Im having to retrain myself already… I rest my thumb on my pickup all the time I dont move it up to the e or a when I move up… I realized this isnt good for muting purposes… I had to retrain myself whilst trying to do the octaves lessons which I found challenging anyway but what I have found and love about my experience learning bass is anythings possible with practice and so far everything has been achievable early days though.
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Not sure if this was mentioned by anyone,but I have just noticed I have issues with,of all things, pauses.
Especially in fills,even if the fill is ridiculously simple- like 3 notes,but a pause- quarter usually, can throw me completely to a point of groove meltdown.
I realise now that until I started the course my playing relied on "hiding " around the guitar,as that’s where I come from and my mental metronome is actually misfiring quite a bit.
I can hear it now much better and it’s like my fingers either want to add an extra pluck or just let the note sort of ring instead of cut the sound off…and muting isn’t the issue ,I think it’s a problem that stems from misunderstanding rhythm- one thing I thought I had( besides the looks 
)
So yeah, I can’t count nor shut up when needed 
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Know exactly what you mean. A trick I use is hearing it in my head, or “pretending to play a note. After you get it down you can do it without. But pretend to play it (while having strings muted, or just hear the note you want to be there, but only have it there in your head, then play the next note.
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Yes that’s it actually - I hear a note and want to play it!!! And while my mind, ear,fingers and all of my personalities have a shouting match about it not being an actual note I lose the groove!
Funny that you have put it that way,because I was going to add ghost notes to my original post…I make a hash of those too,but only when I focus on playing them.
Thank you. I’m about 95% there with the cover of "soul to squeeze " be the chilli peppers,but mess up these two time related passages that have started giving me an anxiety headache!
I’ll incorporate your tip on the morro 
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Take a look at Rich Brown’s recent metronome exercises on YouTube. He mutes beats 1 and 3 on the metronome, it really helps develop the feel for the individual beats and their subdivisions. Might help you with the rests.
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Glad I could help in my non-professional and non scientific way lol! Good luck, keep it going, this particular problem is one I totally get.
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Thank you both!
@akos : I have to utilize the metronome on my zoom more often, even downloaded a drum machine app. That is definitely the way- I have bot developed my count,especially the “and” part between beats.
@kerushlow: oh this isn’t the first time I found your tips and insights helpful on here.
That’s why this place just rocks…the people here are just pure gems!
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When I played drums back in the day, when I had to pause a beat, I often threw in a fill. I imagine I will on bass too.
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I sort of do it when chugging- can’t help it sometimes. Yes this AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA part sure is fun ,lemme just slip in something here…
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I think @kerushlow’s advice is pretty common. Often referred to as “playing the rest” . I find something like a head nod or a shrug is a safe way to play a rest without accidentally plucking something.
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Nice term for it. Yeah I don’t think any of what I say is not known somewhere, I simply had an odd learning path where I learned a lot by trial and error and then finally caved to learn theory concepts and common techniques
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A recommended technique for rhythm guitar is to still strum the rests in the pattern, just don’t let the pick touch the strings. But still move your hand as if strumming in a constant 16th or 8th note chug.
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Same here.
Even with tons of metronome work and practice work - the silence and - even worse - the anticipation of how cool it will be when you come back in - can ruin the groove when you’re not playing.
All the advice on here is great.
I’m just chiming in to say that it takes a lot of work, and to do everything you can to avoid getting excited about what’s coming up.
You have to feel as even-keeled while playing your part as you do during the breaks as you do during your sick and tasty bass fills.
Then too will your groove be even and groovy.
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Aaaah yeah I could just keep "walking " my fingers…yesyesyes! I was always trying to reset my plucking pattern,when I could just use the finger to “play” the space!
Perfect!
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That’s is the funny thing about mastering a tricky part of a song sometimes. I’ll isolate the part until I’m happy with it and then I’ll start messing up the parts I had down- as you said- anticipating my now glorious moment ,rather then just playing the whole thing!
Yet the coolest thing is when you practice past a hurdle and then you can’t even make yourself do the same mistake again and struggle to comprehend the fuss you’ve made about something that is easy now.
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Forgot who said it (probably a lot of people) but something about the hard part of being a bassist is when NOT to play. Sometimes even skipping a beat DURING a fill makes it so much more badass…and that is something I forget about all the time. When less is more!
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Currently struggling with hitting more than one string. I’ve very short fingers, fat palm, as well as issues with moving my pinky and ring finger…there are some times when I will utilize my thumb to hold the E string while my middle and index finger works the others.
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@KiltedCowboy muting the E string by anchoring your thumb on it while playing the higher strings is a perfectly legitimate muting technique 
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ouch, syncopated too