310-418-9561
lou@lousavage.com

Teaching

philosophy


It's important to recognize that not everyone comes to the teacher with the same experiences, natural gifts or learning styles.

Older students, for instance, often have thinking systems - problem solving techniques - that they've developed over the years that make them successful in their fields. The problem is that learning music doesn't use any of those techniques. Even though it seems like "knowledge is knowledge," it isn't. Music has the ability to confound people. That goes for young students too.

It's up to me to explore the student's mind to find the best way to explain what are sometimes baffling concepts about playing and about theory (the nuts and bolts of how music is made).

practice


Improvement without practice is not possible. You must devote time daily to working out fingering patterns, building your muscle memory and making sense of music theory - memorizing your cycle of 5ths, 3rds, order of sharps and flats, etc.

Playing an instrument is all about muscle memory regardless of what you might think.

My analogy about muscle memory is dog training. If you want your dog to lie down, you don't tell him to sit. He'll do whatever he wants unless you insist that he lie down. Your fingers are exactly the same. They do whatever they want - which almost always wrong - until you tell them to do exactly what you want. After the goal is clear (with your fingers and your dog), you repeat the exercise until the behavior is internalized.

Practice is a process that takes time. If you, as a novice, don't want to devote a half hour or more to practicing every day in one sitting, try practicing for 5 minutes at a time a few times a day. Amazingly, your body doesn't know the difference between the passing of a half hour or the passing of a whole day as far as the digestion of your repetitive physical training to develop your muscle memory is concerned.

lesson policies: attendance and tuition


These are typical policies that apply to private lessons, policies that are universally practiced and accepted.

  • Payment for lessons is made in advance for the month in almost all cases. I will call you or email you to remind you of tuition for the upcoming month on the last lesson day of your current month.

  • A 24 hour cancellation notice is required to receive credit for a make-up lesson. Simply not showing up for lesson or calling the day-of to cancel are considered "no-shows" for which you will be charged. (We're not on salary. We get paid because you show up.)

    NOTE: I'm very flexible and understanding about illnesses, emergencies and simple slip-ups and about parents' financial hardships. Things happen. If you have special issues, feel free to discuss them with me and I will probably accommodate you.

    When a student cancels, it's preferable that we do a double lesson or schedule an extra lesson to make up for their lost lesson during the current month. It is NOT standard procedure to deduct the missed lesson from your next month's tuition. Doing so creates financial and book keeping issues for the teacher. You will always be given a makeup. You will not lose that lesson if you are a returning student.

  • TEACHER CANCELLATIONS: Periodically, I will have to cancel/postpone a lesson because of a performance or concert. In that case, I will give a double lesson or an extra lesson to make up for the one we missed at our mutual convenience. Again, It is NOT standard procedure to deduct the missed lesson from your next month's tuition.

  • Cash refunds are not issued for unused lessons. Only make-ups are given.

  • Unused lesson credits expire after two months of absence unless negotiated otherwise.

    (Why? If a student stops coming to lessons for some reason with unused lessons on his account, doesn't make arrangements to continue, then suddenly decides to come back after a couple of months of absence, I've  almost certainly given their lesson time to someone else. I assumed that he was never coming back. They usually don't. It's difficult if not impossible to keep track of all the scheduling whims of our students. And... our schedules aren't "that" flexible.)

  • Students who take time off a month at a time, can't be guaranteed their original time slot when or if they return. The reason is that they often don't return, leaving the teacher with open, unpaid time slots. (We're just trying to pay our bills, like you.)

  • Tell your teacher in advance if you plan not to continue your lessons.

    Please don't tell your teacher that you're not taking lessons next month on the day tuition is due. It's imperative that we fill slots. (Yes we love you, but this is not a hobby... wink, wink.) Tell your teacher a month in advance, if possible.

310-418-9561
lou@lousavage.com

Learning Resources


About modes

download printable music paper
(PDF)

Video Tutorials
major scale - bass

major scale intervals on bass

634-5789 bass tutorial

major scales on the bass