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 Guitar Classes
Not all classes listed below are being offered in the current
quarter.
See Group Class Schedule for current offerings. How
to Sign Up.
BEGINNING ACOUSTIC GUITAR
Class members will learn to play basic chords and to play songs in
both folk and rock styles.
Also covered: tuning, guitar care, and basic strums. No
prerequisites, but an acoustic guitar is required.
Cost: $195
ACOUSTIC GUITAR II
ACOUSTIC GUITAR III
ACOUSTIC GUITAR IV
ACOUSTIC GUITAR V
ACOUSTIC GUITAR VI
For those with BEGINNING GUITAR or a few months' playing experience, ACOUSTIC
II covers more songs and skills, including basic fingerpicking. In ACOUSTIC III,
you’ll continue working on songs with an emphasis on more advanced chords. ACOUSTIC
GUITAR IV and up will expand your song repertoire and skills using both rhythm
and fingerstyle playing and work on bar chords. ACOUSTIC GUITAR IV with Chris Haugen will emphasize fingerstyle and also
introduce open tunings and basic flatpicking skills.
Cost: $195
More information about acoustic guitar levels.
SONGS OF DYLAN
Tuesdays 7-8 pm
Bill Spooner
For guitarists who can play open and bar chords comfortably, this
class will dig into the vast repertoire of Bob Dylan. Special
emphasis will be on his unique approach to rhythmic accompaniment.
Cost: $195
EASY JAZZ AND R&B SONGS
Thursdays 6-7 pm
Michael Foley
For guitarists comfortable playing open and bar chords, but bored
with the same old three-chord progressions, this class will expand
your repertoire in a very cool direction. You'll learn songs like
"Wonderful World," "Georgia On My Mind" and "Nightlife," and you'll
learn about the Nashville number system, chord substitutions, and
integrating major and pentatonic scales via the melody.
Cost: $195
JAMMING 101
Mondays 7-8 pm
Kent Brown
If you’re looking for a place to just get more comfortable playing with others, here it is. You’ll play and sing through tunes, have a chance to take solos, and learn more about jamming in rock and blues styles. Open to acoustic or electric guitarists and one bass player.
Cost: $195
BEGINNING ELECTRIC GUITAR
Monday 7-8 pm
Chris Haugen
Learn how to tune your guitar, how to play chords, power chords and progressions, plus different rhythm-playing styles. Includes an intro to pentatonic scales and the blues. For those with no prior playing experience who want to learn on an electric guitar.
Cost: $195
ELECTRIC GUITAR II - XI
See Schedule
Mike Rao
ELECTRIC GUITAR II includes soloing over blues progressions, more sophisticated rhythm playing and chord knowledge. Other ELECTRIC GUITAR sections focus on lead playing, scales, note-bending and licks. After the initial interview, you’ll meet with the instructor to be placed in ELECTRIC GUITAR Levels II and up. An electric guitar is required.
Cost: $195 (plus $15 placement/tutorial if needed);
$285 for ELECTRIC GUITAR XI
BEGINNING JAZZ GUITAR
Mondays 8-9 pm
Brian Gire
For guitarists already comfortable playing chords and scales who
want to step into the world of instrumental jazz, this class
introduces jazz chords and voicings, basic soloing and comping, and
some music theory. You'l explore the jazz terrain just over the
hill from the blues, a la Kenny Burrell inMidnight Blue.
Cost: $195
BLUES GUITAR WITH JOHNNY NITRO @ LENNON
Wednesday 8:30-9:30 pm at Lennon Studios
Johnny Nitro
Learn the signature riffs of such blues greats as Albert King, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters and Stevie Ray Vaughn. You’ll also explore techniques to improve and vary your tone. You should be comfortable playing pentatonic scales and know the basic 12-bar blues form.
Cost: $195
SONGWRITING AND STYLES FOR GUITAR
Mondays 6-7 pm
Alexi Glickman
Students will explore elements of style in their favorite songs and learn to incorporate them in their own songwriting. No previous songwriting experience is required, but you should be comfortable playing chords (including bar chords) and singing.
Cost: $195
BLUES/JAZZ IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP @ LENNON (SOMA)
Thursdays 6:30-8 pm
Jim Peterson
Using the blues as a starting point, this class will lead you into
multiple worlds of jazz soloing. You'll become familiar with ii-V-I
chord changes, modal playing and different ways to approach
improvisation using licks, scales and arpeggios. You should be
comfortable with pentatonic and diatonic scales in this mostly
playing class for all instruments.
Cost: $285
BLUES BORDERS
Saturdays 12:30-2 pm
Tal Morris
(Five weeks only, starts October 14) Your passport to musical
worlds beyond the blues, this class is a guide for intermediate
guitarists who want to "take their blues for a walk outside."
Learn how to apply chromatic concepts to blues, gospel and jazz
changes, hip outside lines, major and minor modal concepts, fresh
turnarounds, triad concepts and the like. If you are bored with
the same ol' blues, this class is for you!
Cost: $180
More information about Acoustic Guitar levels.
This information should give you a close idea of what level is best
for you, but please confirm your placement at your interview, or by speaking
with the Program Director if you're already a student. When we refer
to length of time played below, we are talking about regular and continuous
practice. Many players who have played for years, but on and off, may
still find one of these classes appropriate for their level.
Beginning Acoustic Guitar is a square one beginner class. We assume
you know no chords, nothing about tuning and holding the guitar, and
nothing about music. If you have started some on your own, the first
few weeks may be review.
Most people have been playing 3-6 months going into Acoustic
Guitar II. You should know 8-12 chords. Most people are still struggling to
play the 4-string (non-bar) F chord cleanly and easily. Nobody knows
bar chords. Some chord changes are easy, some will be made slowly and
not in time. Usually there are a half dozen songs that you can play from
beginning to end, though not all easily. No fingerpicking experience
is required.
Most people have been playing 6 months to a year going into Acoustic
Guitar III. You should know 15 or more chords, and most of the chord
changes should be made without much hesitation. You may or may not have
started learning bar chords. You may or may not have learned some fingerpicking.
You will definitely learn both in this class.
For all of these classes there is no requirement to read standard music
notation. Many teachers use guitar tablature, which is easily learned
if you don't already know it. |
THEORY CLASSES FOR GUITAR see THEORY & MORE
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