I'm currently learning the material so that I can take my grade 8 bass guitar, and I've been realizing how little emphasis is put on groove, feel, innovation. All the pieces are essentially generic bass lines for the genre they're written in, and where I can see the idea when it comes to testing people, I don't think that's what bass playing is about, and therefore a awful bass player could achieve a grade 8, where as an amazing bass player couldn't dependant on their ability/desire to copy everybody else. Even the harmonic study, which is a chance to venture into sum interesting sounds, only use natural harmonics on the 5th, 7th, 3rd, and 4th, and 1 on the 12th, Then use a raising artificial harmonic scale.

To sum up, grade 8 is dull as hell and I'm just gunna have to knuckle down to it so I can get it out of the way

4 got 2 ask, ne1 else had the experience

I dunno much about the grading system for bass books (I think that's a UK thing?), but I think that's pretty common with bass methodology. It's hard to teach something like groove in a book. They can put "Funk Groove" at the top of a chart, that doesn't make it funky. Learning to really groove and innovate is often something you need to learn on your own. You either need to learn it by jamming with groovy music and groovy musicians, or you need a groovy teacher.

Remember:

A lot of bass teachers can't really groove.

How can you teach groove if you can't do it yourself?

A lot of so-so teachers think they know how to groove and will teach you bad habits (watch out).

A lot of groovy bass players don't know how to teach.