Bass Lessons Unlimited is dedicated to providing the best one-on-one private bass instruction in the world. 

skype • Facetime • Google hangouts 

Bass Lessons Unlimited is made up of professional bassists looking to share their craft with eager and dedicated students.

We are not guitarists who teach bass on the side. We are professional bassists who collectively have decades of performance experience and decades of teaching experience. The two aren’t the same, effective teaching is its own skill set.

Our instructors specialize in The Riley Hagan Bass Method, an organized approach that’s tailored to the goals and abilities of each student. Specifically designed for Bass Guitar, Riley Hagan has refined the method with hundreds of students over the last 15 years.

If you’re a beginner, our instructors can help you form good habits from day one in order to build a solid foundation. If you’re an experienced bassist we can help you refine your technique and get to the next level in your playing. If you’ve been playing your whole life and find yourself stuck in a rut, we’ve been there and we know a way forward.

Our instructors each have unique expertise that they bring to their teaching. Using The Riley Hagan Bass Method as a foundation, our teachers customize each lesson plan to the goals and needs of the student. Creating a step be step program with you and developing an effective practice routine.

“Riley is a fantastic instructor. If you want to learn bass or even refine your skills, I would definitely recommend him.  He is very attentive of how well you are learning and will adapt to you to assist your learning experience.  He is very personable and expects nothing but great things to come out of his students. His lessons thus far have improved my playing and his positive reinforcements during lesson make learning fun!”
— Jose V.
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“I am an amateur bass player having played a ton of gigs with all sorts of bands, from punk rock to jazz. I’ve also had 4 bass teachers in the last 4 years. Riley was the only one who had a method and a plan. He is very persistent and makes sure you have the technique down. He’s been the only teacher so far that has made a big difference in my playing.”
— Bernardo A.
“I’m amazed at how effective Skype lessons have been. Riley will teach you the building blocks to make it so you’re not just playing music, but feeling music. By the time you’re done learning under Riley, the bass will be an extension of yourself.”
— Ross H.
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“Riley Hagan is a terrific instructor. He is extremely knowledgeable and obviously passionate about playing and teaching bass. He makes his students feel at ease, and he has a wonderful way of explaining concepts so that they make sense. He sets clear and reasonable expectations for his students, and sets them up for success.”
— Ted S.
“Riley Hagan is professional, adept and proficient at his craft. It has been a pleasure learning with him.”
— Melissa B.
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“Riley is a fantastic instructor. He will teach you the right way, by the fundamentals, and if you follow his lessons (and practice) you will learn. I have been taking lessons with Riley for a few years and have been making steady progress, which I fully credit to his talent and teaching style. He is also personable and accommodating to changes in your schedule. The best decision I made in learning to play the bass was signing up for lessons with Riley.”
— Earl M.
“Riley is terrific. A gifted player, he is a knowledgeable, dedicated, and most importantly, encouraging and motivating teacher. Also, his affable and easy-going manner makes learning a pleasure. Through his expert guidance I have come a long way in a year after starting out as a complete beginner on the instrument. ”
— Peter M.
“Riley is an extremely talented bass player and is able to impart his knowledge to students very effectively. A big plus is he willingness to answer questions outside of class (via email, etc)”
— Harry W.

Our Instructors

Pat Abbott

Pat teaches both upright and electric bass. He has a bachelors and master degree in music education form Nazareth College of Rochester. Pat currently teaches orchestra for Colorado Springs District 11 and works as an adjunct for the jazz department of Pikes Peak Community College. While continuously striving to learn more and improve his own playing, Pat enjoys teaching students of all skill levels and helping them to achieve their musical goals.

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Riley Hagan is a Berklee College of Music Alumni and has been teaching bass for over 10 years. He has been a featured artist at the Berklee College Of Music Five-Week Program. Riley's performances include the Berklee Bass Lines Concert and the New Hampshire Bass Fest. He has also been a guest teacher at the EM&T Music Institute in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  

Riley has performed and studied with: 

Michael Manring (World-renowned solo artist, “Bassist of the Year” Bass Player Magazine, 1994)  

Felix Pastorius (Macklemore, YellowJackets)

 Les Claypool (Primus)

Established in 2002, Bass Lessons Unlimited is dedicated to providing the best one-on-one, private,
online bass education in Boston. 

skype • Facetime • Google Meet • Zoom

Bass Lessons Unlimited Boston is made up of professional bassists looking to share their craft with eager and dedicated students.

Our bass instructors pride themselves on having an organized teaching method that is tailored to the goals and abilities of each student.

We love bass and are excited to help students achieve their goals. Each of our instructors has unique expertise that they bring to their teaching. We utilize a step-wise method of learning that is organized around each student’s needs and desires in order to help every student we work with experience actual growth as a musician.

As a school, we have been fortunate to offer online bass lessons since 2009, and we are grateful to have had such a head start in optimizing strategies to make the online format enjoyable and effective.

  • Beginner Bassist? Our instructors can help you form good habits from day one to build a solid foundation.

  • Intermediate Bassist? We can help you refine your technique and get to the next level in your playing.

  • Experienced Bassist? We can help you overcome any obstacles that remain in your path.

    We have been where you are. We know the way forward.

Riley Hagan created Bass Lessons Unlimited in 2002 and was one of the early pioneers of on-line bass education in the United States in 2009. He has taken the most effective elements he has learned from his professors at Berklee College of Music, as well as studying with the brilliant Michael Manring, and refined his teaching method with more than a thousand students over the last 20 years.

“Riley has been the only teacher so far that has made a big difference in my playing.
”
— Bernardo A.

Pat Abbott has a Bachelors and Master Degree in Music Education from Nazareth College of Rochester. He has had the pleasure of performing with Bill Watrous, as well as many other artists, and currently performs with Triple Play Quartet. Pat enjoys teaching both upright and electric bass to students of all skill levels.

“Pat’s guidance has been instrumental in my development as a bass player.”
— Andrew H.


Ben Wallace-Ailsworth, an alumni of the Berklee College of Music, has over 15 years of professional music experience and over 8 years of teaching experience. He has performed and studied with various, well-known artists including Jay Lane (Primus, Ratdog) and Sheila E. (Prince).

“Ben is an excellent instructor. I cannot recommend him enough!”
— Andrew T.

Bass Lessons Unlimited Boston

857.246.9531

riley@basslessonsunlimited.com