Where do you put your thumb?

[Grimalkin]

I use more of a movable anchor than floating thumb but it's a bit of a cross between them both. I found full floating thumb a little bit light sounding without an anchor. I work over a grid of three strings usually and move up/down according to that, as you are already doing by anchoring on the A to play the D and G strings. Movable anchor takes a bit of pre-empting practise, I noticed that Laurence Cottle uses the same thing, playing starts @ 0:10:

 

 

[Woodinblack]

Mine just floats around. Often does the floating anchor thing, but sometimes just wanders across all on its own!

[Guest]

I can play floating quite happily, but I don't really need to as I've big hands and can easily cover all 4 when anchored. That being the case ye olde thumb is usually on the pickup/tug bar unless I'm playing a song where I'm using my thumb to pluck (or using a pick.)

 

My technique is a little hampered through not having proper use of or feeling in my outer 2 fingers so I do what works for myself rather than what the sage old self-appointed technique critics tell me I should be doing. It has it's advantages - I'm very adept at muting with my little finger, which has other players scratching their heads at how I do it. 

[tony_m]

Think my technique's a movable / floating hybrid -

 

a) thumb anchored on the pickup cover or resting against the body (depending on which bass I'm using, and where I'm plucking) while playing the E,

 

b) anchored on the E while playing the A, 

 

c) anchored on the A while playing the D, with the rest of the thumb resting against the E,

 

d) anchored on the D while playing the G, with the rest of the thumb resting against the A and E.

[msb]

I use the fleshy part of the thumb to pluck the string , a lot. 
And float the thumb when playing fingerstyle.

[chris_b]

Watch any bassist out there in a pro band and they'll all be moving their thumbs from one anchor point to another.

Edited December 15, 2022 by chris_b

[Downunderwonder]

5 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

As I suspected, a few different techniques. 

I think I'll have to sit down and spend several hours with each practicing scales to see what feels right 

Floating thumb felt wrong for a lot more than a few hours but it's just so damn handy that I persevered.

[Franticsmurf]

Like a few others here, my usual thumb resting spot is the neck pick up, but for variation of tone I'll go back to the bridge pick up or rest on the edge of the neck as the song requires.

[WinterMute]

I've never really thought about it, it just goes where it needs to to give me purchase for the quite aggressive string striking style I've developed over the years.

 

However, all my long term basses have developed a mark/indentation in the body where the B string meets the front corner of the bridge pup, and the bridge pups always show a bit of wear, so I'm guessing that's where it goes when it's not muting the B.

 

Now I'm going to be conscious of what I'm doing with it aren't I?

[Guest]

7 hours ago, chris_b said:

Watch any bassist out there in a pro band and they'll all be moving their thumbs from one anchor point to another.

Without expending any brain energy I can think of dozens who either do not at all, or who only do so some of the time.

[naxos10]

As mentioned by others earlier in the thread l anchor on the neck pick up then the E, A and D strings  muting with the base of the thumb as I go.

For some reason I have started to adopt a guitar plucking style if the bpm of the song increases especially if the notes are on the A and D strings🤔

[martthebass]

This is something I've struggled with over the years.  I generally use the movable anchor point but always felt bad as I saw a number of tutorials that said this was bad technique and that you should use floating thumb or anchor above the E.  Nowadays I find it depends on the bass and what I'm doing.  If I'm on a Mustang and playing fairly relaxed I'm on floating thumb, BUT, if I'm really digging in I find I unconsciously go back to movable anchor.  On a bass with 18-19mm spacing I tend to be movable anchor whatever.

[msb]

My old 72 Pbass with the thumb mark. It’s pretty deep.

[ezbass]

I like the term moveable anchor, sounds more like what I feel.

[asingardenof]

Depends on what I'm playing. Usually I won't rest on anything if I'm playing the E string, I'll rest on the E when playing the A, and then if I'm just having a foray into D and G territory I'll leave my thumb on E but sometimes I'll rest on A to make sure E and A are muted. 

[Rib13Bass]

if im playing the E string, it rests on either a pickup or the body....if i play the otherr strings, it rests on the E string....i never really knew this until i started my YouTube channel lol

[nilorius]

I mainly flout it down to the higher string, exept B, when my thumb is on pickup or ramp, but there is a situatian when i need, let's say, open D for a long time and at the same time play a simple melody on G string, that gives D not muting as long as need.

[BigRedX]

Mostly on the B string, but if I'm playing that then either on the neck pickup or the edge of the neck depending on the tone I'm after.

[Ralf1e]

Float thumb and little finger gently rested on strings when I play staccato semi muted barking notes. I sure there is a name for them but I don't have a clue what it might be.

[Barking Spiders]

My right thumb is my busiest digit being used for much despised techniques (on BC anyway 😁) as thumping (to borrow Larry Graham's word for it) and double thumbing. For regular fingering (oo'er missus)  it kinda floats all over the place.

[grenadillabama]

No thumbrest for me as I move bridge to neck for harder or softer (more bass). Now I try to pick thumb-finger-thumb to get some use out of it. The thumb is louder and more bass than any finger. Also palm-mute for a click-thump. A pick for variety .

[Downunderwonder]

17 hours ago, asingardenof said:

Depends on what I'm playing. Usually I won't rest on anything if I'm playing the E string, I'll rest on the E when playing the A, and then if I'm just having a foray into D and G territory I'll leave my thumb on E but sometimes I'll rest on A to make sure E and A are muted. 

Aka floating thumb.

[mario_buoninfante]

An area I was planning to revisit/explore, but at the moment thumb on pickup or E string.

But, I realised that often I use my ring finger to mute the strings I'm not playing (generally E and A), and when so my thumb stays on the pickup even when playing higher strings.
I didn't develope this intentionally.
Recently I decided to start exploring new techniques, in particular using 3 fingers (standard + thumb) in an "arpeggio" fashion, if that makes sense.

Like with anything else, there are guidelines more that golden rules (apart from few exceptions I think). So I'd say that as long as you are comfortable with something and there are no clear side-effects (in this case no extra strings ringing, no awkward hand position, etc.), you're fine.
My 2 cents.

Edited December 16, 2022 by mario_buoninfante

[Leonard Smalls]

Having taught myself bass I have a rather odd technique, which consists of either slapping, picking or strumming with the thumb, and popping, picking or flicking with 2-3 fingers...

Works for me!

[Guest]

5 hours ago, Leonard Smalls said:

Having taught myself bass I have a rather odd technique, which consists of either slapping, picking or strumming with the thumb, and popping, picking or flicking with 2-3 fingers...

Works for me!

I bet it's quite a sight when you pick your nose!

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Bassfinger