Right Hand Technique

[llldino]

Hey everyone.

When I play bass, I keep my right thumb anchored on the top of the neck while I finger the strings. Most of the time, I keep my thumb at the very right edge of the neck, although sometimes it drifts left and I pluck over the 19th/20th frets.


When I watch other people playing, I notice a lot of the time they use floating thumb or keep their thumb anchored on the neck pickup; I never see anyone that does it like me. Am I doing something wrong here?

[Winfred]

Not really wrong, just different. You can put your right hand (plucking hand) wherever you want. But changing the placement of it, changes your tone.

Playing over the neck, which is what you're doing, gives a warmer, kind of "fatty" tone. If you play back near the bridge, or right over the bridge pickup, you'll get a much different tone.

[FretlessMainly]

I use the neck/body joint as an anchor regularly.

[Kenzy]

No issues here. Play how you like. If you can dig the tone you get from where you're plucking, go for it. Your style is your own to develop.

[MartinB200]

YOU are playing the bass and it's YOUR style.
Every single person plays differently. Besides, it's not a harmful way of playing. Of course, if you were playing over the 5th fret then it'd be different :P

When you play over the neck it gives a quite warm sound that you won't get playing straight over the pickup too.

[Ezmar]

I'd experiment with plucking on different parts of the string, because there's a lot of different sounds you can get. Learning how to adjust where and how you play based on the sound you want will go a long way towards being a better musician.

That said, there's nothing wrong with how you do it now. I play all over, but I have a "favorite" spot. Just experiment, and in a couple years, you may look down and realize you're playing completely differently. Just do what works.

[Steve Dallman]

I played for many years with a pick. Once I started playing at church, I started using fingers. Now, decades later, I find myself using my index finger only, and sometimes/often my thumb (hitting the string with the side.) I often use the pickup, B-string, or the thumb bar on my Variax. The pics just stay in my pocket, unless I have a song that needs a pick. I learned to get enough attack from my fingers. We're all different.

[NYCbassist]

I think it's more important to keep your right forearm free Vs. "Locked" onto the body of the bass. The active movement automatically gives more groove to your playing.(This is purely only My opinion). Your thumb can go anywhere. I love the Neck Pickup as a thumb rest on Jazz Basses. On My Ric, I use my Thumb nail and catch it on the top of the Scratch guard.

[oniman7]

Ryan Martinie and Geezer Butler play with their hands there. Experiment and do what works for you.

[lucam]

Originally Posted by Ezmar

I'd experiment with plucking on different parts of the string, because there's a lot of different sounds you can get. Learning how to adjust where and how you play based on the sound you want will go a long way towards being a better musician.

+1