right hand position?

[uvapete]

Hello all-

So I'm new to the bass and I'm lucky enough to be learning on a musicman stingray 4.

Since I'm relatively new to it I'd like to develop good technique and likewise do not want to develop bad habits.

Two questions I'd like to hear some opinions on:

Where do you rest your right thumb? Mine seems to want to rest either on the edge of the pickguard or on the edge of the neck where it meets the body. The pickup seems like a possible place as well, but I'm not sure. Or do you use a "free floating" technique?

And secondly, how many of you use just your 1st and 2nd fingers versus getting your 3rd and 4th fingers involved.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Pete

 

[dlloyd]

Hello all-

So I'm new to the bass and I'm lucky enough to be learning on a musicman stingray 4.

Yes, you are

Since I'm relatively new to it I'd like to develop good technique and likewise do not want to develop bad habits.

Two questions I'd like to hear some opinions on:

Where do you rest your right thumb? Mine seems to want to rest either on the edge of the pickguard or on the edge of the neck where it meets the body. The pickup seems like a possible place as well, but I'm not sure. Or do you use a "free floating" technique?

I use a moving anchor technique.

I rest my thumb on the string above the one I'm playing. For example, if I'm playing the D string, my thumb will be on the A string and the finger will snap into the thumb. If I'm doing a lot of skipping of strings, I'll stay on the lowermost position.

If I'm playing the E string, I'll tend to rest on the neck-most side
of the pickup. My thumb will rest pretty-much on the pole-piece, which has resulted in some discolouration there

This took a while to get to feel natural, but it's IMHO worth it. It makes all notes equal in terms of how you're stretching your right hand, and helps with damping of open strings.

And secondly, how many of you use just your 1st and 2nd fingers versus getting your 3rd and 4th fingers involved.

I use my third finger for fast triplets and I'm working on using it for quadruplets (groups of four notes), but it's not quite there. I don't use my fourth finger, nor can I picture ever using it. If I can get away with the first two, I will use only them for tonal consistency (there is a fair bit of difference in tonal quality between the first and third fingers due to where the string is sounded)

 

[uvapete]

thanks

Thanks a lot.

that is very helpful.

Pete

 

[Dees]

If I don't use my E string, that's where I rest my thumb on, or on the pickup itself, it depends.
When playing all strings, I rest my thumb on the pickup.
Welcome to the world of bass, and you're learning to play bass with a musicman? nice going probably the best start someone can take

 

[Mobay45]

If I don't use my E string, that's where I rest my thumb on, or on the pickup itself, it depends.
When playing all strings, I rest my thumb on the pickup.
Welcome to the world of bass, and you're learning to play bass with a musicman? nice going probably the best start someone can take

I use pretty much the same technique. The thumb resting on the to strings helps to mute them when you aren't using them. As for the fingers, I usually only use two fingers but not strictly alternating between them. I try make the most efficient use of them when changing strings. I do throw in the middle finger when I need to use a roll, usually at the end of a song. I don't always rest my thumb on the pup either. A lot of times it's just resting against the body depending on how close or how far I'm playing from the bridge. You'll find a lot of different sounds between the bridge and the neck.

Larry

 

[uvapete]

:Welcome to the world of bass, and you're learning to play bass with a musicman? nice going probably the best start someone can takeThanks.

Yes. I'm very pleased. Why not start with the best?

I learned a few years ago when I started on guitar that if you get the good stuff the tone, feel and general experience of playing the instrument, as well as the speed at which you improve are all exponentially greater.

This of course goes for everything else in life as well. Life is too short to play crappy instruments or drink cheap beer a wise man once said.

I was not planning on getting a bass, but I was in a local Sam Ash about 2 months ago and a black MM SR4 was sitting there hooked up to a Fender Bassman amp. Just for kicks I picked the thing up (loved the feel of the maple neck), started messing around on it and, well, the rest is history. Had to have one!

Last night I took it out so it could have dinner with me and my wife. Sad but true....

Thanks again for all your advice. (Thanks Larry again as well)

 

[johans]

two methods for me:

- i am using 5 string, so i seldom use my B string, thus i put my thumb mostly there

- as the fellow forumites mention, rest it on string on top of what we are playing, if we want open D string, rest our thumb on A etc. This will help to dampen the vibration and noise of other string so you can play even cleaner

 

[skabassist13]

i use a kinda semi floating, semi anchored position. it just depends on my body in relation to the bass and what strings im playing. if im in the right spot ill rest my thumb on the top of the pickup and keep it there. i hardly ever take it off. when i do my hand goes pretty much full float. im not anchored anywhere to the bass. i also use three fingers. i dont use my pinky becuase it is to weak and short to be of any use.