Study: Half of New Guitar Players Are Women

Taylor Swift

Fender has released a new study that shows women comprise 50% of new guitar players in the United States and the United Kingdom.

According to Variety, the guitar manufacturer consulted with Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist and musician, for the study, which found that half of “all beginner and aspirational players” are women. Fender’s CEO Andy Mooney said the U.K. team was surprised at the findings, which are “identical to what’s happening in the U.S.”

“There was also belief about what people referred to as the ‘Taylor Swift factor’ maybe making the 50% number short-term and aberrational,” Mooney told Rolling Stone. “In fact, it’s not. Taylor has moved on, I think playing less guitar on stage than she has in the past. But young women are still driving 50% of new guitar sales. So the phenomenon seems like it’s got legs, and it’s happening worldwide.”