floating thumb techniqe

[Lobster11]

so what's wrong with anchoring my thumb on the E?
I never thought about it so I film my playing and it turns out my thumb tests (with no tension) on the E whenever I'm not playing it. I mute the E with my thumb and all the other strings are muted with my fingers.

You partly answered your own question: With the floating thumb, you don't need to use other fingers for muting strings because the thumb is doing it.

I think the other main reason is to ensure consistency of attack across strings. With the floating thumb or moveable anchor, the position and shape of your hand, as well as the angle at which your finger strikes the string, is exactly the same no matter which string you are playing.

 

[joeblasted]

far too much to read in this thread, but the crux of the matter is,

one needs to play CLEANLY. anything that's not being "noted" is being muted. anything that should not be noted, that is not muted, translates to garbage rumble that only serves to bring up the noise floor, and will also make the band as a whole sound worse.

mute left hand right hand right pinky left thumb, no matter how you have to get it done, get it done so that you're only sounding the notes that need to be played.

whatever technique one has to employ in whatever situation, whatever works, go with it, so long as the prime directive of clean deep fat bass is served.

 

[timobee4]

After 35 years of anchoring my thumb on pickups, neck heel and strings I thought I give this technique a chance. Interestingly, when used alone or combined with anchoring, the floating thumb makes me use my index and ring finger having a sort of "floating middle finger"! Don't get me wrong, the middle finger also gets used a lot but 1st&3rd finger work more. Previously 1st&2nd finger were busy and 3rd finger was for string crossing quickly. Anyway, I'm sure that the amount of time I put in playing and practicing will correct this. Early days. Very intrigued! Other thing is, even though I play relaxed, because my right hand more lelaxed my left hand feel even more relaxed. I was playing the heads of scrapple for the apple anthropology and interplay this morning "super fast" and it was flowing very nicely. Perhaps this floating technique was just what I needed to take right hand to next level. Hmmm

 

[timobee4]

After some days of practice I still find that hanging my thumb in such relaxed position also effects my left hand! Strange as it sounds! Apart from a pain in the outer side of my thumb from the strings it's going well. I guess in time callous will form there too.

 

[Herrick]

I envy the bass players who can play really well without using the floating thumb.

 

[Creede]

I envy the bass players who can play really well without using the floating thumb.

Why, though? As far as I'm aware, there aren't really any benefits to it.

 

[Herrick]

Why, though? As far as I'm aware, there aren't really any benefits to it.

It looks like they can play faster. I think it takes more time to move the thumb up and down than it does to just anchor it on a pickup or lower string.

 

[Creede]

It looks like they can play faster. I think it takes more time to move the thumb up and down than it does to just anchor it on a pickup or lower string.

Once you get comfortable with floating thumb or anchoring, it's faster IMO.

 

[Herrick]

Once you get comfortable with floating thumb or anchoring, it's faster IMO.

I need to practice it more. I often end up hitting the string above the one I'm trying to anchor. Like when I move my thumb to set it on the A string to play the D, I end up hitting the E!

 

[Creede]

I need to practice it more. I often end up hitting the string above the one I'm trying to anchor. Like when I move my thumb to set it on the A string to play the D, I end up hitting the E!

Yup. Just about slow practice to gain control.

 

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

Alphonso Johnson has said that he adopted the floating thumb technique after a recording engineer soloed his channel and showed him how the strings under the one he was playing were droning.

 

[LoveThatBass]

I envy the bass players who can play really well without using the floating thumb.

Why, who cares. Everyone is different.

 

[Herrick]

Why, who cares. Everyone is different.

Because it looks like it takes more control & precision and I admire that. Why do you care what I care about?

 

[LoveThatBass]

what is floating thumb techniqe & how can i do it?

I rest the side of my thumb on the strings and it slides vertically up and down muting the string/or strings not being used above the string you are plucking.

 

[Bioflava]

Hi TBers,

With apologies if someone has brought this up already in this 20-page thread: Does anyone use Scott Devine's semi-floating-thumb technique?

Here's his explanation:

Before watching this video, I kept my thumb anchored on the pickup and muted with my left-hand only, but now that I've been using this technique, I like -- although, from watching a lot of videos online of various players, it doesn't seem to be very commonly used.

 

[_sky_]

I´m better at the floating thumb technique (only rest the thumb on string when not going from string to string). At the begining the shoulder didn´t feel good but now i´m used to it with no desconfort in the hand and in the shoulder.

But I think that I started playing ever more cleaning when I tried to mute with the left hand. It is a big help to mute with the "fret" hand because you can kill a lot of noise with it.

 

[Arion]

Hi TBers,

With apologies if someone has brought this up already in this 20-page thread: Does anyone use Scott Devine's semi-floating-thumb technique?

Here's his explanation:

Before watching this video, I kept my thumb anchored on the pickup and muted with my left-hand only, but now that I've been using this technique, I like -- although, from watching a lot of videos online of various players, it doesn't seem to be very commonly used.

I sometimes anchor the thumb on the string when playing straight eighths or sixteenths basslines, like Muse's "Hysteria" (can't play at full speed though) or Coldplay's "Clocks". This comes naturally however. I watched that video, and floating thumb is my primary muting technique. I also anchor the thumb on the pickup a lot when there's nothing to do on the G-string. There's more consistency in alternate fingering.
The "anchor floating thumb" is not much used by people because the anchored thumb can pop the string when changing the anchor.

 

[vin97]

Yes, I do it that way, except my thumb only goes up to the A string (and only when playing the G string) since the string directly below the one I am playing is being muted by either index or middle finger.
I guess you could call it "floating anchor"?

 

[David A. Davis]

Hi TBers,

With apologies if someone has brought this up already in this 20-page thread: Does anyone use Scott Devine's semi-floating-thumb technique?

Here's his explanation:

Before watching this video, I kept my thumb anchored on the pickup and muted with my left-hand only, but now that I've been using this technique, I like -- although, from watching a lot of videos online of various players, it doesn't seem to be very commonly used.

I started using it a few months ago after watching a Todd Johnson seminar on Scott's (Devine) Bass lessons. Unbelievable difference .

 

[MarkM13]

Has anyone used the floating thumb technique while popping? I'm new to slapping and am finding that when I pop on the G string it's easier to mute by keeping the thumb in the traditional floating position but applying a bit of downward pressure to mute the E A D strings. It does mean the popping finger move in more of an up and down motion as opposed to a rotation motion. Other than that I can't see a disadvantage but, I'm new...

Thoughts?
Mark