“We’re in a world where people expect things to be easy – the guitar is not like that”: Nita Strauss discusses the next generation of guitarists
She’s impressed with the work ethic of the young musicians coming up.
Credit: Steve Jennings/WireImage
We live in a world where we expect everything at our fingertips. But, says Nita Strauss in a new interview, you still have to put the hard work in when it comes to playing the guitar.
Speaking to D’Addario, Strauss explains that, while we’re used to instant gratification, she’s pleased to see that the new generation of guitarists are committed to putting the work in.
“I think we’re in a world where people are increasingly expecting things to be easy, and be delivered – Amazon shows up in two days at your doorstep. The guitar is not like that,” she says.
“You have to work for it; put the time, the hours, the energy, and the effort in. So, I love to see this new generation of guitar players working hard, putting the work in, playing the shows, making the videos, and playing different techniques, and I just hope that work ethic continues for as long as what we do continues.”
The guitarist’s second solo album The Call of the Void came out last July, and she followed it up with a tour. While she’s known for her instrumental solo work, the album featured a range of guest vocalists from Alice Cooper to Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, while she also played guitar on La La Land from Demi Lovato’s September 2023 album Revamped.
In the interview, she goes on to say that her songs – even when she’s writing for guitar rather than vocals – all have stories. “As a songwriter, [with] guitar being my primary instrument, it does focus a lot on guitar technique. Writing the songs always starts with the story. Especially when I’m working on instrumental music, it always has to have a story that it’s telling before anything. So, stories first, and then come the riffs, the beats, the melodies, and all that.”
You can watch the interview below:
Nita Strauss is currently on tour in the US. For a full list of dates, head to her official website.