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floating thumb techniqe

#21
Just another opinion supporting the idea that "movable anchor" and "floating thumb" are two different methods.

I prefer "floating thumb" because, as spindizzy pointed out, it is more versatile. My thumb is free to pluck which is very handy with appregios and double/triple stops.

Spin, I see you are in Michigan. Where abouts?

Bill
 
#23
spindizzy said:
Let get some things straight here concerning the "floating thumb"...

[snip]

...The "movable anchor" as described previously in this thread should remained named as is for to describe the proper method for "floating thumb" as "movable anchor" defeats much of the purpose for leaving your thumb unfettered by a need to support your fingers while playing.

Hope no one gets ticked about my being a purist here but even the language gets confusing when you mix floating with anchoring, unless you are talking about boats.
Click to expand...
I strongly-agree. From what I can see by the examples pictured in this thread so-far, there is a pretty big difference between 'floating thumb' and 'moveable anchor'.

I'm a strong proponent of floating thumb (didn't I used to see it also called "thumb-trailing" here on TB? - or am I bringing-up a whole 'nuther confusion now?) - although I must admit that I do sort-of 'anchor' a little, in that I press a bit against the strings ('down' toward the bass body/fretboard) when I thumb-mute, then like tend-to 'lift and replace, lift and replace' as I change strings. ..But as far as I know, I never 'anchor' the tip of my thumb down (toward the floor) on a string like that (as-though it were a pup or thumb-rest or something) - I'd think that'd sort-of defeat the purpose, as I think has been said already.

I use tons of gain and compression, though (also OD and fuzz), and have to very-consciously and solidly mute with both hands. With the floating thumb, it just becomes second-nature, though.

Oh, and another thing: I've read a few say here that 'it just came natural, and nobody had to teach them'. I'd rather that not be taken by some as "just do what feels the most natural". If I remember correctly - when I first picked up a bass in 1978-or-so, what so-naturally came to me was "four fingers on the bass body; pluck only down with the thumb; use only index finger to fret; only play one string, and just slide up-and-down it to get different notes". I'm glad someone (a music store bass teacher) made me do things that felt VERY unnatural and uncomfortable. When it comes to my floating thumb, it did NOT just come-to-me; I read about it here on TB, and then MADE myself do it - I'm very glad I did!

Joe
 
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#24
I use a floating/anchor technique similar to the one described by Nitti. Usually though I float (or anchor) two strings above the one i'm playing. In other words , there is one string in between the one i'm plucking and the one the side of my thumb is resting against. For example, my thumb is against the E string when playing the D string. The reason this works for me is in the alternation of index and middle finger plucking. When I pluck with the index finger on the D string, it goes through the D string and rests on the A string, thus muting it. The middle finger is then plucking the D string and vice versa.

Hope this helps, rather than add to the confusion!
 
#26
I used to anchor my thumb on the pickup and play that way entirely, then my teacher showed me the floating thumb and now I can't get comfortable keeping my thumb on the pickup. I don't move my thumb down to the D when I play the G however, my fingers moving back into the D mute that one. I only go farther if I have an extended range. I'll move my thumb to D only if I have to play a C, but if I have a low B, I'll go no higher than the D still.
 
#27
SpinDizzy and GregHolmes (or anyone) - I caught the dif (between floating and moveable anchor) after reading your posts twice (and everyone's). The Warwick article is great. Thanks.

Silly question about floating.... when your thumb is not anchoring your picking hand, does the forearm anchor against the guitar body instead? Or the elbow anchor against the body? Or does practice remove the need to anchor altogether? Warwick article (and pics) seem to imply artist has amazing right arm control, perhaps without anchoring of any type. I fell into anchored thumb on pickup pretty quickly and naturally, for some reason, but if this isn't ideal form, I might as well start changing that now. Thanks. -v
 
#28
I think you need an anchor of some sort - unless you have "amazing right arm control", as you say. IMO, the key is to get away from the thumb anchored firmly in one spot.
On small-bodied basses, like a Steinberger, I use the ball of my hand for stability, like when you lay your hand on a desk and drum all five fingers. But the "hand anchor" is light and can be moved around.
On the other hand (pun?), when I'm tapping on the NS/Stick I use my right thumb along the upper edge of the neck as a sliding anchor. You can sort of see it in the pic on the front page of my personal site and on my About page (which also shows the small body of the NS/Stick). The fingertips of my right hand also serve as anchors when they are resting on the strings, so I can use my thumb for tapping.
In the pics you can see that both of my wrists are not bent, which is a very good thing, IMO. Relaxation, flexibility, and good alignment are key.
 
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#30
I had to actually sit down and play for awhile before I chimed on this last one. The truth is that when I play there is no hard and fast rule on "anchoring" but I seem to rest occasionally various parts of my hand and right arm particularly when I am playing less active passages.

For the most part though I don't really "anchor" now at all which a couple years ago started to include my left thumb as well. Now this last one has alot to do with joint pain that has developed as I have gotten older. I was finding at times that it hurt to keep my left thumb behind the neck all the time (I've been playing for over thirty years now and some body parts are starting to wear out) so I learned to relieve the stress on that thumb by strengthening my left hand enough to fret without it. I do it now about two thirds of the time using my left thumb to support only while I am warming up or sometimes when I need the extra support reaching frets closer to the nut. This has created a need occasionally to counter the pressure from my left digits by using my right upper forearm (think folcrum) against the body of my bass.

Now since I use my right forearm quite a bit to also mute the lower strings on my 7 (if I could get a foot up there I would probably use that too) the counterbalancing isn't so much anchoring as it is just a natural outcome of multiple needs being satisfied by one action. It's safe to say that after "floating" for nearly twenty years I bearly even think about how I am doing it, I just play.
 
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#32
My thumb has always naturally gone the "floating anchor" route, but it does see some plucking action as well. I can't plant my thumb on a pickup and leave it there; it feels very uncomfortable and unnatural to me.
 
#33
I should respond long enough to thank spindizzy and everyone also. GREAT THREAD (to me), all. Answered a nagging (multi-week long) question. My instructor (whom I consider a genius) encouraged me to go either way, but he emphasized the floating thumb during my lesson one. Now I know more about why. Thanks. -v
 
#34
i dont really think it matters too much, just find a point like the e string or a pickup or !!!! a thumbrest, where you can rest your thumb to anchor it to be more consistent. Find the spot that works best for you and you should be alright. it should serve to controll your hand and also to help mute the strings your not using at that moment.
 
#36
WHOlovesBASS? said:
i dont really think it matters too much, just find a point like the e string or a pickup or !!!! a thumbrest, where you can rest your thumb to anchor it to be more consistent. Find the spot that works best for you and you should be alright. it should serve to controll your hand and also to help mute the strings your not using at that moment.
Click to expand...

This is the opposite of the technique we're talking about here. The idea is to create a consistent plucking mechanism for all strings. When I play, the goal is no anchor at all, just muscle control.
 
#38
I don't really use a full floating technique. Just now, while I was practising and reading this thread (just sort of mechanically going over some scales etc), I looked down.

When I play on the E, my thumb rests on the neck PU, and when I play on the G, D or A strings, it rests on the E. I suppose this is sort of semi fixed yeah?
 
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#40
I never really gave this much thought, so now I'm probably going to be Paranoid next time I play!

I do different things with different basses and then different things on different songs. I tend to play my Fender differently than my Rick and depending upon the song, I'll move either closer or further from the bridge for different tones.
 

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