to bend or not to bend?

[thedbassist]

Should I bend my left thumb(I play right handed) while holding the neck? I know what to do in thumb positions but just wanting to clarify about this matter, thanks for all your responses

[zero_cool]

well, if I understand your question right I wouldn't and don't bend my thumb I just let it rest on the back of the neck.

[JoeyNaeger]

Bending your thumb forces you to open your hand even more which for me is uncomfortable. I just let it sit on the back of the neck.

[mcnaire2004]

Bend your thumb.

If you keep your thumb straight than you have a tendency to rap it around the neck.

Not a big bend. Just a little bit. It may be a little bit uncomfortable at first but it isn't that bad.

[bassman1489]

Originally Posted by mcnaire2004

If you keep your thumb straight than you have a tendency to rap it around the neck.

yes, this is true, but bending your thumb gives you more of a tendency to squeeze the neck. which is bad.

one excercise you can try is to play a 1 octave Bb or F major scale (they don't require shifting) with your thumb off the back of the neck. if you find it impossible, that means you are squeezing the neck with your thumb. you should imagine the weight of your fingers going through the string and neck and coming towards you. as soon as you can play the scale well and have a good grasp on the concept of pulling the weight rather than squeezing, put your thumb back on. it should feel like it's just sitting there as a guide, as opposed to squeezing and being tense. (it will probably end up being straight).

hope that helps/is understandable!

[mcnaire2004]

Originally Posted by bassman1489

yes, this is true, but bending your thumb gives you more of a tendency to squeeze the neck. which is bad.

True, but you are going to learn to relax your hand either way (easier said than done).

My teacher has refined the way I hold the bass. He has me lean it forward and slightly over facing me (but not much) rather than the way I used to hold it which was straight up and down with no leans. Where it kind-of almost (weird fraze huh?LOL) has the bass pressing down the strings. But just a little bit.

He told me that if he can walk be hind while I'm playing and pull my thumb out from my bass then I am relaxed enough. Though this is a exaggeration but you get the idea.

[bassman1489]

Originally Posted by mcnaire2004

He told me that if he can walk be hind while I'm playing and pull my thumb out from my bass then I am relaxed enough. Though this is a exaggeration but you get the idea.

this is basically the objective of the exercise i described. although i do not study the rabbath method, i agree with him in that the thumb should never be supporting the bass. as long as this is the case, i suppose it doesn't matter whether it's bent, straight, zig-zagging, upside down, or non-existant.

[stefaniw80401]

Seated on a stool you can play the entire "neck register" without your thumb so much as grazing the back the of the neck as you shift. Try Gary Karr's "vomit" excersize on the stool, then go back up to standing ... if that's your thing.

[Rodger Bryan]

I have taken a slight departure from how I was taught early on- originally, I was taught to form a "C" shape in the left hand with the thumb and index, and then move the thumb opposite the second finger. Now, my hand position looks *similar* but my thinking is different after teaching elementary & middle school strings:

I ask the beginners to let their hands totally relax by their side and to look at (and remember) the natural shape of the hand. From this position, there is no muscle action (flexing or extending) taking place and the fingers should take on a little natural curve. To keep the thumb from drifting upward, I'll give them a paper cup to hold. After doing this, the memory of this hand shape seems to stick with them.
Sorry for the long post. peace!

[m9lc]

Originally Posted by mcnaire2004

Bend your thumb.

If you keep your thumb straight than you have a tendency to rap it around the neck.

Not a big bend. Just a little bit. It may be a little bit uncomfortable at first but it isn't that bad.

Why should what your body has a natural "tendency" to do influence how you play? Yes, I keep my thumb straight, but I don't ever find myself wrapping my thumb around the neck, and it didn't take very long to keep myself from doing that.

It's not hard to overcome a tendency. You have a tendency to bow near the fingerboard, or to bend your right arm, or to pluck jazz pizz like you would an electric bass. But we can still stop ourselves from doing it.

[mcnaire2004]

Originally Posted by m9lc

Why should what your body has a natural "tendency" to do influence how you play? Yes, I keep my thumb straight, but I don't ever find myself wrapping my thumb around the neck, and it didn't take very long to keep myself from doing that.

It's not hard to overcome a tendency. You have a tendency to bow near the fingerboard, or to bend your right arm, or to pluck jazz pizz like you would an electric bass. But we can still stop ourselves from doing it.

I was always taught (I started playing in 6th grade) that proper technique is putting a slight bend in your thumb making a almost C. Or like some one else said to let your hand relax and look at the shape of it. It is still a almost C.

I am pretty sure you don't keep your thumb perfectly straight. If you do then you put way to much pressure on your thumb. Either from your bass or you are trying to hard. I am willing to bet that you have a slight bend in your thumb.

And yes, you can always correct any tendency's. But, you should not deviate from (what I was taught) proper technique because you can stop your self from bad tendencies. There is enough natural bad tendencies that people have to correct alone. Let alone ones from a improper technique, then again improper technique is a bad tendency.

[m9lc]

Originally Posted by mcnaire2004

I was always taught (I started playing in 6th grade) that proper technique is putting a slight bend in your thumb making a almost C. Or like some one else said to let your hand relax and look at the shape of it. It is still a almost C.

I am pretty sure you don't keep your thumb perfectly straight. If you do then you put way to much pressure on your thumb. Either from your bass or you are trying to hard. I am willing to bet that you have a slight bend in your thumb.

And yes, you can always correct any tendency's. But, you should not deviate from (what I was taught) proper technique because you can stop your self from bad tendencies. There is enough natural bad tendencies that people have to correct alone. Let alone ones from a improper technique, then again improper technique is a bad tendency.

Perhaps I have a slight bend, I never really thought about it... next time I practice I'll check

My teacher never really critiqued my thumb position; I just put my thumb how it feels comfortable while still being able to move around the fingerboard.