Quote:
Originally Posted by Chrisk-K  Because I now play a lot of jazz-oriented funk/rock. I cannot play octave after actave and chromatic passage after chromatic passage with my left thumb over the neck! |
So now you need more functionality from your fingers.
Now you need to have the neck more in the fingers for such passages. Many ways to do it including the most important one mentioned, does your bass suit your style. Many players suffer from having the wrong type of neck for their hands. Many hands sizes and few variations of neck to choose from don't help.
But look at both, look at the bass you use, is it fit for function?
You know you have to give your fingers more access, so a blend of the two is what you have to find. The thumb really is not needed to play bass.
Any discomfort is should really be over in a matter of weeks as it is not pain as of such just you using your hand in a different way. That means you are using muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints in a way that they have not been used to, because this is all new to them.
Thumb position follows hand position, so let your hand dictate where your thumb goes. Play with freedom in the fingers, positioned by the wrist and let the thumb follow where it feels comfortable. Don't focus on the thumb, focus on what you want to achieve from the fingers...this is the real key not thumb position.
For example if i hold the bass with my thumb over the top, fingers on the fretboard, then drop my wrist down slightly and put the fretboard more in my fingertips, my knuckle joints moves forward, so my thumb will follow by pulling back and/or dropping in behind the neck. The thumb is now in a position put there by the hand. The thumb did not assume this position on its own or was positioned in a way and then the fingers adapt to it. I find it strange that so may believe the thumb is not allowed to move in to different positions of support as the hand moves and changes. There is talk of reduced thumb movement reduces injury.....but if that is so then why are the fingers allowed to move with so much freedom but not the thumb?
They have the same basic structure of bone, joint, tendon, ligament, blood vessels, nerve endings etc. If any thing the thumb joint ( which is a saddle joint) is more capable than any other joint of freedom of movement and direction of movement.
So use it don't restrict it, as long as it follows hand movement and does not lead it, it will find its own positions to support finger movement.
