I’ve done the Bassic Fundamentals and am now doing the Groove Trainer courses and the Technique Builder one. There’s some overlap as the Fundamentals is a broad brush giving a foundation to a lot of things. These courses then go into those things ingreater depth.
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Cool!
So - if I had one course to do, would you advise “Bassic Fundamentals” or “Technique Builder”?
Again, my focus is on technique now, so “Technique Builder” sounds better suited, if it really goes deeper than “Bassic Fundamentals”…
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If you’ve done B2b then probably not the Fundamentals. It is a real foundation so it goes through a lot of stuff but not in any depth. I would imagine you already know how to pluck, basic scales, basic triads/arpeggios, pedals., amps, basic set up, etc etc. sounds like the Technique one would be better. I’ve not got far into it yet as I’ve spent more time on the Groove one (better for my previously mentioned rhythm issues) so hard to give details but I’m certainly expecting significantly more depth than the Fundamentals.
Note the free lesson linked above is from the Technique course.
I have also got B2b so I have enough courses to keep me off the streets for a while 
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I just wrote an email to TalkingBass and asked to clarify things.
Now I understand why Josh offers only one course - it leads to much less confusion (though I wouldn’t kind a follow up!).
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Their two styles are very different as well. I think Mark’s more reserved approach is better suited to us stuffy Brits certainly more the sort of approach I’m used to. Josh’s is much more upbeat and maybe thereby a little more inspirational.
Incidentally I prefer white background to black. Horses for courses 
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Yeah, Josh seems to be Dutch by heart! Charming, funny and good looking 
I can ignore the white background (but I am looking for a technical solution, to change that in realtime) and I can even ignore Mark.
Most important thing is to learn, so I’ll drink some tea, drive on the wrong side of the road and use strange metrics to prepare for TalkingBass, if necessary!
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@joergkutter - I think you are the one that stated the topic on how we each approach a song. I can’t seem to find it though and it might be helpful to the OP here.
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So, here is a thread from earlier, which might provide further pointers:
(Thanks to @John_E for a good memory! Where were you, Funky Forum Dude @eric.kiser !? 
)
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It beats the alternative.
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I would like to get younger any time of the day
That most definitely is not an alternative.
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Not having any TAB or other notation to learn from initially as I learned bass lines to commit to memory I initially try to visualize them as a pattern of single notes played in a specific sequence and rhythm based on a scale or part of it.
If counting them as each note that makes up that scale helps try that. This seems to work well for walking type bass lines like a simple triad of Root, III, V, III, Root. Or sub the names of the notes themselves like A, C#, E, C#, A. You can extend this as much as needed to cover the 6th, 7th and Octave 8th.
Nearly every bass line is a repeating pattern around it’s tonal center which moves along with the chord progression. Once you can visualize the pattern and hear each note and interval as you play through it your brain begins to lock into it and helps your fingers adapt to it mechanically when repeating it.
For most of us it’s that repetition that helps us lock anything into memory because from early childhood on it’s how we’re taught. Think back to grade school and how you were taught to memorize multiplication table or fractions through repetition like “Flash Cards”. It’s the same deal with bass lines.
As we learned more complex equations or formulas we were taught to break them down into parts. Do the same with a bass line by deconstructing it into it’s various parts like; Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Solo, then just assemble the parts to create the whole. Nearly every bass line is constructed this same way.
And if more is needed make up whatever memory cues you need out of whatever works for you. For instance; I think of the iconic bass line for Papa Was a Rolling Stone as; Bum Bump, Bump Bump, Bum Bump. That gives me the rhythm of the pattern so all I have to do is insert the correct notes for the key I’m playing it in. You can do the same with virtually any bass line.
Hope this helps.
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First, play often and play a lot of different songs in different genres to improve your music vocabulary. Most songs are a combination of similar musical phrases. I’m sure you sing/hum/whistle a lot of songs (or at least could)… you might not know what the notes are that you’re singing or what key the song is in but you remember the sounds and the intervals.
The skills you need to learn for improvisation make it much easier to “learn” songs
I don’t know what your level of ear training is but if you’re good at recognizing intervals, it’s significantly easier to memorize songs. A basic knowledge of major and minor scales/shapes is helpful too. Most people are good at memorizing melodies, you listen to the song enough to become familiar with it and then play the intervals.
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Some songs just seem very hard to remember, others it just comes easy. With the harder ones, it sometimes help me to transcribe them. I’m still at the tabs phase, but it works well.
It’s like a shopping list; if I write it down, I can leave it at home.
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I think everyone learns differently, so what works for me might not work for you. Personally, I think about the songs in segments. Generally speaking, bass lines are repetitive, so I can assume that my “main riff” is going to repeat itself frequently. That’s the first segment of a song I will learn.
The main riff almost always has a transition phrase that will lead you into a pre chorus/chorus, so making sure to nail this transition is important. That’s the second segment I will learn. Once I feel like I can nail those parts I move on to the next segment, and pretty soon the whole song is at least under my fingers, and just needs to be played repeatedly to memorize.
Repetition really is the only secret. You also need to know the rest of the song outside of the bass part. There’s always cues from the other instruments to help remind you when a change is coming, and recognizing these cues is crucial for me.
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I have ADHD and have some issues with short term memory. But repetition works. If you’re playing for a gig or smth, play it till you’re physically sick of it. Humming the bassline to yourself helps too lmao. 
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I disagree with the idea that learning a song requires repetition, I’ve learned it is the process of recollection. Playing the same song over and over won’t store it in long-term memory. It is the process of struggling to recall a song and play it that stores it. I think I read this on studybass.com, but I haven’t been able to find a link to that today.
Yeah I have to disagree. I’ve learned more than 50 songs in the last year and change and every one required extensive repetition. You can know every single note of a song by heart, but in order to translate that to the instrument you have to train your muscles to hit the notes. I know HOW to play a ton of songs that I can’t come close to actually playing.
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I agree with @Ant learning new song requires a lot of practice and packing down muscle memory. Notes on the new songs needs to feel worn under your fingers. Unless of course you are a seasoned pro and most of those are already under the fingers.
Like singing, you can practice 20-30 times and think that you remember the words then step up on stage and try to sing that song, 
, you’ll be lucky to remember your name in the middle of that song.
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