Gretchen Menn is an American guitarist and composer who has her own original instrumental work and is also the lead guitarist for

Zepparella Zepparella is an all-female American Led Zeppelin tribute band founded and formed in 2005 in San Francisco, California, by the band's drummer, Clementine. The current band consists of lead vocalist Anna Kristina, guitarist Gretchen Menn, bassist ...

, an all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band. She was included in ''

Guitar Player Magazine ''Guitar Player'' is an American popular magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print si ...

'' '50 Sensational Female Guitarists' and ''

'' '50 Years of Extraordinary Players.' In 2017 she was one of 11 female guitarists selected to contribute a track onto '' She Rocks, Vol. 1'', a compilation released on Steve Vai’s label: 'Favored Nations'. In 2017 she was nominated by readers of ''

Vintage Guitar Magazine ''Vintage Guitar'' is an American magazine that focuses on vintage and classic guitars, amplifiers, effects, and related equipment, as well as notable guitarists from all genres and eras. The publication's feature stories and monthly columns cov ...

'' as 'Artist of the Year', alongside

Allan Holdsworth Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer. Holdsworth was known for his esoteric and idiosyncratic usage of advanced music theory concepts, especially with respe ...

, Steve Vai,

Dan Auerbach Daniel Quine Auerbach (; born May 14, 1979) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist and vocalist of The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. As a member of the group, Auerbach has ...

, Rik Emmett, and Andy Timmons. She has provided lessons for ''

Acoustic Guitar Magazine ''Acoustic Guitar'' is a monthly magazine published in the United States since July/August 1990 by String Letter Publishing. The magazine offers information, inspiration, and instruction related to acoustic guitars for players of all levels from ...

'',

JamPlay JamPlay is an online instructional guitar-playing subscription service. The company was founded in Beavercreek, Ohio in 2006 by Kevin Wimer, Jeff Booth and Chris Dawson. From 2010 to 2013, the company's revenue rose from $2 million to $4.1 milli ...

- an online guitar lesson provider, and has been a 3-time counselor at

Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp The Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp is an interactive musical event that takes place in various locations worldwide involving various Rock Stars on various dates. Attendees play, write and record music in professional rehearsal and recording studios a ...

Biography and early playing

Menn started playing guitar as a teenager. She attended

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...

earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in music while studying classical guitar with

Phillip de Fremery Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who populariz ...

Zepparella

Menn is an original member of

, a Led Zeppelin tribute band founded in 2004 which currently performs nationwide.

Solo career

Menn's first solo album ''Hale Souls'' was released in July 2011. Her second solo album, ''Abandon All Hope'', was released in December 2016.

Discography

Albums

Solo

* ''Abandon All Hope'' (2016) * ''Hale Souls'' (2011)

Zepparella

* ''Live at Sweetwater'' (2016) * ''Zepparella'' (2014) * ''A Pleasing Pounding'' (2008) * ''Live at 19 Broadway'' (2005)

Lapdance Armageddon

* ''Lapdance Armageddon'' (2010)

Francis Bakin

* ''Conversation with Francis Bakin'' (2009)

Sticks and Stones

* ''Unbreakable Strings'' (2007)

The House of More

* ''The House of More'' (2006)

References

External links

*
Zepparella Official Website

Vintage Guitar interview with Gretchen Menn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menn, Gretchen Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American women guitarists American women composers Smith College alumni Place of birth missing (living people) American rock guitarists 21st-century American women 21st-century American women guitarists