“That’s the great thing about making my videos – they’re like demo tapes. They show off my range and versatility”: Larissa Liveir on her journey from engineering student to guitar’s TikTok role model

Larissa Liveir makes no bones about it: The 21-year-old Brazilian shredder wants to be a role model for other female guitarists.

“There’s a lot more females who love rock music and playing the guitar than people think,” she says. “If I can help to inspire them to get out there and make music and join bands, I’ll feel as though I’ve had some real impact.”

Judging from Livier’s recent success on social media, it’s clear that people are paying attention. Between her Instagram, YouTube and TikTok accounts, she boasts close to five million followers who tune in for her weekly guitar-playing videos in which she performs note-perfect renditions of classics by Pink Floyd, Guns N’ Roses and Van Halen, among others.

“People ask me, ‘Your videos are so popular. What was your plan?’” she says. “I tell them, ‘There wasn’t a plan at all.’ I was studying engineering at school, but I had to come home during the pandemic. There wasn’t anything to do, so I started making videos of me playing songs I love. Before I knew it, they took off.”

Livier is pretty much the definition of the modern guitar hero and in addition to full-song covers, she posts attention-grabbing 10-second clips in which she nails famous riffs and solos.

“I actually put a lot of effort into those short videos,” she says. “I make sure the angles are right and that everything sounds good. Then I pick a popular song and choose the right part of the track so that people watch it again and again.” She laughs. “It’s all about marketing.”

Currently, Liveir plays in an all-woman Brazilian cover band called Honey Bomb, and she’s recording her own material with an eye toward releasing songs later this year. However, she’s keeping her options open.

“I’m very ambitious. I would love to join a big band or play with a major artist while I establish myself as a solo star,” she says. “That’s kind of the great thing about making my videos; they’re like demo tapes, and they show off my range and versatility.”

• For more playing clips and updates on her own music, keep an eye on Larissa Liveir’s YouTube and Instagram.