Double thumb question...

[Michael Campbel]

On the "up" stroke of a double thumb technique, do you guys generally pluck the string with your thumb hard enough to get an actual "pop", as in when slapping/popping?

[millerfreak]

no, and it doesnt work that way. double thumb works as picking, not popping.

[Skitch it!]

Originally Posted by millerfreak

no, and it doesnt work that way. double thumb works as picking, not popping.

+1 It's more of a considered picking technique than full-on slapback effort, I'd check out Millerfreaks uploads for a good visualisation of a very controlled thumb style and MarloweDk on playbassnow.com has some excellent tuition in thumb style stuff.

[jg919]

I toyed around with double-thumbing for a few years, and then fell into a pattern of a combination of tapping and using 3 right-hand fingers (up and down-strokes) to create intensely-speedy notes, which is much more efficient.
Not only does this save your thumb all the work, it shares the distribution of energy evenly b'w all your fingers (and I'm sure one could work in the thumb as well).

As an exercise, (note 1)try tapping a C (fret 3 on A) with the left index, and then (notes 2,3,4) finger-pluck the note w' right hand fingers ring, middle, index.
Repeat the same pattern for a C (fret 5 on G) with your pinky, etc...
Expell your right hand fingers in a flamenco-like fashion individually for a change of tone.

See how this works for you! I find it's a lot more useful than double-thumbing.
JOHN

[251]

Originally Posted by Michael Campbel

On the "up" stroke of a double thumb technique, do you guys generally pluck the string with your thumb hard enough to get an actual "pop", as in when slapping/popping?

If you can control it, that adds one more thing to your bag of tricks.

[jmattbassplaya]

If you were managing to get a pop I'd think your nail would be getting pretty freakin' torn up. The side of my nail on my thumb actually got filed down by the string when I was using the technique on a fairly regular basis.

[Buxtehude]

Originally Posted by Michael Campbel

On the "up" stroke of a double thumb technique, do you guys generally pluck the string with your thumb hard enough to get an actual "pop", as in when slapping/popping?

Don't listen to these turkeys. You can have even up and down strokes to double thumb like a pick or you can use the upstroke to pop if you wish.

You can do a cool thing where you just double thumb evenly then bring in some upstroke accents as pops. The upstroke thumb offers another popping option if you want to.

Anybody who complains about wrecking their fingernails with an upstroke pop should eat some cement and harden the f*** up.

In summary, the upstroke can be used both with and without pop for variation.