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About
It's a fact that the majority of the "bass teachers" you'll see are really guitarists who are trying to earn a little extra money by teaching bass. When you do happen to find a real bassist who is offering lessons, too often you'll find that this person is not actively involved in their local music scene. They rarely, if ever perform live shows and they have no experience in a recording studio.
I spent 13 years with Crack The Sky, playing hundreds of shows throughout the region and recording 7 CDs of original material. I currently play an average of 120 live shows per year with Birds Of Fire - a tribute to 70s Prog & Fusion; Petty Coat Junction (Tom Petty Tribute); HFS - a tribute to alt-rock radio; The Regal Beagles Yacht Rock Band and the Dave DeMarco Band in addition to lots of last-minute fill-ins. I've played on countless studio sessions for big names like HBO and ESPN and I appear on over 45 CDs with some of the most most respected names in contemporary music. If you want to learn bass guitar, who better to study with than someone who is involved with every crucial aspect of music-making on a daily basis?
The satisfaction of seeing a student reach their goals is a continuing highlight of my career which never gets old. It doesn't matter whether the student has modest goals like being able to play along with their favorite songs or whether they have professional goals in their sights. Whenever I get to see one of my students performing live, I feel like a proud parent! It's also pretty cool when I get an email from a former student and they tell me about something great that they're doing with their musical career. I may not ever have a wing at a hospital named after me, but things like this make me feel just as proud.
Overview
Hired 30 times
Serves Laurel, MD
Background checked
1 employee
30 years in business
Business hours
Sun10:00 am - 11:00 pmMon10:00 am - 11:00 pm
Payment methods
This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, PayPal, Square cash app, and Venmo.
Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, responsiveness, and value.
Exceptional 5.0
24 reviews
5
96%
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4%
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Read reviews that mention:
Cameron D.
Jan 2, 2015
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Hired on Thumbtack
Dave has been helpful, patient, and invested in my progress. I appreciate his flexibility in regards to both Skype and in-person lessons. If you do your part and practice often there is no question that Dave will help you get where you want to be!
Beyond Bass & Music Theory Lessons's reply
While many of my students are hobbyists who are looking to add to their toolboxes, Cameron made it clear from the onset that he intends to be a professional working bassist. If current progress is any indication of future results, I'd say he's on his way!
Thanks, Cameron!
Bass Guitar Lessons
Alan F.
Mar 31, 2015
Ill be honest, I got lucky finding Dave. Years ago, I saw an ad in the Baltimore City newspaper, a place where Dave stopped advertising shortly after I called him. Youll have the same luck learning from a dynamic artist.
Each lesson has as much energy as the first, you will never get bored. If you're looking for a professional, experienced, and dedicated musician you found him. I knew nothing about the bass before taking lessons with Dave. He always puts the student's musical interest first providing solid instruction. He structured each lesson to my interests, i.e. if I wanted to learn Le Chic's Good Times, Dave didn't try to convince me to do something else; he went with what I asked. And Dave is totally accessible. Ive had lessons in his apartment, studio, house, and on Skype and FaceTime. He even worked with me while overseas in France via Skype, thats 6 hours time difference. Dont kid yourself, if you are serious about learning the bass so is Dave. Hell find a way to make it work. The best part is during each lesson and over the years he incorporated fundamental musical knowledge to build my understanding and repertoire. If you work hard, listen, and be patient you will grow.
Duane H.
Mar 30, 2015
Dave is a great bass instructor. I came to Dave because I wanted to learn theory and read music. Dave was patient but stern. If I came to lessons unprepared he would let me know that was unacceptable. He stresses practice , practice, practice, If you want results. He also praises you when you do well. He's very flexible and will cater to your needs.if your looking for a bass instructor that will get you results Dave is your man. I plan to sign up with him again soon.
Beyond Bass & Music Theory Lessons's reply
Duane - thanks for the kind review! Just want to clarify something though: When you came to lessons unprepared (which was often due to your busy career), I don't think I could have been any more understanding and patient. A few times we chatted about priorities and not procrastinating but I would never have said anything along the lines of "unacceptable" when you showed up unprepared. We would always work on something else until you were able to catch up.
Thanks again. Hope all is well and you know you are welcome back anytime!
Corey R.
Mar 31, 2015
Dave pays attention to your strengths and deficiencies as a bassist and designs a lesson plan based on your particular set of skills. He's not pushy and doesn't overwhelm you with technical or conceptual information; his goal is to just make you a better player, whether you're a beginner or a 20-year professional. Very organized and flexible, also maintains contact between lessons. Plenty friendly, too.
Richard I.
Apr 1, 2015
As former student of Dave's, I can vouch for his quality as a bassguitar instructor. I went from barely knowing the strings to playing songs(the bass part at least) in only after a year of working with Dave. He is extremely knowledgeable and flexible as a teacher. He caters the lesson to what you want to learn. He is even willing to teach remotely via Skype if necessary which goes a long way in traffic choked Maryland.
Credentials
Background Check
Dave Demarco
FAQs
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
If the student is a beginner I will outline the process of learning to become a bassist. This includes the fundamentals like instrument familiarity, the role of bass in music and learning how to practice. For intermediate students I'll let them tell me specifically where they feel they need improvement and then I'll do a skill set assessment to make sure that no crucial areas are overlooked. Advanced students typically want to work on a few very specific areas so I'll still do a brief assessment and then we dig right in!
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I began private lessons at age 10 and then enrolled at the Peabody Institute where I took a full day of music classes on Saturdays during my high school years. Upon graduation I moved to Boston and studied at Berklee College of Music. Every day I use something I learned during my formal education. Peabody and Berklee have somewhat different approaches to music education so I have distilled what I feel are the best aspects of both schools into my teaching practice. In the interest of continuing education, I attend music business seminars both in person and online and keep abreast of new and emerging technologies pertaining to recording.
How did you get started doing this type of work?
I didn't choose music. Music chose me. At the age of five I announced to the world (my family) that I was going to be a musician. And here we are!
