My own technique 0_o?

[Koncept17]

I haven't see anyone play like I do. I learned to play bass by myself using my thumb, not slapping but strumming like a pick. I use my palm to mute strings and when hitting higher notes, I switch to my index.

It sort of combines the stylish hand movement of a pick player with the tone of a finger player except a little more slappyish'. Does my technique have a name and do you know any famous bassist who plays like I do?

[DistantTremor]

Well, I'm not sure about the name of it, but a few questions: Can you play efficiently with the technique you use, i.e. can you play quickly without getting really tired? And do you do upstrokes with your thumb and with your finger too, or just downstrokes?

I suppose you could call it a variation on finger-picking, if what I imagine is correct.

[Seussbass]

I've heard of people doing this before. I think it could be a pretty handy technique to have under your belt, but i've never actually practiced it.

[spindizzy]

If you want to name it then you have several options. First you describe double thumbing but only in its simplest form. When used as you describe it you are very close to the Matt Garrison approach or even a little of Gary Willis. We floating thumbers also use variations of this approach. When I play I consider my self a floating thumb player who uses the thumb not just as a mute but as part of the striking arsenal. Thumb in combination with index and middle finger and switching to a index, middle and ring finger on occasion for speedy passages. Two fingers sometimes when grooving and a more traditional application of FT for muting combined with both palm and left hand muting techniques.

So the long and the short of it is that you are using a portion of several techniques just learned in a different way. I would consider visiting the Floating Thumb sticky in this forum, visit also Todd Johnson forum, look at a few Gary Willis instructionals (all on YouTube and MR. Willis encourages you to view this way as he sees no money from his instructional works) and finally check out some Matt Garrison stuff.

You are not alone and there isn't really a name for what you do.

Spin

[Marcury]

It's called plying with your thumb. There are a number of players who do it. I believe I've seen Michael Rhodes play that way and I know that the guy who plays with Frampton does it. I'm also pretty sure that Monk Montgomery (Wes' brother and generally thought of as the first electric jazz bassist) played that way.

BTW if you look at early Fenders you'll notice that what most call the thumbrest is under the strings. It was referred to as a tug bar in those days and was put there for players to hold on to while they played with their thumbs.

It's not a very common technique these days, but it's not unique.

[Koncept17]

It can't realy be compared to double thumbing since my thumb is loose and it's more a wrist+thumb movement rather than pushing arm+straight thumb. I don't upstroke with my thumb, however I can play pretty fast without getting tired but not extremely fast as double fingers sometime do.

[Matthew Bryson]

Originally Posted by Marcury

BTW if you look at early Fenders you'll notice that what most call the thumbrest is under the strings. It was referred to as a tug bar in those days and was put there for players to hold on to while they played with their thumbs.
It's not a very common technique these days, but it's not unique.

I've heard that Leo Fender put the tug bar under the strings because he assumed that this is the way people would want to play electric bass. (he wasn't a bass player) Of course, it was bass players who bought the first electric basses and they of course applied bass technique which as it turns out, for most of us, is a better way to go.

This is also exactly what I did when I got my first bass and was going to teach myself how to play with no previous knowledge. I'd anchor a finger or two under the neck pick up and play with my thumb like it was a pick (with down strokes only)

I played that way for a month or two, learned a few tunes, then I got stuck / frustrated and met a local player / teacher who became my teacher. He got me straitened out playing "normal" finger style.

It took about one or two days to get used to finger style and then I quickly began to prefer it over playing with my thumb as a pick. I never looked back.

The nice round, fat tone that you get from playing with your thumb as a pick (in part because you are plucking so close to the neck) DOES sound nice by yourself. In a band setting it would likely be pretty muddy. Not enough bite in this tone, and harder to vary the tone. (I never had much luck playing this way anywhere except for right by the neck)

It's also a slow, cumbersome technique when compared to finger style or playing with a pick or slap/pop.

String crossing / skipping in a fast line? (i.e. - alternating quickly between notes on the E and D strings) Forget about it with this technique.

I'm not telling you to do, or not do anything. I'm just sharing my experience from having gone down this road. Playing with your thumb as if it were a pick is very slow and limiting.

Now, if you learn to play regular finger style with floating thumb you can start to bring that thumb picking back into your technique (as other have mentioned) and then it's another tool in the tool box. Great for classical guitar type strumming or when you want that phat round tone of thumb strumming by the neck. IMO, not a good "stand alone" technique.

[Koncept17]

I see what you would mean. The thing is, I've been playing that way for like 2 years already and I recently got into a band. I don't think I can learn a new technique at that point but anyway I feel quite comfortable with my playing, even though I kinda wish I had learned to play with fingers 2 years ago...

[slyderhodge]

I don't know why you can't learn a new technique. You should never stop learning. Lets say you do learn to play w/ two fingers or with a pick. That does not mean that you have to play that way all the time, but the ability to switch up will open things up tonally for the future. Watch some youtube vids of some the really great players. A lot of them will switch their styles depending on what kinda tone they want.

[Grinky]

Whatever technique it is, as long as you get the tone you want without hurting yourself, its all good. =)

[wazzel]

I play that way with my thumb from time to time. Just depends on if it fits or my mood. I also use my ring finger on my strum hand at times and play like I have a pick with none, just using the tips/fingernails of my thumb and pointer finger.

Most of the time I just play standard finger style.

[Lalabadie]

I use it sometimes (along with the flamenco first and middle fingers) to get a very smooth sound out of my lower strings. It's one more tool that comes in handy from time to time.