Where do you put your thumb?

[Ralf1e]

I hope this doesn't spread to left hand fingering technique or I might be in a bit of trouble 🤣

[Leonard Smalls]

2 minutes ago, Ralf1e said:

fingering technique

 

Careful now!

 

 

 

[KingBollock]

I always keep my thumb on the back of the neck. I even have the neck angled in a classical position. And I’m crap, so….

[msb]

I kept my thumb mid neck untilI started playing a Longhorn with a very skinny neck. A bass student recently asked me about my wrap around thumb as if was a bad thing.

 

[Linus27]

For my Jazz then I rest my thumb on either the neck pickup, the E string and move it closer to the neck sometimes for a more softer, darker tone.

 

For my Precision then I rest my thumb on the pickups or the E string and again, move it closer to the neck sometimes for a more softer, darker tone.

 

For my Stingray, then mostly on the E string, again, move it closer to the neck sometimes for a more softer, darker tone and occasionally anchoring on the pickup.

 

One thing I do which is super consistent in my playing is generally if I am playing the E and A strings then I use my index finger mostly and occasionally play a note with the middle finger. If I move to the D and G string I switch to using my middle finger and occasionally play a note using my index finger. Occasionally depending on the bass line I will alternate between both fingers across all 4 strings in a more traditional fashion but most of the time, the E and A string is played with the index finger and the D and G is played with the middle finger.

[spencer.b]

15 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Bad boy Jaco. We knew you had crap technique all along...

 

 

 

 

And Victor! Go to the back of the class!

 

 

 

 

So glad there are better bass players out there than these guys...

Looks like Jaco is playing double stops in the 1st and 3rd pics and maybe a slide or just muting all the strings in n the middle one , just watched a few of his vids and looks to me like he pretty much always has his thumb on the back of the neck using finger per fret in the middle of the neck or double bass style finger1,2,4 down at the nut end 

I think it would be less efficient to play those third chromatically up to the fifth then sixth up to octave lines that he did loads with his thumb over the top , I'm comfortable with calling thumb on the back of the neck orthodox good technique but also comfortable with acknowledging that anything can work and some players have idiosyncratic awkward looking technique yet have great technical facility 

[cetera]

1 hour ago, Paul S said:

I put Grimalkin on ignore.  If everyone else does it he will have noone to posture to and, hopefully, disappear back to wherever it was he came from a year ago.  I don't recall there ever being such a disruptive presence.

 

Pretty good idea. There's only so many 'random quotes to make himself try to look clever' and 'egotistical posturing' anyone can take....

[ahpook]

I always keep my thumb over the back of the neck.

 

If you press for a minute or two, all the thrashing and screaming stops and and everything is peaceful again.

[Velarian]

1 hour ago, Ralf1e said:

It must be difficult typing one-fingered on such a small keyboard. 😉

[Dad3353]

3 minutes ago, Velarian said:

It must be difficult typing one-fingered on such a small keyboard. 😉

 

 

[Ralf1e]

6 minutes ago, Velarian said:

It must be difficult typing one-fingered on such a small keyboard. 😉

No its OK and it is cordless washable and wine and beer proof. Need I say more? 🤣

Oh nearly forgot Tescos were stupid enough to sell them off at about £5 because no one knew what they were at the time.

We have three. They are still going strong after about 12-15 years at a crude guess.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Ralf1e

[Jay2U]

When playing finger style, my thumb is planted between the strings lower than the one strummed. When picking, the thumb of the fretting hand often assists in muting the lowest string.

[chris_b]

Technique is all about accuracy. Moving smoothly from one note to the next and seamlessly putting together patterns of notes. There are world class players who tear up the rule book, but for the rest of us the accepted technique for our instrument will usually help us be better players.

 

I have never thought about either of my thumbs. They go where they want, but after threads like this I've noticed my right thumb is a moving anchor, and my left thumb is 90% on the back of the neck and 10% wrapped around the neck, although those numbers can change by the song or my mood.

 

One thing I have changed over the years, these days I try to play with a lighter touch. When I had energy to spare, my technique was pretty agricultural. Now I play with the least energy I can get away with. I think it's helped my playing to mature and improve. I can move around the neck a lot easier than I did and the notes are more even than they were.

[Bridgehouse]

I do like a thread that causes a bit of a kerfuffle. 

 

Keeps life interesting and not boring. 

 

However, it gets a bit dull when it's the same old story and the same protagonists versus the vast majority. 

 

I personally have 0 years studying a degree in music, zero years at a performance school, and no years teaching anything musical. I tend to keep my thumb across my palm holding down my third finger whilst stretching out my first and second fingers in the shape of a 'V'

[Dad3353]

27 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

...I tend to keep my thumb across my palm holding down my third finger whilst stretching out my first and second fingers in the shape of a 'V'

 

You are Winston Churchill and I claim my £5. 

 

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Dad3353 said:

 

You are Winston Churchill and I claim my £5. 

 

 

Isn't that Django Reinhardt?

[Waddo Soqable]

9 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Isn't that Django Reinhardt?

Nah.. That was the other hand.. 

[TimR]

6 hours ago, Grimalkin said:

Thumb over the top of the neck constricts all of that, plus you are playing on the pads of your fingers not the tips (see Marcus pic) and your fingers tend to fret at an angle, not so much parallel to the fret but across them.

 

If you want to get nimble, you won't make it gripping the neck. The idea is to be free-floating, you'll need less pressure fretting without the grip too.

 

But do you not recognise there are situations where being nimble is not the aim and not required, where playing with the pads will give a different tone and where muting with the thumb is necessary?

 

Technique is not just about physicality,it's also about tonality. 

 

I mean you can't pluck properly with your fingers if you've got a pick in your hand. Ergo, holding a pick must be bad technique. 

[Munurmunuh]

27 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Isn't that Django Reinhardt?

 

I once thought that there should be a biography of Django Reinhardt called Giving Two Fingers To The World

[mario_buoninfante]

4 hours ago, spencer.b said:

Looks like Jaco is playing double stops in the 1st and 3rd pics and maybe a slide or just muting all the strings in n the middle one , just watched a few of his vids and looks to me like he pretty much always has his thumb on the back of the neck using finger per fret in the middle of the neck or double bass style finger1,2,4 down at the nut end 

I think it would be less efficient to play those third chromatically up to the fifth then sixth up to octave lines that he did loads with his thumb over the top , I'm comfortable with calling thumb on the back of the neck orthodox good technique but also comfortable with acknowledging that anything can work and some players have idiosyncratic awkward looking technique yet have great technical facility 

 

Something more to be said about Jaco is that he had really big hands and double jointed thumbs.

All this to say that there might be occasions where he had an unusual fretting hand position.

But, I'd agree with @spencer.b, usually he had a really neat fretting hand.

[Ralf1e]

Just saw this tonight. No doubt there was thumb wandering going on there. Somehow it still manages to sound brilliant.

Naughty Leland.

 

[Linus27]

3 minutes ago, Ralf1e said:

Just saw this tonight. No doubt there was thumb wandering going on there. Somehow it still manages to sound brilliant.

Naughty Leland.

 

 

Shocking technique, thumb coming over the fretboard, using 4 fingers to cover 3 frets rather than 1 finger per fret and look at the angle of his wrist, talk about fatigue central. Ban him, ban him now, he'll never make a career in music 😂😂😂

 

On a serious note, what a gorgeous bass, is it a Yamaha?

[Frank Blank]

I place my thumb on the thumb rest (I don't buy basses without), I don't mute notes and I only play with one ☝️ plucking finger. Dreadful technique all round but I can play bass and chew gum at the same time.

[Bridgehouse]

1 minute ago, Frank Blank said:

I place my thumb on the thumb rest (I don't buy basses without), I don't mute notes and I only play with one ☝️ plucking finger. Dreadful technique all round but I can play bass and chew gum at the same time.

I don’t believe you. I challenge you to a chew off.

 

Don’t try and wrigleys out of it either.

[Frank Blank]

Just now, Bridgehouse said:

I don’t believe you. I challenge you to a chew off.

 

You've been practicing with the Bill Tongs though.

 

Just now, Bridgehouse said:

Don’t try and wrigleys out of it either.

You are a juicy old fruit aren't you.