Thumb position exercises

[Les Fret]

Originally Posted by bassist1962

Thanks Matt. So it is perfectly fine for me to anchor my thumb at the A E B F# if it is going to make the passage I am playing easier to access?

Yes, why not? if it works for you it is good.

[Jason Sypher]

The thumb can be your anchor anywhere on the fingerboard above or below the octave (12th fret)

[Eric Swanson]

+1 to all above. The only thing I didn't see was practicing lots of double stops, for intonation, strength, and flexibility. This was something a former teacher started me on; I continue to do it, daily.

Double stopped thirds are especially challenging and rewarding (for me). When playing, especially jazz, I tend to always default to covering a m3rd. I am (still) working on all the combinations within a P4th, as well as working on a stretch to a P5th.

I also do shifting double stops (P5th, m3rds, and M3rds, mostly, as well as unisons). Frankly, I find them to be tough to do (as in they can hurt a bit, and can sound like fighting cats), but they are certainly helping my intonation, strength, and shifting freedom, "up there".

As Jason says, as well as others, I practice the TP fingerings back to about the D on the G string, ideally. At least back to the E on the G string, daily.

[Bass Catcher]

[quote=bassist1962;10632427]Thanks Matt. So it is perfectly fine for me to anchor my thumb at the A E B F# if it is going to make the passage I am playing easier to access? QUOTE]

Yes, all of those work.

Matt

[Will Yager]

A while back, I got to participate in a masterclass with Eddie Gomez and he talked about an exercise he has his students called "the spider" or something like that. I remember it being something based on diatonic arpeggios but I can't remember specifics...does anyone that's studied with him know what I'm referring to?

[GrowlerBox]

Originally Posted by Will Yager

A while back, I got to participate in a masterclass with Eddie Gomez and he talked about an exercise he has his students called "the spider" or something like that. I remember it being something based on diatonic arpeggios but I can't remember specifics...does anyone that's studied with him know what I'm referring to?

It's a commonly used exercise on fretted instruments for improving left hand dexterity - playing progressively larger intervals with alternating fingers across the strings. There's lots of material available on it. IIRC, John Patitucci provides an example on his BG lesson video. I hadn't thought about using it for thumb position.

[PocketGroove82]

Eddie's "spider" exercise isn't the same thing as John's electric bass thing from his video.

I seem to remember eddie's thing was a cool fingering for thumb position arps over diminished chords.

Say: Cdim7 starting on the lowest C on the E string. Would go like this:

On E String: Thumb(C)--2(Eb)
Then move to A string and shift up a halfstep: Thumb(Gb)--2(A)
Then move to D string and shift up a halfstep: Thumb(C)--2(Eb)
Then move to G string and shift up a half step: Thumb(Gb)--2(A)
...ect


I pretty sure the whole concept is based around arp fingerings consisting of mostly Thumb---Digit, Thumb---Digit, Thumb---Digit type movement.....Is this the spider you were trying to think of?

[bassist1962]

Just a concern. I am working through Rufus' Evolving Upward, and am working on the thumb dexterity exercise. This is where you keep your index stationary on the A string G, and alternate your thumb between the Bb and B on the D. The problem is that my index keeps wanting to collapse. Should I be concerned, or will diligent practice keeping my fingers curved help remedy this?

[damonsmith]

I think the first few pages of Petracchi is amazing for jazz, with his chromatic (spans a minor 3rd) and semi chromatic (spans a major with a whole step btwn t & 1) you get an inherent chromatic lick within either third. You put your thumb on any chord tone and you sound like NHØP or Lafaro!

[Will Yager]

Originally Posted by PocketGroove82

Eddie's "spider" exercise isn't the same thing as John's electric bass thing from his video.

I seem to remember eddie's thing was a cool fingering for thumb position arps over diminished chords.

Say: Cdim7 starting on the lowest C on the E string. Would go like this:

On E String: Thumb(C)--2(Eb)
Then move to A string and shift up a halfstep: Thumb(Gb)--2(A)
Then move to D string and shift up a halfstep: Thumb(C)--2(Eb)
Then move to G string and shift up a half step: Thumb(Gb)--2(A)
...ect


I pretty sure the whole concept is based around arp fingerings consisting of mostly Thumb---Digit, Thumb---Digit, Thumb---Digit type movement.....Is this the spider you were trying to think of?

I think this is it or something very similar. Thanks for the clarification!

[Will Yager]

Originally Posted by bassist1962

Just a concern. I am working through Rufus' Evolving Upward, and am working on the thumb dexterity exercise. This is where you keep your index stationary on the A string G, and alternate your thumb between the Bb and B on the D. The problem is that my index keeps wanting to collapse. Should I be concerned, or will diligent practice keeping my fingers curved help remedy this?

Practicing will help. I struggled tremendously with flat fingers when I first started playing pieces in TP/working on Petracchi. You have to be VERY strict with yourself, but you can do it. My main issue is flattening my first finger while playing a m3 double-stops; for example, playing an A on the G string and an F# on the D string.

[chilensko]

My advise is try to play with your thumb, for example start on G string with thumb on D and play a D major scale, so the fingering is gonna be like this thumb, E with 1, F# with 2 and G with 3 and then move your thumb to E, F# with 1,G with 2 ,A with 4, and so on.....
you can start with Eb o E or A on D string..
Good luck!