Greetings and salutations fine people! I am about 75% of the way through B2B and thinking about my next step forward after completion. While I SO wish that Josh had a follow up course, sadly, he does not at this point. I have read something about an All Access Pass to TalkingBass, but it appears that it’s no longer available. Does anyone know if this is/was a limited time offer only? Looking at the lessons, I’m afraid the cost would be prohibitive for me without the All Access Pass.
The other option I see is Scott’s Bass Lessons. Both sites seem great, but what I’ve read about SBL is that Scott is a marketer first, and is constantly pumping the sales machine. This is one of my pet peeves, and Im not sure Id be happy there. Any input would be most appreciated. Thank you for reading!
I’m in a minority here but I love SBL. The marketing schtick you refer to is mostly in the free YT stuff. Once on the site his lessons and knowledge are deep, to the point and we’ll delivered.
Oh, I forgot. It is super important with SBL “The Players Path” to be honest in your self evaluation test. Otherwise it starts way too advanced and will discourage you. I almost quit but once I honestly rated my skill level, I re-started and am improving every lesson. I even played several pieces that I never thought I could play. So much info on his site it would take a decade to get through it. He has guest teachers like Ari Cap and Charles Berthoud. Just a wealth of info. I like it.
Thanks for this brother. I’m strongly considering SBL. I like that there’s a ton of info for all levels, and is subscription based. I’m not one to follow the crowd. I ask for and appreciate opinions, but then make my own decision. I understand the being honest with myself part. I usually think I suck far worse than I actually do, so that shouldn’t be a problem lol.
I love SBL! Scott along with Ian Allison are my favourite teachers but there are several with different teaching styles to suit almost everyone.
I think that the players path is probably the best thing on there but it seems a lot of people get confused with what to do and where to to go and miss the additional material that goes along with the lessons. The new “learning pathways” which are still a bit limited also help with directing your learning progress.
The only thing that Scott really tries to sell you once you’re an SBL member are his additional “accelerator” courses which are generally offered once a year. So far I think they include: technique, jazz, learning the fretboard and the latest one is slap. As an SBL member you get a $50 discount and for $200 I think they offer very good value considering the cost of in person lessons and you have them “forever”, they’re not limited to your SBL subscription.
I believe SBL has a 14 day free trial so give it a try and see if you like it. I went from B2B, started at level 4 on the players path I think, went back to level 2 and now I’m on level 6. I’ve taken a bit of a detour from that for a bit to work on theory and improvising.
I like Mark at talking bass but I enjoy Scott and his stories, it think they add a lot but some people find him a bit too verbose
My advise on SBL is to spend a couple hours watching Scott’s free videos before signing up.
If you don’t feel like you want to stab yourself in the ears with knitting needles after, then SBL may be for you.
There’s a lot of words in SBL. A lot. An extra lot. X2
I tried the 14-day trial of SBL. Everyone has different tastes and tolerances in everything, and that’s perfectly fine. But, personally, I just couldn’t with Scott.
Yes, there is a lot of info available on SBL, but creating/maintaining a connection with a teacher of anything is critical to learning from that person. No knock on the guy for being true to himself, but Scott wasn’t for me.
And regarding the “following the crowd” reference, I came to this conclusion strictly on my own, long before I joined B2B or any other group. YMMV.
Yeah, some people prefer various types of teachers over others, and Mark Smith’s no-nonsense, academic teaching style is not for everyone, possibly most especially beginners or early-stage-adjacent bass students.
But, for me, Mark’s no-nonsense approach and format is exactly what appeals most. No palaver, war stories, or general BS. Just the facts, techniques and exercises. Granted, not everyone wants this.
Josh takes a decidedly different, friendly and uber-patient approach to B2B, and it’s very successful with total newbies (who are coaxed and gently prodded to reach beyond newbie abilities). Kudos to Josh!
Bottom line, there are a lot of different online courses and teachers for every taste and player ability level. Check them all out and see which one(s) appeal to your needs most.
study bass is awesome considering the low low price of free. i have done a bunch of mark’s courses, a few of scott’s and i can tell you that they both are much more alike then they are different. you can get a lot out of either one, the deciding factor i think is more about the cost and the personalities of the teachers.
