Weird problem - I'm better player with my thumb than with fingers

[fahrendorff]

Hi.

I have a weird problem. I'm a MUCH better player when I play when my thumb than with my two fingers.

I play with better rhythm, and it just grooves much better. I come up with way cooler things when playing with my thumb. It's as if I approach bassplaying very differently when I play just with my thumb. Offcourse I can't play as fast, but it just grooves better.

I showed it to my teacher today and he made me solo on a jazz standard playing only with my thumb. I also solo way better with just my thumb. It's very weird.


How do I get to play as good with my fingers as with my thumb?

Thank you very much for your help.

[ReBass]

Why not just play with your thumb? You wouldn't be the first...

[irishpride28]

Do what feels most comfortable.

[lunarpollen]

Maybe this is just a quirky talent you innately possess! Thumb playing isn't unheard of, in fact many early bass guitars had a "tug bar" to facilitate this (now many basses have that tug bar on the opposite side of the strings as a "thumb rest" for fingerstyle players).

I think you should just go with what's natural for you, become an excellent thumb player, but keep practicing with your fingers too.

[polydeathsphere]

Why not continue to use your thumb? Unorthodox technique isn't exactly a bad thing. But solid practice would do it id say

[fahrendorff]

I think it's a little limiting only using my thumb. I will ofcourse keep using my thumb but I'd like to play just as good with my fingers.

It's as if I'm playing with my thumb, I'm also "playing with my ears". When I play with my fingers, it's just my fingers - no connection to my brain.

I'm sorry for my bad English. I'm not a native speaker.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by fahrendorff

I think it's a little limiting only using my thumb. I will ofcourse keep using my thumb but I'd like to play just as good with my fingers.

It's as if I'm playing with my thumb, I'm also "playing with my ears". When I play with my fingers, it's just my fingers - no connection to my brain.

I'm sorry for my bad English. I'm not a native speaker.

Keep using the thumb, and start developing the fingers. You can never have too many tools. You may find certain songs and styles go better with fingers than thumb. I wouldn't give up on developing fingers.

[251]

Originally Posted by fahrendorff

Hi.

I have a weird problem. I'm a MUCH better player when I play when my thumb than with my two fingers.

I play with better rhythm, and it just grooves much better. I come up with way cooler things when playing with my thumb. It's as if I approach bassplaying very differently when I play just with my thumb. Offcourse I can't play as fast, but it just grooves better.

I showed it to my teacher today and he made me solo on a jazz standard playing only with my thumb. I also solo way better with just my thumb. It's very weird.


How do I get to play as good with my fingers as with my thumb?

Thank you very much for your help.

I think I had a similar experience. When I started playing I plucked the bass alternating fingers as I would a folk guitar. I could not keep a steady rhythm because my fingers would catch on the string. A friend noticed & showed me how to pluck through the string & into the space between strings. Coming to rest on the next string.

Look at your thumb stroking down. Does it stop on the next string? Imagine imitating that motion with index & ring fingers going in the other direction. I hope that helps 8-)

I am a big fan of knowing more than 1 way to use my right hand. It let's me play really long songs without getting tired & making a lot of mistakes.

[Fret Noise]

Do what you do, and still practice with your fingers as well.

Wish I could play comfortably with my thumb....

[Ray man]

I have the same issue.
I had a teacher that was totaly against the thumb.
But, to tell you the truth, he changed his mind when he saw how well it worked for me.
I actualy alternate my thumb with my index or midle finger, kinda like a claw.
It just works well for me. So don't even worry about it.

[bigntasty]

Originally Posted by fahrendorff

Hi.

I have a weird problem. I'm a MUCH better player when I play when my thumb than with my two fingers.

I play with better rhythm, and it just grooves much better. I come up with way cooler things when playing with my thumb. It's as if I approach bassplaying very differently when I play just with my thumb. Offcourse I can't play as fast, but it just grooves better.

I showed it to my teacher today and he made me solo on a jazz standard playing only with my thumb. I also solo way better with just my thumb. It's very weird.


How do I get to play as good with my fingers as with my thumb?

Thank you very much for your help.

I learned to play bass using my thumb, too (playing along with my Grand Funk Railroad albums in the mid-70's). That was OK for awhile, but as I started getting better with my "fret" hand I found that my thumb wasn't doing a good job of keeping up. At some point I just started using my right index finger to thump, then index and middle finger came pretty fast, etc. I think you'll probably reach a point soon where you just know you need to make the change. It's not as hard as it may sound.

[Gerhn Blanston]

Just remember that James Jamerson played on more hit records than Elvis, The Stones, and The Beatles had COMBINED.
And all with the "hook" finger style. In other words, don't sweat it.

[fahrendorff]

The weird thing is. I've never practiced playing with my thumb, I just do it on some tunes, because of the different sound it makes.
I play with my fingers 99% of the time, and have always done so. That's why it's weird.

Could it be a coordination problem? That I concentrate to much on using two fingers?

[44me]

I just noticed something similar myself. I play pretty much with two fingers and occasionally use my thumb, but I almost never use a pick. This past week or so I’ve been working on a bunch of tunes for a gig with I band I haven’t played with before. On a lot of the recordings they gave me to learn the bass is played with a pick, so I decided to at least learn them that way and decide later how I’ll play them on the gig.

While technically my pick playing is weak, I found myself playing things that I just don’t do with my two fingers. And it’s not that I couldn’t play those things with my fingers, rather the thought to play them just never occurred to me. Similarly, I find playing a bass that sounds much different than my instruments, or fooling around with an effects pedal (I normally don’t use any effects) opens up creative avenues that just weren’t there before.

So I think if using your thumb has opened up your playing, work on getting the most you possible can from it, and stop agonizing about how good an approach it is technically. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t still work on your two finger technique, but whatever helps you transfer the music in your head to the music in your playing is a step in the right direction.

[fahrendorff]

Originally Posted by 44me

I just noticed something similar myself. I play pretty much with two fingers and occasionally use my thumb, but I almost never use a pick. This past week or so I’ve been working on a bunch of tunes for a gig with I band I haven’t played with before. On a lot of the recordings they gave me to learn the bass is played with a pick, so I decided to at least learn them that way and decide later how I’ll play them on the gig.

While technically my pick playing is weak, I found myself playing things that I just don’t do with my two fingers. And it’s not that I couldn’t play those things with my fingers, rather the thought to play them just never occurred to me. Similarly, I find playing a bass that sounds much different than my instruments, or fooling around with an effects pedal (I normally don’t use any effects) opens up creative avenues that just weren’t there before.

So I think if using your thumb has opened up your playing, work on getting the most you possible can from it, and stop agonizing about how good an approach it is technically. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t still work on your two finger technique, but whatever helps you transfer the music in your head to the music in your playing is a step in the right direction.

This is exactly the case. I also play things with my thumb that I wouldn't play with my fingers. I do a lot of cool (if it fits the style or the song ofcourse) fills and 16ths lifts, that I just don't do with my fingers.
I play a lot more like Jamerson actually (not meaning that I'm AT ALL that good), what I mean is, a lot of the stuff from my Shadows of Motown book creeps in to my playing, when I play with my thumb. It doesn't when I play with my fingers.

[251]

Originally Posted by Ray man

I have the same issue.
I had a teacher that was totaly against the thumb.
But, to tell you the truth, he changed his mind when he saw how well it worked for me.
I actualy alternate my thumb with my index or midle finger, kinda like a claw.
It just works well for me. So don't even worry about it.

I like thumb/index too. It articulates a lot like using a pick + sustained 32nd notes become much easier than index/ring.

[Ray man]

Originally Posted by 251

I like thumb/index too. It articulates a lot like using a pick + sustained 32nd notes become much easier than index/ring.

Thats exactly how I feel.

[COOL AND DEADLY]

I would practice both. Many finger style players learn to use the thumb while palm muting.

[champbassist]

Sting ftw! He plays some lovely thumbed bass lines.
You are pretty much free to do what suits you best but don't get stuck with one technique. Try fingers and picks as well and check out the different tonal options they provide. Learning more techniques couldn't hurt.

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by fahrendorff

Hi.

I have a weird problem. I'm a MUCH better player when I play when my thumb than with my two fingers.

I play with better rhythm, and it just grooves much better. I come up with way cooler things when playing with my thumb. It's as if I approach bassplaying very differently when I play just with my thumb. Offcourse I can't play as fast, but it just grooves better.

I showed it to my teacher today and he made me solo on a jazz standard playing only with my thumb. I also solo way better with just my thumb. It's very weird.


How do I get to play as good with my fingers as with my thumb?

Thank you very much for your help.

why is this weird?
Why is this a problem?

Play with your fingers more and the "problem" might just disappear.