acoustic guitar class

Acoustic Guitar @ Fort Mason

We’re now enrolling for Spring Quarter.  Most of our acoustic guitar classes are conducted in person; some in-person classes can also be taken online.

Our small group classes (3-7 students) are for everyone, from square-one beginners to intermediate guitarists.  They’re an affordable way to learn guitar and keep getting better.  And the social aspect of learning with others will keep you motivated and engaged!  Scroll down for our acoustic guitar group class schedule, or click here for private guitar lessons.  Intermediate guitarists may also be interested in our Acoustic Jam classes.  We also have classes for electric guitar.

Class Schedule

Not finding the right acoustic guitar class for you?  Private lessons may be your best bet.  Check out some of our guitar teacher bios – Blue Bear has some of San Francisco’s best teachers!

Learn more about private guitar lessons – tuition, policies, and how to schedule.

 

Tuition & Policies

Tuition
  • $395 for 11 weeks
  • Purchase $35 annual Membership and take $20 off class tuition, plus discounted private tutorials with your class teacher (one hour at $50 or two half-hours at $25 each)
  • 3-Pay option available to spread tuition over three months
Class Drops & Refunds

To drop and get a refund you must let us know two days before the second class meeting. We will be happy to refund 85% of the entire class tuition. After the second meeting, there will be no refunds or transfers of credit. Note that Memberships are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Questions? Please visit our FAQs or contact us at 415.673.3600.

Placement

Beginning Guitar 

  • A true square-one beginner class.
  • You don’t know any chords or how to tune your guitar.
  • If you have started on your own, the first few weeks may be review.
  • If you already know a few chords, even if you consider yourself a beginner, check with us first (below).

 

Acoustic Guitar II

  • You’ve played for 3-4 months.
  • You know about eight of the following chords: E, A, D, G, C, Em, Am, E7, A7, D7.
  • Some chord changes are easy, some are made slowly and not in time.
  • You can play a handful of songs from beginning to end, though not necessarily easily.
  • No fingerpicking experience is required.

 

Acoustic Guitar III

  • You’ve played for 6-8 months.
  • You know 10-15 chords and can make most of the chord changes smoothly.
  • You may have some difficulty playing the four-string (non-bar) F chord.
  • Bar chords are usually introduced near the end of Guitar III.
  • You may or may not have learned some fingerpicking.

 

Acoustic Guitar IV

  • You’ve played for 9-12 months.
  • Several of the songs you learn will include bar chords.
  • You’ve had some exposure to fingerpicking

 

Since it takes a while before a student has the strength to move easily between open position and bar chords, if you can do so you are most likely at a minimum of Acoustic Guitar VI, where the average length of playing time is a year to a year and a half of playing.

You’ll get the most out of Music Theory for Guitar if you can make open chord changes easily.

 

  • For all guitar 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.
  • When we refer to length of time played, 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.

 

If you have any questions about your level, schedule a time below to speak with our Program Director to ensure best placement. .