Playing with your thumb (A bit like Sting)

[police squad]

Any one tried this. I have been doing it with a hofner jubilee strung with flats. Amazing thump.
I sometimes do it on 'Police' gigs but only when doing 'modern' Sting with the beaten up '57 P bass.

It's a totally different sound to fingers.

What are your thoughts fellow BCs

[Geek99]

Isn't that called appoyonado? Read somewhere that sting had been trying it

Edited September 14, 2014 by Geek99

[FuNkShUi]

I play with my thumb for certain songs.
I use my wrist to dampen the strings aswel.
Kind of gives it a Double bass kinda feel.
Or as close as I need to get it anyway.
Definitely not a technique I use a lot, but useful to have in your arsenal

[HowieBass]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1410679289' post='2551777']
Isn't that called appoyonado? Read somewhere that sting had been trying it
[/quote]

No that's 'rest stroke' where the finger rests on the adjacent string after sounding a note. I've tried using my thumb just as an experiment, very different sound - Paul Simonon uses the technique. I've tried playing my fretless this way and it sounds somewhat like an acoustic double bass

http://youtu.be/1cZzYSgFAlY

[JTUK]

I think it works especially when he incorporates the finger as well...

[gary mac]

I did it on a few numbers last night and it worked just fine. Can't recall this morning which numbers though I do know it wasn't The Police track that we do though.

[Highfox]

I use it a fair bit with the fingers as well when trying to give different dynamics to certain songs... normally with a bit of dampening from the palm as well... Old Reggae habit.
Sting seems to be the master and can even do fairly complex and fast parts with the pluck and twang and dampening.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Highfox

[BILL POSTERS]

Am I missing something here ?

I started out playing with my thumb, then started using two fingers, then 3.
I thought most people did it that way, sure I once saw an interview with Entwhistle who said the same thing.

[moonbass]

I find it useful when I want to play behind the beat (as I have a tendency to push the tempo of songs otherwise). Not sure why it works, but it does for me.

[Buzzy]

I use this quite a bit for slower songs,It stops me playing too many notes which can happen when using two fingers. Also brings as slightly different feel to the song. Used on my P which is fitted with flats and a lump of sponge under the strings by the bridge I get a real old school thuddy sound.

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1410679289' post='2551777']
Isn't that called appoyonado? Read somewhere that sting had been trying it
[/quote]

[NERDALERT]

It's called Tirando. It means 'free stroke' - the thumb plucks the string and then comes to rest in the air without hitting another string. The two-fingered picking technique that most bass players use most of the time is called Apoyando or 'rest stroke' - finger plays the string and then comes to rest leaning against the next string.

Edit: if the thumb plays the note and then winds up leaning against the next string then that would be Apoyando as well. Hope this helps.

[/NERDALERT]

Edited September 14, 2014 by leftybassman392

[HowieBass]

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1410684516' post='2551820']
Am I missing something here ?

I started out playing with my thumb, then started using two fingers, then 3.
I thought most people did it that way, sure I once saw an interview with Entwhistle who said the same thing.
[/quote]

Thumb is very old school I think, hence the position of the finger rest on the first P and Jazz basses. When the rest moved to above the strings it became the thumb rest so perhaps that's when fingerstyle became more popular, plus it's easier to play faster with fingers rather than the thumb (certainly in my case) which suits fast rock music rather than slower root note style playing.

[M@23]

[quote name='moonbass' timestamp='1410684570' post='2551822']
I find it useful when I want to play behind the beat (as I have a tendency to push the tempo of songs otherwise). Not sure why it works, but it does for me.
[/quote]

Same here! I like using my thumb for playing slightly behind the beat too. Really grooves.

[geoffbyrne]

It's how it used to be done - hence the 'finger rest' being in the 'wrong' position on old Fenders.

Still do it when I want 'mwah' on the fretless.

G.

[leroydiamond]

A guitarist mate of fine (not alone is he a terrific guitar player, but is also fabulous on bass) plays 90% with his thumb when playing bass. At a gig recently he came up for a guest spot with my band and knocked a cracking tone out of my 1964 Fender jazz. On the occasion he used his fingers the same quality of tone just was not there. A lot to be said for thumb only IMO.

[Japhet]

I've always used my thumb (mostly on the bottom string) and 2 fingers. Using my thumb gives a nice meaty thump and I find it keeps the time keeping nice and tight.

[JTUK]

If you watch him, he will pluck the note with a thumb and then alternate with the finger. Very easy for octaves and the fingers are active
on decent tempo bass parts so the thumb rest doesn't come into it.
It would be very hard to play the parts he does with thumb only,....which is why he doesn't.

It is the very root basis of what Wooten has taken on only he double thumbs and use 2 or 3 fingers.
Sting's technique isn't that advanced where he can play fast parts so it would have its limits upto 16th notes.

I like it tho..he uses it to great effect.

[Bilbo]

I use this 'thumb' technique to create a different tension, like the way Al diMeola uses dead notes as part of his soloing arsenal. I deaden the strings with the side of my hand and play the lines with my thumb. I often play the opening bars of solos on ballads using this technique. When you come in with the fuller sound of the bass, it takes it up a level. It's a lovely dynamic option. Anthony Jackson using the technique a lot too - in his work with Michel's Camilo and Petrucciani.

[stingrayPete1977]

I've always done it for octaves as jtuk says, I do it for reggae numbers and country style too, a stingray with a mute bridge played with the thumb near the neck heel with the bass on full and treble switched off through a big stack is monstrous!

[jazzyvee]

It's a technique I use a lot on quieter passages where I want to keep a more mellow sound. Sometimes I use alternating thumb and finger for faster phrases which is something I do a lot on guitar.

[sblueplanet]

I like to use the thumb/ finger technique on my precision strung with flats. Helps get the tone Im after. Sting's '54 P has had the electrics and pup replaced and he also uses light gauge DR rounds as he favours a bright tone.

[Cameronj279]

I do it when there's a slow song that I want a more thuddy tone for. I always use newish bright strings so it's good for toning down the treble. whatever suits the song.

[xilddx]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1410679289' post='2551777']
Isn't that called appoyonado? Read somewhere that sting had been trying it
[/quote]
It's called pulgar in flamenco, appoyando is the rest stroke on the string above.

I've played certain songs with my thumb to get a double bass kind thing going on. I love the sound, but it's takes practice to get it fast and accurate.

[bassace]

Time was if you didn't use a pick you used your thumb. As I recall it was the Mersey groups that I first noticed using fingers and then it all started to make sense. Thing was, when the BG first came over here no one had much of a clue of the best way to play it.

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1410703426' post='2552079']
It's called pulgar in flamenco, appoyando is the rest stroke on the string above.
[/quote]

Interesting! Never heard it called that before (although I do get the reference). I'm familiar with 'Apoyando' for the rest stroke and 'Tirando' for the free stroke (whatever digit you play it with).

Ah well, live and learn.