When y'all are in TP, what part of your thumb is actually making contact with the string? The bone at the first joint, or the fleshy part closer to the tip?
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Double Bass Thumb position: what part of thumb hits the string?
- Thread starter MingusAmongUs
- Start date
I'll bet it is. That's what I *thought* was the right way, but for some reason I always (on the rare occasion that I get up there) tend to slide the thumb out so it's a little off the bone. Ow! Mommy, it hurts there.
Sorry Tom, don't follow you ...
Between the joint and the nail is what I was originally taught, but I could never get a really solid connection there (and it hurt). So I use the sort of leading edge of the joint.
... of my thumb.
Depends on how you position your thumb. Click on my "myspace" in the signature and scroll down to the Marcus Miller video for a close up view. Also, if you follow the example of Mark King, you can get some black soft tubing and cut it so that covers you thumb's knuckle to cushion it a little bit, and so that most of the thumb's attack comes from the fretboard - great idea if you "thumb" right over the pickup.
Z
I play right about at the end of my nail like if you draw a line from the bottom most part of my nail to the edge of my thumb thats where I make contact, I kind of hurt at first but now I have a solid enough callus that it feels fine.
This is where I make contact, and always have, but my new teacher suggested that I adapt my thumb position to put the lower part of my thumb nearly parallel with the string. My thumb progressively arches along the string so that the string is held down by more of the flesh of the thumb above (vertically, not in pitch) the point of contact.
This has helped me a lot with my thumb position playing and I find it much easier to hold the string all the way down.
Me too. I think a pork chop player stumbled into the wrong room and misunderstood the question.
That's more like what I've adopted -- because with the thumb positioned all the way up to the bone, there's too much thumb left over and it mutes the string below, so I bend it a bit.
I'm not exactly sure why I should ever post in "Orchestral Technique", but...
I like to use the spot between the joint and the nail, but closer to the nail. Seems like I can get a lot more reach that way than by shortening the thumb by playing at the knuckle.
I like to use the spot between the joint and the nail, but closer to the nail. Seems like I can get a lot more reach that way than by shortening the thumb by playing at the knuckle.
Same here. I have no business here. But it's one of those on the fence kinda topics. I did an eeny-meeny-miney-mo
Sooner or later you will develop a callus that will make the technique easier. In lyrical or melodic passages, its better to use more of 1,2 or 3rd fingers. Save the thumb for more technical passages.
For me, it's the side of my thumb right where the bottom of my thumbnail is.
When I began working that position, I kept my thumb on that octave harmonic and worked scales...still do...and I started developing a callous even though I wasn't stopping the string with my thumb yet. That helped me quite a bit.
When I began working that position, I kept my thumb on that octave harmonic and worked scales...still do...and I started developing a callous even though I wasn't stopping the string with my thumb yet. That helped me quite a bit.
I agree, but the reason for that is because the thumb is kind of clumsy. I also suggest working out the thumb until it can pull it's weight as a finger.
playing scales with just the thumb on all four string (or five, six or seven strings) and making double stops of seconds and thirds across two strings and move the top note around with the thumb, pizz can be ok for that one, just for strength.
These divisions of "Orchestral" and "jazz" in the TB sections are pretty clumsy and lame.
Most Jazz players study the same stuff as classical players, especially if they have better things to do than re-invent the wheel. A lot of what gets discussed in Jazz is standard theory and composition.
Also, it should be obvious that a ton of of classical music is not orchestral and a lot of orchestral music is not classical.
I don't play either music but I have studied both extensively to do what I do.
In between the joint and the thumb.
A friend once told me a story about a kid he knew that didn't play between the thumb and the joint because it hurt at first. Then the string cut his thumb at the knuckle. That sounds a lot more painful, no?
Try doing some Vomits above the octave G with just your thumb. This'll build up a nice callous in no time.
A friend once told me a story about a kid he knew that didn't play between the thumb and the joint because it hurt at first. Then the string cut his thumb at the knuckle. That sounds a lot more painful, no?
Try doing some Vomits above the octave G with just your thumb. This'll build up a nice callous in no time.
