Motown Bass Lessons: Learn Soul Basslines from the Legends

6-week course · Starts May 23


Enrollment closes May 22

In-Person $160 / 6 Week Course

Join from ANYWHERE

Remote students receive the full workshop experience:

  • Live online access to every session

  • Full class recordings throughout the entire 6-week program

  • Downloadable transcriptions + PDFs

  • Practice tracks + lesson materials

  • 1 free month of Bass Shed Academy membership

Remote $120 / 6 Week Course

Led by Ryan Roberts

Ryan Roberts is a bassist, educator, and founder of The Bass Shed Academy. He has taught at the Los Angeles College of Music, recorded with acclaimed producers including Geoff Emerick, and created the full transcription work for soul bass legend Jerry Jemmott’s 15 Timeless Basslines. Through The Bass Shed Academy, Ryan helps bass players develop stronger musicianship through applied learning rooted in real music, listening, and performance.

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About the Course

Learn to create soul basslines in the style of Motown by studying how legendary players build their lines and applying those ideas to your own playing.

In this 6-week course, you’ll work with focused excerpts from James Jamerson and Bob Babbitt—analyzing how their lines lock with the groove, outline harmony, and create movement.

Each idea is immediately applied through a structured practice system, so you’re not just learning lines—you’re learning how to create them.

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Built around classic Motown grooves, this course allows you to focus deeply on time, feel, and note choice within a consistent musical context.

By the end, you’ll be able to build basslines that feel grounded, musical, and stylistically authentic—and understand a system for bassline construction that can be applied across soul and groove-based styles.

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What You’ll Cover

  • How great Motown basslines lock into the groove

  • Understanding how lines support the song and create movement

  • Developing time feel, pocket, and consistency

  • Building lines in short phrases and expanding them

  • Applying one concept at a time within a groove

  • A repeatable system for creating basslines in soul and groove-based music

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Included

  • 6 weekly small-group sessions

  • Course portal access

  • Weekly materials released in advance for preparation

  • Downloadable transcription excerpts and full transcriptions

  • Practice tracks for each week

  • Guided assignments using a structured practice system

  • 1 month free membership to The Bass Shed Academy

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Schedule

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Saturdays — 12:00 PM
Starts May 23
Enrollment closes May 22 — No walk-ins

6 weekly sessions in a small group setting.

Pricing & Enrollment

$160 In Person— Full 6-Week Course

Less Than $27 per session

Make sure your groove is informed by the legends.

Create soul basslines that lock in

Join In Person

$120 Remote — Full 6-Week Course

$20 per session

Join Remote

FAQ

  • Your instrument (bass guitar), cable, tuner, and something for notes.
    Amplification is provided.

  • Suitable for players who may be newer to soul or groove-based music but are not new to the instrument. You should have a basic understanding of your bass, scales, and rhythm.

  • Reading music is helpful, but not required. The focus is on playing, listening, and applying concepts.

  • Yes. Weekly materials are released in advance so you can prepare between sessions, deepen your understanding of the material, and apply the concepts directly to your own bass playing.

  • Gated parking is available. Access from Washington.

  • Enrollment closes May 22. No walk-ins.
    All sales are final.

  • All enrollments are final. Due to limited class size, refunds are not available once your spot is reserved.

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