maybe a module about ghost notes would be cool and useful !
9 Likes
Oh thats a good one. More slap along with that too 
2 Likes
+1 to that!! (With or without the slapping 
)
2 Likes
I’m also psyched that you’ll be doing more advanced lessons. What I’d most like to see are genre-specific technique modules–something like extended versions of the the blues survival shapes and Bootsy lessons you’ve posted, for several genres of music.
5 Likes
@acr08807 Welcome to the forums! You will be hard pressed to find a nicer place on the Internet.
3 Likes
I’d like to see more on specific techniques like hammer ons and pull offs, bends, tapping, harmonics.
And more slap. Definitely more slap.
3 Likes
I don’t know if it’d be so relevant for the next course, which will be for more experienced players anyway, but I’ve found it hard to quickly identify which fret you’re playing on the Cirrus due to the lack of fret markers. For a beginner they are a huge help. I know you can’t re-film all of the lessons, but it may be worth considering for future vids.
I know you love that bass but it’s not as if you’re playing it much in the lessons.
It says a huge amount about how good your videos are though that the only thing I can nitpick about is that.
2 Likes
Welcome to the forum @acr08807! Yeah, genre-specific modules sounds fun, or even a whole course!
Thanks @oldthumper! Funny, some people say “bring on the slap,” others are like “no thank you ever.” Your vote has been noted. 
And I hear you about the fret markers @PeteP! That’s part of why I’ve been using other basses in recent Youtube videos.
3 Likes
Keep playing the Cirrus if that’s your favorite, just get some low-tack vinyl contact paper and cut it to fit as fret makers.
Kind of like this (but I use paint)…
There will be no doubt as to which fret you are on.
4 Likes
Perhaps late to the party on this but Just finished the course so can provide my wish list and observations.
Firstly this course has been one of the best I’ve found online, and even as a serial quitter I’ve managed to get to the end which is a testament to how well put together it is and how good you are as a teacher. Before going for B2B I was eyeing up the Fender Play course but was put off by some of their oddly robotic teachers and the lack of clear structuring - you are anything but robotic and the course is well structured.
I’d previously quit learning piano due to not grasping counting and note durations (even with private teachers) but B2B has really helped me get the basics of this.
For Bassbuzz Part 2 (Badass and Beyond? Intermediate to Insane? Middling to Mesmerising?):
- Way more pick lessons/practice - I was gutted there was only one lesson and slow workout for pick playing. I would have liked a whole module on this (like the slap was given) to really expand on things like palm-muting and the different strokes as personally pick-heavy genres like post-punk are my favorites but I’ve never been able to play well with a pick.
- More chords - there’s barely any lessons or resources online for playing bass chords but some great examples were played in the lesson-intros and masterclass so a whole module on this please!
- Grace notes, acciaccatura (as I had to look that up on some sheet music), hammer-ons, pull-offs, ghost notes etc
- More of the same in terms of songs - I personally thought the variety of age and styles was great (you’re going to have to invest in more module-themed band t-shirts though!)
- More scales with an emphasis on the specific intervals (whole and semitones/steps) as this is something I’ve never been able to understand.
- More on “feels” and weird timings. I struggled with the shuffle feel lesson (I could play it by “feel” but couldn’t grasp the counting) so some expansion on this theme would be good.
Observations which might help for future courses:
- I completely, utterly bombed with the slap module and additional lessons (couldn’t slap a single note - I think I just need in-person lessons for this) so kind of felt deflated in not technically “completing” the course or passing the quiz as a result and this section slowed my momentum - I would have preferred if these were add-ons or master-classes rather than a part of the main course. I know there is the preamble at the start of the module about just playing finger-style if you can’t get it, but it was disheartening sitting through a “popping” lesson for example and just playing the finger-style - felt like cheating.
- Towards the end of the course the beat-ruler, sheet music and tab didn’t appear as much, as a visual learner I struggled with this. For example there was a lesson where a pentatonic minor scale was mentioned without any visuals - I only think the pentatonic was mentioned once previously in the course (and for the major scale I think) so it was a struggle to grasp (I needed to stop and go look up the scale patterns).
- With the beat ruler - in some lessons (but not others) the duration of the note was indicated by an arrow or line. This was really helpful for me as it helped distinguish between whole/half/quarter/eighth notes clearly so it would be good if this could be added for all lessons. Without this it was sometimes difficult with the counting alone to hear what type of note was being played. Overall I think the beat ruler was one of the most useful parts of the course for me so having it used more would be great.
- More references to the Hal Leonard book to help make the most of this - it’s a nice bonus but a bit intimidating for a beginner as the songs are alphabetical (not in order of difficulty) and some are pretty challenging.
11 Likes
That’s a great idea, @Korrigan . . . 
Maybe @JoshFossgreen could even use strips of “post-it” notes for an even more temporary fix?
Cheers, Joe
4 Likes
Congrats on finishing the course, @Rich.B . . .
Some good points there. I did not do well with the slap and pop section either, and I would have liked to see a bit more on using a pick. Overall the course was great, and Josh really IS a good teacher! I’m going back over the course to fill in some of the material that I did not thoroughly understand the first time around.
All best, Joe
3 Likes
Haha, yeah, exactly my sentiment! After I had bought the Rumble Studio 40, I could try some of their lessons, but, man, they felt so distanced and odd… “Robotic” is a good word for it 
They had some good-looking automatons tough 
4 Likes
That is soooo true of our Josh (tagged @JoshFossgreen ). One of the (many) reasons I chose his course over some that may have been more relatable in terms of cultural references: i.e. a fellow Brit.
You’re late to the forums @Rich.B, but welcome, and congrats on completing the course. Why not pop into the Introduce Yourself thread and, erm, introduce yourself. There is a growing number of regulars that are making these forums such a great resource even when you’ve completed the course.
P.S. some really good observations for B2B2: The Picker Awakes.
4 Likes
I don’t know if it has already been suggested, maybe a course about fretless bass approach and playing would be cool.
Another thing is I believe that when a player progresses, he/she tends to specialize in the musical style and techniques that he/she likes. So I’m wondering if it would not be interesting to offer different small courses on specific subjects (like 2 or 3 modules maybe) for more advanced players, more than a big course like B2B with everything in it ? Or maybe an option to purchase the modules one by one, independantly ? Not sure at all if it makes any sense, that’s just my questionning at this moment.
4 Likes
Yes!! Thanks @terb for mentioning this. Fretless bass is where I wanna go next. Hell, thats where the sound we love to make all started at!
4 Likes
That’s great to hear @Rich.B! Glad you made it through, and that my android positronic brain is accurately simulating human behavior. 
I love all these.
Yes! I will probably enlist a better pick player/teacher to help with that in the future, as I am not primarily “a pick dude.” (although I do sometimes use them)
And thank you for the rest of your thoughtful notes, that’s all really helpful. 
And thanks for your thoughts as well @terb!
4 Likes
Just my take on things @JoshFossgreen… After reading through many responses here, I’m not convinced that another full fledged “intermediate/advanced” course would be be beneficial to me personally. As @terb mentioned, taking the basic course has helped all of us out tremendously and most of us pretty much know the genre of music that we like to play along with the style we enjoy most… Another full course that includes all of the different styles is one that (I personally) would not sign up or pay for - however… I WOULD pay to sign up for any ‘specialized’ class that you would offer that would help me develop skills in the area(s) that interest me.
That said, maybe several “Specialized” courses focusing on things like Slap: Pick: Pop; Fretless; or whatever,… are the way to go. For me, (being honest here) I would not pay to learn something that I was not interested in. Your original course was a ‘hit’ because you ‘hit’ all areas without saturating anyone with any one thing in particular - you hit all bases and ‘opened our eyes and ears to the basics’ of bass, and as such, helped many of us move forward into something we all love to do - play bass…
Just my 2 cents…
Keep on Thumpin’
Lanny
6 Likes
A lesson on how to play while jumping up and down on stage would be cool. That would really help to jumpstart my Elastica tribute band.
6 Likes