I've been playing bass for five or six months now, teaching myself, though I plan to take lessons soon. And due to heavy practicing, I think I've gotten pretty good. But since I started, I've been fretting notes with not just my fingers, but a whole lot with my thumb too. People tell me that this is bad and not the proper way to play, and they're probably right. But I find that I play much faster with my thumb then with my fingers, and it's comfortable. I hear that some guitar players, like Hendrix have used their thumb too? Let me know if you think thumb fretting is bad, why you think it is, and what I can do to kick the habit if so. Thanks!
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Fretting...With thumb?
- Thread starter lolomgbass4lyfe
- Start date
I would practice straight 8th notes at 60bpm and work my way up making sure to alternate fingers.
I do it (very rarely) if I find that I've run out of fingers.
My opinion is that it is terrible impediment to moving your hand up and down the neck, really slows you down.
Having said which, I've seen Louis Johnson fretting the bottom *two* strings with his thumb, and doing it a lot, and his movement seems just fine, to say the least.
Mike
My opinion is that it is terrible impediment to moving your hand up and down the neck, really slows you down.
Having said which, I've seen Louis Johnson fretting the bottom *two* strings with his thumb, and doing it a lot, and his movement seems just fine, to say the least.
Mike
Guitarist only use the thumb to complete a barre chord, not individual notes.
There are a few thumb guitarists, like Richie Havens, who use open tuning and thumb only.
As for bass, once you become more skilled with the fretboard, using your thumb will slow you down and become awkward. Unless you are some musical genius and develop a unique method, learn the correct finger technique and you'll advance quickly.
There are a few thumb guitarists, like Richie Havens, who use open tuning and thumb only.
As for bass, once you become more skilled with the fretboard, using your thumb will slow you down and become awkward. Unless you are some musical genius and develop a unique method, learn the correct finger technique and you'll advance quickly.
I might use my thumb at the end of a song or maybe even an overhand finger a la Jaco. Otherwise, yeah....not the greatest habit.
What I've been thinking about is learning traditional fingering so that I'm fluent in it and know how to do it better, and then if I still feel like doing thumb, including that as well?
Well I mean I'll probably continue this for just a little bit but not for too long, I don't want it to stick
Are you using your thumb over the top of the neck on the E string, or are you using it from the other side of the neck like a Cellist or Upright bass player would?
+ 100. I will only add....."or has the potential to cause injury".
OP, you are in good company. See this link.
Hi, yeah, I've seen that, but to me it seems McCartney is using his thumb to pluck and not so much to fret. He does that very well though, I sang in a band once with a bassist who did that and it sounded terrible 
kirkdickinson, I use it over the top of the neck and sort of pivot it to use it on all the strings
kirkdickinson, I use it over the top of the neck and sort of pivot it to use it on all the strings
Hi, yeah, I've seen that, but to me it seems McCartney is using his thumb to pluck and not so much to fret. He does that very well though, I sang in a band once with a bassist who did that and it sounded terrible
kirkdickinson, I use it over the top of the neck and sort of pivot it to use it on all the strings
5:56 and on:
But it's not a bad thing to watch the whole vid...
There's no "probably" about it. It's terrible technique, and you should break yourself of the habit ASAP.
I see guitarists wrapping their fretting hand thumb around to the surface of the fretboard all the time...and it drives me nuts! It's not good technique for guitarists any more than it is for bassists. It's just easier for them to do, and so the sloppy, lazy and/or untrained tend to do it - usually without much thought.
The fact that Hendrix did it, or that Jeff Beck or Jimmy Page do it, doesn't let anybody off the hook, IMO. Those players are great in spite of using this sloppy technique - and certainly not because of it.
MM
The fact that Hendrix did it, or that Jeff Beck or Jimmy Page do it, doesn't let anybody off the hook, IMO. Those players are great in spite of using this sloppy technique - and certainly not because of it.
MM
Considering that using the thumb for fretting IS an important part of Hendrix's technique, your logic failed.
