Floating thumb versatility

[AzzaTheBassist]

Hello guys,
I've recently been trying to learn the floating thumb technique and I think I'm making good progress. However, I have a few questions about the versatility of the technique. I used to play with a moving anchor, and I play in a variety of styles, but mostly jazz, rock and metal. Movable anchor so far has worked well enough for me in these styles, although I have had problems with muting. So I decided to give floating thumb a go. Will I be able to play all of these styles, from walking bass and soloing to huge string leaps and fast riffs on the B string effectively with practice, or does the technique have its limitations? Thanks!

(Originally posted this in the floating thumb sticky but I figured it'd get noticed quicker here)

 

[fearceol]

Granted, he does not play metal, but the FT certainly does NOT seem to impede Todd Johnson's playing in any way.

 

[Jbassrockboy]

I find floating thumb gives me more dexterity

But I am not a speedster type player and I use a pick a lot

But generally I don't believe floating thumb impedes anything, in fact the opposite

I personally became really frustrated with fixed or moving anchor techniques

It's ok for some things but to limit a whole playing experience to fixed or moving anchor, for me seems a very narrow minded way to approach playing bass

A good thing with floating thumb is it is easy to use the thumb for plucking or damping or as the name says just let it float

The thumb is very versatile and Yeah ... Give thumb a go. !!! Lol.

Rossa

 

[elBandito]

I anchor lightly when I'm playing B or E string, but float on A and upwards. I find muting is much easier with floating on 5 strings.

 

[AzzaTheBassist]

I anchor lightly when I'm playing B or E string, but float on A and upwards. I find muting is much easier with floating on 5 strings.

What do you mean by anchoring lightly?

 

[elBandito]

I don't anchor down my thumb firmly, but just locate where the pickup is, and just hang there. Edge of the pickguard works too, when I play close to the neck.

What do you mean by anchoring lightly?

 

[kdemello1980]

I'm relatively new to playing bass and I've experimented with both movable anchor and floating thumb, before landing on floating thumb pretty much full time when I'm picking with my fingers. Granted, I learned right hand technique by watching youtube "bass cover" videos, so take what I say with a grain of salt...

I found the movable anchor gave me more speed on a single string, but made string transitions awkward. I was thinking too much about planting my thumb solidly on the next string, whether it was up or down, and missing a fraction of a beat during the transition. It was also more difficult to keep the non-playing strings silent when the part jumps strings quickly.

For me, floating thumb is faster when switching between strings, and better overall for right hand muting. For those reasons, I consider it to be more versatile overall. I can focus more on fretting with my left hand and my right hand compensates with muting, making it easier for me to play fast passages cleanly.