Musical Improv Classes
A Guide to Classes in the Bay Area
Currently there are five bay area improv theaters that teach musical improv on a regular basis. Beginner or introductory classes teach things like how to improvise a melody, how to set up and pay off a rhyme, and how to construct an improvised song within various structures. Intermediate and advanced classes may focus on specific skills or song forms, various genres, or longform improvised musicals. These theaters are: All Out Comedy (Oakland); BATS (San Francisco & Palo Alto); Endgames Improv (San Francisco); Leela (San Francisco); and Made Up Theatre (Fremont).
All Out Comedy has a three-level musical improv program, held at its theater and training center in Uptown Oakland. All classes are taught by Jed Levine and music directed by Jared Hauser. Learn more.
Level 1: Songs, Lyrics & Rhymes
This class focuses on the fundamentals of musical improv: Heightened emotions; big dumb choruses; structured verses; tight taglines; humorous lyrics, f***-around bridges; and setting up and paying off bad-ass rhymes. No musical improv experience required to participate.
Level 2: Genres & Styles
Each week this class tackles a different popular music genre, ranging from love ballads to rock to blues to country to freestyle rap. The class culminates with a performance of an improvised music festival.
Level 2A: Earning Songs
In this class, students learn how to earn songs: To put intentionality into your scene work and make choices within the scene that will get you to songs you WANT to sing. Learn how instead of stumbling backwards into songs, you can be earning them.
Level 3: Improvised Rock Opera
This class is a deep dive into the forms, styles and narratives of rock opera, channeling big emotions like anger, love, loss and angst to create a full improvised rock opera in the style of RENT. The class culminates with a performance of an improvised rock opera.
BATS offers several musical improv classes and one-off workshops in both San Francisco and Palo Alto. Classes are taught by Brian Lohmann and Joshua Raoul Brody at the theater at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco and by Sebastian Hochman in Palo Alto. Learn more.
Musical Improv Intensive
This class teaches relaxation, listening, introduces several song structures and explores different types of songs that express a range of feelings, emotions and wants. No musical improv experience required to participate.
Musical Improv Foundations 1
This series teaches how to spontaneously make up songs with an understanding of the tropes and traditions of musical theater. Students learn off-the-cuff lyric invention, expressing narratives and emotions through song, and experimenting with musical genres. No musical improv experience required to participate.
Endgames Improv offers a beginning musical improv class in San Francisco’s Mission District. This class is taught by Dustin Clingman. Learn more.
Intro to Singprov
This class explores topics like song structure, melody and harmony, lyrical content and staging as students learn to improvise theatrical musical performances together. No musical improv experience required to participate.
Leela has a four-level musical improv program, held at its theater and training center in downtown San Francisco. All classes are taught by Jed Levine and music directed by Liz Baker. Learn more.
Musical Improv 1: Sound-play
This class offers an introduction to musical improv, focusing on exploring musicality, developing your voice, and crafting ear-worm melodies and rhythms through song. No musical improv experience required to participate.
Musical Improv 2: Sing on the Spot
Building on the lessons in Musical Improv 1, this class dives into the elements that make songs work, with tools and approaches to make structuring improvised songs a breeze. Students learn the elements of chorus-verse songs, tagline songs, bridges, and rhyme structure.
Musical Improv 3: Advanced Techniques
In this class, students put their song skills into action, exploring the different kinds of songs that make up a musical and further developing their lyrical and rhyming abilities. The class culminates with a performance of an improvised song cycle.
Musical Improv 4: The Musical
The final class of the series, in level 4 students will put all the pieces together to learn how to improvise a full Broadway-style musical. This class focuses on earning songs from within scenes, navigating musical narratives and adding a dash of spectacle. The class culminates with a performance of an improvised musical.
Made Up Theatre offers a two-level musical improv program at its theater in Fremont. Level 1 classes are taught by Sean Taylor and level 2 classes are taught by Shawn Amaro and music directed by Grant Ewing. Learn more.
Musical Improv 1A: Fundamentals
This class explores the fundamentals of improvising song, including stage presence, projection, taking focus with confidence, and rhyming through set-up/pay-off technique. The class is taught using pre-recorded accompaniment. No musical improv experience required to participate.
Musical Improv 1B: Short Form Deep Dive
This class applies lessons learned in 1A to short form improv games, with a focus on character games, freestyle rapping, implementing set-up/pay-off in impressive fashion, and scenic-based performances. The class is taught using pre-recorded accompaniment.
Musical Improv 2: The Improvised Musical
This class takes lessons learned from 1A and 1B and applies them to an improvised Broadway musical! Students continue to hone their skills while learning about long form musical structure, such as openers, finales and story arcs. The class culminates with a performance of an improvised musical.