Floating Thumb Trying to Get it Right

I say play however you feel comfortable. Everyone's different.

 

Not sure I understand what your difficulty is here. The FT doesn't mean you can't rest your forearm on your bass. Some people do some don't. I use a combo of both FT and the traditional method. Which is if you anchor your thumb (I use the neck PU on my jazz) and use your index & middle fingers to pluck, as you move from the E string to the G string your ring and pinky fingers will naturally mute the A & D strings. I always rest my forearm on my bass no matter which technique I use but it's a personal preference. Do what's comfortable for you.

 

I've had a brief attempt at it and I think I know what the OP means. From what I've read about the technique, you're meant to have a straight wrist? But in doing so it makes it difficult to rest your forearm on the bass.

I'm a bit too set on anchoring my thumb, and I've always played pretty hard so the floating thumb doesn't work for me. The moveable anchor however is great for me.

 

I have been "teaching" myself to play bass every since I got my bass and I'm pretty sure that I use this, floating thumb technique just because I find it more comfortable than any other method since I started doing this naturally when I played. Not because an instructor showed me or because I read it on the internet or in a book.

So I would suggest that you use whichever method feels more comfortable and don't always go directly by how "they" tell you to do something. Unless there is a risk of you physically hurting yourself of course.

Pick however you want/feel comfortable

 

NO.!.... your fretting hand shouldn't be used for anything but fretting the strings, if your hand is supporting the neck it is taking away from your capacity to play properly, and will give you bad habits that will be hard to break. I am having the same problems(except for neck dive) myself,as I am just learning, and you may be wondering why I feel I can offer advice being a novice myself....well novice or not, I know what is right and wrong, and like me,I think you are going to have to persevere until you get it right, Going with something that doesn't feel right cant have a good outcome.
Check out studybass.com

 

+1
The fretting hand should be fretting the notes and nothing else.
You should really be able to play without "supporting" the neck at all.

 

+1
The fretting hand should be fretting the notes and nothing else.
You should really be able to play without "supporting" the neck at all.

 

+1
The fretting hand should be fretting the notes and nothing else.
You should really be able to play without "supporting" the neck at all.