Bass guitar lessons in St Georges Basin
The bass holds the band together. Learn it with Morgan at Jervis Bay School of Music in St Georges Basin, in one-on-one lessons for older children, teens and adults. Your first lesson is a free trial.
What you'll learn
- Locking in with the drums: timing, feel and groove.
- Root notes, octaves and fifths, the building blocks of most bass lines.
- Reading tab, chord charts and the bass clef.
- Plucking and pick technique, muting, and keeping your playing clean.
- Walking bass lines, plus slap and funk technique when you're ready.
- Working out bass lines from real songs by ear.
Good bass playing is about feel as much as notes. Lessons spend plenty of time playing along with songs, so you learn to sit in the groove the way a band needs you to.
Who bass lessons suit
Bass is a great first instrument and a great second one. As a rough guide, most kids are ready from about nine or ten, when their hands can reach the frets comfortably. A short-scale bass helps smaller players start sooner.
Guitarists who switch to bass pick it up quickly, but it's a different job in the band. Lessons help you think like a bass player, not a guitarist playing low notes.
Your teacher
Morgan teaches bass, guitar and piano at Jervis Bay School of Music, so it's easy to add a second instrument later or understand how the bass fits with the chords.
Gear for home
You'll need a bass and a small practice amp. A headphone amp is handy for quiet practice at night. A four-string bass is the standard place to start, and Morgan can help you choose one at your trial.
Lesson times and prices
| Length | Per lesson | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | $45.10 | $164 |
| 45 minutes | $67.65 | $246 |
| 60 minutes | $90.20 | $328 |
Lessons run once a week during NSW school terms, 40 lessons a year, on weekday afternoons and early evenings. Fees are spread over 11 monthly payments and January isn't billed. There's no lock-in contract: just give us one month's notice if you need to stop. Joining mid-term? You only pay for the lessons left. NSW Active and Creative Kids vouchers are accepted. All the details are in our student info pack.
Bass lessons near you
The studio is at the Bay and Basin Uniting Church in St Georges Basin, a short drive from Sanctuary Point, Basin View and Old Erowal Bay, and around 15 to 20 minutes from Vincentia, Huskisson, Erowal Bay and Wrights Beach. Families from Sussex Inlet and Nowra make the trip too, and online lessons are an option. See areas we teach.
Questions parents ask
Do I need to learn guitar before bass?
No. Lots of players start on bass. It has four strings and you mostly play one note at a time, which makes it a friendly place to begin.
Four strings or five?
Start with four. Most songs only need four strings, and the neck is easier to manage while you learn.
Do I need an amp?
Yes, for practice at home. A small practice amp or a headphone amp is plenty.
Will I get to play with other musicians?
Students can play at our end-of-year concert, and a good bass player is always welcome in a band.
Other lessons
Book your free trial lesson
Meet your teacher, see the studio and play your first song. No obligation.