Fall 2010 Short Seminars

Blue Bear Short Seminars are fun and affordable one-night classes for beginners and all levels. Blue Bear Members get one free seminar per annual membership. Call 415.673.3600 to reserve your free seminar.

From Grit to Grease: Rock Vocal Texture
Monday, September 20, 6:30-9pm
Janak Ramachandran
Learn how to create vocal colors, from raw to refined, from sugary to sassy, without hurting your voice. You'll explore techniques such as the glottal scrape, covered tone and truncated yodel to take your singing to the next level!
Cost $35 -

Triad Power
Tuesday, September 21, 7-9pm
Brian Gire
Triads are an integral part of the guitarist's craft. They're perfect tools for locating scales and spicing up solos, and are a welcome relief from the over-used bar chord (less is more!). This seminar will explore triad construction from various angles: come learn three-string consecutive shapes, one- and two-string arpeggios, wide/displaced voicings, and how to form inversions both vertically and horizontally across the fingerboard. Also covered: how to create scales and four-to-six-note arpeggios from triad shapes.
Cost: $30 -

The Guitar "Chops" Seminar
Tuesday, September 21, 7-9pm
Jeff Massanari
Whether you play rock, blues, metal or jazz, this seminar will help increase your speed, fluidity and tone using scales, arpeggios and some original etudes to develop both left and right hand skills.
Cost: $30 -

How to Sing and Play Guitar Together
Wednesday, September 22, 6:30-8:30pm
Janak Ramachandran
You can sing, you can play, but it all falls apart when you try to put it together? Learn tips for how to practice and develop singing-while-playing skills, including the most important aspects of basic vocal technique.
Cost: $30 -

Tone: A Guide to Amps, Effects and Tone for Electric Guitar
Wednesday, September 22, 6:30-8:30pm
Tal Morris
This seminar will teach you to understand and work with the often confusing subject of how to navigate the balancing act of the guitar, the amp, EQ, distortion, volume, pickup types, and various basic effects such as tremolo, echo, chorus, flanging, phasing, compression, overdrive, distortion, typical set ups and music guides to learn when to and when NOT to use this power! Students can bring their gear if it's not too large for analysis and quick instruction. Hear Tal on YouTube: video 1, video 2.
Cost: $30 -

Acme Lead Guitar
Wednesday, September 22, 8:30-10pm
Tal Morris
All the "must-know" basics on lead guitar: the five licks you can't live without, how to make simple ideas interesting, the bend and pray method, dynamics, phrasing, mapping, and the lead guitar "secret weapon!" And more!!!
Cost: $25 -

Vocal Performance Workshop
Wednesday, September 22, 7-9pm
Lynn Asher
What makes an audience stop and take notice? How can you create a dynamic and engaging performance? How can you access all parts of your vocal range to express your song with confidence and finesse? You'll perform one or two songs and get constructive, professional feedback about your live performance and vocal delivery. Singer/songwriters encouraged!
Cost: $30 -

Intro to Speech Level Singing
Thursday, September 23, 6:30-8:30pm
Masha Campagna
Learn the basics of this powerful, effective vocal technique that's been used by such stars as Michael McDonald, Michael Jackson and Barbra Streisand. You'll get a chance to experience the benefits with some individual work in class.
Cost: $30 -

Survey of Fingerpicking Styles and Technique
Thursday September 23, 6:30-8:30pm
Brian Gire
This seminar will explore accompaniment and solo fingerstyle guitar skills as used in folk, blues, classical and jazz styles.
Cost: $30 -

Intro to Drums
Saturday, September 25, 10:30am-12:30pm
Shaun McGonegal
Here's your chance to take a drum kit for a test ride: basic stick technique, simple beats and some snazzy demonstrations from Blue Bear's funky and fab drum instructor.
Cost: $30 -