Each class offered is 8 weeks in length and costs $90-$125. The 1 to 2 hour classes are held once a week. The payment for a class is due in full before the second meeting of a series. Workshops are payable at the 1st meeting. Reservations and pre-enrollment are encouraged as class size is limited.
BEGINNING CLASSES
BEGINNING GUITAR
Learn to play some great classic tunes (folk, country, pop, and rock) while learning accompaniment ideas including rhythms, fingerpicking, transposing (changing the key of a song to better suit your voice, if so desired), note reading, plus some of the fundamentals of music. Learn how to put all of these ideas together to help you make your own arrangement of a song using standard sheet music. Designed for people who are total beginners, and those who have played a little or who want more knowledge concerning accompaniment ideas. Eight two hour classes at a price that can't be beat.
- Monday, January 16, 8-10pm (8 classes) - Gary Mandell - $90
YOUNG PERSON'S GUITAR
A scaled down version of the adult class including some of those current songs they can't wait to play. Rhythm accompaniment ideas are explored. Individual work with note reading is included to insure a good foundation for the future. Fine 1/2 to full size acoustic guitars (Electrics also) available for sale or to rent. For ages 9-14 years old.
- Wednesday, January 18, 4-5pm (8 classes) - Gary Mandell - $90
BEGINNING HARMONICA
Turn a simple harmonica into an exciting blues & country instrument. Learn playing techniques for single notes, clean tone and intonation, bending notes, vibrato, rhythms, chording effects, and scale formations. Blues progressions, fiddle tunes, plus a new song each week! Taught by the man who recorded with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. Bring a key of C (we've got them if you need them) 10 hole harmonica.
- Tuesday, January 17, 8-9pm (8 classes) - Chris Smith - $125
BEGINNING SINGING
This weekly class will help you extend your vocal range as well as strengthen your voice in general. Learn breathing techniques as well as vocal exercises to improve your vocal stamina and performance ability. Led by a woman with strong performance credentials who studied with one of the masters of vocal technique.
- Tuesday, January 17, 7-8pm (8 classes) - Sharyn Scott - $120
INTERMEDIATE CLASSES
BEGINNING GUITAR PART II
Designed for people fresh out of Beginning Guitar or those who want to brush up and improve their playing, and expand their repertoire. Learn fun songs in an assortment of styles, new chords, simple theory, and rhythm and fingerpicking ideas. Flatpicking melodies and an intro to fingerstyle blues is included. Developed with over 35 years of teaching experience by a seasoned arranger and guitarist. Great for songwriters and players.
- Thursday, January 19, 7:30-9pm (8 classes - Gary Mandell - $100
BERNIE'S ACOUSTIC BLUES JAM CLASS
How to jam the blues as taught by the guru of blues in LA County. Improve your skills on how and what to play with people in small acoustic ensembles. Learn more about backup techniques and rhythms and lead playing ideas. Get practice playing with human beings instead of a computer or tape machine. Open to guitar, harmonica, and bass or ask. An eight week course that's fun and just what the doctor ordered.
- Wednesday, January 18, 7-8pm (8 Classes) - Bernie Pearl - $100
BERNIE'S ELECTRIC BLUES JAM CLASS
Bernie Pearl leads an amplified blues jam, open to all instruments. Bernie has played with an array of blues greats, including Big Mama Thornton, Freddie King, Papa John Creach, Lowell Fulson, Big Joe Turner, Otis Rush, B.B. King, and more. He'll share tips and insights on playing ensemble amplified blues gleaned over his 50 years in the blues world. Small amplifiers that only go to 10 please. Eight one hour long class sessions. Class size limited to 10. Such a deal.
- Wednesday, January 18, 8-9pm (8 Classes) - Bernie Pearl - $100
WORKSHOPS
FINGERSTYLE BLUES WORKSHOP WITH ASBELL & JAMES
Fingerstyle blues guitar, in the styles of Mississippi John Hurt, Lightnin' Hopkins, Robert Johnson, Blind Blake, Merle Travis, and others. Topics covered will include alternate-bass techniques, Delta-style drones, palm muting, and exercises to create effortless dexterity, syncopations and strong grooves. From basic chord concepts to sophisticated jazz and ragtime chord substitutions, moving bass lines, "guide tones", etc, w/ emphasis on creating your own licks, turnarounds and variations within the style. Record it too.
- Sunday, January 22, 2-4pm - Paul Asbell & Steve James - $35
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED MANDOLIN WORKSHOP
Technique overview featuring four basic styles of right hand picking and two left hand positions, several strumming patterns, two kinds of tremolo and the cross-picking. Developing and maintaining the speed and accuracy and a step by step method on how to practice an improvisation for bluegrass, blues and swing.
- Sunday, January 29, 1-2:50pm - Radim Zenkl - $35 (Take this & Radim's pennywhistle workshop below for $65)
BEGINNING PENNYWHISTLE (TIN WHISTLE) WORKSHOP
No experience necessary. Radim will cover all the basic techniques such as hand positions, breathing, over blowing, good tone production, tonguing, vibrato, tremolo, 3 major and 3 minor scales, English and Irish ornamentation and ideas on how to practice it. You'll even learn a few actual tunes to play! Bring your pennywhistle in the key of D or you may purchase one at Boulevard Music.
- Sunday, January 29, 3-4:50pm - Radim Zenkl - $35
FINGERSTYLE BLUES/RAGTIME WORKSHOP WITH MARY FLOWER
In this workshop, Mary will focus on turnarounds, patterns and options for lead playing for the fingerstyle player. She will bring a few handouts of Piedmont style tunes that will stretch your ability and enhance your repertoire. All levels are welcome.
- Saturday, February 4, 3-5pm - Mary Flower - $35
FINGERSTYLE GUITAR WORKSHOP WITH ADAM RAFFERTY
Among Adam’s musical innovations is the ability to play 2 simultaneous melodies on the guitar. He'll discuss ideas on taking basslines, horn parts and vocals and placing them in an arrangement.
Learn fingerstyle tunes and techniques with a fingerstyle pop specialist.
- Saturday, February 11, 3-5pm - Adam Rafferty - $35
BEGINNING UKE WORKSHOP
YES UKE CAN! By request a one day intro to uke covering all the basics needed to play easy folk and pop tunes. Chord forms, strumming patterns, simple songs and how to put them all together to get you going.
- Saturday, February 18, 4-6pm - Gary Mandell - $35
HONKY TONK (A GUITAR CLASSIC) PARTS I & II GUITAR WORKSHOP
Stan who teaches this workshop said the following: "In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, just before the advent of Surf Music there were a bunch of cool instrumental songs on the radio with great playing on them. They were fairly easy to play and sounded cool with just two guitars. One of the biggest hits was Honky Tonk Parts 1 and 2 by organist Bill Doggett from 1956. It featured great guitar solos by Billy Butler. In this workshop we will learn this great tune with all of Billy’s solos. We will also analyze what is going on in the solos, especially his use of 3rds and 6th chords. Participants will receive materials in both tab and regular notation."
- Saturday, February 25, 3-4:30pm - Stan Ayeroff - $35
BLUES REPERTOIRE WORKSHOP-FOUR WEEKS
Learn basic blues techniques plus blues scale patterns (pentatonics), boogie patterns, blues progressions, and common blues chord forms. Mark will explore standard as well as G open tuning and cover basic slide guitar techniques. Songs will include Mojo Hand by Lightnin' Hopkins, Boogie Chile by John Lee Hooker, and Louisiana Blues by Muddy Waters Taught by a pro who played in the Jesse Ed Davis Band for years and wrote one of the the best books on open tunings.
- Saturday, March 3, 4-5:30pm - 4 Weeks- Mark Shark - $100
ELECTRIC BASS TECHNIQUE WORKSHOP
Based on Valda Hammick's critically-acclaimed book "Electric Bass Technique" Valda will
explore "Solving" the fingerboard". Topics include:
1. Pentatonic Fills: Using shifting slides to scoot along the fingerboard.
2. Octaves: Using the "Crabwalk" to "keep in touch" with the fingerboard.
3. Time & Space: Feeling the "pulse" of the music, and sub-dividing the beats to become a self-sufficient, and confident, timekeeper (with or without) drums.
- Saturday, March 17, 2-3:30pm - Valda Hammick - $35
DJANGO GYPSY JAZZ GUITAR WORKSHOP
Stan who teaches this workshop said the following: "In this workshop we will study Django’s great solo on “Undecided” which featured the vocals of Beryl Davis, then a 13-year old singer from England. I had the pleasure of hearing Ms. Davis sing this song at Boulevard Music a few years ago with The John Jorgenson Quintet.This is a song in a major key, which has a lot of wonderful licks and concepts for the aspiring Gypsy Jazz Guitarist. Materials will be distributed in both tab and regular notation."
- Saturday, March 24, 2-3:30pm - Stan Ayeroff - $35
SLIDE GUITAR WORKSHOP
Learn slide guitar basics that will give you a good foundation to build on. Standard and open tuning work in G, E, and C tuning with tips on vibrato, muting, intonation and more. Tips and slide licks for Blues, Country, and Rock N Roll. Taught by a pro who played in the Jesse Ed Davis Band for years.
- Call for Date and Time- Mark Shark - $35
OPEN TUNINGS AND USING THEM
Alternate tuning use including G, E, and C tuning. DADGAD, minor and suspended, and Wahine tunings. Creating your own tunings, tonal expansion and application. Taught by an expert (Mark Shark) who literally wrote the book, “The Tao of Tunings.” A great compliment to his slide guitar workshop.
- Call for Date and Time - Mark Shark - $35
STRING ENSEMBLE CLASS
Expand your child’s interest in music and ensemble playing in a class that is educational, enriching, and pure fun! Your child will learn the basic fundamentals of ensemble playing, from note reading to ear training in an engaging and creative environment. An excellent augmentation to private lessons and benefits beginning to existing ensemble players. Playing in tune will become more natural as the ensemble plays a variety of classical, folk, and some fiddle surprises. For ages 9-15 years old.
- Call for date and time
BEGINNING BANJO WORKSHOP
Learn the fundamentals for all kinds of 5-string banjo styles including bluegrass, traditional and old-timey, and the sounds of the hootenanny folk era. Mark shows you picking, strumming, and essential chords while learning classic songs. A great one day introduction.
- Call for date and time - Mark Shark - $35
BEGINNING MANDOLIN WORKSHOP
Learn the fundamentals for all kinds of mandolin styles including bluegrass, traditional and old timey. Mark shows you picking, rhythm skills, fingering, and essential chords while learning classic fiddle tunes and melodies. A great one day introduction. .
- Call for date and time - Mark Shark - $35
GUITAR FLATPICKING WORKSHOP
This workshop focuses on the foundations of the style of flatpicking the guitar. Concepts include tone production, basic left-hand and right-hand positioning and acquiring chord knowledge of the fret board through the medium of learning fiddle tunes on the guitar. How to use efficient left and right hand techniques to increase speed, improve note clarity and fluidity, and develop good tone.- Call for date and time - Mark Shark - $35
PRIVATE MUSIC INSTRUCTION
Private instruction is available from our roster of fine professionals to meet your personal needs. Instruction is available for the following instruments and voice in an assortment of different styles. Quality teachers with years of experience at an affordable rate. Currently we are offering 4 1/2 hour lessons for $120.
See our TEACHER PROFILES page for details and bios of our teaching staff.
- Guitar-Gary Mandell, Ted Owens, Bernie Pearl, Mark Shark, Stan Ayeroff
- Piano-Gary Mandell, Kate Kohler
- Bass-Valda Hammick, Richard Simon (Upright)
- Violin-Sara Behar, Laura Kass
- Viola-Sara Behar
- Cello-Kevan Torfeh
- Mandolin-Mark Shark
- Harmonica- Chris Smith
- Voice-Sharyn Scott
- Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute-Kyle O'Donnell, Ken Moran
- Trumpet/Trombone
- Drums/Percussion-Stephen Flinn
- Banjo-Mark Shark, Pat Cloud
- Ukelele-Gary Mandell, Mark Shark
- Dobro, Lap Steel, Pedal Steel, Bazouki, Dulcimer & More-Mark Shark
For information and referrals or to schedule an appointment, please call our main number at Boulevard Music: (310) 398-2583
