Where do you put your thumb?

[Stub Mandrel]

6 hours ago, peteb said:

 

The thing is that isn't quite what I said. I got a cheap bass for my 14th birthday, along with a book with loads of photos of a smiling dude with an afro playing a P bass to illustrate the various exercise. About two years later I had four lessons with a guy who was really a keys player, who taught me a bit of theory and told me I ought to learn to read and go to music college! But how I really learnt was listening to Free & Thin Lizzy records (constantly dropping the needle back to repeat sections over and over), then playing in bands and talking to guys who had more experience than me who would show me things. But most of the technique I learnt (at least initially), was from the dude with the afro and the P bass! In all, I've probably had less than ten lessons in 45 years, but I have learnt from other sources.

 

 

Harvey Vinson.

 

I have absolutely no idea how I remembered that from a VERY long time ago!

 

https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9780860019244/bass-guitar-bgtr-bookcd-teach-yourself/used?gclid=CjwKCAiAqaWdBhAvEiwAGAQltmMnCmsjVNNA8NeoFd6Ot5LlGIbGh9LvQZBsf8wb31oD_qGoV9lDwBoCoYwQAvD_BwE

[peteb]

37 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Harvey Vinson.

 

I have absolutely no idea how I remembered that from a VERY long time ago!

 

https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9780860019244/bass-guitar-bgtr-bookcd-teach-yourself/used?gclid=CjwKCAiAqaWdBhAvEiwAGAQltmMnCmsjVNNA8NeoFd6Ot5LlGIbGh9LvQZBsf8wb31oD_qGoV9lDwBoCoYwQAvD_BwE

 

Harvey Vinson seems to ring a bell and I'm pretty sure it's the same book, but mine had a different cover and a flexi-disc instead of a CD...! 

 

[Stub Mandrel]

46 minutes ago, peteb said:

 

Harvey Vinson seems to ring a bell and I'm pretty sure it's the same book, but mine had a different cover and a flexi-disc instead of a CD...! 

 

 

There are multiple covers!

[TrevorR]

Got into a discussion with a chum about this a few years ago, and picking positions/techniques in general. He just kept his thumb wedged on the bridge pickup and that was it. I tried to recall the various places and ways I pluck the strings and went home and came up with this montage…
 

 

 

Tried the floating thumb thing but never got on with it so I’m somebody who rests the thumb on the pickup or E string. However, I also move position a lot for different tones. Also use the old fashioned thumb plucking technique for softer tones too. Plus a weird pseudo upright plucking thing over the neck sometimes (but I’m odd like that! 😉🤣).

[Leonard Smalls]

9 hours ago, TrevorR said:

Plus a weird pseudo upright plucking thing over the neck

 

I do that as well! In fact I do it so often that there's wear marks at the base of the neck...

[John Sl]

Apologies if this has already been said somewhere in this thread:

A quick, cheap and reversible thing for pickups that are a bit low and don’t have mounting lugs. Cut a strip off an old credit card, say 20mm wide. Wedge it down between pickup and body. Bend top over 90 degrees to give say 6mm to rest thumb on. Trim off surplus and roughen card for grip. Works for my Yamaha and Ibanez and is gig-tested!

[Spoombung]

 

 

I basically do the downstroke 'tugbar' thing (the Brian Wilson thing mentioned earlier in the thread) but flip my hand back to use fingers... so then its a floating. 90% of the time I'm using my thumb to pluck the strings. Nothin' fancy.

I'm guessing most of us use some sort of hybrid technique...?

[dmccombe7]

3 hours ago, Spoombung said:

 

 

I basically do the downstroke 'tugbar' thing (the Brian Wilson thing mentioned earlier in the thread) but flip my hand back to use fingers... so then its a floating. 90% of the time I'm using my thumb to pluck the strings. Nothin' fancy.

I'm guessing most of us use some sort of hybrid technique...?

Nice basses. Is that a flame sycamore fretless WAL there ?

Like the sound of the other bass altho i've no idea what it is.

Dave

[Spoombung]

23 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Nice basses. Is that a flame sycamore fretless WAL there ?

Like the sound of the other bass altho i've no idea what it is.

Dave

Yes it's sycamore. The other one is a short scale Iceni bass made to my own design by Mike Walsh.

[dmccombe7]

5 minutes ago, Spoombung said:

Yes it's sycamore. The other one is a short scale Iceni bass made to my own design by Mike Walsh.

I had a lined fretless flame sycamore WAL in 80's. Sorry i sold it now LOL

Dave

[TrevorR]

On 07/01/2023 at 20:07, dmccombe7 said:

Nice basses. Is that a flame sycamore fretless WAL there ?

Like the sound of the other bass altho i've no idea what it is.

Dave

P-bass shaped Wal - an obscure option the few knew about and (as far as we know) only one person (Kev) took up - there’s a bit more to the story but I’ll leave that to @Spoombung

[dmccombe7]

16 minutes ago, TrevorR said:

P-bass shaped Wal - an obscure option the few knew about and (as far as we know) only one person (Kev) took up - there’s a bit more to the story but I’ll leave that to @Spoombung

Now i'm curious ? 

This was mine in early 80's.

Dave

Edited January 9, 2023 by dmccombe7

[Skinny]

I mostly suck my thumb while crying and wishing I learnt technique 45 years ago when I started playing. Then I think how would I have learnt technique on a short scale semi acoustic Antoria. I shall therefore watch other people play in awe and concentrate on making shapes on the fretboard my way. 

[John Sl]

My credit card mod was just thumbthing I wanted to share.