What I Teach

My teaching covers the styles I have played on professional gigs and in studio sessions: rock , pop , R&B , funk , blues , jazz (including walking bass , bebop , swing, and Latin jazz), gospel , country , reggae , and Latin (salsa, samba, bossa nova). When working with different styles the focus should be on the groove and feel. With the use of play-along audio tracks, we will work with the different elements that make each style feel and sound the way it does. With a conceptual understanding of what groove is, the elements that need to be worked on become obvious. Lessons are built around the styles and songs that matter to you — I would rather help you get great at the music you actually want to play than push a curriculum that does not fit.

I believe that the notes of the arpeggios and scales are the alphabet and/or the vocabulary for the language of music. If someone asks me what is going on in my head as I improvise, I would answer, "Well, what goes on in your head when you talk to somebody? Do you think about each word as you say it? Do you think about whether each word is a noun, a verb, or an adjective?" No, you simply use the words to communicate. It is the exact same thing with the notes of music. My definition of music is that it is the language of emotion or the communication of feelings through the use of sounds. The player feels; then plays. The listener hears; then feels. The arpeggio/scales part of my program is based on this concept. What needs to be done with the notes is to get them to be just like the words you use when you talk to somebody. My scales program of study gets this done in a quick, efficient way that really works — see why triads matter more than scales and adding harmony to a bass line for the harmony work specifically.

I asked a jazz piano player I worked with years ago what do you think I should play here in this part of a song? He looked up at me with an annoyed expression on his face and said what are you asking me for, if you are really listening to the music it will tell you what to do every time, don't ask me, ask the music. That's when I really started listening. Yes, it is important to be able to identify intervals and chords, but the real magic lives in being able to play what you hear. I can help you to never underestimate the power of a well developed ear. The ear development part of my teaching is based mostly on doing different types of transcription.

Music notation is a way to communicate on paper what you want someone else to play. If you are considering playing the bass professionally, then having this skill is one of the keys to a successful career. My reading program is divided into 3 main sections: first, knowing all of the note names on the bass neck; second, knowing the written range of the bass — being able to identify the note on the page and then its location on the bass neck; and third, learning how to count and play the rhythmic notation on the page. After you have a working knowledge of these basic reading skills, we move on to professional bass charts. I have collected several hundred of these charts throughout my professional career including charts from studio recording sessions. These charts will give you real-life experience and preparation for professional reading situations.

Beyond the foundational work above, lessons also cover right- and left-hand technique , bass line construction , soloing , and groove and time-feel . You can see each of these explored in depth across the bass guitar lessons blog .