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Private bass lessons

Bass Lessons in Athens, GA

The instrument that decides whether a band sounds good. One-on-one bass lessons built around real songs and real playing — at Rabbit Hole Studios, at your home, or live on Zoom.

Taught by Sean T. Conlon

From $45 · 30-minute lesson

Request a lesson (706) 340-9184

Bass is the easiest instrument to make a sound on and the hardest to be genuinely good at. Two notes in the right place beat twenty in the wrong one, and almost nobody teaches that part. These lessons do: what the song needs, where the drummer is, and why the band turns around when you get it right.

Every lesson is private, so the pace is yours. Starting out, you will be playing along to something recognisable quickly, because bass lines are the most learnable parts in popular music. Already playing, we go after the specific thing holding you back — time that drifts, a left hand that runs out of road past the fifth fret, or lines that are busy instead of good.

Groove before gymnastics

Time, feel and note choice first. Speed and slap are tools, not the point — they get taught when a song you want to play needs them.

Learn to lock in

Playing with a drummer is a skill of its own. Lessons work on sitting in the pocket, not just hitting the right pitch.

Learn in a real studio

In-person lessons happen at Rabbit Hole Studios, so hearing yourself back in a mix is part of learning, not a someday.

Built for playing with others

Bass only makes sense in a band. Lessons point at getting you into one and being the player they keep.

What bass lessons can cover

  • Right-hand technique: fingerstyle and pick, and getting a consistent tone
  • Locking in with a drummer and holding time under pressure
  • Reading and writing bass lines from chord charts
  • The fretboard past the open positions — shapes and scales you can actually use
  • Note choice: roots, fifths, and when to walk, sit still, or shut up
  • Styles — rock, funk, blues, country, gospel and pop — and what each one asks of you
  • Owning the low end in a mix, and what engineers need from a bass part
Three ways to learn

At the studio, at home, or on Zoom

At Rabbit Hole Studios

One-on-one lessons in a working recording studio in Athens, with microphones and playback on hand.

1001 Winterville Rd
Athens, GA 30605

At your home

Lessons come to you anywhere within 50 miles of Athens — the practical choice for drums and piano, where the instrument stays put.

Within 50 miles of Athens

Live on Zoom

The same private lesson from anywhere, on Zoom in its musician mode — full-range audio with the usual call filtering switched off, so held notes come through the way they were played.

How online lessons work →
Good to know

Frequently asked questions

How much are bass lessons?
On a monthly plan, lessons are $45 for 30 minutes, $60 for 45, or $75 for 60; a single lesson is $10 more. Online lessons cost the same as studio lessons. In-home lessons add travel at $100 an hour of round-trip drive time from Athens — roughly up to $65 within 15 miles, and up to about $220 at 50 miles. Full details are on the pricing page.
Do I need my own bass?
For practice between lessons, yes — progress happens in the week, not just the hour. If you are shopping for a first bass, ask before you buy; a badly set-up instrument with high action is one of the most common reasons beginners quit.
I play guitar. How different is bass?
The tuning is the same as your bottom four strings, so you will not start from zero. The job is what is different — you are part of the rhythm section now, and that is most of what the lessons are about.
Can I take bass lessons on Zoom?
Yes. You need a laptop, tablet or phone with a camera, a steady connection, and your bass. Technique, note choice and theory all work fine over video; playing in time with another person live is the one thing a room does better.
Four strings or five?
Start on four. Nearly everything you want to play lives there, and the extra string is easy to add later once your hands know what they are doing.
Keep going

Other lessons

Guitar Lessons

Acoustic or electric, first chord or first gig. One-on-one guitar lessons built around the music you want to play — at Rabbit Hole Studios, at your home, or live on Zoom.

Drum Lessons

Groove first, flash later. One-on-one drum lessons that build solid time, clean rudiments, and the feel that makes a band sound good — on your own kit at home, at the studio, or on Zoom.

Music Theory & Ear Training

Why songs work — and how to hear it. One-on-one theory and ear training for any instrument and any age, at the studio, at your home, or on Zoom.

What do you want to learn?

Tell us what you're after and whether you'd like lessons at the studio, at your home, or on Zoom. You'll hear back with times and rates.

Request a lesson (706) 340-9184
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