Faculty

Beginning Guitar Workshop

An introductory course for students with little or no experience playing guitar. Students learn the basics including:

• tuning the guitar
• understanding the fretboard
• using proper hand positions
• fingerings for major scales
• learning basic chords, i.e., triads and seventh chords
• playing simple pieces
• reading music

This course is taught by world-class Jazzschool faculty with the objective of "getting it right" from the very beginning.

Required text: Modern Guitar Method Vol. One, Mel Bay (available in The Bassment)

Saturdays 10:00 - 11:30am DANNY CARON (10 weeks) $360

Sight Reading for Guitarists

A class for intermediate to advanced guitarists of all styles who wish to improve their ability to read standard music notation. Instructor covers:

• a system for "seeing" the fingerboard as individual notes, not patterns.
• choosing the proper position in which to play a given passage and how to most efficiently change from one position to another.
• reading and counting syncopated, complex rhythms.
• interpreting and executing phrasing and dynamic markings
• identifying how and what to practice, making the process interesting and fun. Sight reading materials represent a variety of styles and genres

Prerequisite: some reading ability

Mondays 8:15 - 9:45 pm BRIAN PARDO (10 weeks) $360

GUITARISTS, SAVE THE DATE!

Jazzschool Summer Guitar Intensive

An all-day, week-long intensive for aspiring professionals directed by internationally acclaimed jazz guitarist/educator, Mimi Fox.

Includes daily jam sessions, an evening concert at Yoshi's jazz club, and a final student performance at the Jazzschool Friday August 15, 8 pm Special guest faculty Henry Johnson!

Monday - Friday, August 11-15, 9 am-4 pm MIMI FOX $750

For more information, please call 510.845.5373 or email swing@jazzschool.com

Regrettably, this class has been cancelled

This class is designed for guitarists with basic technical facility and focuses on the blues form. Students learn chord voicings, fingerboard harmony and techniques of single string soloing from urban blues styles including BB King and Albert Collins to more complex, sophisticated swing styles including those of Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker. Alternate chord cycles and rhythm playing are covered. Students also work with transcriptions to develop strong melodic solos

Prerequisite: Beginning Guitar Workshop or equivalent

Saturdays 11:45 am- 1:15 pm DANNY CARON (10 weeks) $360

Jazz Guitar I (BEG/INT)

A hands-on class on the basics of jazz and blues guitar technique and style. Includes instruction in soloing and comping over standard jazz repertoire and the blues.

Prerequisites: two years playing experience, knowledge of major and pentatonic scales and basic seventh chords. Required text: Guitar Arpeggio Studies on Jazz Standards (Mel Bay Publications), and interactive CD-ROM, Graduated Solos.

SECTION I Wednesdays 6:00 - 7 pm
SECTION II Wednesdays 7:30 - 8:30 pm MIMI FOX (10 weeks) $230

Jazz Guitar II (INT/ADV)

Required CD-ROM for Section II: Jazz Anatomy by Mimi Fox (available in The Bassment). Required text: Guitar Arpeggio Studies on Jazz Standards (Mel Bay Publications).

Prerequisites: Jazz Guitar I or equivalent; knowledge of scale and chord theory and some familiarity with jazz repertoire.

Wednesdays 8:45 - 9:45 pm MIMI FOX (10 weeks) $230

The Art of Solo Jazz Guitar

A class designed for intermediate- and advanced-level students covering all aspects of solo guitar playing. Topics covered include rubato playing, combining walking bass lines with comping, and the use of scales, arpeggios and rhythms to complement the melody. Instructor provides approaches for creating fresh arrangements of standards.

Required text: Guitar Arpeggio Studies on Jazz Standards (Mel Bay Publications).

Prerequisite: Jazz Guitar II or equivalent.

Mondays 4:45 - 6:15 pm MIMI FOX (10 weeks) $360

Guitar Comping Techniques

This hands-on course is designed to provide the intermediate to advanced guitarist with tools, concepts and techniques essential to creative and effective contemporary comping. This course covers:

• comping over straight-ahead, bebop, modal, funk/fusion, ballads, contemporary jazz, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban styles of music.
• creative chord voicings — looking at the fingerboard and voicing chords in a more "pianistic" way; using quartal harmony (clusters voiced in 4ths) in GUITAR
• modal comping; the possibilities of dissonant intervals such as the minor 2nd; slash chords; tritone substitution; and upper register chord voicings.
• rhythmic anticipation & syncopation — the "right" places to put chords in creating rhythmic "forward motion"; comping in 3/4, 6/8 and odd meters

Prerequisites: knowledge of chord/scale theory; ability to play major, dominant and minor seventh chords and the ii -V-I progression in all keys.

Thursdays 6:30 - 8 pm STEVE ERQUIAGA (10 weeks) $360

Brazilian Guitar

Designed for intermediate to advanced students, this class covers different styles of Brazilian guitar music focusing on rhythm and typical chord structure theory. Pick players please note: finger-style technique is used to play this style of music.

Prerequisite: Ability to read music notation

Sundays 2:30 - 4 pm RICARDO PEIXOTO (10 weeks) $360

Funk Bass Lines

A hands-on course for all bassists, guitarists and keyboardists covering all aspects of playing funk-style bass lines

Prerequisite: intermediate facility on bass, guitar or keyboards and ability to read music. Class texts: Funk Fusion Bass by Jon Liebman, Hip-Hop Bass Grooves by Anthony Vitti, and Hal Leaonard Bass Play-Along — Funk, (available in The Bassment)

Mondays 8:15 - 9:45 pm MICHAEL WILCOX (10 weeks) $360