Bassists:
What would open up for you if thumb position actually felt easy?
Maybe you...
And feel like there’s a gap between the player you are and the player you want to be.
Imagine:
“I took Lauren’s Thumb Position Bootcamp in 2021. Even though it was a remote format, I still felt seen and included in the class. Lauren really takes the time to answer questions, and there is the opportunity to communicate with other class members for feedback and advice as well.
Though I wasn’t entirely new to thumb position at the time, her course helped to solidify and improve key concepts and techniques. Specifically, I found it useful to review body posture, hand shape, and an emphasis on slow practice to solidify intonation.
Beginning with simple but effective drills, the course took me through a variety of scale positions, shifting exercises, bowing variations, progressive patterns, and arpeggios - all while clearly demonstrating Lauren’s fingering system.
Between the course packet and the group lessons, the Boot Camp was a valuable experience which I still draw from when working in thumb position. So many of the exercises are helpful to revisit and incorporate into my own practice. I would recommend this course to anyone seeking a friendly environment to get more comfortable in the upper register or in need of a good method to understand and navigate the higher reaches of the fingerboard.”
Joe Belson, bassist & composer
Introducing:
Thumb Position Bootcamp
During the Bootcamp, you’ll learn how to:
Hi, I’m Lauren Pierce
I've spent my career teaching and mentoring bassists all over the world, and what I've seen firsthand, time and time again, is that most players don't struggle because they lack talent or discipline. They struggle because they haven't been shown how to do it in a way that actually works.
Thumb position is a perfect example of this. So many bassists feel stuck, limited, or intimidated by this part of the instrument, not because they aren't capable, but because no one has given them the right framework.
I know that desire to play freely, to sound the way you hear it in your head. I created this Bootcamp because I want that for you too.
My bow technique and thumb position have undergone a major transformation.
I chose instruction from Lauren to tap into the knowledge and experience of an expert. My hope was that it would be the most efficient way to learn best practices and level up my playing.
I was not disappointed!
I watched performance videos of Lauren on YouTube and was amazed at her sensitivity and technical proficiency on the Double Bass. When I heard she offered instruction, I was immediately interested.
In just three months, my bow technique and thumb position playing have undergone a major transformation. For the first time in my life, I see myself on the path to performing compositions I once only dreamed of playing.
Lauren's teaching method has been life-changing for me!
Kevin Keith, bassist, producer, & composer
What’s in Thumb Position Bootcamp:
Meet your guest instructor, Nina DeCesare!
Nina DeCesare is one of the most versatile and exciting double bassists of her generation, regularly balancing her time between her position at the Baltimore Symphony, her faculty job at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins, and her appearances around the country, as a masterclass clinician and soloist. Nina is regularly invited to perform with many of the highest caliber ensembles in the country, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She is a leading advocate for gender equity in the bass community and recently launched The Artemis Bass Initiative, a nonprofit that provides mentorship, professional development, and community to women and nonbinary bassists as well as raises awareness nationwide through seminars.
Nina’s energetic and passionate approach to solo playing is highly sought after and she toured a recital program of the complete Bach Cello Suites in 2026 in a total of 13 cities. Nina has a unique approach to the Bach Cello Suites after recording all 36 movements for social media at the beginning of Covid in a project inspired by Alisa Weilerstein’s #36daysofBach. She is a recipient of François Rabbath’s Certificates of Teaching and Performance and a graduate of Rice University, where she studied with Paul Ellison. The multifaceted nature of her career and her work as an advocate makes her a well-rounded and compassionate teacher and she’s presented masterclasses and workshops at the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute, the New World Symphony, the National Orchestral Institute, and Domaine Forget Academy.
Nina's session will take place at 2pm CST on Saturday, May 16th
Meet your guest instructor, Katie Thiroux!
A triple-threat talent, Katie Thiroux has firmly established herself as a force in today’s jazz world with her bravura bass playing, assured singing, and compelling compositions. Known for her rare ability to seamlessly blend deep swing with lyrical vocals, Thiroux brings joy, soul, and virtuosity to every performance—leaving audiences around the world in awe. In the words of Quincy Jones: “This girl is IT!”
Thiroux’s latest and most personal release, Always but never Alone (BassKat Music), is a fearless and emotionally resonant exploration of love, loss, and resilience, inspired by her experience as a mother to her autistic daughter, Aurelia. It follows the success of her 2017 album Off Beat, named a “Best Album of the Year” by DownBeat Magazine and featured in-flight on Emirates Airlines, as well as her widely acclaimed 2015 debut, Introducing Katie Thiroux. That debut earned “Debut Record of the Year” honors from The Huffington Post, All About Jazz, Jazz Journalists Association, and a top spot on the NPR Jazz Critics Poll.
Katie is a sought-after educator and advocate. She serves on the jazz faculty at the University of Southern California (USC), is the Director of Women in Jazz for the Monterey Jazz Festival, and leads masterclasses and residencies worldwide. In 2019, she launched the Jazz Maui Camp and released an online course through Discover Double Bass that remains a go-to resource for aspiring players.
From her powerful live shows to her work in education and advocacy, Katie Thiroux is not just preserving the jazz tradition—she’s pushing it forward with heart, swing, and fearless originality.
Katie's session will take place at 2pm CST on Friday, May 15th
I don’t think I’m ready for this kind of workshop.
You’re going to experience friction either way.
In my discovery of Lauren Pierce, I found a bass devotee and guru who exceeded my wildest expectation of “bass coach.” Lauren has gathered and produced a body of philosophies, technical exercises, and something I would call “approach guidances” more comprehensive than what could fill a single method book.
Often, teachers of a musical instrument specialize in teaching, not so much in playing. Not Lauren; she puts her knowledge to the test of her own performance practice, reaching the highest pinnacle of what I would consider world-class solo bass achievement. If you check out her performances on YouTube, you will be astonished at her artistic and technical mastery of the most daring solo bass repertoire.