why is it so important to have your thumb in the middle of the neck?

[peaveyuser]

Originally Posted by JLW

yea i wouldnt sweat it too much. but when you start trying to play harder lines (Teen Town by Jaco Pastorius, or Portrait of Tracy with those BIG harmonic chord/stretches) it will be impossible to do it with the "thumb over neck" hand positioning.

hmmm I will for sure as I like Jaco's Harmonic stuff, and decided to try and pull off Portrait of Tracy. Harmonics can be a bit of a b!tch on my bass tho.

that will take a while but for sure worth it.

[1954bassman]

I had to train my thumb years ago to stay in the middle of the back of the neck. Now it just comes natural. I don't have a video of myself playing, but I feel certain my thumb occasionally gets unrulely, and slides to the top of the fingerboard. I have big hands. Back when my main bass was a Modulus Quantum 6, I got comments all the time about it's w-i-d-e neck. It was never a problem, because my thumb was trained to hang around the center of the neck before I ever owned my first 5 or 6 string.

[BuffaloBass]

Originally Posted by PaulMacCnj

Rather, I'm talking about some people that I've met that will blast someone's elses playing purely because they didn't agree with the technique used to play a certain piece. The crassness went as far as saying the player wasn't a "real" musician because of it. Come on, you have to admit that's just ridiculous.

Ok, now I know and understand why you got so salient about it, enough to confuse two issues and link them. Disparaging someone's ability is one thing, good technique is another.

Disparaging is ridiculous. If you think you are worthy to judge and critique someone's playing, then darn well take to time to 1.) compliment them on what you thought was good about their playing. This will put them at ease if they were going to get uptight about their ability. And then 2.)with diplomacy, kindness (I always keep deference to Mother Music firmly in mind so MY ego isnt talking ) you may make a constructive suggestion.

If ya aint good enough, or if ya cant slow down enough to do it right, shut up. Telling someone their not a real musician is downright mean. If it happened in front of me, I'd deploy a can of WHOOPASS, verbal of course. You cant bash heads out here , even if its rightfully deserved and ol Mother would smile on me for a good turn.

It is biomechanics. If you went to an excellent instructor, the FIRST thing he would do would check your mechanics. As a top instructor /player/ cool cat done with me.

It DOES make it easier. Playing straight rock is much less fatiguing if you're not hugging the neck with your palm. You want to "stretch out and play 5, 6 string? Or are you "fighting" small hands?You darn well better learn "biomechanics" bro.There is a CORRECT hand position. Most of us old skool guys did it the old way. Huggin'. Frankly, on the four string its less critical, although speed is still not optimal. You'll catch me playing "sloppy" on a 4 string.

We live and learn. Well, the REAL elitist muthas do, that is.

Peace.Out.

[Wootsticks]

Originally Posted by Vandelay

Ever notice the picture in the upper-right corner of every TalkBass page?

D: I never noticed that. Sad.

I sometimes go below the middle of the neck, floating between 2/3 and 3/4 of the way between the middle of the neck and the G string side. I hardly have any strain at all on my hand, even flipping between a 34" scale and a 36" scale. It feels good on my hands as well. My strap is pretty short as well.

[PaulMacCnj]

That's interesting that you brought up playing a 4 string vs. a 5 or 6. I play a 4 and a 5. After reading your post, I played something on both basses only to realize that I do keep my thumb in the middle of the neck on the 5. On the 4, I'm not.

Originally Posted by BuffaloBass

...You want to "stretch out and play 5, 6 string? Or are you "fighting" small hands?You darn well better learn "biomechanics" bro.There is a CORRECT hand position. Most of us old skool guys did it the old way. Huggin'. Frankly, on the four string its less critical, although speed is still not optimal. You'll catch me playing "sloppy" on a 4 string.

Peace.Out.

[SirCanealot]

If I need to use my pinky my thumb will be in the middle of the neck. However, I don't have great stamina (and I press too hard into the back of the neck with my thumb and I've always found it hard to relax), so if I'm playing a very basic rock groove, or I don't need to use a proper posture... Err... why should I? :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITIfITKGhVw <- probably one of the hardest guitar solos ever, and... where is his thumb?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iONLKn5VHY4 <- oh yeah, we know Geddy! I saw Rush a while back, and I only saw Geddy with a proper playing posture (thumb on the back of the neck) once, during one of the riffs in Natural Science. And it's not like Alex Lifeson has a perfect playing posture either... I bet Neil Peart doesn't do some stuff "perfectly" too...

[peaveyuser]

Originally Posted by SirCanealot

If I need to use my pinky my thumb will be in the middle of the neck. However, I don't have great stamina (and I press too hard into the back of the neck with my thumb and I've always found it hard to relax), so if I'm playing a very basic rock groove, or I don't need to use a proper posture... Err... why should I? :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITIfITKGhVw <- probably one of the hardest guitar solos ever, and... where is his thumb?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iONLKn5VHY4 <- oh yeah, we know Geddy! I saw Rush a while back, and I only saw Geddy with a proper playing posture (thumb on the back of the neck) once, during one of the riffs in Natural Science. And it's not like Alex Lifeson has a perfect playing posture either... I bet Neil Peart doesn't do some stuff "perfectly" too...

I'll still practice my posture

[Bassguy87564]

sweet videos SirCanealot

[ninefingerbass]

Some times when I am soloing I don't even use my thumb. I like to have it out for use as another finger to make long extensions. Kind of like an upright player. I only keep my thumb behind when I am playing in the first 12 frets. I think if you are using good technique and know what good technique is then you can utilize any kind of technique you want to. Once you know the rules you can break them.

[Hoover]

'cuz that's where her Sugar Plum is.

[mandocaster]

Great players with awful technique (on any instrument) are great in spite of their technique. They were probably self-taught. They certainly wouldn't be any less great with better technique.

[Guiseppe]

Originally Posted by PaulMacCnj

If the music sounds good, it is good.

I agree.

[Johnny Crab]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So you don't sound or play like these folks, THAT'S WHY!!

PS: They aren't all self-taught, just very good at what they do/did.







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But seriously folks, as long as it works for you AND you aren't physically hurting yourself(i.e. carpal tunnel) just PLAY THE BASS.

Reminds me of my son in USMC training. On the pistol range he was scoring better than anyone and his Sarge came, looked at his grip and stance and said "That looks ALL wrong but if you don't hurt, your target looks ALL RIGHT! Don't change what you're doing."

[m3t4lhed]

its all about whats comfortable to you. im comfortable with the thumb behind the neck cuz my instructor starts throwing old socks at me if i get my thumb up. . but seriously i think when the thumb's behind the neck it gives ME a better reach and the playability is better

[GerManson]

well i was starting to feel very worry with the whole thumb up neck matter..
I just go thumb up in a few "riffs" but i was playing the other day and couldn't play propertly some of the riffs i named before (all my composition).

i guess when is time for grooving some simple line with a lot of "feeling" and puch, my thumb is up, but when is time for soloing and fast riffs i always use thumb at the middle of the neck. same thing when hitting higher notes.