Mc Kees Rocks, PA Upright Bass Lessons

Juilliard and Carnegie Mellon trained teacher available for students of all levels and ages.I want to ensure that we focus on what you want to learn, that you are happy with your progress, master proper technique, and have fun!

Basics of open scales and arpeggio fingerings and movable patterns for bluegrass, country, blues or beginning jazz..

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 ...

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 have played upright bass for 17 years and am classically trained. My teachings will assist you in working on orchestral repertoire, solo pieces and any other musical interest you would like to learn about. Students of mine have gone on to advance to audition-only groups.

As an experienced teacher with a Master's Degree in Bass Performance, you can expect instruction in either French or German bow, left hand technique, and musical concepts that apply to many different styles of music. Additionally, I have studied jazz and can help with sound production within that genre.

My students in the past have described me as fun and inspiring. I always do my best to ensure that my students are being challenged to their highest potential. I inspire confidence in students and my love of music is contagious! My focus is always the student and I will go the extra mile to ensure that young aspiring musicians reach their dreams. Whether you are yearning for the most advanced violin techniques or are just learning to play Twinkle, I can help you reach your goal.

Lauren tailors her lessons to individual students based on their needs. She offers dynamic and creative teaching to keep students actively engaged throughout their lessons. Furthermore, she offers teaching across musical genres in order to cater to the musical interests of her students.

My goal as a teacher is to foster a strong and healthy foundation, so that students are well equipped to pursue and explore music as they desire. Lessons focus on developing core skills, such as music literacy and a healthy, proficient technique, and on fostering a healthy learning process – one that ensures that music is not just fun, but a rewarding, joy-filled process of discovery for a student. It is easy to focus on producing results and treating music competitively, but in my own studies, I have found that it is vital to be able to enjoy the process of learning, or else that original joy for music will be stifled. It has taken me years to learn this, and I hope to spare students that lost time. To this end, lesson materials are chosen specifically for each student, to best cater to their strengths, weaknesses, and musical tastes and goals. I teach attentively, ensuring that students are working on music that engages them, and am always working to discern a pace that encourages ...

Focus on technique, exercises, jazz and classical styles. Must have upright bass.