GREGORY BRUCE CAMPBELL

New to Lessonface
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Songwriting
Lesson Fees
$60.00 / 30 Minutes

About

I’m a Montana-based multi-instrumentalist with over 35 years of experience on bass, guitar, and other stringed instruments. I’ve taught hundreds of students—children, teens, adult beginners, worship players, and working professionals—and I specialize in helping musicians learn to play confidently by ear without relying on tabs or charts.

I have extensive experience teaching students from preschool age (around 4+) to seniors (let’s say under 124), and I genuinely enjoy working with both younger beginners and “late starters.” I also have a long history of working successfully with students who have special needs and learning differences. I’m patient, structured, and flexible, and I’m happy to work with families to adjust pace, communication style, and lesson format so each student feels safe, supported, and able to succeed.

My background includes decades of live performance, worship team work, studio sessions, instrument setup/repair, and coaching players in real-world musical situations. I created capitalFRET, my private teaching studio and repair shop, and earPLAY Academy, a play-by-ear training program designed to help students understand music in a practical, natural way.

Whether you’re a homeschooling parent looking for reliable, encouraging instruction for your child—or an adult who has always wanted to play but never had the right teacher—I build lessons around your goals, your pace, and your learning style.

Teaching Style

My teaching style is ear-first, clear, patient, and encouraging. I focus on helping each student understand music in a way that feels natural, confidence-building, and directly useful.

Lessons are:

  • Structured but relaxed

  • Musically practical

  • Centered on real songs and real skills

  • Tailored to each student’s goals and pace

I explain why we’re doing something, not just what to play. I use step-by-step guidance and adjust the difficulty so students feel steady progress without being overwhelmed.

I am comfortable teaching students from preschool age (4+) through seniors, and I have extensive experience working with students who have special needs and learning differences. I’m patient and flexible, and I will adapt lessons so each student can learn in a way that feels clear, safe, and encouraging.

Families and adult learners often describe my approach as:

  • Supportive and easy to understand

  • Very good at breaking music into simple, manageable steps

  • Strong emphasis on groove, timing, and feel

  • A great fit for beginners, worship players, and adults returning to music

  • Ideal for students who want to move beyond just reading tabs and chord charts

My goal is to make every lesson something students look forward to—where they grow, gain clarity, and enjoy real music-making.

Curriculum

I teach using a play-by-ear method that blends listening skills with practical technique so students can understand and play music confidently in real situations.

Teaching Method

1. Train the Ear
We begin with simple listening skills:

  • Root-note identification

  • Interval recognition

  • Rhythm and groove awareness

  • Call-and-response playing

This builds the inner “musical compass” students need for worship teams, bands, jam sessions, and personal playing.

2. Connect the Ear to the Instrument
Next, we connect what students hear to what their hands do on the instrument:

  • Neck and fretboard mapping

  • Interval and pattern shapes

  • Chord and scale awareness in practical contexts

  • Timing and feel development

This makes the instrument feel less mysterious and more like a familiar map.

3. Apply Skills to Real Music
From the beginning, we apply everything to real songs and real styles the student cares about:

  • Worship songs

  • Classic rock, pop, blues, country, and more

  • Basslines, riffs, chord progressions, and simple solos

  • Jamming, improvising, and playing with others

Students do not have to wait months to use what they learn—each concept is tied directly to actual music.

Recommended Student Texts

I do not require a specific textbook for most students.
Instead, I create customized materials based on age, skill level, and goals.

Optional resources I may use when appropriate include:

  • “Hal Leonard Bass Method” (for foundational bass technique reinforcement)

  • “Hal Leonard Guitar Method” (often helpful for younger or early guitar beginners)

  • Printed or digital chord/lyric sheets of worship songs or favorite tunes chosen by the student

Most lessons rely on personalized exercises, listening assignments, and song-based training rather than a single, rigid method book.

Credentials & Affiliations

  • Over 35 years as a working bassist, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist

  • Founder of capitalFRET, a private teaching studio and instrument repair shop in Montana

  • Creator of earPLAYacademy, a play-by-ear training program for real-world musicians

  • Decades of live and studio experience across worship, rock, country, pop, and acoustic settings

  • Longstanding involvement in Montana’s music community, including work with the historic Bozeman Bass Bash events featuring world-class bassists such as Bob Babbitt, Victor Bailey, Jeff Berlin, Norm Stockton, Billy Sheehan, Michael Manring, and others

  • Extensive experience with instrument setup, wiring, extended-range basses, and tone optimization

  • Teacher of hundreds of students over three decades, including children, teens, adults, and seniors

  • Creator and host of in-depth educational interviews with respected musicians (Geno Kreis, Rob Kohler, Michael Manring, and others)