Keeping the time and carving out the feel, playing what the song requires, a good bass player is your backbone.
Wanna learn how to play like Carol Kaye, Charles Mingus, or Jean-Paul Jones? Get yourself started here.
Bass Lessons In West Seattle & Online
Matthew Benham
Teacher
Instruments: Guitar, Bass and Ukulele
Students: Beginner to Advanced
Styles:Rock, Blues, and Jazz with an emphasis in Folk and Fingerstyle
Preferred pronouns: he/him
Matt Benham is a Seattle-based jazz guitarist and instructor with 35 years of playing experience and 20 years of teaching experience. He is the president of the Seattle Jazz Guitar Society and regularly performs around town with jazz combos such as The Brad Papineau Jazz Quartet and The Jazz Guild.
An alumnus of such local independent rock groups as Argo, Black Swedes, A Breakthrough in Field Studies, and Hand of the Hills, Matt has over 20 years of recording and performing experience in the Seattle area. His music has appeared on MTV’s The Real World, the 2017 horror film Dead Body, in content for Inc. Magazine, and on various podcasts.
His teaching style emphasizes accelerated learning and practice techniques that can be applied to all genres, including rock, blues, jazz, funk, and folk.
Matt Moore- Online Only
Teacher
Instruments: Saxophone (Baritone, Tenor, Alto), Clarinet, Flute, Drums, Guitar, Piano, Ukulele, and Beginning Bass - Online Only
Students: Beginner to Advanced
Styles: Jazz, Rock, Classical
Preferred pronouns: he/him
Matt Moore is from Austin, Texas. He picked up guitar at the age of 7. In middle school, he began with the saxophone. During high school, Matt learned piano and drums. Through college, he learned to play the clarinet and flute as well as perfected the rest of his instruments. Matt graduated cum laude from the University of North Texas at the Music School with a B.A. in Jazz Studies. From then, he has performed in many professional bands and formed his own groups, such as Circling Drones. Matt has a lot of experience in all the instruments he teaches.
Matt likes to combine what the students wants to learn with his knowledge of that particular style of music. He likes to integrate music theory lessons as well as teaching to read and write. Matt gives homework to allow the students to practice on their own at home. Most importantly, he wants the student(s) to enjoy learning everything they can about music.
Riley Tobin
Teacher
Instruments: Piano and Bass
Students: Beginning to intermediate
Styles: Jazz, Classical, Pop
Pronouns: he/him
Born in West Seattle, Riley Tobin was introduced to the piano at six years old and started taking lessons at Westside Music Academy. He picked up bass in his 6th grade year and gained early experience through rehearsals, recitals, and school performances. In high school he took on more competitive experiences, playing higher level orchestras such as the Marrowstone Music Festival Orchestra and participating in numerous competitions. He also fell in love with jazz in 8th grade when he started playing both piano and bass in big bands and smaller jazz combos and has won accolades at competitions like the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival for his playing. Riley is currently studying jazz at the University of Washington.