Alex Hayes

02Lessons

[02]  Chapter

Lessons

Private lessons in bass, voice and music production, in Glen Cove on Long Island’s North Shore, or online. The first lesson is thirty minutes and costs $25.

  1. 02.1The first thirty minutes
  2. 02.2Rates
  3. 02.3What I teach
  4. 02.4Yousician
  5. 02.5Teacher
  6. 02.6For parents
  7. 02.7Contact
Alex in the studio in 2018, in a black bomber jacket, smiling, a white five-string bass resting on his shoulder.

02.1  The first thirty minutes

The first thirty minutes.

This is how the first lesson usually goes.

  1. 0:00–0:05

    What you want to play

    We start with what you want to play: a song, a style or a goal.

  2. 0:05–0:15

    Where you are

    You play or sing a little and I listen. It is a conversation, not a test.

  3. 0:15–0:25

    One thing to fix, one to play

    We choose one habit to work on and one new thing for you to play.

  4. 0:25–0:30

    A plan for the week

    I write down what to practice during the week, and for how long.

02.2  Rates

Rates.

Every lesson is one-on-one. Prices are per lesson.

LessonDetailsLengthRate
Intro lessonThe first lesson. We find out what you want to play.30 min$25
In personGlen Cove, New York30 min$40
In personGlen Cove, New York60 min$75
In personGlen Cove, New York90 min$110
OnlineOver video, from anywhere60 min$70
ProductionIn the recording software you already use60 min$80

02.3  What I teach

What I teach.

  1. 02.3a

    Bass

    Beginners through advanced players. Lessons cover technique, timing, slap, and reading and writing charts, in funk, jazz, soul, R&B, gospel, rock, Latin, pop, electronic music and lo-fi.

  2. 02.3b

    Voice

    Voice lessons draw on my conservatory training: breath support, tone, range and performing, for an audition, a gig or your own enjoyment.

  3. 02.3c

    Production

    Lessons use the recording software you already have. We cover making beats, arranging, the basics of mixing, sampling and synthesis.

    A home studio: a synthesizer with rows of knobs in the foreground, a screen and speakers behind it, Alex at the right edge.

    A session at the synth in my home studio. It repeats until you stop it.

02.4  Yousician

Yousician.

Yousician featured me in its bass lesson series in 2017 and 2018.

Loads content from YouTube.

02.5  Teacher

Teacher.

Alex playing bass at home, headphones around his neck, in black and white.

I have played bass for more than twenty-five years. In 2000 I attended Victor Wooten’s first Bass/Nature Camp.

I spent years playing on New York stages, including with Uptown Party Down, a nine-piece funk and jazz band. I trained as a singer at a music theatre conservatory, and in 2017 and 2018 I taught in Yousician’s bass lesson series.

02.6  For parents

For parents.

It helps to know your child’s age and what they listen to. I will tell you honestly whether I am the right teacher.

Where?
One-on-one, in person in Glen Cove on Long Island’s North Shore, or online over video.
What does it cost?
The first lesson is a thirty-minute introduction and costs $25. After that, lessons start at $40.
What level?
Beginner through advanced.
What styles?
Funk, jazz, soul, R&B, gospel, rock, Latin, pop, electronic music and lo-fi.

02.7  Contact

Contact

For lessons, sessions or projects, write to me through the contact form. I usually reply within a day.

Contact