That was cool!
3 Likes
Damn! 
3 Likes
me, today:
âoh crap - this is the bille jean lesson i keep reading about.â
âoh ok this is not so badâ
âwait itâs not just those first 4 notes?â
âwait we change down a string halfway through?â
âwait you want me to do this HOW fast?â
âwait that was the SLOW workout?â
then i had a bourbon.
i do think as mentioned on another thread that using a slow metronome is my next step - great idea. now i need my bourbon to wear off.
13 Likes
Impressive!
Edit: lol that was posted 2 months ago 
2 Likes
Told you so 
Slowing any unfamiliar song down and doing it bar by bar is how a lot of us do it.
Just try that lesson and move on but do come back to it later until you can play at least the slow version.
All the Best, 
2 Likes
I was happy with my progress until I hit Billie Jean. But, a couple hours spent with practice, and now it (mostly) works. A good choice for a challenge song, I think.
4 Likes
Every day I am coming closer to my second anniversary of my first tackle with Billie Jean and I still need to slow down to get it right (kinda) sometimes
4 Likes
Figured Iâd join in and explain how Iâm tackling this challenge.
I got the fast track down (a playthrough without mistakes) repeating the lesson through grinding the muscle memory, but when I played it without the music I just couldnât figure out why it didnât sound right.
Then I thought itâs not really an eighth count, itâs more like DO du du du Do du du du as sixteenths. I tossed it in guitar pro and played along and picked it up like that a lot faster.
While Iâm still continuing the course I added Billie Jean to my to-do list as a part of âSongsâ and I changed the tab up a little bit based off my guitar teacherâs ear.
Since itâs a little tougher on the fingering, I alternate the bass notes (1 count) with a 60bpm drum track and add the sixteenths in when Iâm feeling in time. I took this challenge way out of the lesson, but itâs doing wonders for criticizing my left hand technique!
(I deleted post a min ago because of a mistake in tab)
2 Likes
Good on ya @wrxloaf !
If you need tabs check the 50 First Songs Pack. @JoshFossgreen and @Gio went through and verified every note from scratch. Billie Jean is in there. Every note from beginning to end.
2 Likes
Great resource! I think I need to beat my pinky into submission to really get going though. My biggest barrier right now is getting the âoctave shapeâ beaten into being âcomfortableâ rather than micro-shifting or thinking about my pinky behind close to the fret line.
Watching all of the lessons and many other covers nothing is more apparent than the casual left hand using all four fingers relaxed. Envy!
2 Likes
Check this out. There is a synth bass and electric bass played together in the original track:
https://youtu.be/YDDr6BtrOUQ?t=709
PS.
The whole video well worth watching 
6 Likes
Beat me to it by one
2 Likes
Ahaha well this is a fun plot twist for âHearing it.â Thanks for sharing.
4 Likes
Wow, so glad I found this thread. Thought I was doing pretty good until hit this and wanted to quit when I heard the fast tempo lol. Was wondering if I should move on and keep coming back and it sounds like thatâs a legit option. Will read through the entire thread for advice when I have time. Thanks!
7 Likes
Surprisingly, I got through BJ without a hiccup. But it is perfectly okay to move forward and come back. You will be surprised at how easily you can play it then. My nemesis (and still is kinda) is âSome Kind of Wonderfulâ. And the tab for it shows it should be super easy, but I warn you, it ainât. But I keep plugging away at it and am getting better and cleaner each time I take a shot at it. Like anything, it just takes time and patience. Before you know it, you will be playing whatever you want to play with no problems.
4 Likes
After starting Beginner to Badass as an absolute beginner on bass three weeks ago, I worked through all of the lessons completely until I met Billie Jean yesterday. As I have heard here, I found out that Billie Jean is definitely a challenge.
However, this is a good thing. The first three modules felt relatively easy with a bit of effort and practice. In fact, in some ways the slow workouts on these modules felt like they were too slow. When I started the fourth module, it felt like things were starting to ramp up a bit. Sort of a prelude to what I was soon about to face when I met Billie Jean. Suddenly, the slow workout felt too fast.
I became aware of some technique weaknesses. I also was thankful for the improvements I have made so far. Joshâs @JoshFossgreen reminders to keep using your pinky finger on previous lessons are worthwhile. (I have a matched set of crooked, broken pinky fingers from my days competing in gymnastics. I wasnât sure if they would work on bass, but Josh is right and they have gotten stronger and more comfortable though playing and practice.)
Even so, the slow workout still felt too fast. This experience reminded me of one of the education classes I took prior to earning my teaching credential. In that class I experienced not getting something at all in a math problem after previously having most math come pretty easily to me. I learned about what it felt like to be a frustrated student. This was one of the best things to ever have happened to me. I eventually figured it out. I also made sure to remember how this experience felt. Learning how to learn as a challenged student transformed me into a better teacher.
Now I feel like I have returned to a similar situation. I looked for help by reading through hundreds of comments in both the lesson and the slow workout. I also have gone through other Billie Jean threads and arrived here.
Here are some of the helpful hints and advice I appreciated:
- It is okay to do a finger roll with the pinky.
- Start alternate plucking with the middle finger
- Slow down the video if it feels too fast (I tried this today. The 75% speed was easier and almost doable. The 50% actually was doable and even pretty entertaining having what sounded like a really drunk Josh teaching me.)
- A reminder to keep up the independent alternate fingering. (I found myself sort of matching the index fingers on each hand as well as match my pinky and middle finger in kind of a rocking or synchronized swaying motion to play this. Iâll need to stay aware of this as I continue to revisit Billie Jean and go on with other lessons.)
Yesterday was a wakeup call and a challenge. I felt frustration, but I went back today and tried it again. It felt a little better and I know I still have a long way to go. I just started the fifth module and as I go on, Iâll keep checking back with Billie Jean to work through this challenge using patience and persistence., while accepting advice and assistance.
Thanks for listening and Iâll keep coming back for any additional tips.
12 Likes
Good for you @StevFargan!
Itâs a challenge, but not one thatâs beyond you. 
5 Likes
@eric.kiser Thank you for the encouraging words.
4 Likes
Good attitude and good plan @StevFargan
4 Likes
Thank you @PamPurrs
4 Likes