Thumb position

[reesource]

Ok, here's a technique question. For years, I've played basses with a P/J pickup configuration. My thumb rests on the P pickup, next to the bit that sticks out for the screw. It's a good solid corner to really dig into.

I recently got a G&L L2000 Tribute, which I'm loving, apart from one thing - the pickups don't have that bit for the screw on the part of the pickup where I would rest my thumb. Same problem I found when I owned a Jazz for a few months. So my thumb keeps slipping off the pickup!

So my question is: Where do you put your thumb, and how do you stop if from falling off the pickup? Am I putting too much pressure on my thumb, i.e. pushing it onto the pickup too hard? And if so, how do you really dig in and play hard without leaning hard on your thumb?

[Edit: just realised I should've posted this in the Technique section... mods, please feel free to move it]

Edited March 9, 2020 by reesource
Posted in wrong section

[Teebs]

I do the same as you - I anchor off the split pup 'lug' on P / PJ basses. On the jazz, my thumb rests on the bridge pickup, but doesn't seem to slide off.

I anchor in the screw 'dint' on my PRS:

The only one of my basses I had a problem with was the Gretsch, which felt awkward, so I made a small thumb rest:

[Hellzero]

When I was much younger there was a cork self adhesive thumb rest...

Now there's is this : https://m.thomann.de/gb/kala_u_bass_thumbrests.htm

[Rexel Matador]

6 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

When I was much younger there was a cork self adhesive thumb rest...

Now there's is this : https://m.thomann.de/gb/kala_u_bass_thumbrests.htm

Good lord that is an expensive blob of plastic!

[Hellzero]

It's not expensive, it's a theft !

Here is the original cork one, named Kalbass :

[pete.young]

Why do you need to rest your thumb anywhere?

[reesource]

2 minutes ago, pete.young said:

Why do you need to rest your thumb anywhere?

Good question - and I'd be interested to know how people manage to play without resting their thumb somewhere. If I want to play hard and really dig in, pushing my thumb onto the pickup provides the resistance I need against the motion of my fingers. Does that make sense?

[Jonesy]

23 minutes ago, reesource said:

Good question - and I'd be interested to know how people manage to play without resting their thumb somewhere. If I want to play hard and really dig in, pushing my thumb onto the pickup provides the resistance I need against the motion of my fingers. Does that make sense?

 

When I used to play with my fingers (I play mostly with a copper or 1mm pick nowadays), I never used to rest my thumb anywhere but had my bass fairly low so it hangs at just above where my hand would naturally rest. I've never felt comfortable anchoring my thumb anywhere to be honest and when playing hard I clang the strings off the fretboard ala Entwistle.

However, I started playing in a blue band just before Christmas and have taken a lighter approach to playing as well as having the bass sit higher up my body. I only really noticed this the other day, but I've started to sometimes rest my hand in the dip along the top side of a precision and find that quite comfy.

[p4ul]

depends what I am playing...pick ups and f holes if available, but i tend to rest on the E string when fingering between the pups.... which is prolly a terrible technique 😉

[wateroftyne]

I float, and I can play very hard if I need to.

[reesource]

11 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

I float, and I can play very hard if I need to.

When you say you float, do you mean you move your thumb around and rest it in different places, or do you mean you don't rest it anywhere and just kind of hover your whole hand?

[Stub Mandrel]

26 minutes ago, p4ul said:

but i tend to rest on the E string when fingering between the pups.... which is prolly a terrible technique 😉

Not at all.

I rest my thumb on the string below the one I'm playing, it's part of my damping technique.

[wateroftyne]

15 minutes ago, reesource said:

When you say you float, do you mean you move your thumb around and rest it in different places, or do you mean you don't rest it anywhere and just kind of hover your whole hand?

I just hover..

[mrtcat]

Likewise, I float too. I used to anchor my thumb somewhere when I was a noob but soon realized that it would be much more beneficial to be able to have infinite adjustment as to where I pluck. In fairness it was my bass teacher that made me realise and then drilled it into me. 

[MuddBass]

+ 1 for floater.

Have a look here:

 

[drTStingray]

For those of us who play 5 string sometimes, muting that B string when you're not intending it to sound is essential, unless you want a sort of bag pipe style drone in the background from the unmuted string - a good way to achieve this is to rest your thumb on the string - this extends to floating your thumb to other strings when needed as well. When going back to 4 string the habit sticks (well it has with me) and I use this technique always. It also means you can move your plucking hand to get different sounds at different areas - if you're confined to plucking next to the pick up as you're resting your thumb on it, you lose that flexibility - so I reckon the OP has it right 😬👍

[Jonesy]

33 minutes ago, drTStingray said:

For those of us who play 5 string sometimes, muting that B string when you're not intending it to sound is essential, unless you want a sort of bag pipe style drone in the background from the unmuted string - a good way to achieve this is to rest your thumb on the string - this extends to floating your thumb to other strings when needed as well. When going back to 4 string the habit sticks (well it has with me) and I use this technique always. It also means you can move your plucking hand to get different sounds at different areas - if you're confined to plucking next to the pick up as you're resting your thumb on it, you lose that flexibility - so I reckon the OP has it right 😬👍

I've always thought of that 5th string as a massive thumb rest 😁

[Lfalex v1.1]

4 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Not at all.

I rest my thumb on the string below the one I'm playing, it's part of my damping technique.

 

Almost exactly what I do. 

Except most of the (light) pressure from my thumb is directed towards me into the body of the bass. The downward pressure is enough to damp the top string. There's a slight upward shift to allow the top string to be plucked, then back down again.

 

[chris_b]

Why are  you pressing so hard? Stop doing that and your problem goes away.

[TrevorR]

Yes, I rest my thumb on the pickup and E string but “rest” is the operative word. As in gently... not grind it into the edge of the pickup with 1000lbs of force like some seem to do. 
 

As to your new bass. Just find somewhere comfy to put your thumb, keep doing that and in a week or so it’ll be second nature. All just part of adjusting to a differently designed bass.

[TrevorR]

Or pity me... I usually rest my thumb on the neck pickup surround... then I play this bass where they’re practically flush with the scratchplate... #firstworldproblems 

[Heathy]

On 09/03/2020 at 18:56, drTStingray said:

For those of us who play 5 string sometimes, muting that B string when you're not intending it to sound is essential, unless you want a sort of bag pipe style drone in the background from the unmuted string - a good way to achieve this is to rest your thumb on the string - this extends to floating your thumb to other strings when needed as well. When going back to 4 string the habit sticks (well it has with me) and I use this technique always. It also means you can move your plucking hand to get different sounds at different areas - if you're confined to plucking next to the pick up as you're resting your thumb on it, you lose that flexibility - so I reckon the OP has it right 😬👍

 

I'm interested in developing this technique. Where do you rest your thumb when playing on the B string?

 

[drTStingray]

2 hours ago, Heathy said:

 

I'm interested in developing this technique. Where do you rest your thumb when playing on the B string?

 

Generally, I have my thumb at a similar angle to my plucking fingers as if I was slapping the string - but just resting on the top of the B, if I'm playing on the E string. I just move my thumb back the same distance as the plucking fingers move to play on the B - so I'm resting it against the body of the bass and similarly as I go across the strings, leaning the thumb against the strings below the one I'm plucking. To be honest, I've developed this over time and have had to actually look at what I'm doing to answer this!! The main point is to mute the lower strings so as long as that's achieved, and I can play the passages I want to with the timbre etc I want, then I'm quite happy!

You can usually hear the drone of the B if you forget to mute it!! 

[drTStingray]

22 hours ago, TrevorR said:

Or pity me... I usually rest my thumb on the neck pickup surround... then I play this bass where they’re practically flush with the scratchplate... #firstworldproblems 

Nice bass! Cool mute as well  👍

Are those holes in the scratch plate below the G? 

Edited March 10, 2020 by drTStingray

[TrevorR]

7 hours ago, drTStingray said:

Nice bass! Cool mute as well  👍

Are those holes in the scratch plate below the G? 

Thanks, love my Pro IIE bass.
 

Yes the mutes are really nice. Made by a girl in the States I found on Facebook - Patton Bass Mutes. I’d been playing around with foam mutes for a while and saw these. Spotting a customer comment/endorsement  on her page  ascribed to a certain @wateroftyne piqued my interest. I really liked the design concept and thought the little loop would make using it so much easier to use... it does. Blew £45 on getting three. Don’t use them  lot but they’re perfect when I do. Money well spent.

The “holes” are slider switches that engage EQ filters. The middle one is an early version of Wal’s “Pick Attack” presence function. The other two are (had to look this up) low-mid boost switch for neck pickup, upper-mid boost/bass cut switch for bridge pickup. Gives the pickups a more punchy 70s rock tonality. Very useful as instant tone changes.