Gabriella Quevedo

Gabriella Quevedo is a fingerstyle guitarist from Sweden.

At the time of posting this spotlight interview, she has over 1.5million followers on Youtube and hundreds of thousands across other platforms.

I stumbled across her videos on Youtube while looking up acoustic covers of Kadshmir by Led Zeppelin. Gabriella’s version popped up and I subscribed to her channel immediately.

Check out the video below…

I messaged Gabriella after watching quite a few more of her videos and she kindly agreed to be put under the spotlight for an interview series focusing on guitarists who have made their way online.

Check out the interview below then enjoy some more of Gabriella’s guitar work!

1 – What led you to first play guitar and at what age

I grew up watching my dad play the guitar, and one day, at the age of 12, I decided to try it myself. When my parents went grocery shopping, I would secretly take his guitar and attempt to play. I didn’t tell them for a while because I didn’t like anyone hearing me play haha. Since then, the guitar has been a part of me.  

2 – What musical influences did you have when you started

For the first few months, I just played chords, strumming along to songs. A few months later, I discovered the guitarist Sungha Jung on YouTube, and a whole new world opened up for me. He played fingerstyle, which I had never heard of before. It felt perfect for me since I don’t sing. Now, my influences include Marcin, Kent Nishimura, and Polyphia. I admire their ability to arrange and compose fresh, innovative guitar music.  

3 – You have a growing online following, did you work as a musician before focusing online

I started posting YouTube videos about a year after I began playing guitar. I think I was 14 when I uploaded my first cover.  

4 – Do you work full time as an online musician now?

Yes, I work full-time as an online musician.  

5 – When and how did you start working on building your online profile

I started over 10 years ago, and my channel has grown slowly but steadily ever since.

6 – Was there a noticable ‘breaking point’ when things suddenly picked up online

In the beginning, I received a lot of attention from Sungha Jung, who liked and favorited my videos. On the old YouTube format, that would show up on his profile, which brought a lot of attention to my channel. My cover of Hotel California went viral a few years ago, giving my channel a significant boost. I also try to upload regularly so my followers always have something to look forward to.  

7 – How have things changed for you lifestyle and work wise the more things pick up online

My lifestyle hasn’t really changed much but work wise the more comments and positive feedback I receive, the more encouraged I feel to keep going and work harder.  

8 – What plans or hopes do you have for the future as a musician

I hope to create more original music and collaborate with other artists.

9 – Which platforms do you find work best for you and how do they differ

YouTube is my primary platform which works best for me, followed by Instagram and then Facebook.   

10 – Finaly – what advice would you give to any guitar players wanting to build their online profiles

My best advice is to invest in a good microphone to ensure high-quality audio and cover great, popular songs to reach a wider audience more quickly. Also, upload regularly to keep your followers engaged.