Online and Los Angeles music lessons

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

Most people don't quit music for lack of talent. They quit because the lessons are boring and have nothing to do with the songs they want to play. So I skip that part. You make something real in the first lesson.

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

The $20 intro works in person at my LA studio or online. Tell me which when you book.

(314) 328-5198

22+ years piano Guitar Center instructor, 2017-2024 10+ years production BA Music, UIUC 5.0 from 9 Google reviews
Thaddeus Arndt seated in front of a piano
Your first lesson

Make something right away.

  • Learn a simple chord structure in a few minutes
  • Build a short progression of your own
  • Know what's happening without drowning in theory
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

I play and teach all over Los Angeles. Tap any photo to look closer.

Lesson chooser

Start with how you want to learn.

Online or in person. Kids, adults, or songwriters and producers. Two taps and you're on the page for your lessons.

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.

I'll send you to the piano, guitar, bass, songwriting, or production page that actually fits you.

Online or in person Kids, adults, or creators

Already know what you want?

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. It's about timing. Seven years teaching through Guitar Center showed me students stick with music when each skill is attached to something they can hear right away.

01

Choose a sound

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

02

Create fast

You learn a small pattern and use it right away. Then you hear an idea start to take shape.

03

Build skill into it

Technique, theory, ear training and practice habits get attached to that music. They don't float around on their own.

This is for you if

You want to play, not just complete assignments.

Beginners, returning adults, kids who get bored fast, producers who want better musicianship. Early on they all need the same thing. Proof that music can feel alive in their own 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 for fast progress and short practice blocks. You keep momentum without rearranging your whole week.

"I'm too old."

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

"I'm not musical."

Then you're exactly who I teach. We get music concrete and repeatable first. Complexity comes later.

"I had a bad teacher before."

Fair. This works differently. You create first, I explain second, and practice is tied 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 piano young. I was distracted, very ADHD, and I didn't like a lot of the music I was handed. I did the lessons, the exercises, the right answers. For a long time it felt like work before it ever felt like music.

Then I watched someone play one of my favorite Coldplay songs in a room full of people. The instrument was never the problem. Nobody had connected it to the feeling of making something.

So my lessons start with creation. Once you hear yourself making music, or playing a song 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 place to start, and make a short musical idea together.

What you leave with

You leave knowing what to do next and how I teach. Also that you can make music sooner than you thought.

After that

If it feels right, we plan lessons. If not, no pressure and no awkward follow-up.

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

Where the production work happens.

Recording, mixing, mastering and beat production all happen in my LA studio. Lessons are mostly online. In person works here too, 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 a photo to look around. Want to book a session or a mix? Text me.

Beat store

Original beats for artists and writers.

Preview a few instrumentals and grab a Basic MP3 license for $29.99. The download is on the confirmation page after you pay. Want custom production, vocals, or help finishing a song around one? Text me and we'll build it in the studio.

Need a custom edit, stems, or a session built 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 9 Reviews on Google
Get Started

Ready to Make Music?

Learn an instrument, sharpen your production, or get a track mixed and mastered. I do all of it.

Book the $20 Intro Text Me

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

Book the $20 Intro Text Me