EXPLORE BASS AT WATERBEAR

At WaterBear, we help you become a versatile and highly employable bass player through a course that balances performance, creativity, and career development. Each course is tailored to your individual musical style and career goals, giving you the freedom to bring your own projects and develop them further. With a strong focus on live performance and practical industry skills, we ensure you are fully equipped to succeed in the music industry after graduation. 

You can play any style, from funk, rock and jazz to pop, metal and electronic. You’ll explore styles through performance, recording and project work, and through collaboration with other students, building versatility across genres while developing your own unique musical voice. Five- and six-string basses, acoustic basses and innovative tunings are all welcome.

Yes, from your very first week through to graduation and beyond. Regular band rehearsals are built into the course, with a strong emphasis on ensemble playing, rhythm section collaboration and communication skills that reflect real-world industry working environments. You’ll write, record and perform original music on collaborative projects with drummers, guitarists, vocalists and producers, and track basslines in the studio with producers and engineers, developing your tone and recording technique. Our bass players are always in high demand, with regular auditions for bands, live acts and session work to build your CV, plus jam sessions, student-led projects and plenty of informal and organised chances to perform and experiment.

We encourage you to bring a standard 4-string bass guitar in standard tuning, but we also love to see players arrive with 5- or 6-string instruments, acoustic basses, and any other specialist you’d like to use. To support your independent work and creative projects it is also useful to have a good tuner, a metronome, ear protection and a portable amp suitable for practice and small gigs. You don’t need expensive gear: amps and backline are provided in class and in our rehearsal and performance spaces, and great tone is possible on a budget. Being able to record to a reasonable standard at home is also useful.

In class you’ll play through your own Ampeg amp in dedicated bass teaching spaces, with regular access to professional backline, and pro-standard bass amplification is also provided in our rehearsal and performance spaces. You get free, bookable access to rehearsal rooms and recording studios, including the 1,000 sq ft flagship studio at Hanover House in Brighton and the recording studio and live room in our Gatecrasher building in Sheffield, plus partner studios such as Brighton Electric (The Cure, Royal Blood) and Tecna in Sheffield (Self Esteem, Reverend and the Makers). You’ll also have access to WaterBear-run music venues: the seafront WaterBear Venue and the WaterBear MusicBar in Brighton, which has hosted Amy Winehouse and The Kooks, and the historic WaterBear Green Room in Sheffield. Mac suites with Pro Tools, Ableton and Logic Pro, songwriting rooms, and classic vintage gear alongside modern A/V technology complete our city-wide approach, so you’ll use a wide range of equipment across a variety of different locations.

Tour our Brighton Facilities

Tour our Sheffield Facilities

You will be performing with other musicians on the course from the very first week at WaterBear, continuing through to graduation and beyond. You will also have access to studio recording and production facilities, alongside access to performance and work experience opportunities from our music industry team. 1-1 mentoring from our tutors and other professional musicians provides a bespoke approach to help you prepare for portfolio sessions and further education opportunities. 

You will regularly play in bands as part of our course, as well as take part in numerous recording sessions with other instrumentalists and producers. Our bass players are always in high demand! The course places a strong emphasis on ensemble playing and communication skills with other musicians, reflecting real-world industry working environments. 

So far, our guest masterclasses have featured bass players from Jamiroquai, Incubus, Raye, Cat Burns, Everything Everything, and many more, with even more planned for the future. We also host networking events with music professionals and provide opportunities for work experience at festivals and venues across the country. 

You’ll become a versatile, highly employable bass player, fully equipped to succeed in the music industry after graduation. Taught by professional bassists in small classes, you’ll get bespoke, specialist tuition shaped around your own style and goals, developing timing, feel, groove, tone, technique, theory and stylistic awareness, with the option to explore advanced instrumental techniques as you progress. 1-1 mentoring is at the heart of the course: dedicated time with industry professionals to master your instrument, improve your practice, develop your stagecraft and explore new techniques, alongside support with academic progress and career planning. These skills aren’t just theoretical: you’ll put them into practice in live and recorded performances, with constructive feedback from tutors and classmates, and all course content is available 24/7 through our online learning environment.

Study BA (Hons) Professional Music (Performance)

Yes. Bassists can study the two-year accelerated BA (Hons) Songwriting & Music Performance fully online (UCAS W371), awarded by Falmouth University. It’s built for musicians who don’t want to put their lives on hold: weekly webinars, remote tutorial support and 24/7 access to course content let you study around your gigs, touring, work and life, wherever you’re based. You’ll get mentoring from professional musicians, including online bass mentor Craig Lowe, and you’re welcome at student shows and events at our venues. Bassists who also produce can take the online BA (Hons) Creative Music Production (UCAS W370). After graduating, you can choose an online master’s that matches where your interests lead, whether that’s songwriting, teaching or the business side: MA Songwriting, MA Music Education (both one year) or MA Music Business (two years part-time).

Explore our online undergraduate and postgraduate courses

On campus in Brighton or Sheffield, bass players at WaterBear study the Bass pathway of the BA (Hons) Professional Music (Performance), a three-year degree with specialist pathways for bass, guitar, drums and vocals, taught in Brighton (UCAS W372) or Sheffield (UCAS W378) and awarded by Falmouth University. If you’d like a preparatory year first, there’s a four-year version with an Integrated Foundation Year and also a one-year CertHE Music Performance, Production, Songwriting & Business. We also offer dedicated degrees in Songwriting, Production, Electronic Music or Business. After graduating, you can choose an on-site master’s that matches where your interests lead: MA Music Performance, Production & Business, MA Music Business, MA Music Education and MA Songwriting.

Explore our undergraduate courses

Explore our postgraduate courses