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Thumb Behind Middle Finger

#83
BlueTalon said:
A bass guitar is not a violin. Everyone's body is different, and in this case, the OP's body is telling him what he should/should not be doing, posture-wise. There's no way the OP will play better, with all the finger movement that entails, by holding his hand in a position that causes him physical pain & discomfort, than he will play by holding his hand in a relaxed position.

I tell my bass students that there are no rules regarding this. If it works, it works. And some things will work better for some people than for other people.
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The question, I guess, is whether "it works"! Maybe there is something going on with tension elsewhere that is transferring to the hand. It may well be nothing to do with the actual position of your hand. There is a reason that standard technique has become standard, and the variations necessary for individual physiques are normally very small. I think you need to find out where the tension is coming from. Don't just assume that "it doesn't work for me". Try to become aware of all the muscle groups from your neck down your back and both arms, and consciously relax each one that you feel is tense. You may well find that the discomfort you are experiencing goes away. Good luck, have a look at some Alexander technique
 
#84
bass12 said:
Where technique is concerned I think the two main things to consider are efficiency and comfort.
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Yes and no. Yes they matter and do get considered, but for myself and @Matthew_84 as primarily fretless players, good handshape is a critical element of good intonation and therefore takes top priority. Efficiency and comfort are down the list. As it happens, good handshape promotes efficiency and comfort, so everyone's a winner! :-)
 
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#86
SoulReflection said:
OK, I get it...there is a lot to be said for being right-handed...
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I feel a bit sorry for left handed bass players, I mean that's a minority of a minority. I suppose it's a hard curb on GAS though.

#Michedelic found a museum dedicated to them in Arizona though.

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#87
Matthew_84 said:
I appreciate the offer, but my intention of this thread was not to change my technique tbh.

I guess I’m just surprised that having the thumb behind the middle finger is comfortable for so many users here. I always thought it came off as bad advice quite honestly because of how uncomfortable it is to me.

I guess this thread just goes to show that we’re all different though and what works for one person will be different than another.
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Ok fair enough. Can you play 1234 OFPF comfortably in the first position without too much shifting? If so, you are doing fine I guess and don’t need to analyze it too much.
 
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#88
SteveCS said:
Yes and no. Yes they matter and do get considered, but for myself and @Matthew_84 as primarily fretless players, good handshape is a critical element of good intonation and therefore takes top priority. Efficiency and comfort are down the list. As it happens, good handshape promotes efficiency and comfort, so everyone's a winner! :)
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+1. I would argue that good hand shape is part of efficiency in the context you describe (sorry, I missed the part about Matthew playing fretless).
 
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#90
Les Fret said:
Ok fair enough. Can you play 1234 OFPF comfortably in the first position without too much shifting? If so, you are doing fine I guess and don’t need to analyze it too much.
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No, I play 124 until my index reaches the 7th fret, then I go into OFPF.

I mostly play this way because I mainly play fretless and I find it’s the most reliable way to keep my intonation in check, even with the added shifts, then the pivoting I’d need to do to play OFPF in the lower positions.
 
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#91
ThudThudThud said:
Can I ask if the OP is playing the bass slung low on a strap? That forces the thumb beyond the index finger on a long scale bass on lower frets. I used to suffer from cramps in my hands after extended playing as a young man, but I discovered that a shorter strap reduced that pain to virtually nil.
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I have my basses up pretty high to the point where my belly button is closer to the ground than my lower horn is, and I keep my basses in a 45 degree angle so that my nut is roughly at eye level.

I’ll post some pictures later
 
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#96
The relationship between your thumb and fingers will change depending upon how high you are playing on the neck. Keeping the thumb lined up strictly behind the middle finger is not a good idea.

Also the approach that works best on upright bass is not always the best approach for bass guitar. I played both professionally, full-time for about 18 years. Over the years, the techniques I used on each instrument became more and more differentiated. In fact, early in my career I transitioned to one finger per fret on bass guitar, so I used totally different fingering systems on each instrument.
 
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#97
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#98
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