Jazz bass bassists - where are your fingers?

[Skel]

1. People who play a J bass or copy, etc. Where are the fingers of your right hand? I've had mine over the neck pickup but today I moved my hand back so my fingers are between the 2 pickups. Just curious about others. I saw a pic of (the TB'er from Columbia or South America someplace) with a Ric and he was playing behind the bridge pickup - that amazed me.

2. Also, do you have a dominant finger that you favor? I favor my middle finger (I play with index & middle).

3. I rest my thumb on the edge of the pickguard. I can reach everything but the G string without having to shift my right hand to a different angle. Does anybody else need to shift positions, or is there a single position where you can reach everything?

[Mmm...brAins]

Interesting. I prefer to play over the bridge pickup, plucking with my index and middle fingers. I rest my thumb on the E string if I'm playing the other three, and on the edge of the pickup if I move to the E.

[steveb98]

Anywhere from over the bridge pickup to over the end of the neck, it all depends on the sound I am looking for. For more punchy funk I use the bridge pickup and will play over and around that pickup. For playing Jazz or Blues and want a big fatter sound and less edge I will move up over neck pickup and further closer to the neck. Check out a video of Marcus Miller playing sometime. He is all over even during parts of song so he gets the sound he wants without playing with the controls.

So practice moving around and discover the different sound available. Also moving closer to neck the strings aren't as taut so you need to get used to playing up there.

[WillBuckingham]

Originally Posted by steveb98

Anywhere from over the bridge pickup to over the end of the neck, it all depends on the sound I am looking for. For more punchy funk I use the bridge pickup and will play over and around that pickup. For playing Jazz or Blues and want a big fatter sound and less edge I will move up over neck pickup and further closer to the neck. Check out a video of Marcus Miller playing sometime. He is all over even during parts of song so he gets the sound he wants without playing with the controls.

So practice moving around and discover the different sound available. Also moving closer to neck the strings aren't as taut so you need to get used to playing up there.

+1. That's what the Jazz Bass is all about. You also want to keep in mind that you can play louder (without adjusting your levels) over the bridge pickup.

[the_fonz]

i don't think i ever keep any of my fingers in a constant position. i'm always moving them to somewhere

[iplaybassguitar]

Originally Posted by Skel

1. People who play a J bass or copy, etc. Where are the fingers of your right hand? I've had mine over the neck pickup but today I moved my hand back so my fingers are between the 2 pickups. Just curious about others. I saw a pic of (the TB'er from Columbia or South America someplace) with a Ric and he was playing behind the bridge pickup - that amazed me.

2. Also, do you have a dominant finger that you favor? I favor my middle finger (I play with index & middle).

3. I rest my thumb on the edge of the pickguard. I can reach everything but the G string without having to shift my right hand to a different angle. Does anybody else need to shift positions, or is there a single position where you can reach everything?

i used to rest my thumb on the neck pickup when playing fingerstyle...then i got a different bass.

[Skel]

Originally Posted by iplaybassguitar

i used to rest my thumb on the neck pickup when playing fingerstyle...then i got a different bass.

Yeah, I started doing that today. I like it. The only thing I'm wondering about is, I seem to need to "lead" with my middle finger, so I get screwed up a little when I get my fingers reversed - I don't know if anybody knows what I'm talking about. I'm sure I'll work through it where I won't have a "leading" finger.

[sedan_dad]

I dig my thumb into the edge of the pickguard.I've actually worn a deep trench into the wood.
Attachment 48151

[Skel]

Originally Posted by sedan_dad

I dig my thumb into the edge of the pickguard.I've actually worn a deep trench into the wood.
Attachment 48151

So that's the secret. It's under the wood - cool pic. I like the character of an instrument that shows some use.

[tjh]

we have four distinct zones (sounds) on a Jazz ,,, bridge pup and behind, between pups (most solid sound), neck pup to neck (smooth), and up onto the neck (19-20th for tappin, way up for creamy) ... I try to use them all, but home is thumb on neck pup, and hittin em' betwixt ... it also depends a lot on how you wear your bass, and what is ergonomically corrct accordingly ...

[nubs]

Originally Posted by sedan_dad

I dig my thumb into the edge of the pickguard.I've actually worn a deep trench into the wood.
Attachment 48151

awesome looking bass, love an instrument that defineatly looks like its played and this one is!! incredible, love it!!

as for finger placements i anchor to the neck pick up, if i am using the upper stings fingering faster i find myself anchor right to the E string and if i play on the fret board i anchor right at the end of the neck, one of those three all the time..

[jsbass]

I usually float or mount on the neck pup, and pick in between both pickups, if I'm playing fast notes like 8th notes or 16th notes I'll move near the bridge cause it's easier to keep good consistency with the higher tension.

[jsbass]

Originally Posted by sedan_dad

I dig my thumb into the edge of the pickguard.I've actually worn a deep trench into the wood.
Attachment 48151

Now that's mojo!

[Enden]

I keep my thumb on the neck pickup, with my fingers usually between the 2 pickups.

I prefer to use my index finger when I'm playing with 1 finger.

[Ale]

Depends on what i will play , but 99% i play above the bridge pup , it fits my jazz playing best.

[Baryonyx]

I move and groove all over the place! Sometimes I might be soloing over the bridge, sometimes I might want a rounder sound so I've over the neck pup. Sometimes to articulate a line, I might need to move my hand to gets more tightness for triplets or to get to where the strings are looser, which makes it easier to play faster licks across them.

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by Mmm...brAins

Interesting. I prefer to play over the bridge pickup, plucking with my index and middle fingers. I rest my thumb on the E string if I'm playing the other three, and on the edge of the pickup if I move to the E.

Same here. Except that I tend to play more over the neck pickup than the bridge pickup...

MM