Christopher Harris
About
Hi! My name is Chris and I’m a professional guitar and bass player, song writer and producer in Los Angeles. I’m originally from Las Vegas where I grew up in a musical family and have been in original and cover bands since a very young age; my earliest memory is standing on my dad’s Stratocaster when I was only a kid!
I am a Berklee College of Music Alumni with a degree in guitar performance, song writing and Music Production.
As a multi-instrumentalist I have taught myself piano and drums but my main instruments are bass and guitar, which I have played for more than 30 years.
I have performed in a lot of live events as a guitarist and bassist, from studio to stage doing metal/rock concerts. In film industry I’ve done soundtracks, EPKs and more for Universal Studios, Hollywood Horror Nights, FOX, L.A. Comic Con. I have the privilege of working with multiple platinum selling artists including Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper amongst others. Film industry projects include The Walking Dead, HBO’s True Blood, etc.
I also have 20 years of experience as a studio musician, recording projects, producing and mixing music and audio engineering, professional composition and arrangement.
As a teacher I have been teaching for almost a decade now and have trained a lot of students all over the country in playing bass guitar and guitar, songwriting and composition. Writing my own music and playing in multiple bands and fields prepared me for teaching all these different subjects. I have experience of teaching kids and adults, with a wide range of musical backgrounds. I try to solidify theory skills and musicianship in a fun and comfortable environment that will serve students in all their musical endeavors.
Let’s meet and make music together!
Teaching Style
Whether you’re a newbie or you’re an experienced musician, I can help you progress further in your musical journey. I teach Pop, Blues Country and Folk genres amongst others but I specialize in Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Alternative Rock, Punk, Electronic/Industrial music.
Lessons will emphasize primarily on both technical and production aspects of music, but through our lessons you will also learn how to improvise. We will start working on your goals right away by developing a solid foundation that will implement proper techniques in you forever.
My lessons are tailored specifically for my students based on their goals. That’s why I spend some time during our trial lesson (15 minutes and out of charge) to talk about your expectations and do a simple evaluation so I can set up a lesson plan based on that.
Curriculum
Here is a summary of the topics that I cover during my Guitar/Bass lessons:
-Reading and writing Tablature, following the rhythm and tempo
-Learning and constructing your own riffs
-Power Chords and octave chords (multiple variations) and Barre Chords
-Mastering Hammer ons, Pull offs, Slides, Palm Muting, Trills, finger picking
- Analyzing song structure (I-VCV-L/B-C-O)
-Improvisation, Musical phrasing and musicality
-Lead Guitarist Strategies teach you actual rock songs.
- Learning proper guitar setup and maintenance skills
- The CAGED System
-Skills needed to play in a rock band and/or jam with other musicians
-Finding and creating your unique musical identity (your own style and sound)
-Stage presence, building confidence against stage fright
- Preparing students for their recitals, auditions and competitions, Career advice
- Developing bass lines
For Songwriting these topics are covered:
- Melody crafting skills to enhance your songwriting skills
- Music theory skills (harmony and counterpoint) for song writers
- Song structure (I-VCV-L/B-C-O)
- Develop existing melodic ideas into full songs
- Storytelling tools and personal expressions through lyrics
-Overcome writers’ block
- Creating your unique musical identity (your own style and sound)
We will also spend some time listening and analyzing music of your favorite artists so that you get some insights from their writing styles to use in your own music.