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Active - Public

Bass Guitar

Hey Musician! I am thrilled to help you reach your full potential! I hope you will choose me to assist you in avoiding common obstacles in your progress. I am eager to help you excel on your instrument! I have been teaching private lessons since I was 13 years old.

I play fretted and fretless bass, electric and acoustic guitar, ukulele, drums, and vocals. I am a guitar effects pedal and gadget enthusiast. Since my first student in 1988, I have helped thousands of private students embark on a musical journey. 

With my passion for BASS guitar, worship music, pyrotechnical guitar virtuosos, funk, hard rock, and 80s hair metal, I am confident that I can provide you with the guidance and support you need to achieve your goals.

In this class, you will learn about using all four fingers on your fretting hand, modes, the Nashville number system, how to effectively use your plucking hand, and how to read tablature and chord/scale grids.

Let's get your feet good and soaking wet to kick off your BASS guitar journey!

Learn the "Bass"-ics

Guitar

Ukulele

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 480,000 US composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers. The ASCAP is committed to nurturing music makers throughout their careers. 

a global community of music educators who are committed to inspiring the next generation of lifelong musicians. Our program provides music teachers with access to resources and other tools to help support their role in education. The Education Collective will grow to include opportunities to network with other teachers, share your knowledge and content, and attend special educational events. Our goal is to support those that support the future of music.

OVERVIEW												
Greg has been a professional musician and teacher both since 1989.  During that time, he has cultivated himself to be a teacher of other musicians. He has gained vast knowledge and experience in sculpting others to meet their goals.  This experience has made him knowledgeable of instruments, sound equipment, and the workings of a music team as a whole.  He has served as a worship team member at four churches. Currently, Greg leads the worship arts dept at his home church and grows his heart and skill for worship leading.  Running his own business and developing marriage coaching skills will prove useful in the leadership and guidance of those he assists in improving their skills.

STRENGTHS												
TEACHING
Greg's goal is the building up of those around him in ways that they can understand.  Being a strong teacher isn't about being right; it is about leading so that others will follow you.  Finding the way to teach a person how they need to learn is a skill Greg has developed through years of practice and listening to students.  

WORSHIP TEAM EXPERIENCE
Several years working with worship teams at different levels has allowed Greg to see them from many vantage points.  These experiences have had him everywhere, from leading worship to running sound and everything in between.  Knowing that these areas are all essential and must all come together to facilitate a congregation to worship is a strength Greg brings with him.

KNOWLEDGE
During Greg's years as a musician, he has picked up many skills that add quality to his leadership abilities.  Not only is Greg skilled in playing the bass, vocals, guitar, and drums, but he is knowledgeable in the theory behind the music. He can teach those around him to read and understand the music they are playing.  He has also spent many hours putting together and running sound systems, so his knowledge goes beyond the stage and into the team's overall sound.  Having experience of CCLI and how the music industry works, Greg will use "pop sensibilities" to best utilize and choose music that is pertinent and worshipful.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT									
ROSSITER KIDS COLLEGE 2013 & 2014
It is introducing 20 kids at a time to guitar basics. Greg often runs into many of these children at outreach programs at church. He gets to be the familiar face that allows them to feel comfortable and a sense of belonging.

HELENA FIRST ASSEMBLY YOUTH WORSHIP LEADERS 10/2011 – 9/2012
Greg and his wife Lisa spent a season as the leadership for the youth worship team at Helena's first assembly. They were very blessed to be used by God to build those young musicians into some heavyweight worshipers! They finalized our time with the young adults by facilitating a practicum to adjudicate the kids as they progressed. They still maintain relationships with most of these students who are now adults.

SMALL GROUP LEADERS 9/2011 – present
After reading an article online that stressed the importance of marriage enrichment and the lack of this being available in most churches, Greg and Lisa approached their pastor. He said suggested they start leading a group at our church. They have been leading marriage enrichment small groups ever since. It has blossomed into a calling for them, leading them into the creation of a website.

HELENA FIRST ASSEMBLY WORSHIP TEAM 6/2011 - present
Greg began attending Helena's first assembly in October of 2010. June 4th of 2011, Greg started playing on the worship teams at Helena First assembly, including special music projects and Sunday worship. As a Bassist, guitarist, harmony vocal, and drummer.	


EXPERIENCE	

CONSULTANT TO FELLOW PRIVATE MUSIC INSTRUCTORS 2004 - present
Due to the current political impositions on society, Greg has become a go-to for his fellow instructors as a consultant for keeping up with online instruction for a large variety of age groups and technology experience levels. Greg cares deeply for his competitors and loves assisting them to thrive during this unfortunate season imposition.
											
HELENA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY GUITAR INSTRUCTOR 2019 - present
Greg develops and instructs In-person and online courses for beginner guitar for the Helena College of technology.

FORTRESS OF JOY – WORSHIP ARTS DEPT HEAD 06/2016 –present
Greg is accountable to God for putting lyrics into the mouths of a congregation. He is Holy-Spirit lead while he leads and instructs a team of revolving musicians at a large variety of levels of commitment and skill.

Wylie and the Wild West 10/2015 – 06/2017
Touring: Bass guitarist, mandolin, and harmony vocalist.

capitalFRET co-owner 9/2004 - present
The company was run for a season as a retail store. It housed multiple music instructors from April 2008 to December 2013. At that time, I scaled back to only me doing lessons and setting up guitars. Greg's wife had joined him in this endeavor in October of 2009. They continue to work side-by-side every day as Greg teaches privately and executes guitar repairs at their home facility.  

PICCOLOS MUSIC 5/2006 – 3/2008
Rental Contract Writer, Electronics installation, High-quality Control, Instrument Maintenance, Instrument set-up tech, Inventory, Laborer, Luthier, Marketing, NAMM/Trade show representative, Promoting, Receiving/Ordering Sales, Salesman

BOZEMAN BASS BASH 1994 – 2012
Greg participated heavily in creating and facilitating the Bozeman Bass Bash, which has become the model used for bass-centric events worldwide. Greg gave support in all areas from development and advertising to being a Bass Bash clinician who taught classes for participants.

PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN 11/1989 - Present
Band Leader, Bassist, Booking, Contract Writer, Electronics installation, Endorsee, High-quality Control, Instrument Maintenance, Instrument set-up tech, Inventory, Laborer, Luthier, Marketing, NAMM/Trade show representative, Promoting, Receiving/Ordering Sales, Salesman, Set-up and tear down crew, Shipping, Stringed instrument hardware assembly technician, Telemarketing, Touring, Vocalist

WORSHIP TEAM MEMBER 2006 - PRESENT
Worship team member at Valley Christian Fellowship, Hannaford Street Bible Church, Helena First Assembly of God Church.  Play Bass, guitar (acoustic and electric), drums, vocals, and youth worship team coach. Greg now resides at Fortress of Joy Worship, art director.

BOZEMAN ADULT EDUCATION GUITAR INSTRUCTOR 2004
Greg instructed 180 guitar students per session for two sessions in 2004 in the Bozeman adult education program.

GIBSON GUITAR 4/2001 to 1/2002
Assembly, Buff, Construction, Detail sanding, Electronics installation, Final assembly, Finish sanding, High-quality Control, Instrument Maintenance, Instrument set-up tech, Inventory, Laborer, Neck shaping, (buttons & heel caps), Pickguard mfg., Quality control

NORTON GUITARS 3/2000 to 4/2001
Assembly, Buff, Construction, Contract writer, Delivery, Designer, Detail sanding, Electronics installation, Endorsee, Final assembly, Finish, Finish sanding, Finisher, Fretting, Gluing backs to rib structures, High-quality Control, Instrument Maintenance, Instrument set-up tech, Inventory, Laborer, Luthier, Marketing, NAMM/Trade show representative, Neck shaping, Promoting, Quality control, R & D, Receiving/Ordering, Sales, Salesman, Sanding sealer, Set-up and tear down crew, Shipping, Stain, Stringed instrument hardware assembly technician, Telemarketing.

owner

Greg taught music education for preschool through 6th-grade. He facilitated a weekly worship assembly for kids preschool through 6th grade. Greg also coached the high school worship team.

Elementary Music Instructor

English

Bass is my primary instrument, and I am genuinely passionate about helping you become the best bass player you can be! When I teach, I like to use repetition (think "wax on, wax off") and prefer to present the big picture first so that every obstacle can potentially be overcome. Drawing from years of teaching experience, I have learned about the topics that have caused frustration for students in the past, and I try to smooth the road for you so that you can achieve the highest level of success with as few headaches as possible.

Patient, creative and fun! Greg is an excellent teacher.

My son just had his first lesson and LOVED his time with Mr. Greg! He came home excited and eager to practice at home! Thank you for making a guitar lesson fun and easy for a young kid :)

Greg is great at adjusting his teaching to what you want, which is great because it keeps you motivated because you're learning things that are interesting to you. He definitely knows his stuff, too! 

Super great teacher with lots of experience!

Greg is a great guy and instructor that matched his reputation. Our daughter really enjoyed her lesson time with him. 

Greg, is a awesome instructor who takes time and listens to your questions.

Really enjoy learning from Greg! He is patient and explains as well as demonstrate his lesson. Highly recommended!

My son looks forward each week to his lessons with Greg. He is learning the electric guitar, bass and acoustic and has come so far. Greg is not only a great teacher but also a great role model and mentor for my son! We are so thankful to have connected with him.

Awesome instructor, really knows what he is doing. Will not be disappointed!

I recently had the pleasure of taking bass lessons and it was truly transformative. My instructor, Greg, was exceptional, with a passion for music and expertise in playing the bass. They personalized the lessons to my needs, making it engaging and challenging. The structured approach and gradual progression helped me see visible improvement. The lessons fostered creativity and self-expression, allowing me to develop my own unique style. Overall, I highly recommend these bass lessons for anyone looking to enhance their musical journey.

I have learned quite a lot in a short period of time with Greg. He is patient & knowledgeable about the bass & music in general. I look forward to my next lesson with him.

Currently, music is primarily learned visually, which cripples the development of crucial skill sets. Before the internet, most musicians learned songs by listening and practicing to CDs, cassettes, records, and the radio. As a private teacher, I believe that both visual and auditory learning are valuable, but I find that very few people can learn songs by ear instead of relying completely on visual aids. I am sharing this to explain that when I create these instructional videos, I present the material as I learned to play it by ear, investing countless hours in front of my dad's cassette recorder. Additionally, I enjoy presenting these playalongs as if they were performed by a three man band in a garage, as that was the environment where I learned and perfected my parts. Are my interpretations identical to the original musicians' versions? Definitely not! This is "GBC Style".

SEVEN NATION ARMY (play along)

I LOVE ROCK N ROLL (play along)

This exercise is specifically designed to develop muscle memory and master the correct finger placement with ease. Commit to daily practice until you have the stamina and accuracy to complete it. I expect to see you here tomorrow!

SEVEN NATION ARMY ACCELERATING BASS TRAINER (BEGINNER)

NO POINTER FINGER! Join the challenge and test your skills! Play daily or hourly and push yourself to the very end. Are you ready to take on the challenge?

NO POINTER FINGER Happy Birthday WALTZ STRUM accelerating trainer

Playing bar chords on the guitar may require a bit more physical effort than playing open chords, but they are an essential skill to learn if you want to become a proficient player. In fact, learning bar chords first can make your entire guitar journey much easier. Mentally, you'll be able to learn more chords sooner and play more songs by simply understanding a few basic concepts about bar chords. This exercise is designed to build your muscle memory so that you can master the correct “practical” finger placement with ease. Come back daily and play along until you have the stamina and accuracy to make it all the way through. "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave." see you tomorrow!

Hotel California Bar Chord Exercise (Stamina Edition)

Hotel California BAR CHORD trainer

Proper finger placement is essential to progress correctly and sooner rather than later. The Ionian mode (or Major scale) is undisputably the very first scale any musician should learn and memorize. This exercise is designed to build your muscle memory so that you can master the correct “practical” finger placement with ease. Come back daily and play along until you have the stamina and accuracy to make it all the way through.

G Ionian Bass 3 Notes per String Accelerating Trainer

satisfying video of me converting a bass to fretless at 4x video speed

Fretless Conversion

Don't underestimate the importance of proper finger placement. It's essential for playing flawlessly. To help you achieve this, we recommend practicing the "Jenny" exercise three times a day. This exercise is designed to build your muscle memory so that you can master the correct technique with ease. Don't miss this opportunity to take your playing to the next level!

JENNY (867-5309) trainer

No matter how proficient you are at alternate picking, exercising daily with this "alternate picking stamina trainer" featuring the song "Edge of Seventeen" will solidify your skills in this vital technique! It is imperative to strike the pick in the same direction twice in a row. The pattern must be played down-up-down-up-down-up-down-up, repeatedly.

Edge of Seventeen (Alternate Picking Stamina Trainer)

Adjust the speed of this video and come back every day to play along again until you can play it smoother and faster than Metallica!

MASTERING MASTER OF PUPPETS

Here is a sample of "Melodic Improvisation".

I would be thrilled to engage you in private sessions to help you fully understand modes and improvisation for your songwriting or soloing experiences in music :)

Learn the "Bass"-ics - Bass Guitar Class

About Greg C.

Greg's Bass Guitar videos