In response to the OP, what element(s) of technique are you looking to improve? Fretting accuracy, speed, plucking with multiple fingers, moving between strings, muting, stuff like that comes to mind, but there are a lot more skills required to be a good musician. I encourage you to think a bit deeper at what you really want to do as a bass player.
I'm fairly new myself, but there is much more I want in addition to skilled fingers. I'm up there in years, retired, and don't learn like I used to, but learning anyway. Part of the reason to take up bass is to exercise my mind, be creative, have an indoor hobby when the weather is bad, and have fun. What else do I want? Keep reading...
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Every good ole boy band I ever played with handed out fake chord sheet music - so we could all be on the same page together. That has always been more important, to me, than note for note.
Yes I see the chord then decide what notes of the chord need to be played. Roots first, the 5 next followed with the 8 and then the correct 3 and 7 thrown in for color...
I like the way you think Malcolm. I am learning to play bass along with a fair amount of theory so I can play my own music. Not someone else's, my own. I want to know how to improvise with what sounds good, and know why it sounds good. Chord tones with priority as you described, and chromatic approaches when appropriate. Rhythms, chord progressions, reading and writing are included in my studies on top of the basics. Bass is a rhythm section instrument. Playing from a rhythm perspective instead of a note perspective was an eye opener.
My brother in-law throws songs into his human jukebox and reads tabs. That's all he can play. He has no idea what notes he's playing. My sister plays piano. Without sheet music she can't do anything.
My goal is to play, jam, improvise, be expressive and creative, and enjoy it all, not be a juke box limited to playing someone else's songs.
