two hand technique questions, video and pics inside

[xdanxx]

So ive been looking closer at the posture and technique of my hand lately and I have a few questions.

When reaching for a far away fret with your pinky, say you are going from the 1st fret to the 4th, is it proper technique to slide your thumb and move your hand (first 4 seconds of the video as example), or anchor your thumb and pivot (last 5 seconds of the video).

Untitled on Vimeo


Also,

I notice some bassist let their thumb hang over the top of the fretboard, contradictory to what ive read/seen in most instructional material. Is this improper technique, what is the purpose?

Picture below to show what im talking about:

[fearceol]

To deal with question #2:

While nothing is written in stone, there are tried and trusted ways to play. These not only help you to play to your full potential, but help prevent injuries later on. Ideally, the palm should be open and not touching the neck. Here is a link to the site of a fellow TB'r. It is explained here, a lot better than I could ever do.

Chris K | Shakin' the grounds

[Rockin Mike]

These are my opinions and personal experience. I'm sure different people will give different answers.

#1:
What you want is economy of movement. Get the notes played with the smallest slowest left hand motion possible. Sometimes jumping large gaps can result in excessive hammering, which doesn't sound smooth. You have to practice that out. You might use the thumb pivot or the slide in different situations.

#2.
Wrapping the thumb around is a way to mute the low string. I wouldn't do it unconsciously as it limits the reach of my fingers but there are times when it's what I want. Also, depending on the shape of the neck, it forces me to press the ham of my hand just under the index finger right into the sharp lower edge of the neck. This can become painful after a while. C-shaped necks like Ibanez are the worst for this, D-shaped necks like Rickenbacker are better. Both types have advantages, but talking strictly about thumb wrapping, in my opinion D-shape wins. Also, the more you touch your top string (the low E or the low B), the quicker it will go dead from the skin oils. It's already a popular place to rest my right thumb, so I try to keep left hand contact to a minimum.

Regarding injuries, pay attention to your body. Keep wrists as straight as possible and don't lock your finger joints. Keep fingers curved, play on fingertips. If you have pain, back off! You can't play through pain, you will only make it worse. Pain is your body warning you that injury is nigh. Some people are more prone to carpal tunnel syndrome than others. If that's you, shorten your strap so that your wrist is more in line with your forearm. I play with my strap real low and it's never bothered me, but people need to listen to their own bodies.

I realize I have a minority opinion, but I think a grip strengthener is important to avoid injury. With strong fingers you can reach farther without joint locking. Muscles support bones. Just because your hand is strong doesn't mean you can't play with a light touch. It takes some amount of strength to play. If you play at the limits of your strength you sacrifice control. If your strength can easily handle the job, you can play with more finesse.