Looking at @faydout 's link, getting the syncopation right is tricky. Every other bar starts with a rest on beat 1 and you have to play on the 1/8th note that follows. Sting does this in a lot of Police songs, I think Josh teaches it with the intro to Roxanne if I remember correctly. The tone sounds like they might be using an octave effect to double the line.
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Run, don’t walk, to sign up for B2B. It is the wisest bass investment you’ll ever make. Josh teaches you the proper way to learn and play bass. Plus, he makes it ton of fun. Just ask anyone here. B2B will unlock and clarify everything you need to start playing bass. Seriously, just do it.
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Thanks!
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Great question, Josh! Integrating a regular practice routine can definitely be a challenge. One trick that’s worked for me is setting specific, achievable goals for each session and tracking progress. It helps to build consistency and keep motivation high. I’d love to hear what strategies others use too!
Like I was saying in the BJ thread, I was struggling with ‘With or Without You’. Not during the fast workout, because that’s just a short bit and it went fine after some practice, but keeping up the chugging during the entire song. I kept hearing noise and not all transitions were as smoothly as I wanted, and the timing felt messy as well. Since I pretty much always play with the Vox Amp plug and my headphones, I heard every little thing. (I like playing at night and I live in an apartment building.)
Today, since it’s only afternoon here in the Netherlands, I decided to just crank up an old amp and make a lot of noise for a change. Both my dogs fled the scene after hearing the first note. 
I put the music on a slightly higher volume than my bass so it would blend in nicely and to my surprise it actually sounded half-decent. I had a ton of fun playing instead of practicing.
So, note to self: make some noise once in a while. The results might be surprising.
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Awesome! The things you list here are helpful self critiques and valuable for determining what you need to work on. Luckily I think the fix for all of those little issues are fixed by putting fingers to strings more. Working on muting, doing more transitions (I like to start my warm up by playing scales, that should help with that), and if you can try playing along with a metronome. All things we bassists work on for as long as we play bass.
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I’m willing to play scales but I wouldn’t know how yet. The B2B course is the first thing I have ever done. I’ve never even held a bass guitar before that. 
I think there are lessons about it, right? I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
As for the metronome, I used to play piano with one. It was helpful indeed. I actually downloaded an app this afternoon and I also bookmarked the Google one in my browser. So thanks!
Now it’s BJ time. I hope to be able to play the slow workout next week.
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i think I got it. I was trying to replicate my instructors “1 + 2 +3 +4 +” beat message on my sheet music in my mind, while saying 1 + 2 +3 +4 + while playing and reading the notes- it was to complex for me-ha ha- it was just getting messed up and getting no where. I played with a metronome, -not at full speed- It took awhile but got it!
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I seem to have caught the triplet yips. I used to play them good with fingers and a pick but now i can barely get through 2 bars lol. Hopefully it passes.
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today i feel uninspired. barely got any practice in, and didn’t feel like doing the lesson today.
ive been trying the 50 songs challenge. kinda got another brick in the wall down, and would love to give the other 50 a go. i just dunno how to record cleanly.
i am sure i will get better if i keep doing it, just gonna make sure i get good sleep tonight and just do the goddamn work when i get up.
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I am currently struggling to have my middle finger and index finger sound similar when alternate plucking… I tried all sorts of methods (like plucking lighter) but the tone between these two fingers are still drastically different. What’s worse is that it’s stalling my progress in learning other things…
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Have you got both finger nails clipped to the same length? I often find one (usually the middle) can start catching and so give a radically different sound. Whilst you can pluck bass with finger nails, like with a guitar, you will get a radically different sound and I’d say that most keep those nails short.
Other than that just keep plugging at it. That kind of thing seems to sort itself naturally over time as your brain processes the feedback of playing and hearing.
Also you may never get them matching perfectly. Josh talks about occasionally just plucking with one finger to ensure a consistent tone and not alternating. But mostly you want to get that alternating steady for the fast passages.
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I feel your pain, but I remind myself that I’m new to this and it might sort itself out eventually. I try to laugh at the plucking sounds I make; sometimes weirdly loud and the next it’s almost muted. I feel badass when I play but I sound like crap 
One thing I did was record my plucking hand up close and I saw that my middle finger was hitting the string slightly angled compared to the index finger. I tried to correct it and that helped a bit.
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I hear you. We all have good days and better days.
I know when I push myself or fight through those uninspired times (what ever it may be) I come out better at the other end. We have a choice on what we want to dwell on. Somedays, we all just need a break and that is good and healthy too. Have fun on your next 50 songs.
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Great post! Thanks and Welcome
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Many beginners commonly find it unnatural to maintain a consistently similar attack/feel when they alternate pluck with the index and middle fingers.
One way to work through this issue is to concentrate a few practice minutes to alternate plucking a single string, slowly and deliberately. The string can even be muted.
The point is to isolate this technique, to engrain in the brain and hand how the fingers must move and feel in order to produce the desired tone volume with each finger pluck.
Another suggestion is to slightly curve the plucking fingers rather than keeping them straight. With practice, the hand and brain will learn how much bend per finger is best to achieve consistent plucking volume.
Try these practice techniques briefly at every practice session, then just move on to other lessons, learning songs, etc. And don’t worry: It will all come together. You got this.
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This will iron out in time.
Also, the sound of isolated bass is not something that the average person will ever hear in their lives.
I’m 99% sure that It won’t matter in the mix and with the band.
If it is heinous and grievous, it can be frustrating, but I wouldn’t dwell on it.
The more you apply your hands to more activity - string crossing, varied bass lines, faster playing, etc., the more the coordination builds and the more your control builds.
Hope you manage to press on.
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I really need to buckle down and work on speed with both fingers and pick. The list of songs I’d like to play above 130bpm is getting long and includes some of my favorite bands (Joy Division, The Cure, Interpol in particular).
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Thank you so much for this advice! I recorded my fingers moving and found that my index finger tends to stay straight while plucking and my middle finger is slight bent. After unifying the angle of my fingers the difference become a lot less prominent.
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Thanks you so much! Curving both of my fingers really does help! My notes are now fairly consistent at lower speed. I guess I still need some time to play both at high speed and be consistent. 
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