Monrovia, CA Upright Bass Lessons

I am a professional studio player with a Doctorate in Music, and have played on hundreds of blockbuster movies including the Oscars and Grammys. I work with many orchestras and can teach you how to get work as a bassist. Also can teach jazz...

I focus on musicality when I teach any instrument. With the bass, that stretches from playing with strong tone and staying in tune all the way to thumb position vibrato and advanced bowings. I'm a classical player but I include jazz, folk, and rock in my lessons.

It is my goal as a teacher to give you the tools to play music but more importantly to create music.

My Teaching Philosophy

Left Hand-
Scales and arpeggios our the bedrock of music. They are the foundation of everything harmonically and melodically. We will begin with learning our major, minor and pentatonic scales and corresponding arpeggios. Once we have an understanding of those we will delve into our modes and more “exotic” scales.

Right Hand-
The right hand is our time machine. It gives us the ability to play in time and with groove and feel. We will work on rhythmic studies string crossings and practicing with a metronome. Remembering music is harmony, Melody and rhythm working as one.

For those who are new to playing music the hardest thing for some to master is rhythm/time keeping. It is the black and white right or wrong of the music world. Often times our want to progress quickly is hampered by skipping over the basic building blocks of rhythm and ...

Upright bass can be one of the most versatile instruments. Players of the instrument find themselves in settings ranging from symphony orchestras to bluegrass bands and everything in between. With the modern music world become more receptive to acoustic instruments, as well as amplification technology evolving, upright bassist can also become members of rock bands or hip-hop groups. In lessons, I teach the student how to navigate the instrument in a way that allows them to pursue whatever genre they want. I focus on skills that are universal to music, as well as specific skills for different styles of playing. As a double bassist, I have played in jazz combos, big bands, orchestras, chamber groups, and bluegrass/ old-time groups. I'm excited to share my love and knowledge of this instrument with other players!

My primary goal with all of my students is to help them make great music that is true to themselves. I also try to stick with a sound-before-symbol approach to learning music. What this means for my teaching is a focus on training both the ears and technique. I always prefer a more personalized approach to teaching, working with students to find repertoire that speaks to them and improves their musicality and technique.

I am looking forward to working with you on beginning your training on upright bass. With me, you will learn the basic elements of the upright bass such as string tuning, bow grip, left hand fingering and proper posture.

I am a music teacher who has taught beginners for many years. I've also taken bass lessons myself. I am most qualified to teach beginners through the Jr. High age level.

Being an active and experienced musician gives me the necessary knowledge to know what is needed on order to become a better musician. Also having over 20 years of teaching experience allows me to tailor my knowledge to the need of every particular student. I really enjoy to transfer my knowledge and solve the unique musical problem that every student encounter during their musical path.

I have been performing on Upright Bass for more than three decades in both the classical and jazz realms. I have both a classical and jazz performance degree.

The foundation of my teaching is the Smandl method. I also have a large library of classical and jazz books as well as tunes I have transcribed or lesson material I have written myself.

Let me help you get started on bass or refine your skills.

Hey there – I am so glad that you want to study bass! Upright bass is the cornerstone of my passion for music -- it is such a beautiful instrument and I love to help people find their unique personality on the bass. A little bit about me: I am a graduate of the world-renowned jazz program at the Jacobs School of Music and have been teaching for 8 years. I am well-versed in tried-and-true methods of establishing healthy technique, good tone, good time, and musicality on the bass. I have experience with many styles and genres and have been fortunate to play with artists from over 20 countries. My work has been featured in NPR’s Jazz Critic’s Poll, Jazziz Magazine, and All About Jazz, and I was recently chosen to be a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department’s global music fellowship (OneBeat). In other words, we can work together on whatever music really lights you up, no matter the style! Whether you are just beginning or are already advanced, there's so much we can do ...