Mondays 8:15–9:45 pm, 9/21–11/30; No class 11/23; Performance: TBD

RSVP / DETAILS

Develop your skills in the classic jazz guitar trio format of guitar, bass, and drums. Designed for intermediate and advanced players, the ensemble is limited to 4–5 guitarists who rotate working with a bass-and-drums rhythm section. Some repertoire may also be arranged for quartet with two guitars, bass, and drums.

The class emphasizes groove, interaction, comping, improvisation, and repertoire within a small-group setting.

Participants will focus on:

• Trio interaction and musical communication

• Rhythmic feel, timekeeping, and groove

• Comping vocabulary and chord voicings

• Solo development and improvisational fluency

• Repertoire interpretation and arrangement

Mondays 8:15–9:45 pm
9/21–11/30
No class 11/23
Performance: TBD
Derek Barber, $495
(in-person)

Prerequisites

• Ability to confidently play melodies, comp, and improvise over standard jazz repertoire

• Fluency reading and interpreting lead sheets

• Solid time feel in both swing and straight-eighth styles

Important Notes

• All ensembles culminate in a live, free performance.

• Please confirm you can attend the performance date before registering.

• A placement audition is required for new students.

How to Register

Please complete the online Ensemble Application Form below. Once we’ve received your application and, for new students, your audition recording, we’ll review your information and contact you to confirm placement. Once your placement is confirmed, we’ll send you a link to submit tuition payment. No payment is required until placement is confirmed.

Application form and audition guidelines:
Jazzschool Ensemble Application Form and Audition Guidelines

About Derek Barber

Derek Barber is a guitarist, songwriter, and music educator based in the Bay Area. He teaches private lessons in music theory, improvisation, jazz combos, and jazz guitar, and teaches student bands at the SF Rock Project. He formerly taught at the Blue Bear School of Music.

An active performer, Derek has played and recorded with Bay Area artists and bands including Spacemoth, Christopher Owens, Bells Atlas, Salami Rose Joe Louis, John Vanderslice, and Astronauts, etc., in addition to leading his solo project, Perhapsy. A sought-after session guitarist, he records regularly at Tiny Telephone Studios, Brothers Chinese, Santo, and Decibelle. He also composes for the NPR-originated storytelling podcast Snap Judgment and has performed live on KEXP.

Derek holds a BFA in Jazz Improvisation from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Geri Allen and Robert Hurst on a full scholarship. With more than 25 years of teaching experience, he approaches music education as a lifelong pursuit.

His guitar work has been praised by Premier Guitar, Pitchfork, Stereogum, and AFROPUNK for its blend of intricate phrasing, expressive textures, and compelling songwriting. Derek is also an active visual artist and cartoonist whose art and animation have appeared in music videos by local and national artists, including work connected with Los Angeles–based School of Song.