muting with right thumb

[fluxman]

when I'm laying down some groves on the D string, my thumb rests on the A string...pretty standard stuff.....but the side of the knuckle of my thumb also mutes the E string...does anyone else do this?

Also, depending on what i'm playing, sometimes when I play the G string I keep my thumb on the A string (which in turn mutes the E string), and then the act of plucking the G string and the finger following thru mutes the D string. Other times I rest my thumb on the D string (which in turn, the knuckle mutes the the A string)...however this leaves the E string 'exposed'.

Then when I play the A string, thumb is on the E string muting it, and when I play the E string i'm resting my thumb on pickup.

Then in all the above cases, my left hand deals with muting of the higher strings.

I also rest my forearm on the top bass, which results in a bent wrist...altho I'm trying to remedy this by taking my forearm off the bass and using my upper arm to hold my arm instead.

I'm fairly new to bass, so my question is, is this a standard way of muting the bass?

[Infernal Affair]

It's a slight variation of the movable anchor technique, which many people use. There's also floating thumb where you rest the side of your thumb on the strings.

Huge floating thumb thread (takes awhile before you find the real definition of floating thumb)
floating thumb techniqe

movable anchor
http://www.adamnitti.com/bass_player_02.shtml

Discussion of movable anchor with a little blurb about floating thumb
http://www.warwickbass.com/basssurvi...n_9fingers.htm

As for resting your arm on your bass, it's dependent on the person. Many do what you do, and many do not. I began to stop resting my arm on my bass and keep my elbow up as Gary Willis teaches. The logic behind it is it's more comfortable to play and you can be faster and more precise because you're using your whole arm to play rather than limiting your tendon movement. It also seems more comfortable (though my whole arm gets tired around the tricep area at first). Do what you think is best for yourself. Read up on what several theorists have to say and then do what you feel is most comfortable. You'll find many people swear by completely different techniques. Some like their basses high up, some like it low, some rake strings, some don't, etc.

[Audiophage]

Yeah, I've done that without really thinking about it. More on 5 strings though.

[ThunderSix66]

thats basically my technique. I started because it's easier for me to do 3 finger technique with my moveable anchor

[Poop-Loops]

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

[PilbaraBass]

James Jamerson always used his right thumb to mute strings. If he was playing a G-string...he'd mute the EAD with them.

[Fender32]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

James Jamerson always used his right thumb to mute strings. If he was playing a G-string...he'd mute the EAD with them.

That's very true! He also had a slightly double-jointed thumb, the tip of which used to point away towards the headstock, which may have helped in allowing him to get "in between" the strings more to "anchor" slightly, as well as allowing him to damp with the pad or side of his thumb.

Also, let's not forget the heavy muting effect from the foam rubber covers on his "Funk Machine" . The bridge saddles were fairly high and pushed quite deep into the mute. You can easily hear this when you listen to his bass parts solo'd (as they appear on certain tracks of the CD "Standing in the Shadows of Motown").

Oh yeah, I nearly forgot - he was also a God-like genius!



Anyway, back to the debate ....

[Deacon_Blues]

I mute pretty much the same way as you, and like Mr. Jamerson too according to the posts above...

When I switched from a bass with rather flat neck (Warwick Corvette) to a vintage reissue Fender with 7,25" radius, I found it was harder to mute the E string when resting the thumb on the D string. Never had that problem with flatter necks... After some string height adjustments and some getting-used-to-the-new-bass, problem is solved, though.

I also rest my forearm on the bass. But my wrist is pretty straight despite that. It's the angle that's important here. When I play, the average distance from my "thumb root" to the body is approx. 1 cm. This makes it possible for me to mute all strings with my thumb and have my wrist pretty straight. Works for me.

[Fender32]

Originally Posted by Poop-Loops

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

I've been practising this technique on my 5-string, for the past week now and I have to say that it's a real "winner"!

Not only does it reduce wrist stress, but I've noticed that my plucking sounds a lot more even now, in terms of both actual tone and tempo.

Good tip, Poop-Loops (and Todd ), thanks !