Hi, I'm Adam
Sheffield-based multi-instrumentalist and music tutor
I’ve been playing and teaching music professionally for over 20 years. Slap’n’Pop is the studio I run from home in Sheffield, where I teach bass, guitar, double bass, piano, ukulele, and music theory to students from total beginners to working musicians. In-person at the studio or online wherever you are. As a Sheffield bass tutor first and foremost — bass is the focus, but the same teaching approach works across all six instruments.
Watch me play
Free tutorials, breakdowns, and lessons on YouTube
The Slap’n’Pop YouTube channel is where I’m building a free music education library — bass tutorials, technique breakdowns, song-by-song analysis, exam prep walkthroughs, and longer lessons covering theory and improvisation. Some of it overlaps with what I teach in person; a lot of it is content I’ve made specifically for YouTube. The plan is to keep growing it over time as a genuinely useful resource for any musician — whether you’re a student of mine, thinking about becoming one, or you’ve found me through search.
Subscribe and you’ll see new videos as they go up.
Played with, recorded with, taught by
A working musician — not just a teacher. Twenty years of credits across recording, touring and study with people you'll have heard of.
Played with
Shayne Ward (X Factor)
Jon Boden (Bellowhead)
Sarah Darling
Rachael Hawnt (All Together Now)
Recorded with
Mike Stock (Stock Aitken Waterman)
Abbey Road Studios
Supported live
Dr Feelgood
Gabriella Cilmi
Trained by
Joe Hubbard (Gary Numan, Jim Mullen)
Dave Troke (Beverley Knight, Lulu)
Alan Mian (Basement Jaxx, Jocelyn Brown)
My approach to teaching
Music is a language — I’ll show you how to speak it
Most people who pick up an instrument get taught songs and techniques without ever learning why any of it works. They get good at copying — and then hit a wall when they want to write their own material, improvise a solo, or work something out by ear. The wall is theory.
I teach the underlying language of music alongside the instrument, because once you understand how music actually works, everything else gets easier. You stop memorising and start understanding. You stop copying and start creating.
Patient, encouraging, no pressure
You set the pace. If something takes three lessons to click, that’s three lessons. If you nail it first time, brilliant — we move on. There’s no shame in not getting something straight away, and there are no stupid questions. Curiosity is what drives progress, so ask whatever you want, however many times you want.
Your goals, your direction
You decide what we work on. Want to focus on specific songs? Bring them. Sharpening a technique? Let’s drill it. Studying for an exam? We’ll prep properly. Writing your own material and stuck? We’ll work on harmony and structure until things click. Every lesson is built around what you want — not a fixed syllabus.
No gaps left behind
A lot of self-taught players have weird gaps — strong technique but shaky timing, great ear but can’t read, fast hands but no theory. Lessons fill those gaps as we go, so you end up a properly rounded musician rather than a player with one strength and three weaknesses.
Whether you’re seven years old, seventy, or anywhere in between — and whether you’ve never picked up an instrument or you’ve been playing for years — lessons start where you are and move forward from there.
Student testimonials
Real people, real progress
The best thing about teaching is watching it click. Here’s what some of my students have to say about lessons at Slap’n’Pop Music.
Want to be next? Get in touch and book a first lesson.
Adam Porter is a Sheffield-based bass guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and music tutor with over twenty years of professional experience. He runs Slap’n’Pop Music as a teaching studio from his home in Handsworth, Sheffield, and has recorded at Abbey Road Studios and worked with artists including Mike Stock, Shayne Ward, Jon Boden, Sarah Darling and Rachael Hawnt.
Slap’n’Pop Music is Adam Porter’s teaching studio, based in Sheffield. It offers music lessons in bass guitar, electric and acoustic guitar, double bass, piano, ukulele and music theory — in-person at the Sheffield studio or online over Zoom. Adam also provides professional session bass work and custom bass transcriptions.
Bass guitar (the main focus), electric and acoustic guitar, double bass, piano, ukulele, and music theory. Adam teaches all ages and ability levels, from complete beginners through to advanced players.
The studio is at 32 Flockton Avenue, Sheffield S13 9QQ, in the Handsworth area of the city. In-person lessons take place there. Online lessons run over Zoom and are available worldwide.
Adam has played live with Shayne Ward, Jon Boden, Sarah Darling and Rachael Hawnt; recorded with Mike Stock (Stock Aitken Waterman) and at Abbey Road Studios; supported Dr Feelgood and Gabriella Cilmi live; and studied with Joe Hubbard (Gary Numan, Jim Mullen), Dave Troke (Beverley Knight, Lulu) and Alan Mian (Basement Jaxx, Jocelyn Brown).
Yes. About half of Adam’s students start as complete beginners. There’s no minimum experience required, and lessons are tailored to whatever stage the student is at.
Adam has been teaching music professionally for over twenty years, alongside a working career as a session and live bassist.