Yes, this helps a lot. Thanks for the clarification. I will stick to middle - index then and might throw in rakes in the D-G-part. But first I will let her majesty sleep for a while.
if I make it to 95 I will certainly read it - even if I mastered the bassline decades ago
sorry to revive a slightly old thread but Billie Jean just got me 
I just couldn’t make my fingers do anything , and even when I could my plucking strength and alternating just went out the window completely. I’m a bit sad that I’m not doing as well as I thought I was but I’ll move on and try to get it behind me.
Don’t let it get you down. Billie Jean is intended to be a challenge for every new player.
Just slow way down to the point that you can play the first few notes only. Repeat this process until you develop some muscle memory. Then add one or more notes to this slowed down line.
Playing BJ is a gradual process for many, many beginners. There’s no shame in not being able to play it at first. Just do your best for a while, then move on to the next lessons. Revisit BJ every now and then as you learn additional techniques from B2B. You will eventually be able to play the slow BJ workout. Just keep on plucking. You got this. 
Conquered Billie Jean last night. Got full speed solidly - if not perfectly - in only one loop through on full.
Going through program a second time - playing on a pick this time to build those skills. However, I switched back to finger style for this playthrough.
Pretty much all my mistakes were from getting thrown off by when it shifted up, or thinking it shifted up when it didn’t because of the loop-around, not playing ability or finger-twister issues.
Big trick for me was playing it Simandl style instead of making the pinky and ring work separately. I did aim for the A string with my ring finger, but in more of a finger-rock motion instead of working totally independently.
Last weekend I was at the guitar center test driving a few amplifiers. A guy asked if one of the lines I was playing was Michael Jackson… it wasn’t… it was Bin Jovi’s Livin on a prayer).
At that moment I re-figured out Billie Jean and started playing and said to the gentleman that it was a lot like BJ. We both had a laugh.
I’m not yet 6 months post completion of the original B2b course. Maybe you have this to look forward to!
I would recommend focusing on playing it with good technique on the slower workouts more than trying too hard to nail the full speed. Speed will come over time.
I used to use it as a warmup after finishing B2B and would play it at up to 120% speed. Now, fast forward six years, and I haven’t practiced it in years. I tried it and could still play it full speed but I was sloppy AF - it was embarrassing.
Even though I dislike the song, and can play other “harder” songs fine, I am going to work it back in as a warmup and focus on technique, starting slower. It’s a good exercise in finger independence.
I’ve just completed module 7, I thought that I’d go back for another look. Nope… no chance. I can’t even get the fingering, let alone the slow workout. I’ll try again later.
Hi everyone,
I’m currently working on Billie Jean using the octave shape, and I was wondering if you had any live videos of bands playing it that way.
I’m really struggling to play it cleanly like this, so any visual help would be greatly appreciated.
@JoshFossgreen went over this in a youtube video. I’ll see if I can figure out which one.
ohhh with the octave shape ?
Yes, he goes through and shows how it was originaly played.
I can’t find it. Maybe someone else will remember and post it. I’ll keep looking though.
Same basic information but I seem to remember the Josh one was a bit more thorough in his explanation. I think Josh gave advice for doing the octave without using the thumb.
@JoshFossgreen Hi Josh,
I’m struggling with Billie Jean while trying to play the octave pattern.
I can play pattern #1 with the octave fairly cleanly at a steady tempo using palm muting. However, as soon as I get to pattern #2 (on the D & G strings), the strings start to ring out, and I can’t manage the palm muting anymore — nor can I properly get back into position for pattern #1.
Have you covered Billie Jean with the F# played as an octave in one of your videos?
That would really help me out.
Thanks a lot!
Hey @Evil_Morty , you mean you’re trying to play the low root AND the high octave at the same time, like Louis Johnson does in this vid?
If so - nope haven’t covered that anywhere 
Hi Josh,
Yes that’s what I’m trying do except with the thumbs. I’m trying to play it like SBL covered it in one of those “everybody Plays this wrong” vid’. Rigth thumb, index and palm muting. But I struggle with the second segment. Anyway, those lesson tracks of yours are of great help .
Thank you
Hey all, my turn to pour one out to my first attempt of Billie Jean!
My bass is B standard, so that lack of G string meant I was only practicing half of this bassline. And that was MORE than enough at my current skill level; I found that I would lose my place when going back to the beginning, so I could only complete every other bar on slow.
Next time I come back to this, I’m going to play on the 7th and 9th frets to account for that missing G string. Challenge accepted!
PROGRESS ALERT
I’m on module 14 right now, and I decided to go back to try BJ about 6 weeks after doing it for the first time. And yeah! I’ve made a lot of progress.
The first time, I was getting crossed up a lot with using my ring finger and sometimes pinkie on that 4th fret C#. I’d get confused about which one to use and then the whole pattern would get thrown off.
Now, even on the fast workout, I had absolutely no problem with fingering. I can play the riff all the way through, playing the right notes with the right fingering and timing.
However, I still can’t play it through more than twice. My pinky gets so tired after the first run that it can’t keep pressing down the fret. So I’d only be able to get half way through the verse if I was playing the full song. But that strength should come with time.
I’ll come back again in a couple of weeks when I’m done with the course.
Hey everyone!
So I love Billie Jean with all my heart. One of my favorite songs of all time! I was so excited when I say in Module 4 that Josh makes us play it! Aaaaaand now I hate it! Hahaha
However, it has made me realise how much progress i have to make. I was trying the finger roll but i kept getting fret buzz. I also kept getting so confused when it came to Pinky and Ring Finger usage, and my plucking kept going back to one finger! (Sorry Josh)
But in good news, that benchmark helped a ton! It made me realise the areas I need to focus on when it comes to speed! This is just a short forum to discuss the pain I went through and I would love to hear things that people have done to help them!
Manny
Hey Manny -
Come check out years of people running into the hell of Billie Jean over here.