Professional Bass Lessons in Central Auckland

My name is Scott Sutherland. I am a professional bass player and music educator situated in Auckland, New Zealand. I provide high quality personalised music tuition catering to bassists of all ages and abilities, from gigging professionals through to absolute beginners. Regardless of your current ability or aspirations I can help you take meaningful steps toward realising your musical goals.

EXPERIENCED PLAYERS

Feel as though you’ve plateaued and can’t get to that next level?
I can help.

ADULT BEGINNERS

Always wanted to play the bass? Don’t let one of life’s great pleasures pass you by!

CHILDREN / TEENAGERS

Studying with me will give your child the best chance of fulfilling their music potential.

A teacher should be thought of as a navigator who uses their knowledge, experience and expertise to maximize the students potential and keep them on track to reach their musical goals in the most efficient manner possible. In essence my role as a teacher is to challenge you to be the best that you can be and in turn aid you in your quest to meet that challenge through direction, encouragement and evaluation. My value as a teacher ultimately lies in the knowledge and experience I have accrued in travelling the very road upon which you are setting out on and in helping countless others to make that same journey.

“I am an experienced gigging professional and have been playing bass for over 20 years. I felt that I had plateaued and needed to step up a level so I came to Scott for help. I can honestly say that Scott is the best bass teacher I have come across and I have had several through the years.”

– Steven Jefferies

“I highly recommend Scott to anyone looking to improve their bass playing. Scott is an excellent teacher and my playing ability and musical knowledge has improved vastly since I started taking lessons with him.”

– Ross Penmann

“Scott's ability to customise and pace the material to suit my tastes and goals was amazing and his ability to find what those were and tune into them meant he really clicked with me. Scott is a great teacher, extremely professional and I have no hesitation in recommending him to others.”

– John Lockhart

“I was a student of Scott's for 5 years in which time I went from being a complete beginner to gaining acceptance into the Auckland University Jazz Programme. I will be eternally grateful for the skills I have learned from Scott and highly recommend him as a teacher.”

– Chris Marshal

“I've had bass lessons from several different teachers over the years. Each has brought something different and valuable to the process. However after 20 years in the music industry, I can confidently say that Scott is by far the best bass guitar teacher I have encountered.”

– Bob Russell

Google Rating

5.0

Pro Bass Lessons

Reuben Burke-Munns

00:45 23 Mar 17

Took lessons with Scott for 4 months. Very clear and concise teaching style and really cares to cater to his students situations. Easy to organise times with and keeps a good structure to his lessons. Would definitely still take lessons if I had not moved away.

Teresa E

10:40 24 Nov 16

I took lessons with Scott for only a few months but in the time by bass playing improved by leaps and bounds. I also loved that I got some solid musicianship and understanding of how to use theory to play and write better. Scotty is empathetic, clear and always inspiring. I could not recommend him highly enough as a teacher. Would still be going if I hadn't moved overseas.

Stephen Hayes

01:54 11 Jul 16

I have greatly benefitted from having Scott as my bass tutor. I had tried several different tutors before I found Scott and he has definitely been the best for me! I particularly appreciated that Scott properly identifying my level of knowledge and ability in a range of areas and then tailor the lessons to suit, rather than just throwing things at me which could be too easy or much too difficult, which I had with previous tutors. He was also very flexible around lesson times which was very helpful for me needing to juggle time with my young children. On several occasions I had people comment on how much my playing had improved while I was being tutored by Scott, and if I wasn't moving overseas I would have been keen to continue.

Jeremy Smith

23:22 25 Jan 16

I've been a client of Pro Bass Lessons for around 2 years and can say that the quality of service offered by Scott is truly exceptional. In particular, Scott blends a true artisan approach to music and bass with a well run, professional business - he is not only a well accomplished, serious bass player, but also a well rounded musician with a true love for all aspects of the craft. I found he was able to teach the technical aspects of the bass across the genres I was interested in - rock, jazz, funk, while also developing my music sensibility by building my understanding of melody and rhythm with the goal of improvisation. Scott also imparts some interesting insights into the history of music and different players along the way which is very engaging. All up, I'm finding the lessons to a good blend of theory and practice, well structured, but also flexible enough to ensure your particular goals and desired outcomes are achieved. I would highly recommend Pro Bass Lessons for players of any level, but especially those interested in developing not just the technical aspects of bass playing, but also as a musician - able to think on your feet, improvise and play with other musicians.

Lianne Zimmermann

01:00 12 Nov 15

Scott is a really great bass teacher. He's calm, friendly, and incredibly helpful. He's also really encouraging and points out any issues in a positive way. He often has confidence in my ability when I don't! I went from a complete beginner to playing some cool songs pretty quickly (even without practicing enough -- which he was always really nice about), and learned good theory and technique from him.

matt symons

06:30 16 Jun 15

I took up lessons with Scott with a very basic understanding of the bass (and playing music in general). Starting out some of the topics and exercises seemed pretty daunting, but Scott is great at explaining things in a way that everyone can understand. My playing came along so much faster than it would have without the lessons, and I definitely think that learning the right way from the start is the way to go. The lessons are a good mix of theory and practical, so nothing is left out as you progress. Thanks for all the help Scott!

David Bamford

09:47 26 Aug 15

Scott is an amazing bass teacher. He is highly knowledgeable, explains clearly, and fits a whole lot of information into a single lesson. Scott has patiently, in a caring personalised manner, taken me through sight-reading, scales, intervals,modes, harmony, theory, fingering, plucking, improvisation , song structure, and a variety of different styles and techniques, Scott made sure I truly understood what was being taught, and if not immediately grasped would come back to important relevant information. Scott is a great bass guitarist, teaching how to think and play like a bass guitarist. Not only is he a fab teacher and awesome player and musician he is a great bloke to boot. I would 100% recommend Scott to any aspiring or seasoned bassist. Thanks heaps Scott

Louie Bo

03:33 29 Sep 17

Anyone who seeking bass guitar lessons should check out Scott from Pro Bass lessons, I started lessons with Scott many years ago shortly after I first picked up my instrument through to an intermediate level. Not only is Scott a great tutor he is a great role model for those wanting to own the intricacies of playing bass. Scott will hone in on your preferred styles of playing and genres of music to help develop progression whilst personalizing the process. I credit Scott for the reason I have been playing bass for almost 12 years instead of stopping at 2. Chur Scott!!

Ben Mortensen

04:27 15 Sep 17

Scott is a great teacher and has really helped me to advance my bass playing. Let his bass wisdom rain down upon you. You will be all the better for it. Thanks Scott.

Rejo Kurian

03:36 10 Aug 18

Scott has been an excellent teacher and offered a very organized training module to enable me to learn Bass.

Grace Fitzgerald

18:57 10 Mar 19

Scott is such a brilliant teacher. I am an adult with no prior musical experience. He is patient and kind making the lesson thoroughly enjoyable. The fortnightly lessons worked really well for me. I really enjoyed the lesson structure. There was a great mix of theory and rhythm and each lesson ended with playing the music I listen to and enjoyed. I had lessons for two years and only left Scott because I moved away from Auckland. Highly recommend!

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Professional Music Tuition for the Aspiring Bass Player

Welcome to Pro Bass Lessons

WHO I WORK WITH

EXPERIENCED PLAYERS

ADULT BEGINNERS

CHILDREN / TEENAGERS

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