Anchor technique question

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPVMBPmrblU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

My $.02.Now is the time to work on proper technique. While many notable bassists have have used a fixed anchor, for hand/joint health and efficiency of movement the floating thumb is the way to go.

 

+1 for the "Floating Thumb".

OP, with the FT technique the thumb does not rest on anything. If you feel the need to rest the thumb, try the "Floating Anchor" technique. Here, the thumb rests on the string above the one being plucked. The advantage that these two techniques have over resting the thumb on the pick up, is that in both cases the wrist is straight. Playing with a bent wrist can lead to injury problems over time. BTW, the wrist of the fretting hand should be as straight as possible also.

Here is the Floating Anchor demonstrated :

 

Anchor is perfectly fine on a 4 string bass, most bassists play this way.
For 5 and more, floating thumb is something you want to develop. It will be beneficial on a 4 string too.

 

Yes. Lots of bassists play this way and suffer no problems. However, lots of other people do. This is not to say that the OP will have injury problems later on from the wrist being constantly at a severe angle, as a result of resting the thumb on the pick up. Perhaps he will not have problems. Personally, it is a gamble I would not be prepared to take.

 

On a 4 string moveable anchor is mostly done with the thumb on the pickup for the E and A strings, thumb on the E for the D, and thumb on the A for the G.

This'll do you fine, try it and see how you get on.

 

Anchoring is fine, but consider this, as a rule players that use floating thumb are equally at home using a fixed thumb (fixed anchor), so consider the value of that skill alone.....i switch between the two with no problems at all.

 

There's no gamble at all. The issue of wrist angle is not due solely to anchoring, it's due to having the elbow in the wrong position. I've anchored for nearly 33 years. By simply keeping my right elbow up and away from the bass, my wrist is straight and I've never complained about binding being sharp or any of that stuff.

 

I play a 4-string Fender Jazz.

When I took up the bass a few years ago at the age of 52, I thought the proper way (and the only way) was to fix my thumb on top of the neck pickup at all times regardless of which string I was playing on. But I found it very awkward to play the higher strings (ie G and D) the way my whole hand needed to open up with the wrist bent uncomfortably due to my very smallish hand with short fingers.

It was an eye-opening experience to learn about the "movable anchor" technique, which allowed my right hand to remain in a more relaxed position regardless of which strings I was playing.

As a general rule (with some flexibility and variation), I lightly place my thumb on top of the pickup when playing between E and A strings, then move my thumb onto the E string when playing between A and D, then onto the A string to play D and G.

This technique also helps to properly mute the lower strings when playing up high to avoid that ever-annoying sympathetic vibration.

 

I always called the Floating Thumb the Ray Brown technique. He is the first person I heard about that applied this (or something similar). For me, I can't bend my right wrist very far due to developing RSI from a teacher teaching me martial arts wrong on purpose (he admitted to it). Now days, a joint locks up in my wrist and makes the pain worse so the the floating thumb is something I have to do.

 

Start by using a technique, then later, do what comes naturally. Here's what I mean:

I'm certainly no expert, but for me, when I started playing, I kept close watch over the anchor technique, always alternating fingers when plucking, etc., and no doubt that helped. Eventually (and it happens pretty quickly), you start to forget about the plucking hand. At that point, I was automatically anchoring, alternating fingers, etc. But also, I noticed that I automatically gravitating toward a floating anchor - because it helps so much with muting control. By switching the thumb, for instance, to rest on the A string, you can mute the E with the back of the thumb. It's easy and intuitive to switch back to anchoring on the E, or the pickup when you have to. I found when I started the floating anchor to the A string, it was immediately easier to play trickly riffs on the A,D,G strings. I'm sure this will help if I ever go to a 5 string.

 

+1. Me, too.

Ain't no hard rules. Just don't do anything that causes pain.

I use both anchoring and floating.

 

I totally agree. However the trouble with the likes of CTS and RSI is there is no pain, possibly for years, as it can take this length of time before a person notices any problems. Just because no pain is experienced now, does not mean it wont happen over time.

 

This is completely true. I know from experience.

 

For what it's worth, you can develop RSI by simply tensing up while you play. That's why you see people like victor wooten play so calmly and relaxed. So if you find yourself tensing up while you pick, stop and loosen up before you continue.

 

And both have their place. Some guys will try to argue floating thumb as being the next step in bass playing and that you shouldn't need to anchor after learning it, but anchoring allows you a slightly more aggressive tone I feel by allowing you to dig in.

Floating thumb is definitely faster and better on the economy of movement though.

 

Staying relaxed is one good way to avoid injuries,
also, Floating Thumb or Floating Anchor allow
free movement closer to bridge or closer to neck
while keeping ability to mute lower strings.