I teach pro, semi-pro, and serious amateur bassists via Skype and in my office in Nashville. My Skype lessons feature Hi-fi pro sound and wide angle HD Camera. I have been bass tutoring privately for over thirty years and many of my former students are working professionals or are successful part-time bassists. With bass mentoring you will find correct, useful, and musical information regarding what it takes to compete and function in the pro world of bass playing or simply to play better.
I play bass full time in the studio and have exhaustive credits in the recording field as well as the live venues too…. ( click on the ” About Steve Bryant ” tab) I started playing in 1969 and went pro in 1975 playing just about every type of music out there. While there are tons of material out there in the form of videos, books, magazine articles, and clinics; These avenues are generally fixed on a particular player’s style and indeed the ” athletic event” of the chops being displayed…. This is all well and good for the fan of the player or bass fans who love to cop those licks. ..but because they do not study music and good content that fit the requirement of the gig and develop their own artistic style, they are dead in the water..Witness many a blooming player who copies players and are either unaware or willfully not recognizing that there are a legion of bassists copying the same licks as a famous player and cannot groove, know what key they are in, or get a handle on how to project a tune. Very few on this path stop to consider that what they are doing is predicating their entire musical output on something has already been done and you will only be a copy. The true musical life is not built on that. First, meet the requirements of the gig and after that is satisfied you can invest yourself and your own art into whatever music you are doing…..This is simply what makes a great player. I am amazed at the lack of material out there that helps the aspiring bassist to have the skill level to gig, play shows and record..
This site is NOT about
”licks, scales, or what player did this run on this tune”
By the way, I’ve never been hired to play a scale. Music functions chordally…not this scale over this chord…but PLAYING the chord. You will be learning chordal theory that forms that basis of all western music
Correct grounding in real music will be your portal to being your own person while satisfying the requirements of the gig.
My tutoring sessions are an intensive and complete program in the grounding you need to compete in the real world of music. I will teach you what I’ve learned over 35 years of recording and touring. I am an experienced teacher to dozens of bassists who are pro and semi-pro.
I’ve found many sources of bass education to be lacking. This is because they teach licks, scales, and exercises that have nothing to do with understanding musical events and functioning in chords.
When you understand how music works, you become a more engaged and competent bassist. It doesn’t matter which musical style you play. With this program, I am making myself available to musicians who cannot travel to my office in Nashville and need professional guidance.
Program highlights:
1) I recommend weekly sessions, especially for the first two or three lessons. Weekly lessons will get you up to speed quickly. You will need to work about 30 minutes daily on the material. Practice is a requirement. You will not see results if you do not practice daily. Consistency counts. After the first few lessons, you may decide to have bi-weekly lessons. This will depend on your progress.
2) Beginners are welcome. But, I do not teach ‘groove exercises,’ licks, scales, ‘hand warm-ups’ ‘speed exercises’ or songs that are current huge hits. I teach musical information and good habits. These will keep you playing for a lifetime. If you learn the right stuff you can function in any musical style. You must learn correct information and good musicianship. This process requires discipline and the decision to learn what it means to be proficient on your instrument.
3) My fee is $60.00 per hour payable thru PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account, it is easy to set up. You will also be responsible for the small PayPal service charge ( $ 2.00) that I will add to my fee.
4) I am not a clock-watcher. I will be happy to go over a few minutes at no charge if we are working on something that needs to be addressed on the spot or you have career questions. I find it very rewarding to teach and help people reach their goals. I want you to learn at your own pace and ‘get it.’ No two students are the same.
5) I am a living, breathing Session Bassist in Nashville. That is my career priority and my primary source of income. There is a rare occasion in which we will need to reschedule. I can generally let you know a couple of weeks before our ‘Skype time’ so we can reschedule. Please understand that it is possible that I may need to reschedule with you on a shorter notice. This has happened a few times in the last 5 years, but it is a reality of the session business.
Skype address: stevenontheone
2 Comments
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Steve’s explanation of his method above is right-on. He practices what he preaches, and does it in an enjoyable, understanding manner. The “show me this lick” method doesn’t work. Steve’s approach does. More importantly, cares about his students and their progress, and is alsways supportive.
Mark, Thanks for commenting and you are always a man that does his homework:-) A pleasure to teach a musician who practices everyday on the ” right stuff ” It does the trick!