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By LAURA KINSLER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 9, 2008

TAMPA PALMS - So you've mastered Guitar Hero III, and now you want to learn to play to real thing?

The 5-year-old Tampa Guitar School has just opened its second location, in Tampa Palms at the Shoppes of Amberly. Owner Dave Arazmo said the uberpopular video game has sparked interest in the instrument.

"It's a fun game," lifelong guitarist Arazmo said. "I have it at home. The great thing about Guitar Hero is that kids are learning songs from 40 years ago. They can come in here for lessons, and we can teach them how to play that Scorpions song on the video game."

First-time students can schedule a private lesson for as little as $22.

"We have 16 different instructors, and we teach piano, voice, bass and drums," Arazmo said. "But the most popular demand will be for guitar lessons."

Arazmo's Tampa Palms location offers seven individual rooms for one-on-one instruction. He carries a wide selection of acoustic and electric guitars, ranging in price from $35 to $1,500.

"I scan the Internet for the lowest price I can find, then I price my guitars slightly below that," he said. "Each guitar shows the list price, the Internet price and my price."

The choices range from little pink girls guitars with fairies and mermaids painted on them to slick "Razorback" electric guitars designed by slain legendary metal guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott.

Arazmo founded Tampa Guitar School on Hillsborough Avenue in 2003. The original school also has its own recording studio, but no retail space. The school offers group lessons or individual lessons.

Arazmo started playing guitar before he was 10, but learning to play Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever" got him hooked on rock. He studied jazz in college and founded his own band, Arazmo, in the 1990s. Now he offers a "rock star" class in which students learn to jam with the best of them.

"That's something we do in the summer," he said. "We took a group of students and put a band together. They would learn two or three cover songs, or they do an original song, and we recorded them in the studio."

Students don't have to worship Eddie Van Halen. The school also teaches blues, country, jazz and classical.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Tampa Guitar School

WHERE: 15355 Amberly Drive (Shoppes of Amberly)

WHEN: Open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday

HOW MUCH: All instrument tuition is $89 per month for weekly lessons. Voice lessons are $99 per month.

INFORMATION: Call (813) 558-6683 or visit www.tampaguitarschool .com.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.

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