double jointed thumb

[funbass]

Any one here have a double jointed thumb. My thumb bends back . Sometimes pressing on the back of the electric bass neck my thumb is bending backwards and if I play too long this way the thumb joint will hurt. Is ther a brace out there for thumbs that you can wear and still play?

[morf]

How about learn not to anchor your thumb?

[spudmaster34]

jaco had double jointed thumbs

[Stanley Design]

You're pressing way too hard on the fretboard. I have double jointed thumbs.

[CanadianBass48]

I don't know about your problem but my right thumb, right in the middle joint, can bend at a 90 degree angle while my left thumb can only do about a 35 degree angle. I rest my right thumb on my pickup so I think that it is used to getting stretched like that, or something. It is pretty though.

[lemur821]

Yup. Solution: quit doing that. No matter what kind of thumb you have, squeezing the neck with it is a Bad Idea (note the capitals). Your thumb is not allowed to do more than brush the neck.

EDIT: How the heck can you play like that anyway? If I bend my thumb back and put it on the back of the neck I can't even reach the strings anymore.

[Munjibunga]

Sooaaahhh, exactly where is the extra joint? Do you have, like, three knuckles in each thumb? Pics please.

[funbass]

I am pressing too hard, I think . Also a friend told me I need to drop my wrist more like I'm trying to show off my ring . I think the cause was that I was learning some chords and it seemed buzzy if I didn't press hard. I'm going to learn how to post pictures, just haven't learned that yet. Thanks for the advice.

[CanadianBass48]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Sooaaahhh, exactly where is the extra joint? Do you have, like, three knuckles in each thumb? Pics please.

Good point. Thanks for pointing that out. I guess that I only have one thumb joint.