Bass lessons in San Francisco

A bass line can change the way a whole song feels. Let’s spend some time with the ones you love.

I’m Michael Cloutier, and I teach private bass lessons for kids ages 8 and up and adults. We can meet in San Francisco’s Sunset District, over Zoom, or at your home by arrangement.

Start with where you are

If you’re new to bass, we can work on getting comfortable with the instrument, finding notes, and playing a steady rhythm. You don’t need to read music or know theory before your first lesson.

If you’ve been playing for a while, tell me what you want help with. Maybe your timing feels uncertain, a bass line is harder than it sounds, or you want to understand how the notes fit the chords. Having a specific question is useful, but you don’t have to arrive with a plan.

Listen, play, and try it another way

We can break a part into smaller pieces, listen closely to its rhythm, or play it slowly together. The approach should help you understand what you’re doing. If it doesn’t, we’ll change it.

Along the way, we can explore timing, technique, the fretboard, and how a bass part supports a song. What we spend time on depends on your interests and what you need. I want you to build confidence in your playing and enjoy picking up the bass between lessons.

Make room for music

Learning has to fit into the rest of your life. We’ll talk about a pace that feels realistic and something useful to work on during the week. See the lesson options for studio, online, and home visits.

Send me a little about your playing and availability. I’ll get back to you personally within 48 hours. There’s no need to know exactly what you want to work on yet.