How Many People...

jm3sb0nd007 · #1 04-10-2007, 07:34 PM

Pluck with their thumb? I been playing bass for bout 6-8 months now and I'm been kinda teaching myself to play (also coming off 2 years of guitar experience) and I'm just wondering if using my thumb as my main source of...pluckage lol is a good habit or should I break it? Or is it personally preferance?

Thanks alot

. I'm loving the bass and this forum.

Aaron Saunders · #2 04-10-2007, 07:40 PM

If I'm going for a softer sound, it's the first thing I do. If I'm looking for a softer, rounder tone (think ballads, dub, reggae, etc.) I play up by the end of the fingerboard, using my thumb and first two fingers in a kind of acoustic-guitar mimicry.

fivestringgecko · #3 04-10-2007, 07:53 PM

I mainly use my first two fingers, but when I play lines that jumps strings a lot, I'll also use my thumb and third finger. Getting the coordination for the other fingers also allows for ease/economy of movement.

I think you nailed it though, I really believe it comes down to personal preference and what works for you. If you like the sound of plucking with your thumb and feel more comfortable doing so, definitely go for it!

bearfoot · #4 04-10-2007, 07:58 PM

This reminds me that I saw McCartney use his thumb on the Hofner in the 'US' video, I think it might have been for that cheesy song 'I Will'.

jm3sb0nd007 · #5 04-10-2007, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fivestringgecko

I mainly use my first two fingers, but when I play lines that jumps strings a lot, I'll also use my thumb and third finger. Getting the coordination for the other fingers also allows for ease/economy of movement.

I think you nailed it though, I really believe it comes down to personal preference and what works for you. If you like the sound of plucking with your thumb and feel more comfortable doing so, definitely go for it!

Alright awesome. I sometimes change it up with my first two fingers but for the most part I use my thumb.

Another question: When I played the electric guitar I used upstrokes and down strokes when picking. Right now I been just doing down strokes with my thumb, am I also suppose to pratice doing upstrokes as well or is it not nessersary? Or again is it personal preferance? I ask cause I saw some youtube videos teaching it.

uturnbass · #6 04-10-2007, 09:32 PM

For soft, bassy and mellow tones, I usually play really close to the fretboard and strike as smoothly and softly as I can.
That's usually when Im playing high licks.

I dont use my thumb though, although I have messing around =/

DocBop · #7 04-10-2007, 10:33 PM

It's good to learn a lot of different techniques. Playing with thumb is done a lot for getting that old Motown thumpy muted sound. You use the palm of your hand to mute the string usually just in front of the bridge, then use your thumb and some use thumb and index finger to pluck the strings. You roll the palm of you hand back and forth to control reduce the amount of muting and let notes ring a little more. Marcus Miller used this technique a lot on Luther Vandross tunes.

fivestringgecko · #8 04-10-2007, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm3sb0nd007

Another question: When I played the electric guitar I used upstrokes and down strokes when picking. Right now I been just doing down strokes with my thumb, am I also suppose to pratice doing upstrokes as well or is it not nessersary? Or again is it personal preferance?

It's a technique made popular by a variety of bassists, most notably Victor Wooten, called "double thumping." It's not so much plucking like you're talking about, but it could still be applied and again comes down to economy of motion.

If you pluck (or thump) down with your thumb, it's already in position to do an up pluck. It's the same as using both down/up strokes on a guitar... one movement gets you two notes.

Here's a vid for you, which will help explain it better since it's got the visual:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXSB0yDlS54

(more of vics lessons in the list on the right)

Edit: +1 to what DocBop said about learning lots of techniques. Palm muting is a great way to get that good Motown sound he mentioned. I've also used palm muting on a fretless to get a decent upright sound. The more techniques you know, the more sounds you have in your sonic toolkit, you know?