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Prevailing wisdom on muting E and A string


Cestrian
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I habitually rest my thumb on the E string when playing. My new bass teacher is insistent that I should also rest my thumb on the A string when playing the D and G strings. Before I spend a fair amount of time trying to incorporate this into my technique, I was wondering what the Basschat community thinks about this approach?

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Your bass teacher is right. Why are you checking up on him?

The easiest and most effective right hand technique is to move your thumb from string to string (between pickup, E string and A string) when you are playing. Watch videos of the worlds best players and you'll see most of them doing this.

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I taught myself to do this without too much difficulty, despite it seeming quite alien at first - I'd bet a few 10 minute sessions over the course of a week will give you the muscle memory to do it. Follow the usual approach of starting out very slow and deliberate to get it right, and then speed up gradually to a normal playing speed.

In theory you only need to rest on the string two below the one you're playing if you're following through your pluck into the string below, if you see what I mean... I think they call this a rest stroke as opposed to a free stroke? Whether there's a "correct" way of doing it I don't know, but I taught myself to be able to walk my thumb to the string below the one I'm playing, as well as sticking to the one two strings below, and I sometimes find that helps with consistency.

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1507205309' post='3383897']
You will end up with the thumb moving automatically. You won't even think about because your focus will only be the note you are going to play.
[/quote]

+1 I'm kinda halfway there with this but I am getting better at it no doubt. It's kind of a situation where the less I think about it the more I find myself doing it naturally but once I start thinking about it I trip myself up! Baby steps...

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I muted the strings on all the 4 string basses I've had without even realising I was doing it.

Since playing a 5 string I've had to work really hard at my muting technique. It's a combination now of the floating thumb and fretting hand muting.

It takes time to master on a 5, I'm not there yet. Fun though!

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Quick tip: If you rest your thumb on a pickup or a string, don't let it support the weight of your arm/hand. It should be touching, resting and firm enough for your finger to pull back towards only. Though the tendency is to then rest your forearm over the top of the body and dangle a hand down on to the strings. Don't do that either :)

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1507226495' post='3384096']
Or you can bypass all this by playing with a pick and palm muting. :biggrin:
[/quote]

Yes, but don't forget the fun of putting one of those 'real bassists only use fingers' buffoons back in the place when you switch between the two effortlessly mid song :) Most of the time I don't even put the pick down as it hides in the crease of my index or middle finger depending on what I'm playing. Or in my chops ha ha!

Edited by dood
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[quote name='dood' timestamp='1507242152' post='3384263']
...I don't even put the pick down as it hides in the crease of my index or middle finger depending on what I'm playing. Or in my chops ha ha!
[/quote]

I pop mine in my nipsy until needed, then guff it over my head and catch it just in time for the chorus. :biggrin:

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[quote name='dood' timestamp='1507225860' post='3384092']
Quick tip: If you rest your thumb on a pickup or a string, don't let it support the weight of your arm/hand. It should be touching, resting and firm enough for your finger to pull back towards only. [/quote]

Interesting..why do you say that?

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