I have been at this since Nov 15, and I am not getting it, I have learn of STUFF" I’m just trying to pluck, not anything else for now, and My brain seems to forget it as soon I walk away from my bass… The lesson with Josh have been great, But I don’t know what good sounds like.
I’m really trying, I Practice about 3-4 hours a week.
I cant make my bass sound like music…
WHAT SPACIFIC SHOULD I WORK ON ? TOTALLY CONFUSED…
MATT.
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How far have you gotten through the course?
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But you will.
It takes time, and practice.
We have all been there.
It sounds like you are doing the B2B course and that is a great start.
I have 2 questions:
1 -What lesson are you on?
2 - Do you have any music playing background?
WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T GIVE UP. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
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Don’t give up!
Josh has some great lessons and you’ll learn a lot from him but remember to use other materials to help you learn and practice. I have really enjoyed playing with Yousician and also checking out lessons from others on the bass.
I am sure you are playing a lot better then you did in January of this year. It just takes time and as long as your having fun that’s the most important thing.
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Are you practicing at least 5 minutes every single day? You should. You get a lot more out of daily short practices than weekly long practices.
As others have said, don’t give up. Keep taking the lessons, keep practicing, keep focusing on basslines when you listen to music, and be patient. It WILL click eventually.
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If you really feel like you are not getting it with Josh, I would (along with @PamPurrs’s suggestion) find a live/zoom instructor who can give you instant feedback and get you restarted on your path. Might not take much.
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There are days where I feel exactly the same especially with the technical side such as chords, arpeggios etc but I’m starting to believe I’m over thinking stuff.
The biggest thing I have done which really has helped is playing simple stuff which I can do well, actually enjoying myself and getting some love back into my playing.
You will get there and have your eureka moment. Just enjoy the journey
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It helps me to hum the previous days lesson the next day while I’m at work. I’ll do that a few times. Then when I get home I’ll try and practice it from memory. Usually don’t get it but I’ll try. Then I’ll watch the video and try to get it right. As for it not sounding like " music" ide say just slow it down in tempo and pick it up bit by bit. I havnt finished this course yet but I havnt heard him mention a metronome yet. If he has I must have missed it. That might help. I’ve heard of people that are stuck on something setting the tempo super low on something they are stuck on. Move it up about 5 bpm a week. And eventually they’ll get it.
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Everybody gets frustrated. It’s part of the process. Acknowledge it. Accept it and stay in the game. Here are some suggestions:
- Be patient. Try brushing your teeth or writing your name with your non-dominant hand and remind yourself that you now do this without thinking and the bass is bit more more sophisticated. It always gets better sometimes very slowly but it does.
- Make an occasional recording to gauge things. Posting here will also get you some positive reinforcement/feedback.
- Keep the bass at hand out of the case where you will see it and be able to get to it easily. Use a stand or hanger.
- Mix things up. Try different things and styles. Like a pick (gasp!) or plectrum. Play along with something very familiar and simple sounding. Figure out some nursery rhymes or Christmas carols by ear.
Keep breathing. Avoid self-criticism and fault finding. I know this sounds counter productive. You can be honest with yourself without berating yourself. Nobody yells at a toddler who is learning to walk. Treat yourself that way and remember that there are plateaus and sometimes things feel tedious. The journey comparison is apt. Like hiking, sometimes you think you can’t look at another tree again and then suddenly you turn a corner and realize how far you’ve come.
Be patient
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As others mentioned before, a vital part of improving as a bass player is practice.
Is better to practice a bit every day, than practicing 10 hours one day. Practicing every day helps you to develop muscle memory, and improving your technique.
Try to practice 15-30 minutes each day, at least focusing on plucking and fretting technique.
You’ll see how that pays off really quick
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If you can post a video with specific issues that you see and with notes about what you want to do vs what you’re doing, it will be much easier to give specific advice and pointers!
Sorry for the frustration.
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You can re-enforce your plucking by practicing when away from your bass.
My wife kids me sometimes because I will start plucking away on my pants leg, or on the table along with a song or just whatever is playing in my head. Sometimes I’m working on timing, others trying to learn the rhythm or even how I might change the bass line. You can also focus on alternate plucking.
I find this works really well for me because I don’t have the added stress of having the instrument and hearing when I make mistakes. To me it is all about building that muscle memory and rhythm like others have said.
Keep chuggin’ my friend!
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I have a weird tip: count as you walk. I do this while walking my dogs. Left foot is 1 and 3, right foot is 2 and 4. Just count. Then move to the & as you lift your foot. Then move to 1e&uh2e&uh3e&uh4e&uh. It helps, especially with syncopation. Turns out that I walk at ~116bpm and can pace out just about any lesson in B2B.
I did a comedy show a while back where I had to sing Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing.” I paced it out on my walks, then I went to the theater and paced the distance from the back of the room, up the stairs, and onto the stage. I got it so I could cue the soundman, start my walk-on, hit the stage and be dead on the downbeat for “I believe in miracles!” It was cool. I realized I could do the same thing when I’m struggling with timing on my bass.
It’s odd, and if you do it out loud your neighbors will look at you funny, but it works 
Edited to add an example: I’m working on Madness’s Our House. The bass plays on 1, the “&”of 1, the”e” of 2, beat 3, the “uh” of 3, and the “&” of 4. That’s 16th notes at 120bpm. I’m not that smart. So I walk it out. Each step is a 16th note, and I mentally accent them as I walk. Of course if I ever play this in front of people, I’ll crash at some point because that’s where my dogs stop to poop and ruin my count 
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I find myself doing this when mowing and surprisingly, edging.
To keep the edger accruate to the garden beds, I find keeping my feet moving ‘in time’ keeps the edger where it belongs better. No idea why.
Something tells me I will be thinking You Sexy Thing next time I edge.
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I have a feeling your edges resemble waveforms .
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I used to think I was bad at plucking because my bass would have this awful twang sound. I have since found out it was my nails being too long, even though they were only 1mm. The angle of my plucking fingers meant my nail was the last part of my finger to touch the string and it would ruin the note. I now ensure my index and middle finger nails are really short and I get lovely deep notes every time.
I hope you find your fix 
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Yup, I’m a guy & keep my nails pretty short, but I found myself asking my wife if I could borrow her nail file. It makes a big difference. I now have my own .
I can only imagine that it’s much harder when you actually care what your nails look like.
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The nails on the index and middle fingers of my right hand are hideous. The others I manage to keep presentable. I use an emery board on my two plucking fingers.
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