Anchored thumb or floating?

[Steve Harris Is]

I use a "floating" thumb technique where my thumb rests always on the string above being plucked, but I notice most players anchor the thumb on the pickup(which I do for E string of course)the whole time. I like the mobility of the float and when I have tried to play with the thumb anchored I seem to have trouble not hitting adjacent strings/making too much noise, etc.

Any thoughts on the subject?

 

[Jazzin']

I'm lazy, so my thumb is always anchored on the pickup.

 

[Edwcdc]

I mostly play a 6 string so I use a floating thumb to mute.

 

[MarkyMark]

I'm lazy, so my thumb is always anchored on the pickup.

same here

 

[OrionManMatt]

Well, I'm realizing that I need to work on my right hand a lot. Lately I'll float down to A, but typically no further than that. B-E-A floater. It helps me a lot with unwanted string noise.

 

[whitedk57]

• Thumb on pickup for E
• E string for A, D, and G

I know some people shift their thumb for each string so that they still have the banana effect, but I rather stay on the E string for the other 3 strings.

 

[steve21]

I have a pickup cover over my jazz's neck pickup specifically for anchoring purposes.

Although sometimes I like anchoring Geezer Butler style by the neck.

 

[Suckbird]

anchoring your thumb on the pickup is a bad bad habbit...

how do you mute the strings?

play the G string and you will hear ringing from the A and E string..

i know people like wooten and sheehan and thousands of other bassists plays like that and that's probably because that's the way they learned how to play bass from the beginning and are too lazy learn it a better way...

i would say that floating thumb is the proper to use the thumb and now of course somebody will say that i'm one of those guys who always thinks that my way to play is the only and proper way but in that case i would like somebody to prove me that i'm wrong...

 

[Baryonyx]

I just float, it just feels more natural to me that way.

 

[whitedk57]

anchoring your thumb on the pickup is a bad bad habbit...

how do you mute the strings?

play the G string and you will hear ringing from the A and E string..

i know people like wooten and sheehan and thousands of other bassists plays like that and that's probably because that's the way they learned how to play bass from the beginning and are too lazy learn it a better way...

i would say that floating thumb is the proper to use the thumb and now of course somebody will say that i'm one of those guys who always thinks that my way to play is the only and proper way but in that case i would like somebody to prove me that i'm wrong...

What I have learned so far in my fledgling career is this...

• There is an agreed upon way to do some things
• There are several ways to do other things

I think this falls in the 2nd category. I am no expert, but I am quickly learning that there are no steadfast rules for technique. What one considers gospel is disputed vehomently by others.

I know a bassist whose thumb routinely finds its way on the fret side of the neck. I know it's wrong, but he is pretty darn good at bass. He reminds me of Lee Trevino of the golf world - widely criticized for his swing, but laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I just float, it just feels more natural to me that way.

Same here.

 

[fr0me0]

i float unless I'm just playing one note on a higher (tone wise) string, then its a a reach.

 

[Tom Crofts]

anchoring your thumb on the pickup is a bad bad habbit...

how do you mute the strings?

play the G string and you will hear ringing from the A and E string..

i know people like wooten and sheehan and thousands of other bassists plays like that and that's probably because that's the way they learned how to play bass from the beginning and are too lazy learn it a better way...

i would say that floating thumb is the proper to use the thumb and now of course somebody will say that i'm one of those guys who always thinks that my way to play is the only and proper way but in that case i would like somebody to prove me that i'm wrong...

Depending on what kind of tone I'm after I either anchor on the neck pup or the B string. I mute the other strings with my little finger on my right hand, I didn't really practice this, just realised after a while that I was doing it. I play with 3 fingers and find that between them and my little finger I don't get any unwanted noise. Each to his own here I think, I have pretty big hands though and find it uncomfortable resting my thumb on the strings because my hand gets too scrunched up.

 

[ii7-V7]

I think that you should learn both styles!

I anchor my thumb for certan styles and on certain instruments, i.e. Acoustic's. I can then mute E string with my thumb, and the A string with my pinky. This gives me a more thumpy Jamerson-esque tone. Its a necesitty on an Acoustic Bass.

I float my thumb when speed is important or when playing on a ERB, or anytime that volume isn't a concern.

I think its worthwhile to have a variety of techniques. I know that its benefitted me as an insctructor.

Chad

 

[skewh]

anchoring your thumb on the pickup is a bad bad habbit...

how do you mute the strings?

play the G string and you will hear ringing from the A and E string..

I anchor my thumb on the bridge pickup, and use my ring finger and pinky to mute the bottom strings, and viola! no sympathetic noises from the A and E strings!

 

[Suckbird]

I anchor my thumb on the bridge pickup, and use my ring finger and pinky to mute the bottom strings, and viola! no sympathetic noises from the A and E strings!

yeah, that works... but only on a 4string...

 

[Tom Crofts]

yeah, that works... but only on a 4string...

I play a 5, my pinky kinda bends backward a bit and just lays flat across the strings I'm not using.

 

[tbone0813]

My finger rests/lies on top of the string when I play. I guess this is the floating style. I tried to anchor my thumb, but it felt really incomfortable.

 

[EricF]

Right or wrong, I anchor on the pup - usually neck, but I will sometimes pay at the bridge if I need a different tone. I like the feel of having a static point of reference. Works for me.

 

[Figjam]

My technique is inbetween. It floats between the pickup E, and A, but never to the D., and the A or very rare, ie: only if the song or riff only has notes on D and G. Usually its on E or pickup.