Spring 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.

First Steps into Jazz Guitar
Monday, April 1, 7-9 pm
Brian Gire
For guitarists who mostly play open position and bar chords, the sounds of jazz represent a new frontier. This seminar will introduce you to basic jazz concepts and skills, including new chords, typical chord progressions, and the role of soloing in jazz.
Cost: $30

Intro to Harmonica
Tuesday, April 2, 7-9pm
Nicco Tyson
What's better than to be able to play an instrument that fits in your pocket? This seminar is aimed at getting new harmonica players off the ground and headed in the right direction, whether it be blues, folk, country, rock, reggae or any other type of music. The following essential topics will be covered: breathing patterns; playing positions; playing over the blues progression; tongue blocking and lip pursing techniques to single notes playing; bending notes; hand positions for wah-wah and vibrato effects; throat vibrato; and how to jam and perform with bands.
Students should bring a harmonica in the key of C.
Cost: $30

Triad Power
Tuesday, April 2, 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

Getting a Great Guitar Sound
Tuesday, April 2, 7-9pm
JT Locke
Electric guitar players have many options in amps, guitars and effects to help create a sound. This seminar will discuss the different types of amps: Class A, Class A/B and solid state; explore effects and how to daisy chain them and use them to maximize your sound; and look into different types of electric guitars and pick up configurations.
Cost: $30

Intro to Rock/Pop Vocal Performance
Tuesday, April 2, 6:30-9pm
Janak Ramachandran
This seminar is for singers in bands who want to further develop their performance and technique, and is a good intro to our 11-week Rock/Pop Vocal Performance class.
Cost: $35

How to Sing and Play Guitar Together
Wednesday, April 3, 7-9pm
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

Acoustic Jam Basic Training
Wednesday, April 3, 7-9pm
Brian Gire
For guitar players who would like to learn how to jam with others and to solo, this class will explain the foundations - scales, chords and chord progressions, and what to practice. (Also see our 11-week Acoustic Jam classes.)
Cost: $30

Getting a Great Guitar Sound II
Thursday, April 4, 7-9pm
JT Locke
A continuing workshop for graduates of Getting a Great Guitar Sound.
Cost: $30

Blues Guitar According to Eric Clapton
Thursday, April 4, 7-9pm
Brian Gire
This seminar will explore the early years of Clapton's playing, dissecting some of his seminal solos to understand his unique approach to playing the blues.
Cost: $30

Harmonica II
Saturday, April 6, 11am-1pm
Nicco Tyson
A continuing workshop for graduates of Intro to Harmonica.
Cost: $30