Gabriella Quevedo Talks Gear, Breaking Down Stereotypes and More

If you’ve been following guitar news as of late, chances are you’ve heard of Gabriella Quevedo, a Swedish/Argentinian guitarist in her teens who's making waves with her awe-inspiring fingerstyle arrangements.

Naming her dad and and South Korean fingerstyle guitarist Sungha Jung as two of her biggest inspirations, Quevedo boasts an impressive YouTube and online following—and it’s no surprise.

Only two years into her guitar playing, Quevedo’s dream of sharing the stage with Jung came true after his PR manager invited her to play on stage with him during his tour stop in Sweden. After that, things only got better. She’s toured all around the globe and has even played with fingerstyle guitar phenom Tommy Emmanuel. Yeah, she’s that good.

Check out her YouTube channel here and learn about how she got started below.

First of all, you're amazing. We get goose bumps every time we watch your videos. Tell us a little bit about your background. Where are you from?

Thank you so much! I was born in Sweden in January 1997. My dad is from Argentina and my mom is Swedish/Argentinian. I live near Gothenburg in Sweden.

How long have you been playing guitar?

I started in February 2009.

You know how society assumes that because you’re a girl and you play acoustic guitar you must be a singer-songwriter, right? How many times do you get asked if you sing, and what's the reaction to your response?

Yes, I get that question very often. The reactions of people are different, but some people want to persuade me to start singing even though I said I’m not a singer and I don’t like to sing. I play fingerstyle.

Do you write your own songs?

No, not yet, but I’m thinking about doing it.

How do you learn the arrangements? Just by watching?

I learn by ear or by watching videos on YouTube.

Where can people learn the arrangements you play on your videos?

I don’t have tabs or notes to my arrangements. People who learn my arrangements do it by listening or watching to my videos on YouTube.

What’s the hardest song you’ve ever learned?

The hardest song I have learned is “Landscape” by Kotaro Oshio, and right now I’m learning “All of Me” arranged by Laurence Juber, and it’s a bit difficult.

Aside from Sungha and your dad, who do you feel has shaped your career the most?

From the beginning it was only Sungha Jung, but now I’m also inspired by guitarists like Tommy Emmanuel, Kotaro Oshio and many others. I’m also inspired by all my fans and people around me who are supporting me all the time.

What are your biggest dreams/hopes/aspirations?

I want to tour around the world and meet the people who listen to my music in person. I also want to record a CD with my arrangements.

What are your biggest accomplishments so far?

I had a dream to meet and play with Sungha and Tommy some day, and I did it. I recently started to tour and I’m getting more and more dates. I was named the winner of the contest “Young Talents” in Uppsalas International Guitar Festival 2012 in Sweden, becoming the first girl who won the competition.

Let’s talk gear. What guitars do you have in your arsenal?

I have a Taylor Custom GC.

Have you experienced any challenges for being a girl in music? If so, how did you deal with them?

I haven’t experienced any challenges so far. People always encourage me.

Find out more at gabriellaquevedo.com.

This interview series featuring talented female guitarists is brought to you by the Women’s International Music Network (WiMN), an organization uniting women of all facets of the music and audio industries. To learn more, visitthewimn.com.