Effective September 1, 2022

Information For All Bassology^® Students

Bassology is celebrated for giving specific, purposeful, well-thought-out instructions.  And this student policy is no exception!  We suggest you read through the policy in parts rather than trying to digest it all at once.

The “Information for All Students” section answers basic what, where, when, how, and why questions about Bassology.  By the end of this section, you will know how frequently you want to take Bassology lessons.

When you determine how frequently you want to take Bassology lessons, you can skip to that section because the price and some policies are determined by how frequently you take lessons.

Once you know how things will work for you based on the frequency of your lessons, please review our scheduling and attendance policies.  This section addresses your regularly scheduled lessons, our 24-hour cancelation policy, and more.

If you have questions about Bassology or our policies, please email Bassology Director Tamatha Bechtel at bassologyaroundtheworld@gmail.com.  When you know how Bassology works, contact Anthony Wellington at antwellington510@gmail.com to let him know you are interested in lessons.

The onboarding process is spelled out later in this policy.  But for now,…

Remember, Bassology is celebrated for giving specific, purposeful, well-thought-out instructions!  The most successful Bassology students begin trusting our process from the very beginning.  Start with the student policy!

Reading the student policy will help you determine if you are a good fit for Bassology. You’ll get a sense of our vibe, especially our ‘serious side.’

Anthony always says, “I don’t take myself seriously, but I do take what I do seriously!”  Tamatha always teases Anthony and says he is an ok bass player, but he missed his calling as a comedic actor!  His sense of humor is a joy to many of us!  But he does take Bassology and teaching seriously.  Everything we do in Bassology is well-thought-out and intentional, including this student policy.

Without exception, successful Bassology students read the student policy!

What is Bassology^®?

Bassology is an educational institution founded in 2006 by Anthony Wellington, who remains the sole teacher and creator of his world-renowned Bassology curriculum.

Anthony’s Bassology curriculum was born from his logical and efficient approach to teaching himself to become an expert, not just on his chosen instrument, the electric bass guitar, but also in music theory and the application of music theory.  Anthony began teaching himself in the early 1980s and started teaching others in the early 1990s.  It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that he realized that his approach was unique and highly effective and deserved an official name and an official curriculum.

Bassology’s curriculum aims to give students the ability to freely express themselves artistically with exceptional musical proficiency at any time and in any circumstance.  Simply put, Anthony Wellington has no desire to create ‘clones’ who mimic his playing or anyone else’s.  Instead, he wants to give you the tools that allow you to express your musical thoughts and ideas, finding your own voice.

Bassology breaks complex music theory concepts into easily understood ideas almost immediately reflected in his student’s musicianship.  Bassology curriculum teaches musical concepts physically, sonically, visually, and intellectually.

Because music theory and music theory application exist independently from any instrument, Bassology curriculum is effective for every instrument.  Anthony regularly teaches musicians who play bass and any other stringed instrument, keyboards, horns, drums, percussion, and vocals.

Bassology is fueled by passion and based on logic and efficiency, incorporating math, grammar, communication, athletics, psychology, philosophy, and common sense.

Bassology is where passion meets knowledge.  I recently heard Anthony tell a student, “The notes you play, like the words you say, not only show what’s in your heart,… they show what’s in your head.  Successful musicians have both, equally!”

Where is Bassology?

Anthony teaches regular private Bassology lessons via Skype.  Anthony has been teaching private lessons on Skype since 2007, when he was on tour and realized that he loves teaching as much as he loves playing.  As his reputation as a teacher grew, musicians who came to his shows started asking him how they could take lessons, even though they were in Italy, China, Australia, or wherever.  So, Anthony became a Skype “early adopter.” As far as we know, Anthony Wellington was the first person who used Skype to teach music lessons.

Anthony also teaches in-person private and group lessons as part of our Bassology Around the World excursions.  To learn more about Bassology intensives or Bassology Around the World excursions, go to bassologyaroundtheworld.com.

Five Requirements for becoming a Bassology student

The five requirements for studying with Anthony Wellington are:

1. A genuine thirst for knowledge
2. An open mind
3. Consistency in lessons and practice
4. Willingness to follow specific instructions in a specific order
5. A solid work ethic

Anthony Wellington is ‘dedicated to the dedicated’– beginners, intermediates, advanced, and pros.

Bassology reserves the right to determine if a student is a good fit for Bassology and Anthony’s teaching style.  Bassology reserves the right to discontinue a student at any time.

Six Steps to becoming a Bassology Student?

You’ve already taken the first step to becoming a Bassology student: find Anthony Wellington!  In 30 years of teaching, Anthony has never advertised or actively sought out students. We’ve all heard the Zen Proverb, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” Many of Anthony’s students can’t remember exactly when or how they heard of him as a teacher.  Yet, he has maintained a roster of 80-90 current students for decades!

The second step is to objectively consider how much time you can dedicate to lessons and practice because this is how you will decide how frequently you want to take lessons.

Bassology lessons are scheduled on the hour and are 55 minutes.

Because of the intensity and depth of Bassology curriculum, Anthony Wellington strongly recommends bi-weekly lessons.  Most students simply cannot keep up with weekly lessons.

However, we offer weekly lessons on a limited basis and under particular circumstances.

We also allow some students to take lessons monthly or ‘occasionally.’

Bassology Around the World offers a week-long Bassology intensive with Anthony Wellington, which are multiple private lessons at a vacation destination.  To learn more about Bassology Intensives, you should go to the Bassology Around the World website or email Tamatha at bassologyaroundtheworld@gmail.com.  This student policy addresses regular, long-term private Bassology lessons via Skype.

A single Bassology lesson is $90 USD for 55 minutes.  As lessons’ frequency increases, we discount the hourly rate, but special circumstances apply to weekly lessons.  Lesson frequency specifics are addressed separately later in this document.

The third step to becoming a Bassology student is to read the information about the specific frequency of lessons you are considering. Please read “Bassology Lesson Frequency Options” beginning on page 6.

The fourth step is to read “Bassology Attendance Policies” beginning on page 12.

The fifth step is to email Anthony at antwellington510@gmail.com to let him know you have read the student policy and would like to enroll in Bassology.  Anthony will respond with Bassology Director Tamatha Bechtel’s cell number and ask you to reach out to her, letting her know you got her number from him so you can schedule lessons.

The sixth step is to text Tamatha to begin the onboarding process.

Bassology Director Tamatha Bechtel manages Anthony Wellington’s Bassology lesson calendar.

Tamatha manages Anthony’s calendar so Anthony can do what he does best:  teach.

Tamatha coordinates scheduling your regular lesson time, rescheduling, and canceling.  Even if you mention a schedule item to Anthony, we also need you to text Tamatha.  Texting Tamatha is the only way to guarantee that your schedule change will make it to Anthony’s calendar.

We schedule Bassology lessons in ET (Eastern Time) only.

No matter where you are in the world, lessons are always scheduled in ET, Eastern Time, also known as “New York Time.” We do this because Anthony has students on every continent except Antarctica, and we travel a lot.  We needed to choose a standard.  We chose ET.

No matter where you live, travel to, or where we are, you will always communicate time using ET, and we will do the same.  We encourage you to use a World Clock feature on your phone, so you are always clear about the time difference if there is one.

When you need to change your regular lesson cycle, text Tamatha.  She will find a new time for you whenever possible.

Our preference is always rescheduling rather than canceling.  It is vital to keep your momentum going with Bassology curriculum and study.  So, we cancel as a last resort.  Remember, one of the requirements for studying with Anthony Wellington is consistency.

Your ‘regular lesson cycle’ is the same day and time, either weekly or biweekly, indefinitely until you or we make a permanent change.  Rescheduling or canceling a lesson does not change your regular lesson cycle!

This seems so simple but can be a little tricky at first.  Not understanding what ‘your regular lesson cycle’ means is the number one reason why students are a ‘no show’ for a regularly scheduled lesson.

How does that happen?  Better question: how do I make sure that doesn’t happen?

Successful Bassology students program their regular lesson cycle in their phone calendar.

You should do that as soon as you are given a regular time!  Every phone calendar app can program recurring events.  You can even program the event to remind you that your lesson is coming up in a day, an hour, or five minutes. It’s simple to figure out and is time-tested and effective!

Because we have a 24-hour cancellation policy, Tamatha strongly recommends that you program your phone with an alert occurring more than 24 hours before your lesson to remind you that your Bassology lesson is the next day.  If you know you can’t make that lesson, you can text Tamatha to cancel or reschedule.  We loathe having students pay for a lesson they don’t take, but please know that we expect students to honor the 24-hour cancellation policy.  Please remember that you are paying not just for music lessons with one of the world’s most respected and in-demand music educators but for the privilege of being on his calendar.

Every phone calendar app can program a regularly recurring event and change one event without affecting the other events.  You can cancel a lesson in your calendar by going to the lesson on the date you need to cancel, choosing edit, finding delete, choosing “this event only,” and voila!  You have canceled that lesson but have not changed your regular lesson cycle in your calendar.

Similarly, if you need to reschedule, you find the date for the lesson that you need to reschedule in your calendar.  You choose to edit, change the date and time, choose “save for this event only,” and… excellent!  Your regular lesson cycle remains correct in your calendar.

Successful Bassology students program their phone calendar and manage it in this way without fail!

 Bi-weekly lessons (recommended)

Bi-weekly lessons are how we refer to lessons that are regularly scheduled for a consistent time “every other week.”

For example, John’s regular bi-weekly lessons are on Tuesdays at 5 pm ET beginning on September 6 and continuing indefinitely every other week until either John or Bassology discontinues his lessons.

Sometimes you or Anthony will need to cancel or reschedule a lesson.  Canceling or rescheduling a lesson does not change the original regular biweekly schedule.

One of the first things a successful Bassology student does is program their regular biweekly lessons in their phone calendar.  You should do that as soon as you receive a regular time!

Every phone calendar app can program a regularly recurring event and change one event without affecting the other events.  If you need to reschedule or cancel a lesson, you edit this one event only in your phone calendar.  That way, you never lose track of your regular lesson cycle.  Successful Bassology students program their phone calendar and manage it in this way without fail!

Bi-weekly Lessons are $85 USD per lesson paid monthly in advance of your first lesson that month.

Most months have two lessons per month, so you will pay $170 in advance of your first lesson that month.

There are four months every year that have five weeks (not four), so there will be some months in which you have three lessons.  When you have three lessons in a month, you will pay $255 in advance of your first lesson that month.

From time to time, a student will ask to pay the lesson fee in advance of each lesson rather than monthly.  Almost everyone goes through a time in life when cash flow is an issue, so we typically grant those requests.

You pay your lesson fee by sending the amount in USD to Anthony Wellington’s PayPal account, which is ant_wellington@hotmail.com.

Weekly lessons (limited availability)

Students who wish to take weekly lessons must be fully committed to putting in the time and effort that Anthony’s challenging Bassology curriculum requires.

No matter what level of player you are when you enroll in Bassology, Anthony will challenge you more than you realize.  (Anthony has had students continue with lessons for 15 years and longer who have never had the same lesson twice!)

Students who want weekly lessons need to make a six-month commitment.  You make that commitment by paying your first and last month’s lesson fees before your first lesson.

For example, if you begin weekly lessons in January, you will pay January and June lesson fees before your first lesson in January.

You can continue to take weekly lessons for as long as you want to—you aren’t limited to six months.  You would simply let us know that you plan to continue.   When you are ready to discontinue lessons, give us a 30-day notice.   Then the “last month’s deposit” you paid in advance covers your last month’s lesson fees.

Occasionally, you or Anthony may have to cancel or reschedule a lesson.  Canceling or rescheduling a lesson does not change the original regular weekly schedule.

One of the first things a successful Bassology student does is program their regular weekly lessons in their phone calendar.  You should do that as soon as you are given a regular time!

Every phone calendar app can program a regularly recurring event and change one event without affecting the other events.  If you need to reschedule or cancel a lesson, you edit this one event only in your phone calendar.  That way, you never lose track of your regular lesson time.  Successful Bassology students program their phone calendar and manage it in this way without fail!

Weekly Lessons are $80 USD per lesson, paid monthly in advance of your first lesson with an initial ‘first month/last month’ deposit.

Students who can commit to six months of weekly Bassology lessons are treated to an 11% discount on the lesson fee.  BUT we require that you pay your first month and your last month in advance of your first weekly lesson.

Your first payment before your first weekly lesson will be the equivalent of 8 lessons, which is $640 USD.  Typically, you pay for lessons with a PayPal transfer from your PayPal account to Anthony Wellington’s PayPal account, which is ant_wellington@hotmail.com.

However, if you would like to pay your weekly lesson deposit of $640 USD with your credit card, please text Tamatha Bechtel, and she will send you an invoice that you can pay with a credit card.

You pay lesson fees for months 2, 3, 4, and 5 of your six-month commitment in advance of your first lesson that month.  If the month has four weekly lessons, your lesson fee is $320 USD.  If the month has five weekly lessons, your lesson fee is $400 USD.

If you want to continue weekly lessons past six months, you will continue to pay monthly until you give us a 30-day notice that you will discontinue lessons at the end of the following month.  You already paid the last month with your original deposit.

If you have questions about this, please contact Bassology Director Tamatha Bechtel.

Monthly or Occasional Lessons

Students who can’t work a bi-weekly lesson into their schedule but are dedicated to studying are welcome to take monthly or occasional lessons.  We schedule monthly or occasional lessons “as they come.” In other words, you won’t have a regular lesson time.  You will coordinate with Bassology Director Tamatha Bechtel to schedule your lesson when you are ready.

For example, Trevon’s lessons are rarely at the same time each month because they are based on Anthony’s availability at the time of the request. Trevon’s last lesson was on the first Thursday in May at 3 pm ET.  The last week of May, he texted Tamatha to let her know he was ready for another lesson and suggested some days of the week and times in ET when he was available for another lesson.  Tamatha found a place on Anthony’s schedule for Trevon in June on the second Thursday at 8 pm ET.

Monthly or Occasional Lessons are $90 USD per lesson, paid to Anthony Wellington’s PayPal account, which is ant_wellington@hotmail.com, in advance of the lesson.

Private Bassology^® Intensive (affiliated with Bassology Around the World)

Bassology intensives are a week-long, in-person, private study with Anthony Wellington at a vacation location.  Because they are in-person and involve travel, Bassology Intensives are Bassology Around the World excursions.  You can find out more about Bassology Intensives by visiting bassologyaroundtheworld.com/intensive.

First, download Skype and make sure you have the most current version.  You should regularly check Skype for updates a day or two before your lesson.  Do not wait until ten minutes before your lesson to update your Skype!  If Anthony can’t reach you within ten minutes of your lesson time because your Skype is updating, you are a “no show,” and you owe us the lesson fee without receiving your lesson.

Second, create a Skype account if you don’t already have one.  Please use your ‘real name’ for your Skype name, exactly as it appears on Anthony’s calendar.  Your Skype ID MUST match your “real name” as it appears on Anthony’s lesson schedule.

Chances are, Anthony has had more than one “Guitar Johnny” or “funkybassdude” in his 30 years of teaching.  He has had thousands of students and simply can’t remember clever, non-specific names.  So, he needs to make a Skype call at your lesson time to the name he sees on his calendar.

Likewise, if your name is Alistair Sheldon Smith, III, but you introduce yourself as Don Smith when you text Tamatha to initiate the Bassology onboarding process, please make sure your Skype name is Don Smith because that the name Tamatha will enter into Anthony’s calendar.

The third step is to send Anthony a Skype contact request from within Skype to bassology1 ASAP, well in advance of your first lesson. Anthony’s Skype ID that he uses for lessons is bassology1. 

What is Anthony’s Skype ID that he uses for Bassology lessons?  It is bassology1.

You MUST send Anthony a Skype contact request from within your Skype to bassology1 as soon as possible.  Why did I just say that three times?  Because I do not want you to be one of the people who pay for their first lesson without receiving it because they did not send a Skype contact request from their Skype ID with their real name to Anthony’s bassology1 Skype ID!  That is an expensive lesson you could learn for free just by doing what I’ve now said four times.

If you do not send a Skype contact request to Anthony at bassology1 well in advance of your first lesson, he won’t be able to call you at lesson time.  If he can’t call you at your lesson time, you are a “no show,” and you owe us for the lesson time.  That is not how you or Anthony want your first lesson to go.

The fourth step is testing your Skype set-up with a friend a couple of days before your first lesson.  Make sure your friend can see your entire bass and hear you well.  Troubleshoot as needed and retest well in advance of your first lesson.

The fifth step is to create a lesson space.  Your lesson space should be well-organized, have good lighting, have low noise interference from outside sources, and give you the privacy you will need to maintain good concentration during the lesson.

The sixth step is to test your internet capacity.  Anthony highly recommends disconnecting as many devices from your WIFI as possible before your lesson time.  If your daughter is on TikTok, your son is gaming, and your wife is watching a movie while all of your phones, laptops and Alexas are connected to WIFI, chances are, you will not have good bandwidth for video conferencing your Skype lesson.

You are responsible for the lesson fee if your lesson is not possible because of poor bandwidth and a bad connection.  You should test what your internet service and WIFI can handle well before your first lesson and make adjustments as needed.

The seventh step is to load three apps onto a device that will always be with you during your practice and lesson times.  We recommend an iPad or tablet.  The apps are:

1. iRealPro
2. Tempo metronome app (or another metronome app that has various time signatures)
3. SuperMetronome paid version (or another programmable drum machine app)

The eighth step is to gather a notebook, pencil, voice recorder, mini dry erase board, dry erase markers, and a dry erase eraser.

We encourage voice recording of lessons. But we do not allow video recordings of lessons, ever, as in never ever, ever, ever.

Put these items within reach of your lesson and practice workstation.  These items should always be within reach before your lesson time.

The ninth step is to be prepared for your lesson five minutes before your lesson time.

Anthony lives by the mantra that on time is late!  His beloved high school music teacher, Mary Cole, instilled this value in her students, and Anthony knows that honoring that mantra is one of the significant components contributing to his success.

So please be prepared at least five minutes before your lesson time!  Your computer is on, and Skype is open, ready to receive Anthony’s call.  Your device with your lesson apps is charged and within reach.  Your lesson room is quiet and organized.  Your internet connection is stable and available.  Your instrument is tuned, plugged in, and within reach.  You are calm, free of distractions, ready to learn, and fully engaged.

The tenth step is to answer Anthony’s Skype call.  Do not call Anthony; he will call you.

Can I video-record my Bassology lesson?  No!

Your private Bassology lesson is for you and you alone. It’s not for YouTube, your neighbor, or your bandmate.

Anthony has many ways to explain a concept and is highly intuitive and experienced at knowing which method will work best for you.  That is a big part of why his teaching is so efficient.  When he is teaching groups, he makes sure everyone in the group understands a concept before moving on.  But when he is teaching a private lesson to you, he is focused solely on your learning.  We don’t want his teaching misrepresented by someone watching your lesson and saying, “that doesn’t make sense.”

“But I just want it for me!  I won’t put it on YouTube,” you’re thinking.  Ok.  I believe you.  But somebody would.  So, we have a policy that no private Bassology lessons are video recorded.  No exceptions.

If you video record a Bassology lesson, Bassology will immediately and permanently cancel your lessons and remove you from the Bassology roster.

Bassology^® Attendance Policies

What if I’m running late?

Anthony will always call you via Skype at your regular lesson time.  If you don’t answer immediately, he will try again five minutes after the hour and ten minutes after.  Do not call Anthony on Skype.  He will call you.

If you answer within the first ten minutes of your regular lesson time, you will have your lesson, but it will still end at the regular time of 55 minutes past the hour.

If you do not answer within ten minutes of your regular lesson time, you are a “no show.”

If you know you are running late, please text Tamatha so she can let Anthony know.  (He won’t receive the text while teaching, so text Tamatha.).  If Anthony is running late, Tamatha will text you to let you know.

But please make a habit of being prepared and ready to receive a Skype call from Anthony at your lesson time.  Remember, Anthony lives by the mantra “on time is late!” Anthony knows that being prepared and on time are two of the most significant factors contributing to his success.  He aims to instill these values in everyone he teaches (and works with).

Anthony will be at his workstation, gear on, Skype ready, headphones on, and attention undivided at your lesson time as a sign of respect for you and your time.  Please give him the same.

What is a ‘no show’?

Students who do not answer Anthony’s Skype call within ten minutes of their regular lesson time are a ‘no show.’

We do not reschedule ‘no shows,’ but you still owe us the lesson fee for a ‘no show’ lesson. 

It is important to remember that you are not just paying for music lessons with one of the world’s most respected and in-demand music educators; you are paying for the privilege of being on his calendar.

We have a 24-hour cancelation policy.  Honoring this policy is a respectful thing to do.

We know that emergencies happen, and we don’t expect “cancel my Bassology lesson!” to be the first thing that pops into your mind when they do!  Heck, no!

But we expect Bassology students to know when their lesson is scheduled and give us plenty of time to reschedule or fill their spot with another student whenever possible.

What is Bassology’s 24-hour cancelation policy?

If you cancel a lesson in less than 24 hours, you pay the lesson fee.

Why?  Because if you give us more than 24 hours’ notice that you need to cancel, we can almost always fill your lesson spot.  And Anthony’s time is in such demand that we have a hard time scheduling all of the students that want lessons.  So, if you don’t give us time to fill your spot, you still need to pay for the time with Anthony that someone would have cherished!

It is important to remember that you are not just paying for music lessons with one of the world’s most respected and in-demand music educators; you are paying for the privilege of being on his calendar.

Bassology does reserve the right to waive the 24-hour cancelation policy, and we sometimes do, based on our discretion.  We realize that emergencies and unexpected things come up, and we are fair-minded people.

Bassology ALWAYS prefers to reschedule rather than cancel.  Why?

Bassology makes an effort to reschedule your lesson rather than cancel whenever possible.  We do this because Anthony has observed over many years that his most successful students maintain consistency in their lessons.

Text Tamatha when you need to reschedule a lesson.  She is happy to look for an available time for you.

What if I’m sick?

It is up to you to decide if you are well enough to concentrate and get the most out of your Skype Bassology lesson.

If your lesson is in-person, we respectfully ask that you reschedule your lesson if you feel even just a little bit unwell.

I recently heard Anthony say to a doctor student, “It’s always been my policy that, if I am unwell, even a little bit, I reschedule in-person lessons.  My genuine love and respect for my students will not let me risk getting them sick, even if all I have is just a little sniffle!  Plus, I won’t give my students less than my best!”

So, if you are sick and don’t feel you can give your lesson your best, please text Tamatha.  She will do her best to reschedule your lesson.

What happens if I frequently cancel or “no show”?

If you are a habitual “no show,” Bassology will let you know that you are no longer on the student roster and cancel your lessons.  Imagine if you had a gig and just didn’t show up without telling your bandmates.  How many more gigs do you think you would play with that band?  I will give you three guesses, but you probably only need one.

As we’ve already said, we know that emergencies happen, and unexpected things arise.

Bassology reserves the right to cancel any student at any time based on our discretion.  It won’t take many “no-shows” to remove you from the Bassology roster and schedule.

The same applies to frequently canceling lessons.  Bassology reserves the right to cancel any student based on their suitability for Bassology.

Bi-weekly students who cancel twice in two months will then be considered monthly or occasional students.  We will inform you that your regular bi-weekly lessons are discontinued, but you are welcome to contact us from time to time to schedule a lesson.  We just won’t hold a coveted bi-weekly spot for you.  That is the fair thing to do.

But what about…

Phew!  We tried to cover every detail we could think of!   And you’re a champ for hangin’!  

That said, we realize you might have questions or need clarity about a few things.  Please email Tamatha at bassologyaroundtheworld@gmail.com if you want to ask questions.  Anything that she (who is me, you probably figured by now) can’t answer, she will have Anthony answer for you.

Even though we have all these policies, we are friendly and approachable!  Have you ever heard the expression “fences make good neighbors”?  Policies are like fences!  Welcome to the neighborhood!