chose 'playing privately' as their preferred environment, which was 18 percent more than players in the US.
Beginning and aspirational guitar players shunned private lessons, ranking online video-based tutorials as 'the most-effective resource to learn guitar.'
The health and wellness benefits to playing guitar were also explored, with emotional benefits reported such as increased creativity, self-expression, patience and confidence in self.
Fender consulted Daniel Levitin who said: 'Playing an instrument can certainly improve a person's overall well-being. Playing even five minutes a day can lead to a range of physical, mental and emotional benefits.
'Playing an instrument has a meditative aspect that can release positive hormones in the brain and can reduce the stress hormone Cortisol, increase productivity, and create social bonding to combat loneliness in the digital age.
He added: 'Playing music with other people produces the chemical oxytocin, a binding chemical that promotes trust and social bonding and makes you feel better.'
Photo: Dream Wife.
The guitar manufacturer conducted the research with players in both the UK and US, finding that women account for 50 percent of all beginner and aspirational guitarists.
The research echoes findings from a previous Fender study in 2015, which chief executive Andy Mooney said had been referred to by some, as 'the Taylor Swift factor' to suggest that it was 'short-term and aberrational.'
'In fact, it’s not,' he told Rolling Stone. 'Taylor has moved on, I think playing less guitar on stage than she has in the past. But young women are still driving 50 percent of new guitar sales. So the phenomenon seems like it’s got legs, and it’s happening worldwide.'
Elsewhere in the study, 72 percent of respondents said they picked up the guitar to gain a life skill or as a means of self-betterment.
Half of UK guitarists chose 'playing privately' as their preferred environment, which was 18 percent more than players in the US.
Beginning and aspirational guitar players shunned private lessons, ranking online video-based tutorials as 'the most-effective resource to learn guitar.'
The health and wellness benefits to playing guitar were also explored, with emotional benefits reported such as increased creativity, self-expression, patience and confidence in self.
Fender consulted Daniel Levitin who said: 'Playing an instrument can certainly improve a person's overall well-being. Playing even five minutes a day can lead to a range of physical, mental and emotional benefits.
'Playing an instrument has a meditative aspect that can release positive hormones in the brain and can reduce the stress hormone Cortisol, increase productivity, and create social bonding to combat loneliness in the digital age.
He added: 'Playing music with other people produces the chemical oxytocin, a binding chemical that promotes trust and social bonding and makes you feel better.'
Photo: Dream Wife.
