Improvisation, Reading, Theory, Technique, Time, & Tone

Beginning and Intermediate Players, All Styles

4, 5, and 6 string Electric Bass, fretted or fretless

Acoustic and Electric Guitar

My teaching style is relaxed and tailored to the individual student. Through my own materials and methods, as well as through the deconstruction of materials brought in by my students, I teach the fundamentals of harmony, rhythm, and notation. I am an improviser at heart, and I like to teach techniques and theory with the goal of developing each student’s abilities towards spontaneous self-expression and cooperative group expression. However, my experiences in the professional world have taught me the value of consistent execution, and I can happily teach from this approach when it best suits my student’s goals.  It is my goal that my students should discover their own voices as artists and their strengths as group members.

I am a professional musician. I have been playing bass for 19 years, guitar for 16 years, and teaching privately for 9 years. I hold an undergraduate degree from the University Of Miami School Of Music in Jazz Performance. One my favorite gigs has been with my band Basement, with whom I toured nationally and opened for Les Claypool and STS9. I am currently playing in Atlanta’s Best Funk Band (CL Reader’s Choice 2006) Entropy, with whom I have opened for Parliament / Funkadelic, Karl Denson and Cyril Neville. I also play in the Athens, Ga based Latin Jazz quintet Cachaca. I have fun playing music, so will you. Thanks!

(404) 909 2054

jlcoley@gmail.com