Hello

I'm a professional bass player living in Amsterdam. I have a passion for teaching and passing on some of the knowledge that I have acquired during my studies at several schools and heard from the musicians I look up to. I've done my bachelor degree at The Royal Academy of Music in Denmark, and I finished my Masters at Conservatorium van Amsterdam in 2024.

I can teach double bass, electric bass, composition and music theory. Whether you are a beginner and want to learn the very basics, or an intermediate who wants to take music to the next level, I would be happy to teach you!

Musically I try to be as open as I can. For me it doesn't matter if it's free jazz, traditional jazz, pop or metal as long as it feels good. I grew up listening to everything from rock, funk and jazz to classical and church music. When I was 6 years old I couldn't stop playing on our pots and pans, so my parents bought me a drumset. When I entered the school band at the age of 10 I changed to electric bass. Later on I picked up the double bass which I have been studying for 6 years. I've always known that music was the way for me, and music continues to reveal new things and aspects that makes me more and more curious every day!

I'm a leader of my own group Sonic Choir of Love where we combine jazz and indie rock. The band features three guitars, two saxophones, flute, drums and bass. We will release our debut album this fall!

In 2020 I released an album with a project called Fatamorgana which you can find on Bandcamp

I'm also a sideman in several groups. Here is a few of them:

Jacob Djursaa Quintet (album on spotify), Giedra/Valente Quintet and MAST. 

Other than that I'm a part of the Amsterdam jazz scene I play gigs regularly in the city.

As for composition I have experience with composing for jazz groups, big bands, string quartet and unusual constellations such as my band Sonic Choir of Love with three guitars and three horns.

I believe that the most important thing when teaching is having a good relation to one another and generally just having a good time. If we don't enjoy the process we don't learn. 

You should feel comfortable saying how you feel and what you want to learn/don't want to learn. With that transparency I will be able to customize the teaching and balance the curriculum so that I meet your needs while pushing you into unknown territory.

The lessons will take place in my apartment in the center of Amsterdam where I have a studio. In the first lessons we will get to know each other and figure out together how the lessons are gonna be. I expect you to practice at home. Your development doesn't only come from havings lessons. It happens when you practice and prepare for the lessons. With that being said, I understand that people are busy and finding time to practice is not always easy. So if you come unprepared we will manage and take it from there!

"Samuel Kiel is a fantastic bass player and teacher. I started playing bass with Samuel, and we quickly got into playing songs that inspired me, while also working on basic bass lines and groove. In a short amount of time, I learned how crucial it is, especially in funk/pop, to be very in the groove, so we focused on metronome work. I found it super exciting, and I would love to have more lessons with Samuel, who is incredibly inspiring himself because he plays so amazingly well." - Marie Moeller Foged

I can teach you the basics of the double bass such as how to walk the bass, playing a good bassline and playing scales. I can also teach advanced stuff such as jazz vocabulary or odd time signatures. But the course is gonna be tailor made with you, for you, so that you will grow the most and in the direction you want it.