As a classically trained female musician fresh out of college, I found jobs within the world of rock, a genre I seldom listened to. What's funny was, when I first started listening to rock, I thought the whole genre was centered on men with cool outfits and cool guitars. Which it is! To an extent. This, as it turns out, was an internal bias I carried, something we naturally have as people. So I took it upon myself to explore beyond these preconceived expectations, and alongside my team curate a wonderful list of ladies who really do rock the rock scene. Come along with me as we explore our first queue for Women's History Month, aptly named "Queens of Song".
First in line for March is a band fronted by the infamous queen of rock and roll, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, with the song "Love is Pain." Before playing, I encourage you to look at the album art--it's pretty cool! Who knew bangs and mascara would make one of the most iconic photos in rock history? Written by Jett herself, the song uses a mix of sustained strums and rhythmic tempo to create that classic rock sound we all know and love. As a player you'll find the song contains techniques such as slides and sustains that are well accompanied by video lessons provided in Rocksmith+.
Besides the fun title, our "Queens of Song" queue is designed to showcase contemporary female artists from all walks of life. Taking a dive down the list we look no further than Lisa Stansfield. Regarded as one of the top female soul singers of the nineties, Stansfield's song "All Around the World" is lyrical and starkly feminine. Upon its release it quickly rose the charts, topping platinum in the US and gold in other countries, standing the test of time as her number one song. Players can expect a variety of strumming techniques within the song, also found in your Rocksmith+ lessons.
Last up, if you want a kick of country, we have Dolly Parton just for you! Players can expect to see "Islands In the Stream," another classic in our queue list for this month. You'll find that the chord pattern varies and modulates throughout the song, from seventh chords to switching keys. Having the ability to smoothly transition from each chord to different parts of the guitar neck is another technique you can practice and master on our lessons videos. Parton's song is a great one to pull out the guitar for as she's considered to be one of the top country singers and best-selling female artists of all time, winning over 30 awards to her name.
Players who enjoy lessons will find these curated lists to be a helpful teaching tool on their journey through mastering the guitar. Whether you're a beginner or veteran, Rocksmith+ has a place for all levels of users. Be on the lookout for our next song list, "Female Pioneers", which is being released as we speak. And as always friends, rock on!
*Soha Sadeghinejad *is a member of the Rocksmith+ Music Team. She's an avid viola player, music teacher, artist, and writer. She's mentored students in a "Neurodiversity in Tech" internship, an 8 week program designed to help young adults learn how to build a videogame from concept to completion
