I reached out to Mark years ago, to ask which of his courses he would recommend I take first. He immediately replied: Chord Tones Essentials.
I found this course to be very comprehensive and empowering. To be sure, it requires much dedication and practice, but it was worth the effort to me.
Chord Tones is most akin to a music college-level course, so it is not for everyone. Mark’s Ultimate Theory for Bass course could be more approachable for some. It depends on the individual.
Are you playing with a band yet or going to open jams or anything?
Playing WITH other people is the one thing you can do that will elevate your skills the fastest.
It’s not unpopular with me 
Yes by all means move onto more courses but I also think we should be playing music rather than constantly working on exercises / theory.
There’s a guy in our band who know a LOT of theory and his timing is garbage. Total garbage 
Mark’s lessons contain backing tracks at three tempos — somewhat similar to Josh’s original B2B approach of slow/medium/fast workout speeds. But Mark’s backing tracks are composed at those tempos, not just slowed down. The arrangement also changes from tempo to tempo, so the student isn’t just hearing the same thing over and over again as the tempo changes.
Mark stresses the importance of good timing but only AFTER a given lesson/line/song is between the ears and under the fingers. Understanding how and why a line is built is key. Once that is understood, a player can concentrate on technique and timing.
The study of music theory and timing are absolutely not mutually exclusive. In fact, timing, ear training, melodic dictation and reading notation are the core pillars of music theory.
It’s sure possible for someone to only learn the academics of theory and nothing else, but good teachers and courses offer a wholistic approach that encompasses every aspect required for understanding and playing music.
I totally concur with your post, the above quote rings true and perhaps balance may be the way.
Constantly may refer to doing nothing but?
The BassBuzz course with its practical use of known songs along with the exercises was a combination of song learning while sneaking in fundamentals’ of theory.
Dry academic style of study may not be the most effective for those with an artists disposition, and the odds are all here have an artistic bone or two.
I seek further structure through another course, after eight months of finishing BB, I’ve learned many songs which would have been doable without BB but BB definitely helped and made it happen faster along with giving me a map in my early days.
If it worked once I’m thinking it will work again.
Every player is different, but the one thing all have common is the desire to play music.
For many here, bass is their first ever instrument experience. That’s really great.
For others, bass is only the most recent instrument they’ve played in their lives. And that’s very cool.
Others here have had years of formal training in a principal instrument and/or music theory.
The point is: this B2B family is diverse in goals, attitude and experiences. Still, each of us was drawn to @JoshFossgreen and his great course. Without a doubt, it’s a wonderful combo of fun, core technique and theory. It literally offers each of the aforementioned student types what they need.
But after B2B? Maybe even after having gone through it more than once? What then?
That choice is strictly up to the individual player.
Some want to learn cover tunes. Some want to jam and/or join a band. Others want to learn more about technique. Some want to learn how music really works. Some want to write or arrange original songs.
The choices — and resources for achieving them — are all out there for the choosing. But what works for one might not work for all. Or even for more than just one.
But who cares? We learn and play for our own personal reasons. Choose what works for you and be happy.
Definitely true…
However, with the What next? being the thread title I come here seeking the input from those who have gone before me and may lead direction to the title question.
All you have said is true as a statement but is slightly off the target question.
I respect your posts and experience along with your insights about Talking Bass courses.
Your feedback is steering me towards Mark… 
I started at SBL, moved to BassBuzz, then TalkingBass, also did Charles and started today “playbass” by Musora(Drumeo, etc)
Pathwise… I think:
BassBuzz - TalkingBass - SBL / Charles.
Playbass as I said, started today, so I can’t give an opinion just yet, but if they keep the quality that they have in Drumeo / Guitareo / etc, it will be good. (Subscription)
If you want Theory, Groove Training, Ear Training, I’d go TalkingBass. Course are permanent and frequently @markjsmith does sales. His last finished yesterday. (You pay per course and keep it for life)
I am doing Theory / ear training on TalkingBass… and I can’t complain at all, been learning a lot, although Ear Training is messing with my brain, but that’s a me problem.
SBL when I was subbed to it, was not beginner friendly and I did not have a positive experience, that doesn’t mean they do a bad job, they just cater to a different audience. They revamped some stuff recently and I think @joergkutter is subbed and may give you more feedback on how it is now, as I believe they sorted that gap. (Subscription)
Charles, his course is doable, but it’s not very beginner friendly and while he is very talented, he isn’t the best at teaching, you’ll find it awkward coming from BassBuzz or TalkingBass. I only have the beginner course, not the mastering the masters. The later might be on the harder side, based on what I saw in the Beginner one. It’s also a permanent course.
As @MikeC suggested, I’d follow up with Musical Theory course as you continue practicing and getting mileage under the fingers.
That is an excellent personal overview built on and based on experience and the exact feedback I seek, thank you kindly for the clarity.
Your future review of Playbass would be appreciated…
“@MikeC suggested, I’d follow up with Musical Theory course.”
This will likely be the course I choose. Thanks MikeC.
This is an example of the lessons.
They only open 1 lesson per day, finishing on May 5th, if I don’t miss any day.
Initial lessons are simple and the usual introductions to bass.
First lesson… is playing… simple notes, on the fast side, but you can accompany it easily. You should be able to get a 30 day trial to Musora… or at least a 7 day one. But since most of the course is still locked, I’d wait a bit.
They also have a practice area, where you can play to the track for practice.
I apologize if I wasn’t clear.
I started with SBL, but didn’t care for it at all. I then jumped on B2B, and it was great for what I wanted (specifically, fingerstyle bass technique).
I then went straight to Talking Bass lessons for a better understanding of technique and music theory related to bass. Since starting with Chord Tones Essentials (the study of harmony, arpeggios, and much more), I have collected almost all of Mark’s courses (except for the beginner courses). Each one is a masterclass example of a course.
To be honest, I have come to really like Mark’s no-frills presentation of material, particularly his analytical breakdown of a song’s harmony combined with practical technique — various ways to play the song in various positions on the neck. It has been exactly what I was looking for.
That said, I was a music theory and composition major in college, so Mark’s approach is familiar to me. It is different than Josh’s style and content, but it totally builds on everything presented in B2B.
I can recommend Chord Tones Essentials as containing multiple lightbulb moments for any bass player.
Hope this helps.
I get what you are saying but bear in mind the point of learning an instrument is usually to gain the skills to play music. The music is what matters, unless your end desire is to be a youtube influencer famous for their mad skills but who never releases any actual music.
And like Mike said, many people here ARE just in it for the fun. And a big part of that fun is just playing songs they like.
I understand you look at this through a competitive lens yourself but also understand that not everyone shares this outlook - and there’s nothing wrong with that.
My goal is to stand on a stage and have beer bottles thrown at me in a scuzzy dive bar tbh.
Yeah but thats fun
This of course will vary for each individual, but a persons why can consist of a whole lot more than a few stated reasons while what is fun has a different meaning to everyone.
No matter what floats a persons boat and their reasons, I’m grateful for everyone one here, I’ve learned a little to a lot from so many here.
Sure, but in the end, if it isn’t about playing music for yourself or others, what do the instrumental skills bring you? The journey is a lot of fun, of course, but the reward is pretty damn cool too.
Not much in life is simply cut and dry, this way or that.
There is always more than meets the eye or that quick answer that sits at the top of ones brain and poised at the gate of the mouth.
However, this question you ask should perhaps be asked in a new thread - “Philosophy”.
Problem is that can lead to a lot of spu and impose on bass practice time.
For me there is always a couple songs minimum between posts, my take 5 moments.
That’s exactly how I think of it, and that alone is enough why for me.
Now I’m going to play some Steely Dan and then some reggae to re-warm up…
Don’t get me wrong, I totally get the “the journey is the reward” part too. There’s something very zen and relaxing about instrument practice, even boring stuff.
2 Steely Dan and 1 10’ ganja plant songs played.
Agreed 100% on one hand, while 100% opposite on the other but philosophy talk can go on for a long time, so I’d rather talk about how to get better instead of what it is or isn’t.
Tell me of a couple tunes you dig on and I’ll give them a try…
