'Double Thumbing' - A word of warning... in jest.

[SMV]

So 'double thumbing'... Well I just thought I'd give you guys a heads up on this (dangerous?) and (mostly pointless?) technique - whilst practicing it just now I managed to blister the side of my thumb and my nail looks like I've taken sandpaper to it. All you other Wooten Wannabes be careful!!

[Doddy]

Whereas,I've never had any problems with it physically-no injuries or anything.
Also,I don't think it's pointless-I often use it as a pick substitute.

[urb]

Er it just takes practice and time to develop - like any physical technique, like running a marathon, you need to build up to doing anything like this a lot over a long period of time - likewise going hell for leather with finger style if you're beginner could cause blisters too. The point here is you might have been doing it too hard, it's a technique that needs your bass to be set up correctly, preferably with a low action, to do it safely and with minimum effort - it's about economy of motion - which means playing lightly. It's not pointless either - go and listen to some Larry Graham, he was doing it before Wooten, and he makes it groove like nobodies business, it's not all about fast solos - it works just great as a groove technique and sounds funky as hell if you do it right. Go look up Louis Vega as well - a monster groove player who uses it effortlessly and with great taste.

[lowdown]

Another one for not pointless.
I use it in conjunction with palm mute for a pick style sound/effect.




Garry

[Wil]

Sounds like a bag of spanners in a washing machine to me. Larry is bearable though, he's got the funk.

[SMV]

Wow interesting responses - I'd like to reiterate the 'in jest' part of the topic title... It's nice to get a bit of debate and opinions going though!

Paul - I too find it handy when I forget my pick... or need a quick change from fingerstyle mid song (though I can't remember the last time I needed to do that!)

Mike - I was indeed going hell for leather with it and I paid the price! I usually use the technique in a more restrained manner - I've found the O'jays 'money' bass line sounds sweet when I play it double thumbed as opposed to pick or fingers.

Garry +1 on the palm muting.

Wil +1 Larry's got the funk... I wish he'd share it more!

I'm going to stick to my guns on the 'mostly' pointless though because I don't think it expands the bass vocabulary beyond music you couldn't play using more 'traditional' techniques. Discuss?

Edited November 28, 2010 by SMV

[lowdown]

[quote name='SMV' post='1040372' date='Nov 28 2010, 08:06 PM']the O'jays 'money' bass line sounds sweet when I play it double thumbed as opposed to pick or fingers.[/quote]


What a great track...!



Garry

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='SMV' post='1040372' date='Nov 28 2010, 08:06 PM']I'm going to stick to my guns on the 'mostly' pointless though because I don't think it expands the bass vocabulary beyond music you couldn't play using more 'traditional' techniques. Discuss?[/quote]

If you can do it, it's another weapon in your arsenal. Sometimes a bit of varience from 'traditional' techniques can be quite effective. It's not something that can only be used in a solo situation, adapting technique within a song for certain passages can sometimes add to it.

[Oscar South]

I used to practise it a lot but stopped over the last year or so, its recently began to creep back into my playing in really nice ways though.. just allows me to get different feels or more mileage from an old one. I play in a pretty experimental band musically but we keep it all accessible (Check out 'Beta' from my sig, it isn't really on any of those tunes but some are on the way) but if you were to listen to a track I did it on you wouldn't hear double thumbing, it'd just be another timbre in the mix.

Anything wrong with that?

[xilddx]

[quote name='SMV' post='1040372' date='Nov 28 2010, 08:06 PM']Wow interesting responses - I'd like to reiterate the 'in jest' part of the topic title... It's nice to get a bit of debate and opinions going though!

Paul - I too find it handy when I forget my pick... or need a quick change from fingerstyle mid song (though I can't remember the last time I needed to do that!)

Mike - I was indeed going hell for leather with it and I paid the price! I usually use the technique in a more restrained manner - I've found the O'jays 'money' bass line sounds sweet when I play it double thumbed as opposed to pick or fingers.

Garry +1 on the palm muting.

Wil +1 Larry's got the funk... I wish he'd share it more!

I'm going to stick to my guns on the 'mostly' pointless though because I don't think it expands the bass vocabulary beyond music you couldn't play using more 'traditional' techniques. Discuss?[/quote]
It can not possibly be a pointless technique. It allows you to play very fast, and will therefore make you feel like a MAN. And as we know, to be a MAN you have to play without a pick, and play very, very fast.

[Joe Hubbard Bass]

[quote name='urb' post='1039274' date='Nov 27 2010, 08:37 PM']Go look up Louis Vega as well - a monster groove player who uses it effortlessly and with great taste.[/quote]
Are you sure you don't mean Bobby Vega? [url="http://www.bobbyvega.com/"]http://www.bobbyvega.com/[/url]

Peace

Joe

[Delberthot]

Its a worthlessless technique to me, I could never think of a single use for it but if you find it adds to what you play, it then becomes valuable to you.

Larry Graham plays the way he does as he was trying to replicate the kick and snare of his band's departed drummer and the style felt natural to him.

I have to stop here before I say any more as I don't like VWs playing in the slightest

[fatback]

[quote name='silddx' post='1042024' date='Nov 30 2010, 09:53 AM']It can not possibly be a pointless technique. It allows you to play very fast, and will therefore make you feel like a MAN. And as we know, to be a MAN you have to play without a pick, and play very, very fast.

[/quote]