I can’t reach the lower strings. What do I do

[bass12]

As others have pointed out, this is not a size issue. I recently worked through this with a student who had the same habit of anchoring the thumb on the pickup as if it was glued there. One thing that I think is important to mention is that your “anchor” should feel soft. In other words, you shouldn’t be anchoring your thumb with force but with more of a “natural weight” approach. Depending on the context this natural weight might only be feather-like. This will make movement much more relaxed and efficient.

 

[vvvmmm]

Slap and pop, exclusively.

Or, use a pick.

(I kid! Sorta ... )

 

[Jimmy Howe]

Iron Maiden may or may not be your thing, but Steve Harris doesn’t anchor his thumb; he anchors his wrist. The wristbands allow him to move from string-to-string smoothly and quickly without the “skin to poly” resistance.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Behold!The floating thumb!

 

[bikeplate]

Shouldnt be anchoring on a pickup. Thumb should float from just above E string to on E string. Will aid in muting as you get better also

 

[Watchootognbout]

If this 13 year old kid with small 13 year old kid hands can reach, you too can reach.

Most 4 string basses have at most 19mm between strings. That means the D string is only 3.8 centimeters away from the E string. The G is only 5.7 cm away. That’s 2.25 inches. I’d put money on the fact that your hands, thumb to finger tips are longer than 2.25 inches. Even with your thumb anchored, you can move your hand downward and reach the G string.

But if you just got your first bass, just keep practicing. It’s not something that’s just gonna be easy in a couple weeks. It’s a lifetime of learning and improving, which is why it’s so fun and rewarding. So don’t be discouraged. Practice. If lessons are an option they usually help. There’s a lot of great instructional videos on YouTube. Scott Divine’s bass lessons are a great place to start. (Be careful, like everything these days, there’s also a lot of garbage and misinformation out there.) Experiment with different hand positions too. Try anchoring your thumb on different strings as you play the higher strings or floating thumb or resting thumb over the strings. (I think Scott’s YouTube covers a lot of beginner hand positions too.) If its still physically not possible for you for whatever reason, try playing with your thumb or a pick.

And most of all don’t give up. It’s a process.

Excellent example of using the fretting hand pinky.BTW

 

[GreyBeard]

Floating thumb is the answer

 

[H K]

I just got my first bass and unfortunately have relatively small hands. With my thumb resting on the top pickup I can’t consistently reach the g and d string. Is there a way I can shift down or something like that. Please help

This might just be a case of brand new player tbh.
Try resting your thumb on the pickup like you said, then spreading and stretching out your fingers. Can you reach all the strings now?
I think yes, unless there is some medical condition at play. If so, just keep practicing. It feels weird at first, heck, I still sometimes feel weird when practicing a new technique even after almost 20 years.
It's really good that you are looking into the right technique at such an early stage btw, this will really help you in the long run. But! Dont get so focused on technique that it turns into a chore. It is important to have fun with it, especially in the early stages

Best of luck on your journey and welcome to TB

 

[bolophonic]

Just un-anchor your thumb and then practice a lot. It’ll happen quicker than you think.

 

[ebo]

Pick a song that uses all four strings consistently and play it till your fingers bleed. Then put some bandaids on and get back at it. Be forgiving with yourself but dont give up. One day you’ll be surprised that you once though it was so hard. This is my current favorite for both left and right hand practice.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

If this 13 year old kid with small 13 year old kid hands can reach, you too can reach.

Most 4 string basses have at most 19mm between strings. That means the D string is only 3.8 centimeters away from the E string. The G is only 5.7 cm away. That’s 2.25 inches. I’d put money on the fact that your hands, thumb to finger tips are longer than 2.25 inches. Even with your thumb anchored, you can move your hand downward and reach the G string.

But if you just got your first bass, just keep practicing. It’s not something that’s just gonna be easy in a couple weeks. It’s a lifetime of learning and improving, which is why it’s so fun and rewarding. So don’t be discouraged. Practice. If lessons are an option they usually help. There’s a lot of great instructional videos on YouTube. Scott Divine’s bass lessons are a great place to start. (Be careful, like everything these days, there’s also a lot of garbage and misinformation out there.) Experiment with different hand positions too. Try anchoring your thumb on different strings as you play the higher strings or floating thumb or resting thumb over the strings. (I think Scott’s YouTube covers a lot of beginner hand positions too.) If its still physically not possible for you for whatever reason, try playing with your thumb or a pick.

And most of all don’t give up. It’s a process.

"Technique is in the brain, not in the hands" __Hal Galper

 

[FullumMusic]

"Technique is in the brain, not in the hands" __Hal Galper

Great vid.
Truth be told, music only exists as music in our minds. It’s just vibrations until it enters our mind and our brain has its way with it.

 

[chris_b]

Utilise the technique you already have and move your thumb between the pickup, E string and possibly the A string.

You got a band you like? Look at their Youtube videos and see what their bassist does.

 

[Nashrakh]

Behold!The floating thumb!
View attachment 4919941

This gets even more important the more strings you play on. I feel anchoring is a fool's errand on 6 string.