Jesse Eads

I am a 21-year-old musician with a passion for both learning and teaching all things music! I work primarily as a five-string banjoist, jazz electric bassist, bluegrass vocalist, and guitarist, and have performed in over twenty states across five tours in the past twelve months. I frequently perform and teach workshops at bluegrass festivals, especially around California and Tennessee.

You can find me performing and touring in a duo with renowned banjoist Willow Osborne, bluegrass-fusion band Water Tower, or as a freelance multi-instrumentalist for numerous Los Angeles acts. I've played for Joe Craven (fiddler/percussionist for David Grisman and Jerry Garcia), touring country act Bar Jay Bar, and blues rock outfit Tommy Drinkard & The Remedy, among others.

I received a 2020 YoungArts Merit Award for jazz electric bass  and a 2017 Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival Outstanding Musicianship Award.

Instruments

I primarily teach banjo with three-finger (bluegrass) technique, along with its applications both in traditional contexts and in more modern settings (folk, classical, jazz, etc). I also teach clawhammer (old-time) banjo, Irish tenor banjo, jazz tenor banjo, and plectrum banjo.

I teach bass guitar for all genres. I have extensive experience playing for jazz, funk, pop, rock, and country groups, as well as more unique dimensions such as bluegrass and solo bass composition. I can teach finger, thumb, plectrum, slap, and tapping techniques and their various applications.

I teach acoustic and electric guitar with emphasis in folk, jazz, gypsy jazz, neo-soul, country, Irish, and bluegrass styles. I have a deep understanding of alternate tunings (DADGAD, DADF#AD, DGDGBD, and more) and techniques such as flatpicking, fingerpicking, and hybrid picking.

Style

First and foremost, I like to emphasize that music is meant to be enjoyed, regardless of your end goal! Healthy relationships between students and their fields of study are essential to their success. I prioritize keeping lessons fun, fresh, and enjoyable.

I always take great care to teach with accuracy and authenticity to the field. I have had to help many students unlearn painful techniques or misleading "shortcuts", and confidently guarantee that anything I teach reflects how I practice it professionally.

Improvising

Across all musical disciplines, I am passionate about improvisation and believe that it is an essential practice for understanding your musical identity. I have experience in jazz improv, bluegrass improv, avant-garde, spontaneous songwriting, and freestyle rap. If you have any interest in these, regardless of medium, I would be more than happy to teach you.

Music Theory

I am highly versed in music theory, both in academic settings and in its various other incarnations, and am very enthusiastic about teaching it. I believe there should be nothing scary or elusive about learning theory and promise to teach it in an approachable but complete manner.