Learning not to press too hard with your thumb

[Wes]

Does anyone have any tips or exercises to help me out? Because my thumb often hurts when I press it against the back up my neck - which I presume is because you're not meant to be pressing as such. But I have got into the habit of it.

Any tips?

[Jazz Ad]

Play scales without using your thumb at all, ie leave it up in the air.
It will help you appreciate how little power is needed.

[lemur821]

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

Play scales without using your thumb at all, ie leave it up in the air.
It will help you appreciate how little power is needed.

+1

[Phil Smith]

Originally Posted by Wes

Does anyone have any tips or exercises to help me out? Because my thumb often hurts when I press it against the back up my neck - which I presume is because you're not meant to be pressing as such. But I have got into the habit of it.

Any tips?

Try relaxing your grip and making sure your thumb is curved. You can also try fretting a note at the first fret(an F) on say the E string and then sliding down the bass but up in pitch to the 13th fret(an F an octave higher) and back again with your thumb remaining in contact with the back of the neck. Use a metronome at 60bpm to start and play an F on the one.

[Wes]

Ok, cheers guys I will try these.

[user101]

keep going until you get a blister. Pop the blister and the next day it will hurt so much, you'll never press hard on the back of the neck ever again. That's how i learned

[Milk eWay]

make sure not to tense up your shoulder. this can make you tense up your thumb, happened to me a lot.

[Audiophage]

I just try to think about not doing something like that when I'm practicing other stuff. I don't think you can actually practice only not pressing too hard with your thumb.