Starting the course over

I got to Module 6 and work got really busy and I just didn’t feel like practicing. :disappointed_relieved: I picked up the bass again, and it feels like I’ve never played before. I tried to pick up where I left off, but just felt lost. So, I’m going to start again and do my best to be more consistent. :smiley:

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If you don’t feel like practicing, it’s usually because there isn’t something to practice for. Are there any jam sessions in your area? Community college or adult school improvisation or jazz band courses?
I find that an application for what you’ve learned is just as important as the material itself. I hope you find an outlet!! It usually takes care of the practicing for you: the threat of not performing well or not supporting your band is usually the strongest motivator!

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What @Gio said - external motivation/excitement might help!

Or if there’s no one to play with or you don’t feel up for that, even just finding some songs you really want to learn could help?

And I’ve noticed for me, that feeling of “I’ve never played before” always subsided after a little time of getting back into it, so you’re probably not as far towards square one as you think.

Also, there’s some really cool shit in Module 7, so consider the carrot dangled. :stuck_out_tongue: :carrot: :guitar:

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Funny you should say that. My drum instructor and I have a goal of me being able to play on a jam night by summer. I confident I can do it. Maybe I should try to make it a twofer. First time drummer and bass player on the same night! :crazy_face:

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Now I’m just going to skip to module 7. :yum:

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Haha, well in that case Module 6 is full of fun stuff too!

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Josh,

I have not touched the course in three months (just life stuff “too busy” but not really). I left off in module five. I want to get back into it. Where in the course should I pick it back up (start from beginning, start at specific module, pick out certain ones, other.)?

Thanks!

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@greghsr, if it were me, I’d just go back to the beginning and start over again, skimming through the completed parts until I got back to where I left off. . . . :slight_smile:

One advantage of @JoshFossgreen’s course is that you can always go back and review as much as you need whenever you want.

All best and good luck, Joe

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I almost quit after module six myself. The exercise in lesson 4 made me realize that my left hand was not designed for playing bass in the manner in which Josh plays. I’ve taken a temporary break from B2B, and am instead focusing on daily fretting drills using all four of my fingers, and rapidly sliding up and down the fret board to compensate for my short span. I am refraining from trying to make music for now, until I get my fretting hand under control.

Wax on… wax off. Wax on… wax off. Wax on … wax off…

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No doubt - I’d never even picked up a bass until a few months ago, so, some of the non-glamourous side of learning B2B is just doing a drill or a few bars over and over and over again, until it’s just hammered into me, and my hands, then doing it again the next day. But it does improve over time.

Some of it can be slow going, but all so worth it in the end! B2B is a gold mine of info, just takes awhile to digest. And some repetition. And throwing in a fun song or two, just to keep the badass spirit alive!

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@PamPurrs Don’t beat yourself up too hard. (I am familiar with this. I am easily my harshest critic.)

Besides, just the other day your spouse called you a BadAss! And that’s pretty awesome!

Also, don’t forget that Perfection is the Enemy of Good.

I have driven myself to practice the same thing over and over before, until I have driven myself right into not wanting to even pick up my bass. Sometimes it’s better to just keep moving forward. If you find something you need to work on, I would recommend adding it to your practice routine rather than making it the focus.

For me, anything that slows the forward movement can be terribly frustrating. I have to feel like I’m still learning something new even if I’m still practicing something old. I hope that makes sense.

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@PamPurrs: and don’t forget the benefits that can come from NOT practising for a day or two, or doing something completely different than your usual routine for a change!

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@joergkutter Yes, this is really important.

A pretty standard recommendation is a maximum 15 minutes practice time then 5 minutes doing anything else. Repeat these two cycles as often as you want.

The reason for this is the brain requires time to build the neural pathways to support what you’ve just learned.

Also, this gives you a time frame to build your practice around. Say you have an hour of practice time. This gives you three 15 segments of study and three 5 minute segments to let it sink in. So you could plan it out like…

15 min. Practice Scales and Fingering
(5 min. Break)
15 min. Practice Song
(5 min. Break)
15 min. Learn Something New
(5 min. Break)

It is proven that with FOCUSED practice, you will IMPROVE.

This happens because every time you practice you are telling your brain to reinforce the neural pathways you’ve been building. The stronger the neural pathway, the more natural the action feels and the easier it is to recall.

Some examples of this in action:

Victor Wooten takes it a step farther and has said he does 10 minute focused practice sessions.

And, this is the reason TED talks are limited to 18 minutes no matter who is doing the talk. (The science behind this seems to support an 18 minute maximum cycle but I find it easier to think and plan for 15 minute cycles.)

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But imagine what you could achieve in those extra 3 minutes! A soft boiled egg, for one thing! :wink:

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I agree with Eric, @PamPurrs, don’t let M6L4 destroy your forward momentum! You can keep moving forward in the course while you do your finger exercises, and then come back to it later. And it’ll probably be magically easier.

In response to your question @greghsr, if I were you I’d do what Joe said and skim through what you’d completed previously and then pick up from where you were.

TOP PRIORITY AT ALL TIMES - keep going, don’t get stuck on any particular lesson!

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@JoshFossgreen
I was a little emotional and stressed out when I posted my comment on the lesson page (Module 6 Lesson 4). I felt that I was under pressure to perform something that I’m physically unable to do. I have since come to the realization that there are many superb bassist who have hands smaller than mine, who’ve adapted and worked their way around it. We can’t all play like Josh, who has incredibly long and nimble fingers.
I no longer feel under pressure to grow my fingers. I will continue to learn and practice with what I have, and make up for my “hand” -icap by mastering the art of sliding up and down the fret board at the speed of light.

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I picked up the bass a little more recently. In addition to this course, I have an instructor come by once a week. I learn better with an instructor right there. I’ve been concentrating on the drums, and last night, played on stage for the first time in a jam at a local bar. It was only two songs with the house band, but I understand why people like being on stage. It was fun, and I didn’t feel nervous. Like golf, performing can’t kill me, and it can’t eat me, so I just have a good time. The other musicians, especially the bass player were very helpful and supportive, with constructive comments after I was finished. I want to get up there again. I still want to do the drums and bass in the same night sometime. I’ll get there. :grinning:

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congratulations for your first time on stage ! :partying_face:

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That’s awesome @asantora! Congrats on your first jam. :tada:

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The great violin virtuoso Itzak Perelman practices 50 minutes
and takes 10 minutes off each hour.
With a total time of 3 hours.

Rostropovich, Russian cellist, does the same, but uses the first 30 minutes doing only scales.

So, breaking up practice is a good thing.

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