We conducted our fourth Instagram Live interview with Tanner Lokey! Tanner is a 16-year-old from Utah. He is a sophomore in high school and has been playing the guitar for over five years. We were excited to have Tanner join us to discuss his journey in learning how to play the guitar. Here’s what he had to say:
Who or what inspired you to get into music?
When his parents showed him ACDC for the first time, in particular the song Thunderstruck, he thought it was really cool and it inspired him to want to do that. He already had a guitar that he got for Christmas when he was in 5th grade. From there he wanted to learn how to play.
How did you learn to play the guitar?
Tanner is actually a self-taught guitarist, which in itself is very cool and impressive! At first, he didn’t know how to play so Tanner resorted to good ole YouTube. He looked up classic rock songs like Seven Nation Army, Smoke on the Water, and it escalated from there.
Do you write any of your own music?
Now that he can play the guitar he tries to focus more on the recording and production of his music. But for the first few years, he had no idea how to write songs and didn’t know much about music theory. This changed when he started Jazz classes and he learned how to read and write music.
Who are some of your favorite YouTubers that you learn from?
Marty Music taught him all the cover songs he knows. He uploads songs every day and it’s a different song every day. So he’s learned a lot from following him and listening to his covers.
How often do you put out music?
Tanner will try and post a new song/video once a month. Tanner will actually try and write, record, and put out a video all in a day! Usually, he’ll start with a chord progression, then add a melody over it, and then he’ll evolve the process.
What tips do you have for people who want to learn how to play the guitar?
Tanner’s advice is to practice. Practice, practice, practice because over time you’ll keep getting better and better. Do what you think is fun. He doesn’t like it when you are forced to play an instrument, because then you’ll end up hating it. Do something you want because you’ll love doing it and growing as you play.
If you want to hear some of Tanner’s music make sure you follow him on his Instagram page @TannerLokey. We thank Tanner for joining us on our IG Live series and for sharing his music journey! We wish him the best of luck! If you want to check out the whole interview visit our YouTube Channel.