Pico Rivera, 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.

Students can expect a teacher that addresses every single aspect of learning orchestral upright bass: from honing bow technique, to left-hand formation and fingering choices, to reading musical notation, interpreting music and learning rhythm.

My goal is to help students develop a technical foundation on the bass for playing just about any kind of music that they are interested in, and to support students with practicing tips for areas in their playing where they want to improve. My specialty is symphony orchestra training, so I primarily use the Essential Elements for Strings books at the beginning, and then later as students make progress, I begin to introduce standard orchestral repertoire, sonatas, and concertos written for the bass. I have been teaching since August 2016 and so far I have helped students get into All-States, Districts/Regional festivals, youth orchestra programs, and music degree programs at colleges. I feel that the reason why my students succeed is ...

I have a masters in double bass performance. I have performed in orchestras, jazz bands, and solo recitals across the country.

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.

Experienced Music teacher of 8 years available for eager students of all experience levels and ages! I structure my lessons so students learn what they want to learn, while also building a strong foundation of their instrument and theory skills. I specialize in all styles. Typically, I use a variety of method books to pick from to meet the needs of the students. I also have many tools available to use during lessons.
My students have gone on to NYSSMA and on to college auditions successfully!

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.

My students can expect a loving, supportive, and encouraging atmosphere to learn a difficult instrument. We will go through the basics of hand shapes, learn how to navigate the neck with scales, and tunes that make the upright bass approachable.

As an advanced player in High School, I started teaching the upright double bass to younger HS students who asked me for private lessons for their Nyssma auditions or to get better. My students all not only aced their auditions after our intensive lessons, but went on to music conservatories to study the double bass in their own right. I like to think I had something to do with sparking their love and developing their innate talent as my own early teachers did for me. I loved teaching then and I still love to pass on that spark so that this instrument will never be left without well-studied, talented double bassists. I have a double degree in Bass Performance & Music Education from the Eastman School of Music under the esteemed virtuoso and professor, James VanDemark. Whether you are a beginner/intermediate or advanced student of the Double Bass, I can help you reach that next level.