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Double thumb

#4
so basicly say doing it on the E string.

I slap it with my thumb downwards then hit it up again with my thumb nail, then when I am good I pluck it afterwards aswell?

How long can it take to get good at this technique?
 
#7
homers said:
...How long can it take to get good at this technique?
Click to expand...
It's taking ME like forever.

Maybe it would help to explain that if we were just isolating the thumb in this (I'm saying this because of how you said "when I'm good, I pluck it afterwards..."), it's kind-of no-brainer: you'd just stiffen your thumb, and use it like a pick player would - up-and-down, blah-blah - like a pick.

But the idea of this 'double-thumb' teminology comes from "slap-POP"-playing, inwhich players would - like in the disco-days - get this groove going between slaps and pops, like "bum-BAP bum-BAP bum-bap..." (thumb-thump, finger-pop, thumb-thump, finger-pop kind of thing, for example). I hope I'm explaining this right... I mean - it wouldn't be called 'double-thumb' if you were just using it like a pick; then we'd say that plectrum players are "double-picking" (hm.. maybe there IS a term like that, from the old-days) -well, I'd HOPE they are, anyway!

As far as I understand, the idea of 'double-thumb' is that it's really comparable EASY to play alternating thump-pop (say, thump on downbeat, pop on upbeat) because your arm is moving down (toward the bass body) on thumps, and back-up on pops, so it's a natural motion (down on downbeat, up on upbeat). What gets TOUGH (way-tough for me..) is when you have to come UP (away from the body) for the 'double'-part of the double-thump, BUT: you can't do it by just pulling your whole hand away, because then you'd move 'out-of-reach' for the pop that belongs in it's regular up-beat place (which is, for best-effect, often very, VERY shortly after that second thump!).

I think that the main reason it got the name is because of how you're 'fitting it in' between the regular down-thump and the up-pop. So usually it's not "I'll double-thump, then when I get good enough I'll pop". Conventionally, it's more-like "I'll thump and pop, then when I get good-enough I'll DOUBLE-thump" (and, of course, pop).

Uhh.. does that help?

Joe
 
#10
The main thing is you have experiment and try different things to find which works for you. The Victor Wooten approach appears to use more of the end of the thumb, which for me doesn't work well because I have a short thumb. Then I was at a clinic recently with Alain Caron who I consider another master of double-thumb. Alain uses strikes the string where the joint in the thumb is for the up and down stroke. What amazes me is he slap up way up over the fretboard not on the end like most. I mention that because I tried to double-thumb up there and it make me realize I needed to change the angle I use going up and down. This is working better for me. So you need to try different thing, where you are thumbin', the angle down and up, what part of the thumb you are striking with, and so on.

Now to figure out how Alain plucks use that high on the fretboard when strings are down so low.
 
#13
Joe P said:
It's taking ME like forever.

Maybe it would help to explain that if we were just isolating the thumb in this (I'm saying this because of how you said "when I'm good, I pluck it afterwards..."), it's kind-of no-brainer: you'd just stiffen your thumb, and use it like a pick player would - up-and-down, blah-blah - like a pick.

But the idea of this 'double-thumb' teminology comes from "slap-POP"-playing, inwhich players would - like in the disco-days - get this groove going between slaps and pops, like "bum-BAP bum-BAP bum-bap..." (thumb-thump, finger-pop, thumb-thump, finger-pop kind of thing, for example). I hope I'm explaining this right... I mean - it wouldn't be called 'double-thumb' if you were just using it like a pick; then we'd say that plectrum players are "double-picking" (hm.. maybe there IS a term like that, from the old-days) -well, I'd HOPE they are, anyway!

As far as I understand, the idea of 'double-thumb' is that it's really comparable EASY to play alternating thump-pop (say, thump on downbeat, pop on upbeat) because your arm is moving down (toward the bass body) on thumps, and back-up on pops, so it's a natural motion (down on downbeat, up on upbeat). What gets TOUGH (way-tough for me..) is when you have to come UP (away from the body) for the 'double'-part of the double-thump, BUT: you can't do it by just pulling your whole hand away, because then you'd move 'out-of-reach' for the pop that belongs in it's regular up-beat place (which is, for best-effect, often very, VERY shortly after that second thump!).

I think that the main reason it got the name is because of how you're 'fitting it in' between the regular down-thump and the up-pop. So usually it's not "I'll double-thump, then when I get good enough I'll pop". Conventionally, it's more-like "I'll thump and pop, then when I get good-enough I'll DOUBLE-thump" (and, of course, pop).

Uhh.. does that help?

Joe
Click to expand...

+1 to this
but let me tell you something about how long it takes to master. Victor Wooten started playing this way when he was around 10, he is now 42, But he also really mastered some time ago. Well back to the point it takes alot of practice. Just keep working at it the more you play it the better you will get.
 
#15
Lemme see if I can give any suggestions that work... Start with your (a) string, Slap in a downwards motion insted of sideways, Let your thumb hit the string and land on the (d) string resting on it. Pull your thumb back up popping the (a) string with your thumb. This is basicly how I do it... I usually warm up with a (d major scale) over all 6 string using double thumping and open hammer double thump/pop/pop... Just practice slowly and youll figure it out, It took me about a month and a half to figure it out where I can do it flawlessly...
 
#16
The double thumb technique does take some practice, the one thing I found interesting though is it started wearing down my thumbnail. I talked with my bass teacher about this and he suggested that artists like Victor have their rigs set up really high on sensitivity so it doesn't take a lot to make the sounds needed.
 
#17
low action and light guage strings help... I use D'addario nickel wounds on my thumb and theyre a bit softer... Easier on your fingers and have a very middy growl... They sound awesome for slap :)

As for your fingernail... Change your technique a bit so your flat with the strings. Slap with the joint of your thumb along with bringing it back for the pop. I tryed using my thumb nail and it gives a little bit brighter of a sound but using the bone gives alot more thump.
 
#18
thumbin said:
low action and light guage strings help... I use D'addario nickel wounds on my thumb and theyre a bit softer... Easier on your fingers and have a very middy growl... They sound awesome for slap :)

As for your fingernail... Change your technique a bit so your flat with the strings. Slap with the joint of your thumb along with bringing it back for the pop. I tryed using my thumb nail and it gives a little bit brighter of a sound but using the bone gives alot more thump.
Click to expand...

He means "thump," not "slap."

I agree on the fact that light gauge strings help. I'm also using Daddarios light gauge nickle roundwound.
 
#20
Did you guys find you can't have your thumb nail too short or it makes this hard or am I simply not getting it right?

My nail is short right now and I'm finding that I really have to put the thumb under the string too much to get a reasonable outcome.

Cheers,
 

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