Left hand thumb BELOW the neck

[Aged_Clayman]

Hello TB.)
So we all know that having the left hand athumb above the neck is bad. And some say it`s sa worse as not playing at all . Well, okay.
My problem is that recently I got used to hung my bass really low, below the belt level (that way my right hand is nearly straight, very comfortable). But in turn I have nearly no access to the 12+ frets and to play here I have to use what should be called "floating left thumb", all the fingers in front of the neck.
Is this acceptable/bad/disgusting? Should I hung my bass higher? Should I substitute my thumb with a carrot?

Thanks,
Clayman.

[f'nar f'nar]

Where you hang your bass is up to you. However, if you feel discomfort whilst playing those frets, a higher position will help you. Personally, I don't substitute playability for image or whatever. Bottom line is, if it's uncomfortable, adjust it otherwise you wont be able to play your best. 9 times out of 10, it's nearly impossible to reach those frets comfortably, consistantly and smoothly with your bass hung past a certain point. Having said that, if it works for you, roll with it.

[christoph h.]

i have seen people coming from the acoustic bass play that way, regardless of bass height. i guess it's an influence from the thumb position concept. they weren't bad players at all.

but i still think you should find a compromise for your left and right hand and get to a point where both hands can play in a comfortable fashion.

[Aged_Clayman]

Thanks a lot

i have seen people coming from the acoustic bass play that way, regardless of bass height. i guess it's an influence from the thumb position concept. they weren't bad players at all.

Yay, I`m not alone Btw, where can I read about this "thumb position concept"?

[hunta]

Thumb position is an upright technique where in the upper registers of the neck (generally around the "12th fret"), you bring your left thumb onto the fingerboard and use that as your 1st finger. Generally in this position you would use thumb, index, middle, ring, and not use the pinky. What you're doing is totally different as you'd have to approach the neck from the other side because your strap is so low.

I really recommend you think again about having your bass so low. You say your right hand is straight which is comfortable, but your left hand must be at some horribly awkward angle. Other than looking cool (if you think it does), from an ergonomics standpoint you absolutely want your bass to ride higher. This will allow both wrists to remain at a healthy angle.

You may want to read :http://www.adamnitti.com/bass_player_03.shtml

"Avoid sharp wrist angles
The importance of this can not be overestimated. Sharp wrist angles, combined with tension and fatigue, significantly contribute to bass players hand injuries, and these injuries can sometimes be irreversible. Although problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive stress injury, and tendonitis are beyond the scope of this particular column, their prevention is aided by the avoidance of excessive stress on the wrists. In general, you want to keep your bass at a height that allows a moderate wrist angle for both hands. You will find that if your bass hangs excessively low, a sharper angle is incurred by the wrist of the fretting hand. If you wear your bass excessively high, the wrist of your plucking hand will incur the sharper angle. Even if a player wears his/her bass somewhere in between, most end up struggling with wrist tension when they are playing in the lowest register of the bass, closest to the headstock."

[christoph h.]

Originally Posted by Aged_Clayman

Thanks a lot

Yay, I`m not alone Btw, where can I read about this "thumb position concept"?

hunta explained it already. I do agree with him that what you're doing is not entirely the same. But I still think the concepts are related, as my above experience with acoustic bass players going to electric tells me. They didn't transfer the technique 1:1, though.

I think someone who's using "real" thumb position playing on an electric is Steve Bailey, who has his bass very high.

As far as ergonomics, hunta is right. I'll re-state my point from above, you should find a compromise for both of your hands. Read the article hunta linked to and make sure you're not hurting yourself.