A good teacher will determine the best way to connect with a student in order to impart knowledge. Simply saying, “Well, can’t you hear how it’s supposed to be played?” is insufficient, at best, and a lack of insight and teaching ability, at worst.
This is tantamount to Harold Hill peddling his “Think System” in The Music Man.
So I’m not into calling people names or belittling them, but from your account this cat is just a…let’s say “tool”
Everyone here is right, you aren’t the problem-he is
You are where you are, everyone progresses at their own rate. Maybe he was one of the cool guys that can just “get it”- but not all of us are.
You are right where you are meant to be, move forward at your pace. If a teacher was good at what they did, they would find ways to help rather than be snide about your ability level. There are great teachers out there. were it me? I’d be finding one. This one doesn’t deserve your time, attention or hard earned. You can do better.
Thank you so much to everyone who took the time and energy to respond to my whining. I wanted to thank each person individually but as you all know, I’m very busy practicing Heartbreak Hotel.
I’ve already paid for two more lessons so I’ll stick it out and hopefully learn something. I’m about a third of the way through B2B so I’ll keep going with that and then see where I’m at.
My instructor isn’t actually a bass player, he’s a guitar player who can play bass. As he reminds me every week, he’s been playing guitar for 44 years and teaching for like 20. At least I won’t have to hear him rant any more about how there’s been no decent music recorded since 1982.
Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate your support. Back to Elvis …
Well he’s demonstrably wrong because 1983 gave us Michael Sembello’s - Maniac. A modern classic 
Don’t even get me started on Footloose (1984)
The bassline in footloose is actually really good lol. Also rip on guitar teacher playing bass. I don’t like to belittle anyone but jumping straight into learning songs by ear is kind of wasting your money. You’re essentially paying someone to watch you practice
Oh, God help us. Mystery solved.
See if you can get your money back and just buy some strings. That would serve you much better.
I may or may not own a “Flashdance” DVD. 
Hi @sakkasie I posted Maniac as a bit of joke, because it’s clearly ludicrous to say nothing good has been recorded after 1982.
Then I thought, I’ll show you what Josh’s B2B course can give you. It gives you a fantastic foundation to have fun playing bass. There are hundreds of people on here who’ve been through the course and come out the other side as bassists.
So I decided to do a quick and dirty take on the intro to Maniac. I listened to the track, fished around on my bass until I had the 3 notes (B, C# and D#) and recorded it.
This is what B2B gives you. Fun, pure unadulterated fun. So have a great time learning bass. Don’t compare yourself to others, play the stuff that interests you and have an awesome time. Cheers!!
Wow! What an awful first lesson.
Ugh. This guy sucks.
@Gio Thanks for chiming in. It’s always good to hear from someone more patient and wise in the ways of all this.
@Barney That was awesome!
You’re not stupid, it’s really hard to learn like that. Even if you are familiar with the song you might not be familiar with the bass part. Maybe try another teacher. Good luck 
definitely doesn’t sound like a problem on your end. Keep doing B2B and save your money for a different teacher.
I am sure I have a Flashdance VHS somewhere (I don’t have the VHS player anymore but still…). You are not alone Lady! 
That’s great, @Willis_M! Many of us, myself included, have played bass back in the day, and have come to B2B to learn more and better techniques. Josh presents a great course.
Please consider jumping on the Introduce Yourself thread to tell us a bit about yourself. The B2B gang is eager to welcome you to the family.
Nice job.
Post 1982 would include American Thrash, Grunge, and the album Painkiller. What a silly statement
Here’s a pretty iconic bass line you can learn post 1982
And Poppy!!
Yes, I avoided the whole kawaii metal genre cause I can ramble on.
Always Poppy
Don’t stress too much. I’ve done the B2B course & also took in person lessons. Most if not all students are kids & I’m the lone 61 year old. My instructor is quite strict in his expectations & taught me a lot about music theory & playing better without looking at my hands. My thought is that B2B is awesome but more is better when it comes to learning. What my instructor does mostly is makes me listen carefully to a song I want to play so I hear the nuances that I am typically missing & isn’t shown in the tabs. He doesn’t expect me to master it in a short time & neither should your teacher. Playing bass well is a lifetime endeavour & everyone gets there at a different speed. If your teacher isn’t able to adjust his teaching to you specific needs then find a new one. Enjoy the journey
I’ve started playing again after a long time away from the bass…