I just started bass about 2 weeks ago, transitioning from playing cello. I noticed that when I pluck, a lot of the time, without meaning to, my thums ends up anchored on the finger board, at about the 20th fret. Just making sure, this wont help me with my playing, will it? I'm trying to anchor my thumb on the pickup but this just keeps happening (could my basses soapbar being very thin at the E-end have anything to do with this?)
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Why is that Jazz Bass so aroused? What have you been doing to it?
-Djembe
Plucking closer to the 12th fret (i.e. center of the string) will give you a fat, bass-heavy tone. Plucking closer to the bridge will give you more growl and overtones.
Being able to change plucking positions will give you a wider tonal palette. There's a sticky thread that you should read about movable thumb v. anchoring that should be useful to you.
Like OtterOnBass said, plucking there will give you a very deep sound. I love plucking there on my fretless (with flatwound strings) for slow walking lines, it gives gives me a sound similar to that of an upright bass.
Where you pluck has a pretty large effect on the tone you'll get and learning to use that to your advantage will give you a lot of control over your tone. It's definitely worth learning to play in more than one spot!
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Dave O.
Yeah, I suck, I know that. But at least I suck a little less than I did yesterday.
A noob's plucking question... 
