Aggressive thumb rest technique

[Annoying Twit]

When this player plays, he sometimes not only rests his thumb on a string, but also pushes quite hard at the string.

E.g. between about 3m40s and 3m50s into this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHFLNe6IOnE

Why would he do that?

[HowieBass]

Looks to me like the strings are fairly high compliance/low tension so it's just a consequence of using the string as a thumb rest, nothing more than that.

Edited October 9, 2014 by HowieBass

[chris_b]

Light strings will move more than heavy strings. Some players are animals, some are kittens.

He plucks the strings pretty hard as well. It's just his playing technique.

There is no right or wrong, all that matters is what comes out of the speakers.

[Skol303]

I love Andy Irvine! He can be a little cheesy but his enthusiasm is infectious.

He plays very hard with a lot of attack. He also has fingers like sausages and favours broadneck basses. So I'm guessing that his thumb rest style is more a product of his 'physicality' than anything to do with a desired sound.

Edited October 9, 2014 by Skol303

[Bilbo]

I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill. The finger is resting on the fourth string. The fact that it is pushing down is of no consequence.

[Annoying Twit]

Thanks for the answers.

If those are slack strings, they must be an order of magnitude more slack than anything I have.

I don't think I'm making anything out of anything. I just noticed that his finger was pushing the string notably out of resting position and wondered why that was.