Frequently Asked Questions

Private lessons offer the chance for a more tailored approach to learning.  You have more control over the musical direction, you’ll proceed at your own pace, and you have the flexibility to cancel with advance notice if you’re not going to be around any given week.  You can also change directions or combine different topics into one lesson at will.  Additionally, there are many skills that simply cannot be worked on well or efficiently in a group class, for example sight-reading for a guitar player, working on intonation (exact pitch matching), or bridging through your passagio (break) for voice students. Generally speaking, students with specialized interests, more advanced students, or students with complex schedules are probably better served by private lessons.

Having said that, group lessons can be a great way to learn.  They are more affordable, and there’s often a rewarding social element to a class.  Our teachers say that many of their group class students are helped by seeing how others are progressing (or how they may be struggling!) – it gives them some perspective and sometimes motivates them to keep with it.  Some beginning students are more comfortable without all the attention focused on them.  When the level and subject matter of the group class is right for you, you’ll get plenty of material to keep you busy learning and moving forward in a fun setting at much less expense than a private lesson.  Classes are small enough to allow for individual attention when needed, and it is rarely a problem if you have to miss one or two sessions over the course of the 11 weeks.  We also offer low-cost tutorials for students with a Membership as a way to make up or augment class material.

Blue Bear offers so many programs and variations that this is not an easy question to answer, but you can get a basic overview below:

• Private lessons: $41.50 to $50 for half-hours and $78-$90 for hours. See details.
• Little Bears classes: $27-$35 per class. See details.
• Adult group classes: $360-$535 for 11-week classes. Find your class to see tuition.
• Adult band workshops: $510 plus annual $35 membership for 10 weeks plus performance.
• Youth All Star bands: $1,700 for September-May program.
• Youth All Star Songwriters: $45-$50 per class. See details.
• Youth summer camps: $495-$550 for weeklong day camps.

Your annual Membership and 15% of the class tuition are not refundable or transferable; the balance that you paid is refundable or transferable if you let us know that you are dropping a class at least two days before the second class meeting. If your dissatisfaction arises sometime after the second class meeting, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can try to resolve the issue.

Most guitar classes are limited to six or seven students. Voice classes that involve solo singing are limited to five or six students. Voice classes that involve more group singing are often limited to eight students. Most other classes range in size from six to ten students.

You’ll need your own instrument to practice on. We have acoustic and electric guitars that can be used in class anytime you find it difficult to bring your own instrument to Blue Bear.

No, but we can direct you to music stores that do. Or you can search online for Musical Instruments Rentals. We occasionally have low-cost, used guitars or keyboards for sale.

For new students, online registration is available for most Adult Group Classes, but not for Band Workshops and Little Bears Classes.  New students should first get started here so we can ensure that you sign up for the right program.  For private lessons, you may request times for WeWork lessons here and with many of our other teachers here.  Questions?  Text us at ‪(415) 340-0970‬.

For adult students, our annual $35 Membership will give you $20 off on most group classes. And if you’re in a group class, your Membership allows you to take one or two discounted private lessons with your teacher. Membership is required for band workshops and for private lesson students who want an ongoing lesson time with their teacher. Membership is not required for All Star bands, summer camps, Little Bears, and most adult group classes. A Family Membership is $50 and covers everyone in your family.

If you let us know in advance, we can request the teacher leave handouts that we can email to you.  If you can review these materials before the next class meeting, you can often do some of the work and not get behind.  For voice classes, the handout option usually won’t work.  You can usually just jump back in without any catch-up and still do fine.  For those who would like to make up missed material, we offer students with a Membership the chance to take one or two private tutorials at a discounted rate while their class is still meeting. Missing one or two sessions of a group class is usually not a problem.  If you have to miss more than that, it becomes a question whether it really makes sense to take the class.  (Band Workshop students should miss at most two sessions over the 10 weeks.)  Private lessons offer the flexibility to cancel as-needed with advance notice, so they might be more appropriate in some cases.

Notify us and we’ll usually be able to offer you the chance to retake the same class in the future on a space-permitting basis, and only pay 15% of the class tuition.

Not usually.  Auditioning a class that is already in session can be disruptive to the classroom bond that has been established. And due to small class sizes, sitting in on a first class without enrolling is not usually possible.  Remember, you can get an 85% tuition refund if you drop before the second class meeting, or a 100% refund if the teacher says that the class is not a good fit for you.

Non-students can rent our piano practice rooms for $5/hr. per person.  Blue Bear students can use them for free. Rooms are first-come, first-served, we can’t reserve one for you.  You can call 415.673.3600 or text ‪415.340.0970‬ to check availability before coming in. We don’t have drum practice rooms.  We’re open 1-8 pm Monday-Thursday and 10:30 am-3:30 pm on Saturdays.

No, we’re not.  We are not an eligible institution for foreign students to qualify for student visa.

No, we do not. All of our private lessons are taught on-site at our Fort Mason and Mission Bay locations. Online lessons are available.

Piano is a foundational instrument. For most musicians, having some piano skills is very useful. Also, music theory is most easily visualized on a piano. But we believe there is no reason to begin your music lessons on the piano if that is not the instrument you are most attracted to. What makes for successful music study is long-term practice. What makes for successful long-term practice is an abiding interest in and attraction to the instrument. On this issue we are on the side of immediate gratification: start with the instrument you most want to play!

Maybe you’re not clearly drawn to any particular instrument.  Here are some comments that might be helpful as you think about what instrument to start with.

Voice – The voice is really the starting point of music.  Most instruments that are capable of playing melody refer back to the human voice – they are all trying to “sing.”  When voice is your instrument, no additional equipment is required.  Voices are remarkably able to improve.  Just by singing more regularly you can strengthen your voice and gain more control over it.  And with sustained practice, even the most out-of-tune singers can see real progress.  Working on your voice often leads to increased self-confidence in other areas.  And it’s a great social asset to be able to break out in song whenever the need arises.

Guitar – It seems that guitar is the quintessential instrument for accompanying the voice in American popular music.  From Woody Guthrie to Tracy Chapman and Beck, from Chuck Berry to the Ramones to Metallica, the guitar is everywhere.  Just by learning a few chords, you can bang out literally thousands of songs or write your own.

Ukulele – The “uke” has grown in popularity with artists like Jake Shimabukuro elevating it to a very high level of musicianship.  It’s a fun, easy and inexpensive way to start playing music and accompanying yourself singing.

Piano – The piano has a huge repertoire ranging from classical to blues, jazz to pop.  It is a fantastic instrument for vocal accompaniment and for solo playing, as well as for ensemble playing.  It is the opposite of the acoustic guitar: totally un-portable.  It is fine to learn on an electronic keyboard.  If you go this route, you should get a keyboard that has at least 5 octaves, has full-sized keys, and is touch-sensitive (the harder you strike a key, the louder the sound it produces).  Even better is to get a keyboard with weighted action (similar to that of a real piano), though these are more expensive.  Electronic keyboards are great for playing in bands and for situations where sound level is a consideration.  You should realize, however, that electronic keyboards do not come close to the living, breathing, hugely dynamic and very individual natures of real pianos.  Just as there is a huge palette of sound available to you with synthesizers, there is a huge palette of nuance, dynamic range and expression with an acoustic piano that cannot be replicated with an electronic keyboard.  A lot of catchy synthesizer sounds get old after a while.  The sound of an acoustic piano is still of interest to our modern ears centuries after the instrument was first developed.

Bass – The bass may be one of the easier instruments to learn – we’ve had students join our band workshops after only 6-9 months of instruction.  It is clearly an instrument meant for playing with others.  Given the popularity of singing and guitar playing, it seems that people are always looking for a bass player to complete their band!  Unlike the guitar and piano on which you are playing chords (groups of several notes played together), the bass plays primarily single notes and usually locks in rhythmically with what the drummer is playing.  It’s a whole lot of fun to play, and gratifying to be wanted by others for your musical skills.

Drums – Drums are probably the most physical of all the instruments.  You’re playing with all four limbs as you lay down the groove for everyone else.  As the drummer, you are the keeper of time, in charge of the feel.  Like the bass player, you are in demand.  It is possible to start drum lessons without getting a full kit.  You can do a lot of work developing good stick control with just drumsticks and a practice pad.  But the real fun comes when you get on the full kit, and for this you’ll need a place you can set up and make some real noise.

Saxophone – Sometimes there is just nothing like a wailing sax solo.  The emotional tone that comes from someone like Clarence Clemons, Junior Walker or David Sanborn is nothing short of musically hot.  And in the world of jazz, the saxophone is perhaps the pre-eminent soloing instrument, like the electric guitar in the world of rock & roll.  Need we mention names other than Charlie Parker and John Coltrane?  Most students begin on either alto or tenor saxophone; the tenor is bigger and plays a lower range than the alto.  Other saxophones include the baritone sax (even bigger and lower than the tenor) and the soprano sax (usually a straight horn, without the curve, that plays higher than the alto).  The fingering patterns you learn on any of the saxophones transfer directly to the others.  A big deal for all saxophone students is developing a good tone on the instrument.  Unlike the piano, where the basic tone of the instrument is set, the saxophone requires the student to do a lot of work before a satisfactory tone is achieved, even on a single note.

Flute – While flute has a minor role in Rock, Blues, Jazz and other Pop styles, it is a wonderful instrument, very satisfying and rewarding to play.  It obviously has a major role in classical music, as well as in many folk traditions from around the world.  And unlike most other instruments, it is easy to take just about anywhere you might want to go.

You may have heard that it’s best to start with acoustic guitar before switching over to electric. We do not subscribe to this advice, since we believe it is trumped by the “immediate gratification” principle. If you really want to play electric guitar, then go for it! Square-one electric players may join our Beginning Guitar group class even though mostly acoustic players will be in it. Following are some things you should know.

For beginners, playing an electric guitar is easier than playing an acoustic guitar. Electric guitar strings are smaller in gauge and strung with less tension than acoustic guitar strings, so it takes less pressure to play the notes. If you do learn on an acoustic, you’ll find many things suddenly easier when you play them on an electric. The acoustic guitar forces you to develop strength in your hands and calluses on your fingers more quickly than an electric does. All the chords, scales and strums, and much of the technique are completely transferable between electric and acoustic guitar. However, the kinds of tone you get out of an electric are very different from the tones you get out of an acoustic. There are a lot of techniques very specific to the electric guitar/amp combination that cannot be learned and explored on an acoustic guitar. When all is said and done, we think you should learn to play what turns you on. Of course, the great advantage of an acoustic guitar is that it can be played anywhere, regardless of the availability of an electrical outlet. It’s a great party or campfire instrument, and a great solo or accompaniment instrument. With an electric guitar, you’ll want to get an amp, and you’ll most likely want to be playing with others.

The first thing you should do is to learn either piano or guitar. You need to be able to come up with chord progressions that will accompany your melodies and lyrics.

No, it’s better to learn an instrument before learning music theory. While you might think that learning some theory will facilitate learning an instrument, it’s actually the other way around. Knowing at least some basics on an instrument will make music theory much more understandable and meaningful.

The better your understanding of the basic elements of music – melody, chords, and rhythms – the better will be your ability to use computers to create music. Gaining some piano skills is highly recommended!

Exposure to music can begin at almost any age.  Blue Bear’s Little Bears classes introduce young ones from 6 months to 5 years of age to the wonderful world of music through listening, musical games, movement and singing.  Some children aged 5 or 6 are ready to begin private lessons on an instrument.

Are you older than 6?  Then it’s certainly time to begin.  (And it’s never too late.) Here are some specific guidelines to help parents know when their young children might begin:

Guitar – Our youngest students are around 6.  It’s best at the younger ages to use a small-sized guitar, or even an ukulele.

Piano – Piano lessons at Blue Bear can begin at 5 years of age.  We have instructors who are experienced working with these younger students.

Voice – Our instructors don’t usually work on technical vocal development with a student younger than 12-14 years of age.  However, singing lessons can still be worthwhile for students as young as 6.  For the younger students the lessons focus on singing enjoyment, working on the basics of breathing and pronunciation, and developing a stronger sense of musicality.

Bass – Our bass instructors are happy to work with students 6 years old and up.  For smaller hands, a smaller bass is definitely required.

Drums – Our drum instructors can work with any student 6 years old and up.

Saxophone – Due to the requirements of breathing and holding a somewhat heavy instrument, it is best to start the saxophone around age 10.

It’s difficult to answer this question because there is such a wide range of natural ability and amount of time spent practicing. By the end of our beginning group guitar classes, for example, most people can play some simple songs. You’ll probably still feel like a beginner, but you’ll definitely be playing.

Yes! We do a free trial class for everyone. Email [email protected] to set it up, or fill out the form on our Little Bears page.

No. We tried during the pandemic and found that it was not good for the little ones.

Yes! We love visitors. If possible (due to limited instruments and room size for indoor classes), we advise that you ask the Little Bears Director or your instructor prior to inviting guests to come. We are usually happy to accommodate. If you’re bringing a new Little Bear along, their first class is always free. Let us know if you refer a new Little Bear – we offer referral credit at 2 referrals = 1 free class!

Nope, sorry! We require parent/caregiver attendance in our Little Bears classes. Not only is their participation imperative when singing in rounds, we firmly believe that children learn from watching people they trust engage with the music and instruments (plus, it’s way more fun).

Yes and yes! We have a thriving Little Bears Offsite program, and our teachers love coming to preschools and daycares on their weekly schedules. We also love working with companies to bring Little Bears to their employees’ families however that may look. Reach out to our Little Bears Director Tennessee ([email protected]) or text ‪415.340.0970‬ to inquire about both. 

Yes! Classes run continuously and enrollment is rolling in almost all of our Little Bears classes. Send us an email to [email protected] and we’ll get you set up with a free trial class.

Yes. Little Bears enrollment is rolling so you only pay for the period of time that you attend.

We understand children live on their own schedules, and sometimes life happens! We will do our best to figure out the best solution for you. Moving between existing classes is welcomed should your schedule change mid-session. If you want a refund, we are often able to do that, minus credit card fees.

Yes, with a steep discount. We believe the more the merrier, but all of our classes have a hard cap for attendance so all participants do need to pay tuition.  We offer 30% off of each sibling’s tuition when registered for the same class – use promo code sibling at checkout.

Yes. If you would like to switch to a different class for any reason, please call us at 415.673.3600 or text us at ‪415.340.0970‬. You’re also welcome to email us at [email protected]. If the class is not full, we should be able to accommodate your request.

Depending on the enrollment of the class, we can usually accommodate that request.  Please call the school directly (415.673.3600) or text us (415.340.0970) to see about enrollment.  Just be aware that some classes can be quite loud for brand new ears, so we may suggest baby ear muffs so no nap is interrupted. We ask that once your newborn is actively participating in the class, that you pay for their attendance.

We hold fairly strictly to our age ranges. It’s not so much about skill level – the social aspect of our camps is best when there isn’t too big a gap in the ages of the campers. We sometimes let younger campers in when enrollment is skewed to the young side in a given camp.

For families that need later pick-up and for kids who just want more music, inquire about the possibility of private lessons following the camp Monday-Thursday for a special camp rate of $50/hour, based on availability.

A defining characteristic of Blue Bear’s summer camps that sets our camps apart from others is our high teacher to student ratio, with instructors on each instrument group. While the ratio varies slightly for each camp type, we very effectively provide personalized instruction for all students, beginner to advanced, engaging them in the learning process from square one. Typically there is one lead teacher for 5ish campers, in addition to one sectional teacher for every 1-2 campers.

If you need to drop a Camp for any reason, we will give refunds based on the following schedule:

• 90% refund with at least three months notice
• 70% refund with two-three months notice
• 50% refund with six-eight weeks notice

No refunds are available if less than six weeks notice is given unless we are able to fill your child’s spot with another full-paying camper, in which case a 50% refund will be given.