Acoustic Guitar Classes
These group classes are 10 weeks and begin the week of June 29,
except where noted. |
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Class Schedule :: How to Sign Up
Beginning Acoustic Guitar
Section 1 - Mondays 6-7pm - Dwight Roberts
Section 2 - Mondays 8-9pm - Dwight Roberts
Section 3 - Thursdays 8-9pm - Janak Ramachandran
Section 4 - Saturdays 11:30am-12:30pm - Janak Ramachandran
@ Lennon (SOMA) - Tuesdays 6:30-7:30pm - Janak Ramachandran
Big Group - Tuesdays 8-9pm - Kent Brown
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.
Class sizes are limited to seven, except in the Big Group class, where the class limit is 15.
Cost: $215 - except Big Group: $145
Acoustic Guitar II
Section 1 - Mondays 9-10pm - Brian Gire
Section 2 - Wednesdays 8:30-9:30pm - Janak Ramachandran
Section 3 - Thursdays 6-7pm - Kent Brown
Section 4 - Saturdays 12:30-1:30pm - Janak Ramachandran
Big Group - Mondays 8-9pm - Kent Brown
Acoustic Guitar III
Section 1 - Mondays 7-8pm - Dwight Roberts
Section 2 - Mondays 9-10pm - Dwight Roberts
Section 3 - Tuesdays 7-8pm - Mark Schuh
Section 4 - Wednesdays 6-7pm - Brian Gire
Section 5 - Wednesdays 7-8pm - Kent Brown
@ Lennon (SOMA) - Tuesdays 8:30-9:30pm - Janak Ramachandran
@ Berkeley - Tuesdays 7-8pm - Brian Gire
Acoustic Guitar IV
Section 1 - Mondays 7-8pm - Mark Schuh
Section 2 - Thursdays 8-9pm - Kent Brown
Section 3 - Saturdays 10:30-11:30am - Janak Ramachandran
Big Group - Tuesdays 7-8pm - Kent Brown
Acoustic Guitar V
Section 1 - Mondays 6-7pm - Brian Gire
Section 2 - Tuesdays 9-10pm - Mark Schuh
Section 3 - Wednesdays 8-9pm - Brian Gire
@ Berkeley - Tuesdays 8-9pm - Brian Gire
Acoustic Guitar VI
Section 1 - Tuesdays 6-7pm - Mark Schuh
Section 2 - Wednesdays 7-8pm - Brian Gire
@ Berkeley - Tuesdays 6-7pm - Brian Gire
Acoustic Guitar VII
Section 1 - Mondays 8-9pm - Janak Ramachandran
Section 2 - Wednesdays 8-9pm - Kent Brown
Section 3 - Thursdays 8:30-9:30pm - Brian Gire
Acoustic Guitar VIII
Section 1 - Mondays 6-7pm - Janak Ramachandran
Section 2 - Thursdays 7-8pm - Kent Brown
Acoustic Guitar X
@ Lennon (SOMA) - Tuesdays 7:30-8:30pm - Janak Ramachandran
Acoustic Guitar XI
Section 1 - Mondays 6-7pm - Kent Brown
Section 2 - Tuesdays 8-9pm - Mark Schuh
Blue Bear @ Berkeley - Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. near Derby
Blue Bear @ Lennon Studios, 271 Dore St. (near Bryant b/t 9th and 10th) in SF
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.
Cost: $215 - except Big Group: $145
More information about Acoustic Guitar levels
The Country Side of Rock
@ Lennon (SOMA) Wednesdays 6-7pm
Bill Spooner
This class will explore songs ranging from Johnny Cash to Wilco and from the Eagles to Lucinda Williams. Includes work on adding fills and runs to your chordal accompaniment.
Cost: $215
Acoustic Jam
Thursdays 7-8:30pm
Brian Gire
Have fun playing with others! In a relaxed setting, you'll learn and play through tunes from folk,
bluegrass, Celtic and rock traditions. You can take solos and sing if you'd like, or just play rhythm
with the group. Open to guitar, mandolin, fiddle, Dobro, banjo and bass.
Cost: $310
Guitar's Greatest Hits with Bill Spooner
Tuesdays 7-8 pm
You'll learn the rhythm and leads to some of the great hits of classic rock, songs everyone should have in their repertoire. Includes songs by Hendrix, the Who, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and more! You'll also have input into course content. For acoustic or electric players, and players comfortable with bar chords and scales.
Cost: $215
Theory Classes for Guitar - See THEORY and MORE
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 three-to-six months going into Acoustic Guitar II. You should know eight-to-12 chords. Most people are still struggling to play the four-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 six 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. |
Electric Guitar Classes
These group classes are 10 weeks and begin the week of June 29,
except where noted. |
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Class Schedule :: How to Sign Up
[photo by: Julie Bernstein]
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Beginning Electric Guitar
Mondays 8-9pm - Mark Schuh
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.
Cost: $215
Electric Guitar III
Section 1 - Mondays 6-7pm - Mark Schuh
Section 2 - Wednesdays 8-9pm - Mike Rao
Electric Guitar VI
Wednesdays 6-7pm - Mike Rao
Electric Guitar VII
Mondays 8-9pm - Brian Gire
Electric Guitar VIII
Wednesdays 7-8pm - Mike Rao
Electric Guitar III 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 may meet with an instructor to be placed in an appropriate section.
Cost: $215 (plus $17 placement/tutorial if needed)
Blues Guitar with Johnny Nitro
@ Lennon (SOMA) Sundays 2:30-4pm
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: $315
Blue Bear @ Lennon Studios, 271 Dore St. (near Bryant b/t 9th and 10th) in SF
Band Workshops
Student bands organized by the school. Groups arrange and play songs by a variety of artists and groups, and at the end of the session perform live in a San Francisco club.
Workshop Schedule
Theory Classes for Guitar - See THEORY and MORE
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