LESSONS
I have eight years' experience teaching bass, music theory, and songwriting, informed by over a decade of experience performing professionally. Whether you need help with technique, music theory, ear training, improvising, performance anxiety, composition, or something else entirely, I've been there before and I want to get you inspired and playing better in any way I can! Be prepared to study what and why you’re playing music, too, and not just how!
All genres, all ages, and all levels of experience welcome!
I teach both in person (for anyone in the L.A. area) and over Zoom. We can meet weekly or at your own pace.
“Johnnie is the best bass teacher. He was able to tailor every lesson to exactly what I needed that week; if a song was stuck in my head, we would use that as a jumping off point and work on the bass line. If I asked why he was doing something he would stop and take the time to explain until I really understood. He balanced challenge and fun in a beautiful way. My playing improved so much and lessons were always a highlight of my week (even via Zoom!). Plus, he is unbelievably talented so you get the bonus of hearing him play individually which is always a joy. I could not have asked for a better teacher!”
—Torie D. (Boston, MA)
"I witnessed Johnnie’s unforgettable playing at a show and immediately went up and asked for lessons. I am so happy to have found a teacher this flexible, affordable, passionate, and qualified. He teaches you exactly what you are interested in and has a plethora of knowledge on anything bass related. I walk away from each lesson really feeling my improvement.”
—Karly L. (Los Angeles, CA)
“Johnnie is not only a fantastic bass player but also an excellent teacher. He broke down and explained tips and concepts that have helped my playing tremendously while also sharing valuable insight that helped me understand where to focus. He is also incredibly patient and understanding in his approach, which helped me push out of my comfort zone when learning from him. I highly recommend Johnnie to bass players of all levels looking to improve their playing!”
—Brian C. (Los Angeles, CA)
“Johnnie's incredible skill on the bass is equally matched by the amount of knowledge he has to share. I took a lesson focused on arranging music for solo bass and felt like I walked away with some of the most invaluable information I've learned—highly recommend taking lessons from him!”
—Austin W. (Oakland, CA)
“I've had a couple of lessons so far and have really enjoyed them. Johnnie broke down concepts to make them easier to understand and provided reference material after each lesson. This was great for me to review the topics discussed and implement them into my practice sessions. I highly recommend him for bass players at any level looking to advance their playing or understanding of music theory.”
—Bryon H. (Wethersfield, CT)
“Coming from a background as a drummer trying to transition to more of a melodic role wasn't exactly going terribly well so I decided to get professional help (in a musical sense). Have had a couple of lessons with Johnnie - one was focused more on the bass specifically; similarities that role has with drums, the kind of mindset you need to mesh well with other instrumentalists, ways to approach this instrument specifically, as well as technique specific things that he can explain much better than I. The second was more on music theory itself. For whatever reason, no matter how much reading I did on my own, it was like I had this mental block when it came to chord progressions. Over the course of an hour I went from "OK so what do I do with all of these things" to more of an "OK so that's how you get that sort of effect" with a side of "Oh, so that's why you sometimes get that feeling of tension near the end of a measure." Can't recommend enough.”
—John W. (Sherman Oaks, CA)
“The lesson I had was very fun. Teaching of technique especially for a beginning bass player is super important, and he nailed it. Concepts were easily explained as well as how to read basic tablature. Great tips and tricks on how to play smoothly and cleanly. 11/10 would recommend.”
—Arthur S. (Daytona Beach, FL)
“Johnnie helped me pick up beginner bass technique with helpful exercises and our lessons were super fun! I definitely recommend him no matter your musical background.”
—Jasper D. (Pomona, CA)