anybody else have a perfectly straight thumb?

Jumbotron · #1 10-13-2006, 02:12 PM

Though there's some info on here from those folks with double-jointed thumbs, I haven't found anything related to my anatomical pecularity: my thumbs are perfectly straight. That is, if I open my thumb up as wide as I can, hitchhiker style, it's perpendicular to my hand/arm, not bending backwards at all. I think this must be one heck of a recessive gene, because aside from my parents, I don't know anybody with a similar thumb. I think it's cool and kind of mean looking.

But all that aside, the question is this: does anybody else out there have thumbs like this, and if so, have you noticed any effect on your technique? Do you do things that other bassists don't?

I've noticed that:

--my slap style is really strange, because I have to hold my arm at a totally different angle to hit the strings, and I can't double thumb at all; the angles don't work out right.

--the floating thumb thing that's all the rage now comes very naturally to me. Because my thumb doesn't bend backwards, it shortens the distance between the tip of my thumb and the tip of my fingers, so if I were to anchor on a pickup, I couldn't comfortably reach the G string.

--anchoring my left thumb on the back of the neck can be weird too, because I have to bend my wrist at a particularly sharp angle.

And is this freaky, or normal?

a_w · #2 10-14-2006, 05:01 AM

Hiya,
I totally recognise your issues; my thumb won't even go perpendicular to the arm and the two outer parts of the thumb (what do you call those?) hardly make a noticeable angle in outward direction.

As to effects on technique; I don't slap so I wouldn't know about that, but i've been playing floating thumb since I first took up bass, and it feels natural for the very reasons you mentioned; when I pluck the G string with the thumb on a pickup, my wrist goes way up to float straight over that pickup.

Anchoring the thumb in the back of the neck is also something I did from the start, but because the stretched thumb holds my wrist back a long way form the fretboard, I cannot keep the thumb behind my middle finger when playing the E string without making a very acute angle in the left wrist. What I do (unconsciously, i just noticed) is that I have my thumb perfectly behing my middle finger playing on the G string, and nearly behind my index finger when playing the E string (which is 2 frets down as I mostly hold 5 frets in one position); gradually shifting between the strings.

Hope that helps you.

Demon · #3 10-14-2006, 06:11 AM

My thumb is pretty much straight too if i understand whatyou mean wich may be why i have a difficulty slapping:/

NamelessOne · #4 10-15-2006, 03:38 PM

come on. my right thumb is oddly stunted, it's way fatter at the last knuckle than any other thumb I've ever seen. also, I can barely get it perpendicular to my arm. my technique works fine with this, except that since I usually skip a string fingerstyle, so if I'm playing on the A, I'm on the pickup. for D and G, I play anchored on the E or A. My followthrough from hitting the string, since I use barely fingertips on my right hand, mutes the string I skip. Only problem is, If I play too long on the E, my hand cramps up, since it doesn't like to bend that way. so now, I want a fiver so this only shows up if I'm overusing the low B.

also, I wear my bass rediculously low so my right hand is in a more neutral/resting position. I find playing with a straight RH wrist helps hugely.

Some Groovy Guy · #5 10-15-2006, 07:12 PM

I suffer from "straightthumbitus", it's a terrible disease that is greatly described in the thread starters post. I as well son't slap as much because of always awakrdly turning my arm. Thus, fingerstyle is my forte.

Disco_Gee · #6 10-15-2006, 07:49 PM

I had a hard time creating a mental image of your description in the first post, so I figured I'd use a picture reference for mine. I can get my thumb to bend slightly further back than this:

The last joint on my thumb also bends backward just a little bit more than in the pic. I don't know if what I have is normal or not, but it works ok. I've seen enough different slap techniques to know that the reason I suck at slap is because I don't practice enough, not because my thumb is messed up!

jomahu · #7 10-16-2006, 12:33 PM

make your own technique!

just don't dislocate anything...

Jazzman23 · #8 10-16-2006, 09:55 PM

wait...how does having a very bendy thumn HURT your slap? Can't you just not bend it that much?

Scourge441 · #9 10-17-2006, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Some Groovy Guy

I suffer from "straightthumbitus", it's a terrible disease that is greatly described in the thread starters post. I as well son't slap as much because of always awakrdly turning my arm. Thus, fingerstyle is my forte.

Don't extend your thumb fully when you slap. Let it hang kind of loose (but extended enough to notice), and slap like that.

Juneau · #10 10-17-2006, 03:31 PM

Look up "Short Tendons". Sometimes they are too short to function or walk normally. In most cases, your just not as flexible as those of us with long tendons.

From Wiki "Tendon length varies in all major groups, stomach fluids and from person to person. Tendon length is practically the discerning factor where muscle size and potential muscle size is concerned. For example, a man with a 1 centimetre biceps tendon will have greater potential for muscle mass than a man with a longer tendon. Cases in point: Bodybuilders will generally have short tendons and are said to have 'great genetics', however not all bodybuilders are blessed with short tendons. Examples of people with short tendons (in particular the upper arms) are Casey Viator and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tendon length is determined exclusively by genetics and velocity."

Then there are those of us at the other end of the spectrum...