Online and Los Angeles music lessons

Learn Piano, Guitar, Bass, or Production
Create Real Music Early

Most people don't quit because they lack talent. They quit because lessons feel boring, slow, and disconnected from the music they actually want to make. I teach you real musical building blocks from the first lesson, so playing feels good on day one.

Thaddeus Arndt seated in front of a piano
Book the $20 Intro Text Me

The $20 intro is online. In-person lessons are available after the initial intake.

(314) 328-5198

22+ years piano Guitar Center instructor, 2017-2024 10+ years production BA Music, UIUC 15 Google reviews
Thaddeus Arndt seated in front of a piano
Your first lesson

Make something right away.

  • Learn a simple chord structure in minutes
  • Build your own short progression
  • Understand what's happening without theory overload
Thaddeus Arndt playing keyboard on a green hillside in Los Angeles Thaddeus Arndt teaching a guitar student in a lesson room Thaddeus Arndt standing with a young student after his first recital in the lesson studio Thaddeus Arndt playing a grand piano Thaddeus Arndt playing electric guitar on a canyon trail

Playing and teaching around Los Angeles. Tap any photo for a closer look.

Lesson chooser

Start with how you want to learn.

Online or in person, then kids, adults, or songwriters and producers. Two taps and you'll land on the exact lessons that fit.

Step 1

Where do you want to learn?

Step 2

Who's it for?

Step 3

Pick both and I'll point you to the right page.

You'll get the most relevant piano, guitar, bass, songwriting, or production lessons for your situation.

Online or in person Kids, adults, or creators

Already know what you're after?

Online Piano Online Guitar Online Bass Online Production Piano Lessons LA Songwriting Pricing Reviews
Why this works

Most lessons start with drills. I start with music.

Technique and theory still matter. The difference is timing: after seven years teaching through Guitar Center, I learned that students stay with music when the skills are attached to songs, beats, and ideas they can hear right away.

01

Choose a sound

Piano, guitar, chords, melody, rhythm, or a production idea. We start with something you actually care about.

02

Create fast

You learn a small pattern, use it immediately, and hear a musical idea start taking shape.

03

Build skill into it

Technique, theory, ear training, and practice habits attach to the music instead of floating separately.

This is for you if

You want to play, not just complete assignments.

Beginners, returning adults, kids who lose interest quickly, and producers who want stronger musicianship all need the same thing early on: proof that music can feel alive in their hands.

You feel like it's too late to start.
You tried lessons before and quit.
You want to create, not only read sheet music.
Your kid gets bored with traditional lessons.
Thaddeus Arndt with electric guitar outdoors in Los Angeles
Common concerns

If you're nervous about starting, that's normal.

"I don't have time."

Lessons are built around fast progress and small practice blocks, so you keep momentum without rebuilding your whole week.

"I'm too old."

Most of my adult beginners start from scratch. You don't need childhood training to understand chords, rhythm, and songs.

"I'm not musical."

That's exactly who this is for. We make music concrete, simple, and repeatable before adding complexity.

"I had a bad teacher before."

This is a different system: creation first, explanation second, and practice connected to something you actually want to hear.

Thaddeus Arndt playing keyboard piano outdoors
Why I teach differently

I wasn't sold on piano at first.

I was forced into it young. I was distracted, very ADHD, and didn't enjoy a lot of the music I was being asked to play. I did the lessons, the exercises, the correct answers, and for a long time it felt like work before it felt like music.

Then I saw someone playing one of my favorite Coldplay songs in a room full of people, and I realized the instrument was never the problem. Nobody had connected it to the feeling of making something.

That's why my lessons start with creation. Once you hear yourself making music, or playing songs you already love, practice has a reason.

$20 intro lesson

$20, credited toward your first month. Just a fast first win.

What happens

We talk about what you want to play, pick a simple starting point, and make a short musical idea together.

What you leave with

A clear next step, a feel for my teaching style, and proof that you can start creating sooner than you thought.

After that

If it feels right, we'll map out lessons. If not, there's no pressure and no awkward follow-up.

Book the $20 Intro (314) 328-5198
The studio

Where the production work happens.

Recording sessions, mixing, mastering, and beat production run out of my studio in Los Angeles. Lessons are primarily online; if in-person is a better fit, sessions here are an option after the intro.

Studio wide shot, couch, DJ controller, multi-monitor DAW setup, softbox lights Guitar wall and back room, wall-mounted guitars, drums, red accent lighting, keyboard Full studio panorama, couch, DJ deck, drums, DAW screens, colorful psychedelic art Roland V-Drums view looking toward DAW desk, couch, mushroom lamp, softbox lights Vocal booth, acoustic blankets, foam, LED string lights, mic stand, psychedelic tapestry Behind the desk, multi-monitor production setup, Pioneer DJ controller, guitar, keyboard Elevated wide shot, full studio with DAW, DJ deck, drums, couch, multiple screens Clean studio view from couch, DAW monitors, softbox lights, DJ controller, drums

Tap any photo to look around. Booking a session or a mix? Text me.

Beat store

Original beats for artists and writers.

Preview a few instrumentals, choose a license, and check out securely. If you want custom production, vocal recording, or help finishing a song around one of these ideas, text me and we'll build it in the studio.

Need a custom edit, stems, or a session around a beat? Text me directly.

What People Say

Reviews

★★★★★

"Thaddeus is a top-tier music producer with a great ear and a deep understanding of sound, arrangement, and artist development. Professional, communicative, and consistently delivers clean, high-quality production. Whether you're recording vocals, making a beat, building and mastering a whole album from scratch, or refining a mix - you're in excellent hands."

- Emerald Hills

★★★★★

"Incredibly talented, patient, and genuinely invested in helping artists sound like the best version of themselves. The studio environment is comfortable and creative, and you never feel rushed or unheard. If you're looking for a producer who actually listens and delivers high-quality results, I can't recommend him enough."

- Emma Percarpio

★★★★★

"This dude is a wizard musical genius - highly recommend for mixing, mastering, and he teaches my son how to play multiple instruments weekly! No better one stop shop."

- 01Swauve

See All 15 Reviews on Google
Get Started

Ready to Make Music?

Whether you want to learn an instrument, level up your production, or get a track mixed and mastered, I'm here to help.

Book the $20 Intro Text Me

Want to warm up first? Try my free sight-reading practice tool: fresh exercises in your key, time signature, and difficulty.

Book the $20 Intro Text Me