Andy Zadrozny now teaching upright and electric bass lessons in Seattle, Washington
Learn the high art of bass playing.
Become the solid rock at the bottom of the band.
Learn the skills that make a great bass player: timekeeping, grooving,
improvising, reading. Learn good technique. Get big ears; understand music
through ear training, music theory. Learn styles: jazz, salsa, rock, funk,
klezmer, soca, reggae, rumba, bossa nova, country, more!
Welcome! You've come to the right place. I get beginning bass players
started out right, and guide students all the way to professional level.
I
also help established players continue to learn and grow.
In this website you can learn about my teaching methodology, hear me play,
read testimonials from some of my students, see pictures of my studio, get
directions, and contact me about lessons.
The bass is a great instrument--it can take you anywhere in music. Good
bass players always have lots of opportunities, coz every band needs a bass.
What's more, bass is the quickest way to go from being a talented listener
to stepping onstage as a performing musician--in as little as a few months
you can be out there playing gigs!
No experience necessary... You'll be playing music right away in your first
lesson. The music you learn is backed up with very simple straightforward
explanations of music theory so you understand what you're playing and why.
You also get exercises that show how to use your hands well, to play
properly with relaxation and prevent struggle and physical problems that
can
crop up later on. Since time keeping skill is so important for a bass
player, we begin to work on that from the start.
Can't read? Don't worry! I'll ease you into reading music gradually--you
won't feel overwhelmed by strange symbols and terminology. I always strive
to make students feel welcome and comfortable. I want the experience of
studying and playing music to always be a good one. I love to work with
beginners discovering music for the first time.
If you're looking for an instrument or equipment, Bass Northwest, the
coolest bass shop on the west coast, is one block down the street. I also
have long relationships with other instrument dealers and I can advise you
in your search.
About me:
I've been a professional full-time bass player and teacher all of my adult
life. In almost 25 years of gigging and teaching I've explored a lot of
musical avenues and worked with hundreds of students. Teaching has been
very
rewarding--it's great to see success, but even moreso I love the people
I've
had the privilege of serving. I've taught privately for many years, and
in
addition I've taught bass and ear training workshops in public and private
institutions like Seattle Public Schools, Musicworks Northwest (formerly
Imperials), Experience Music Project, Highland Summer Arts Programs,
Evergreen Academy, and many others.
As a lifelong student of music myself, I've gone to many teachers in many
disciplines, including conducting, Alexander Technique, Vocals, Indian vocal
and instrumental music, composition, counterpoint, ear training, and taken
many bass lessons with expert players in jazz, classical, salsa, and other
styles.
Music for thousands of years has been an aural tradition, passed from one
generation to the next directly, from person to person. In recent times
technology has brought amazing resources to our fingertips with books,
videos, websites, DVD's; I love to use modern technology to study, teach,
and produce music. While I see the value of these resources I think that
interaction with a real live teacher is still and always will be the best.
Besides depth and breadth of knowledge, the biggest gift a teacher can
offer
students is full, open-minded attention, altruistic presence in the moment.
The quality of this connection with students is what distinguishes great
teachers from the rest.
My students
I've taught beginning to advanced students, from young kids to adults. Some
people have a particular style they want to learn, like salsa or jazz. Some
want to learn to read, others want to learn to improvise. Some people come
for a few occasional lessons to work on a specific goal, then leave when
they feel they've reached it; others come regularly for several years. Some
established musicians decide to learn bass as a double so that they can
get
more work. Learning bass also gives melodic players and singers a better
sense of rhythm and harmony.