If you are looking for a full breakdown of the local music scene in Seattle you are in the right place. The best instrument stores in your area including some different sections for where to buy guitars and the best drum shops in town will also be covered.
There will definitely be a lot of crossover between some lists but we have done our best to get the right spots in the right sections for you. Up next we will get into quality instrument repair shops near you because some reading this may need a piano tuned, a guitar repaired, or work done on other band instruments and there is somebody out there that can assist.
Contents
Then it will be time to pivot to the best music lessons for kids or adults. Following that we will give a shout out to the top stores for music lovers that sell vintage CD’s and records here.
We also think many of you will want to know about the best concert halls and live music venues while some others may prefer to visit bars and restaurants that have free live music around the city.
And we will get you out of here with the best festivals on the Seattle music calendar. Stay with us til the end where you will find a map with the wide variety of stores and venues we are discussing pointed out.
Everyone reading this is welcome to look through more of our blogs on the Northeast at that link.
Seattle Musical Instrument Stores
Some of the best musical instrument stores near you would be:
- American Music at 4450 Fremont Ave N
- Ted Brown Music at 1006 NE 50th St
- Georgetown Music at 232 SW 153rd St
- The Trading Musician at 5908 Roosevelt Way NE
- Music & Arts at 13500 Bel-Red Rd A, Bellevue
- Kennelly Keys Music at 14315 NE 20th St #B, Bellevue
- The Mighty Quinn at 15319 NE 92nd St, Redmond
- Michael Arralde at 24204 132nd Ave SE, Kent
- Moore Brothers Music at 22820 NE 8th St #102, Sammamish
American Music sells guitars, keyboards, sound systems, band and orchestra instruments, drums and percussions, folk stringed instruments, and more in your area.
For a local family owned music store in Washington State that has been in operation since 1931 and provides artists with the resources they need to pursue their passion head to Ted Brown Music.
Georgetown Music buys, sells, and services new and used musical instruments and supplies including keyboards, guitars, and band instruments.
The Trading Musician sells new, used, and vintage music gear including one of the greatest assortments of drum and guitar parts in Seattle while also providing guitar and drum repair.
Instruments, audio gear, and accessories as well as rental and repair services can be found at Music & Arts.
Kennelly Keys is a long-standing full-service emporium offering instruments and gear plus lessons, rentals, and repairs in Bellevue.
The Mighty Quinn is a fully authorized dealer of Conn-Selmer, Yamaha, KHS, Antigua Winds, and other brands and specializes in online sales of brass and woodwind instruments in Redmond.
Customized accordions and repair work of all type is what Michael Arralde in Kent does best.
Moore Brothers is a straight-up music shop in Sammamish for guitars, keyboards, and percussion instruments plus accessories, audio gear, and lessons.
Where To Buy Guitars
For all the guitars and accessories you need check out:
- Emerald City Guitars at 83 S Washington St
- Thunder Road Guitars at 6400 California Ave SW
- The Bass Shop at 6400 California Ave SW
- Guitar Center at 6308 Roosevelt Way NE
- Red Blanket Guitars at 12573 SE 53rd St, Bellevue
- Mike Lull’s at 12031 Northup Way #206, Bellevue
- Tommy’s Guitar Shop at 1911 Hewitt Ave, Everett
Emerald City Guitars is an instrument shop that sells secondhand and vintage guitars and amps in Seattle plus they do consignments, trade-ins, and repairs.
If you are looking for a family-owned guitar service and repair store that buys and sells used and vintage guitars near you as well as amplifiers, effects, and appraisals check out Thunder Road.
At Guitar Center you’ll find a huge selection of amps, drums, keyboards, recording gear, DJ equipment, lighting, and more from top brands like Fender, Gibson, and others.
Red Blanket Guitar is a custom guitar shop where you can also find basses and folk instruments along with gear.
Custom-built high-end guitars and basses along with repair services are what you can expect from Mike Lull’s.
Tommy’s is a beginner-friendly guitar shop offering new and vintage instruments along with repairs and lessons.
Plenty of other stores from different lists will sell guitars in your area too, these are just the ones that should have the biggest selections.
Drum Shops Near You
And then there are these drum shops too:
- West Coast Drum Shop at 1659 133rd Pl NE, Bellevue
West Coast Drum Shop in Bellevue offers new, used, and vintage gear, classes, Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault, and much more.
These local drum shops are not your only options, plenty of other places we have listed throughout will also be selling some drums.
Instrument Repairs
Instrument repairs in Seattle are available at:
- Granlund Woodwind Repair at 2218 2nd Ave #9
- Cennamo Woodwinds at 151 22nd Ave
- RJW Guitar Repair at 11704 40th Ave S
- BandWright Repair at 15519 SE 10th St, Bellevue
Granlund Woodwind Repair is a specialty facility that offers clarinet and saxophone repairs that are thoughtful, careful, and comprehensive.
Repairs, restorations, and maintaining new and vintage woodwind instruments including flutes, saxophones, clarinets, and piccolos is what Cennamo Woodwinds does best.
RJW Guitar Repair has been repairing guitars since 1977 and offers all types of repair, customization, and lutherie services including minor adjustments and complete restorations.
The list of available services at BandWright include repairs, routine maintenance, and consultations for a whole range of woodwind and brass instruments in Bellevue.
We have tried to list any time a shop from our other lists does instrument repairs so don’t only focus on this part of the post.
Music Lessons
Level up by taking lessons at a music school in your area:
- Shoreline Music School at 1240 NE 175th St
- Meter Music School at 2110 E Union St
- Off the Wall School of Music at 4509 Midvale Ave N
- Sound Music School at 4000 Aurora Ave N #202
- Bellevue Music Academy at 958 111th Ave NE, Bellevue
- 4/4 School of Music at 8900 161st Ave NE #140, Redmond
- Bach to Rock at 8451 164th Ave NE #120, Redmond
- Duncan Havel Studios at 26705 108th Ave SE, Kent
- Joyful Academy of Music at 6320 Evergreen Way #101, Everett
- Federal Way School of Music at 33743 9th Ave S, Federal Way
- Bothell Music Lessons at 10413 Beardslee Blvd c, Bothell
Shoreline Music School provides high-quality music education to students of all ages and abilities.
Meter Music School has private music lessons for kids and adults for the guitar, piano, drums, electric bass, voice, ukulele, banjo, mandolin, violin, fiddle, cello, double bass, saxophone, clarinet, flute, trumpet, and trombone.
Entertaining local music lessons for people of all ages in a supportive and encouraging environment both online and at their Wallingford location are available from Off the Wall School of Music.
Bellevue Music Academy offers private and group piano and orchestra classes as well as courses in theory and composition.
4/4 School of Music teaches piano, guitar, singing, drumming, and violin to children, adults, and novices online and in groups.
Piano, guitar, drum, brass, voice, string, woodwind, and song writing are what you get from Bach to Rock in Redmond.
Duncan Havel Studios offers piano classes in Kent for kids and adults.
Federal Way School offers group, private, and virtual lessons in various instruments like piano, ukulele, guitar, and many other.
Bothell Music Lessons is a good place to take private music lessons in your area for a variety of instruments like French horn, trumpet, flute, clarinet, guitar, violin, banjo, piano, tabla, and more.
There are plenty of other shops providing music lessons around the Seattle metro that we have linked you to in other sections.
CD & Record Stores
Check out all kinds of vintage CD’s and records at these local stores for music lovers:
- Jive Time Records at 3506 Fremont Ave N
- Holy Cow Records at 1501 Pike Pl #325
- Georgetown Records at 1201 S Vale St
- Golden Oldies Records at 201 NE 45th St
- Sonic Boom Records at 2209 NW Market St
- Silver Platters at 2616 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue
- Bargain at 2100 25th St, Everett
Jive Time Records sells used records near you primarily in rock, jazz, and soul as well as cassettes, CD’s, and DVD’s.
Silver Platters is a long-running record store in Bellevue with a huge selection of new and used music from many genres plus DVD’s.
For one of the most comprehensive record stores in Everett that buys, sells, and trades records, CD’s, DVD’s, and tapes head to Bargain.
Seattle Live Music Venues
Seeing a concert at Seattle live music venues is always a good time:
- The Showbox at 1426 1st Ave
- Tractor Tavern at 5213 Ballard Ave NW
- Neumos at 925 E Pike St
- The Triple Door at 216 Union St
- High Dive at 513 N 36th St
- Barboza at 925 E Pike St
- Resonance at 288 106th Ave NE #203, Bellevue
- Kent-Meridian at 10020 SE 256th St, Kent
- The REC Room at 1905 Hewitt Ave, Everett
- Federal Way PAEC at 31510 Pete von Reichbauer Way S, Federal Way
The Showbox is a live music venue in Seattle that boasts beautiful wood-beam and brick architecture and has incredible production capabilities and sightlines.
Local, national, and international performers of various genres play at The Tractor a down-home music venue and bar.
Neumos is a legendary mid-size music venue in your area featuring indie rock, hip-hop, country, and other genres as well as three bars and a mezzanine.
World-class entertainment, delicious food, and an outstanding selection of cocktails, wine, beer, and spirits are what you can expect from The Triple Door.
High Dive is a well-known drinking establishment with a long bar and a wide stage where local musicians perform.
Resonance is a Bellevue live music venue and performance space hosting a variety of live music concerts and events.
For a performing center hosting live performances and concerts along with art shows consider Kent-Meridian.
The REC Room is a dedicated live music and comedy venue in Everett that hosts creative activities and diversity of music events ranging from Latin, hip hop, ska, metal, and more.
Federal Way PAEC is a performing art theater where you can see a variety of live shows, music concerts, and performances.
Fun Restaurants With Entertainment
You can take a date or a group of friends to these restaurants with live music:
- Skylark Cafe & Club at 3803 Delridge Way SW
- Kells Irish Restaurant & Bar at 1916 Post Alley
- Serafina at 2043 Eastlake Ave E
- Slim’s Last Chance at 5606 1st Ave S
- Cypress Lounge at 600 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue
- Tony V’s Garage at 1716 Hewitt Ave, Everett
- The Cottage at 10029 NE 183rd St, Bothell /
The Skylark is one of West Seattle’s premier rock music venues with homemade meats, a scratch cuisine, and trivia and open mic nights.
If you are trying to find a long-standing establishment that serves beer, stouts, and a variety of whiskeys as well as pub cuisine and live music on a regular basis head over to Kells.
Slim’s Last Chance is a Texas-style roadhouse with an outside stage and a terrace that serves burgers, chili, and live music.
For a relaxed option with regional cuisine, a wide selection of Washington wines, and frequent live music in Bellevue check out Cypress Lounge.
Tony V’s Garage is a dynamic Everett live music venue for local and national bands that serves Americana food in an experimental ambiance.
At The Cottage in Bothell you can enjoy inimitable rock, country, and hip hop on guitars and banjo’s along with amazing food.
Bars With Live Music
There are also some bars that play live music around town:
- The Sunset Tavern at 5433 Ballard Ave NW
- The Tin Lizzie Lounge at 600 Queen Anne Ave N
- Tim’s Tavern at 602 N 105th St
- Keys on Main at 11 W Roy St
- Chop Suey at 1325 E Madison St
- Bake’s Place Bar at 155 108th Ave NE #110, Bellevue
- The Harp Bar at 24437 Russell Rd #117, Kent
- Black Lab at 1805 Hewitt Ave, Everett
- Star Bar at 31216 Pacific Hwy S, Federal Way
- Barrels Wine Bar at 7605 SE 27th St #107, Mercer Island
- McMenamins at 18607 Bothell Way NE, Bothell
The Sunset Tavern is a laid-back bar hosting rock, alt-country, punk, and electronica acts plus comedy and kung Fu movies.
Keys on Main is a bustling destination for dueling piano performances and inventive cocktails in a clubby space.
A fun music club on Capitol Hill that hosts weekly live music and dance events with red classic Chinese décor is what you get from Chop Suey.
Bake’s Place Bar is a lofty music venue in Bellevue with live jazz, blues, and other acts plus a New American dinner menu.
The Harp Bar has live music every night in Kent with amazing drinks on table.
An art gallery, performance venue, and bar that features live music in Everett every Thursday can be found at Black Lab.
Barrels Wine Bar is a terrific spot to witness live music in Mercer Island including jazz and other genres as well as delicious gourmet cuisine and a wide variety of drinks.
McMenamin’s Grand Lodge features concerts in Bothell by musicians such as Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, and Michael Allen Harrison as well as delicious food and drinks.
Music Festivals
Have as much fun as you can at one of these music festivals near you:
- Wintergrass in February
- Fisherman’s Village Music Fest in May
- Federal Way Rhythm & Brews Festival in July
- Watershed Music Festival in August
- Rockin’ on the River in August
- Bothell Blues in August
Fisherman’s Village is a three day music festival near you that often has over 40 bands including Digable Planets, Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears, SYML, Deep Sea, and more who have performed in the past.
Federal Way Rhythm is a live free musical celebration with great music and awesome drinks.
For an annual country music festival held at the Gorge Amphitheatre that is usually a three day festival with multiple stages of live music featuring a mixture of country music superstars, newcomers, and local country performers don’t miss Watershed Music Festival.
Bothell Blues is a blues event dedicated to the local blues scene.
In the past we have also discussed:
- Instrument Repairs In Spokane
- Instrument Repairs In Vancouver
- Instrument Repairs In Portland
- Instrument Repairs In All-Pacific NW
Enjoy The Seattle Local Music Scene
We tried to cover everything as quickly and as well as possible for you on this page. After reading about the best musical instrument stores, drum and guitar shops, instrument repair services, classes and lessons, vintage CD and record stores, concert halls and other live music venues near you like bars and restaurants, and the best festivals in the region you should have a much better understanding of what is available.
And anyone that made it this far might just know a little bit about the local music scene themself and if so feel free to tell us what we got wrong in the comments or share your own thoughts. Now it is time for you to go enjoy the music in Seattle.