Josh says, don’t worry if you can’t grasp Billy Jean. But says later, don’t spend more than 2 days on it.
I can’t even do the pre workout let alone the slow.
i start off ok, then lose where I am, have to wait until it comes around only to do the same again.
I maybe get the first 4 or 5 notes, then I’m out.
I walked away from it last night on the basis, that I’d probably done the most of m4 that afternoon.
I’ve come back to it this evening and it’s no better. Time to move on and see what m5 brings I think.
Billie Jean isn’t just a Wicked Mistress, she’s a cold hearted B_tch. Rest assured, however, that after progressing further, you’ll have less trouble with it each time you come back to it. Even if you don’t actively work on that song.
Dude when you finish the course you will realise there’s plenty more dificult stuff out there than Billie Jean. Take a break, move on and come back to it later.
I can also testify to thinking to myself that I will NEVER ever get it! In fact after the first 2-3 weeks I was thinking that I’ll never master anything in bass whatsoever. I did as Josh suggested… leave it and move on… I went through all the modules and never really went back to it, having fun playing other songs, playing tabs for songs from Songsterr, practicing, building speed and dexterity, etc. I then came back to it, after getting to Module 13, and can pretty much play it at full speed with the odd missed fret here and there. Stick with it, you will get there!
Yeah, that worked for me too. Part of the appeal of this course is the laid back approach. I had to keep plugging away to get my fingers to do more of what I wanted. Still do. Consistent practice without stressing makes it a more enjoyable journey.
Whoa, hang on my friend. When I first picked up a bass 4 years ago I sucked, plain and simple. Today, I play in several groups and styles and if I do say so myself, I’m pretty good, I NEVER mastered Billie Jean and probably won’t.
The only way you’re gonna get better is to play, play and play some more. Pick stuff that’s easy and fun. You’re trying to get used to your instrument and once you find those 2-3 songs that you can play correctly the bug will bite you and you’ll start having fun. You’ll eventually find yourself trying more complicated stuff which you may, or may not master at this stage in the game. Just don’t give up.
This process takes time and the more time you dedicate to it the better you’ll become, the more fun you’ll have. I see a fair amount of chit chat here about Billie Jean and it’s not easy. If you bring up the youtube video and slow it down some, you can hear what the bassist is playing. bear in mind these are studio musicians that make a living playing bass so of course they sound great. Just hand in there and see where you’re at at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, etc.
Don’t stress over it. I know from personal experiences, that if you are not able to get through a song, it will feel like a massive defeat. It isn’t, only if you give up completely. Come back to it
I was in the same boat, back in November. I had never played a bass and was/am a novice on the electric guitar. I did the course and struggled with billie jean and various other exercises but moved on once I could do the slow workout (on the hard ones) pretty well. I stuck with the program and put the time in. Now I am actually playing Billie Jean at a 4th of July gig and we expect 300-500 people there. I have no issue playing it now and at full speed. Trust the process and show up to practice. You will be happy you did.
I felt the same and carryed on, skiped it. I also skiped the jazzy unplayable whatever notes from another lesson!!! Now at module 8 and it is going more smoothly. Don’t think I could do Billy Jeans today but I don’t really care! I’ll do what Josh recommends and keep going, then will redo the entire course a 2nd time when I feel like doing so. Don’t give up. You’ll have fun again! Just skip the frustrating parts
I played with it and struggled like everyone. I’ll never go back to it. For one, I am not a MJ fan; two, I’d rather struggle with songs I like/want to play.
Everyone is free to do whatever he/she wishes. But keep in mind that Josh is a great teacher, and every song, riff and line he includes in the course is there for legitimate reasons.
They might demonstrate music theory, offer opportunities to play new/multiple techniques, or present rhythmic concepts and challenges.
In short, every lesson, module, riff and line is very intentionally in the course.
For the record, I’m not a Michael Jackson fan in the least, but the bass line in BJ contains a whole lot of worthwhile techniques, finger coordination, and strength-building in it, so I worked through it. And that work has benefited how I play other bass lines.
In other words, it’s not about the song or the artist: it’s about you, the student.
Think of it like working out at the gym: No one ever intends to live there forever. You visit the gym periodically to build strength and, in doing so, improve your overall health. The exercises you do at the gym help improve your quality of life. That’s the point.
The same goes for what one learns in school or, in this case, in Beginner to Badass. Every lesson contains material intended to help make you a better player — not of a particular riff/line/song by some artist but — of whatever you eventually want to play. The more you learn, the harder you apply yourself, the stronger a player you become. Just keep an open mind and do your best. Trust the process. It does work if you work it.
