Professor Plays Bass
From the studio
Stories behind the songs, recordings, and performances.
Studio Notes · Nov 1, 2026
The audio for Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love was finished. All we needed was the video. Eight takes and a great deal of experimentation later, my son and I had a performance we were proud to publish—and a production method we probably wouldn’t use again. Fortunately, we’d also found something new worth learning.
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Studio Notes · Oct 25, 2026
A John Mayer guitar lesson made me reconsider what I might be able to play. Recording Billie Jean showed me how much I'd learned to hear. Along the way, I've become my own coach, built him some software, and found plenty to enjoy in the work itself.
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Studio Notes · Oct 18, 2026
I sent my son a joking (mostly) text about a stage light on sale. We ordered two. Before long, we’d designed a virtual arena, made plans involving flames, and chosen a song for opening night. Our imaginations were moving considerably faster than the delivery trucks.
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Studio Notes · Oct 11, 2026
What started with a bass I bought for my son became a collection of sixteen across two homes. Along the way came a Jazz Bass returned after two days, some unexpected favorites, and a few happy accidents. Each instrument has its own story—and even sixteen basses can't cover every occasion.
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Songs · Oct 9, 2026
Picture Slash standing on a cliff, delivering an epic guitar solo. Now replace the cliff with a hot tub, the guitar with a bass, and the solo with Rancid's "Time Bomb." That was the plan. What actually happened involved a derailed vacation, a race against the clock, and another surprise performance from my wife.
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