Learn Guitar your way with a TakeLessons expert

If you're considering taking guitar lessons in Minneapolis – congratulations! With patience and a good guitar instructor, you will find playing guitar to be very fun and rewarding. The ability to play music is something you can enjoy your entire lifetime and pass on to new generations. Playing guitar and learning to play music keeps your mind sharp, your fingers nimble, and can bring joy to family, friends, and complete strangers. Being located in Minneapolis is a bonus, as the Twin Cities is a very music-friendly community, as Prince and many other musicians know very well.

What You’ll Need to Learn Guitar

When you undertake guitar lessons in Minneapolis, you will need some standard gear to make the learning process much easier. You’ll need at least one, or preferably two, guitars of good to excellent quality and at least one good case or gig bag to protect them while going to and from your lessons (and, eventually, gigs). You also should have a guitar stand for each guitar you buy, to lessen the potential for dropping or damaging it when you aren’t using it.

A music stand will be needed to hold up your sheet music or guitar tablature and make it easier to practice and play. Guitar picks are essential items, and buying an assortment can help you to determine which one feels and plays the best for you. If you choose to play electric guitar, you will need a good practice amp and a guitar cable long enough to allow you to sit or stand comfortably while practicing. You’ll also need oil to keep your fretboard in good condition and help to prevent cracking or splitting.

Where to Buy Guitars in Minneapolis

There are many great places to buy guitars when you’re taking guitar lessons in Minneapolis. Twin Town Guitars on South Lyndale Avenue has new and used guitars and specializes in Fender and Gretsch brands (http://www.twintown.com/Store/pc/home.asp). Additionally, El Diablo Amps & Guitars on Broadway features custom and a large lineup of used and vintage electric and acoustic guitars (http://eldiabloamps.com/). The popular guitar store also offers a wide range of pedals and amplifiers.

Best Sources for Guitar Setup and Repair

Once you have your new guitar and are taking guitar lessons in Minneapolis, it’s just a matter of time before you will need to have it maintained. A good rule of thumb is to have your guitars worked on at least once or twice per year. When your guitar is maintained, a specialist will ensure the neck has the proper relief, the intonation is correct, and the action is smooth, which will make it play much better and with less effort.

Because of its large community of musicians and guitarists, the Twin Cities offers many excellent guitar techs and luthiers. Among the best places to take your guitar for maintenance or repairs is Leonard Shapiro Guitar Repair on Wabash Avenue across the river in St. Paul.

Another highly rated guitar repair shop is Madison’s Guitars on Northeast Central Avenue. Madison’s is noted for doing outstanding work in a reasonable amount of time and for a fair price. Twin Town Guitars, Willie’s American Guitars, The Podium, and El Diablo Amps & Guitars also are also known for high quality service.

Great Venues and Guitar Events

Staying inspired to continue taking guitar lessons in Minneapolis is easy to do when you attend the area’s many great venues and events. Among the best places to see a great show is First Avenue, where Prince cut his teeth and eventually became world-famous (http://first-avenue.com/). The club features many of the best touring acts in the nation, as well as the best local artists playing a wide range of musical styles. Cabooze on Cedar Avenue is another popular venue for live music in an intimate setting (http://www.cabooze.com/). The Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and the Target Center in Minneapolis host the most popular touring acts in the United States and world.