So I noticed Gary Willis's technique

[Planet Boulder]

Originally Posted by SunShine

He doesn't set his thumb. He doesn't anchor it on a pickup or a string, he lets it sit on and mute the strings behind the one he is playing, and that's just hard for me. Does it just come naturally for people, or do they have to work at it? Is it possible/likely that I could become better at it than where I am now with my current style or would I be better off sticking to what I know?

I respect Gary Willis as much, if not more, than any other instructor with whom I've directly or indirectly had experience. His emphasis on plucking hand technique in general is crucial and you'll be amazed at what you can do if you focus heavily on it.

I was having some difficulty with some plucking hand issues a while back and I e-mailed Gary. He responded with some advice and it really helped me. I focus on my plucking hand technique as much as I do on my fretting technique and it has made all the difference in the world for me.

I was actually working on "his" technique the other night - it definitely takes practice but you may find that learning that specific technique works for you. It's definitely one that I plan to use in certain circumstances.

[Wilbyman]

With this, does your forearm rest on the bout at all? I'm working on it, and it definitely feels a little weird right now, but I see the benefits.

Will

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by Wilbyman

With this, does your forearm rest on the bout at all? I'm working on it, and it definitely feels a little weird right now, but I see the benefits.

Will

Depends on how you do it. On his video, Gary Willis suggests playing with your forearm not touching the bass at all for a couple of weeks so you get used to the feeling of your elbow being up. I try not to let my arm bend over the bout anymore. Here's how my arm usually looks when playing (these were taken in my standard standing postition).

My forearm touches the front of the bass more than the bout, and when I play near the bridge, it lays pretty flat on the bass with a slight bend in the wrist so my elbow's not uncomfortable (I wear my bass pretty high). When playing the lower strings, my arm usually doesn't touch the bass at all.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

When playing by the neck, my forearm tends to lay diagonally across the body. When playing the lower strings, my wrist bends a little again for comfort, and not as much of my arm touches the bout. Depending on the way I'm playing, I try to mute the strings with anything I can-my thumb, the side of my thumb, whatever. If I'm playing very fast string-crossing bits, my wrist does tend to bend more so my forearm isn't across the bass, so my fingers can move up and down quicker without having to move anything but my wrist angle.

[Wilbyman]

Thanks very much Brian, for the pics and information. That's really informative and helpful. I'm definitely feeling the burn in my right rotator cuff area from holding the weight of my arm and not resting on the bout. It's weird....using the floating-thumb+raised arm technique it seems like you lighten your touch automatically but your attack gets punchier and more even. It's neat.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by Wilbyman

Thanks very much Brian, for the pics and information. That's really informative and helpful. I'm definitely feeling the burn in my right rotator cuff area from holding the weight of my arm and not resting on the bout. It's weird....using the floating-thumb+raised arm technique it seems like you lighten your touch automatically but your attack gets punchier and more even. It's neat.

Your hands have more strength available to them when your wrist isn't bent, so you have more dynamic control to make your attack light or punchy.

I do have a little problem maintaining a straighter wrist when playing seated without a strap though. That's because I still keep the bass on my right knee, as opposed to keeping it on your left knee classical-guitar style, which puts the bass in a better position, more akin to how you play standing with a strap. That's why I haven't taken my straps off in several months.

[JohnBarr]

My first bass was an acoustic bass guitar. No thumb rest, no pickup to rest on. So I naturally rest on the E, though I have not found it easy to "float" over the higher strings. After this thread, I'll focus on that.

But does that begining on the ABG set me in the right direction here? Or might that just be an opportunity to get it wrong?

Thanks,

John