Quick question about playing bass fingerstyle

[Motorik]

After playing guitar for decades I bought my first bass last week and I'm having a lot of fun with it. I almost always play guitar fingerstyle so I've been plucking the bass with my fingers rather than using a pick, but I've noticed something in the last few days from watching videos of people playing the bass: they don't seem to pluck the strings with their thumb.

 

Is using your thumb to pluck the strings (as opposed to slapping, I know people use their thumb to do that) a no-no? I see people anchoring with their thumb (either on a rest, or the pickup, or on a string), why don't they pluck with it too, or have I just missed that? I'm used to my hand floating when I play fingerstyle on the guitar, but if there's a good reason why I should be anchoring when playing the bass I'll do that instead.

 

Thanks!

[Clatter]

I say play with your thumb if you want to! (that sounded weird

[Motorik]

I say play with your thumb if you want to! (that sounded weird

[Clatter]

Well, I'm sure others will have some good reasons to anchor your thumb, but as far as I'm concerned, do what's most comfortable to you! I'm not very good at playing by the rules

[Cpt. Spliff]

I often use my thumb for picking. Quite usual when I started out. Hence the fingerrest on the southside on old basses.

I use my thumb and index for powerchords and the like.

[wades_keys]

I'll use my thumb, sometimes in combination with the index and middle finger, to play things that wouldn't be possible using fingers only.

 

The only downside of mixing the 2 approaches is you have to eliminate differences in attack, volume tone (as compared to fingers).

[Kaesh]

I would say applying travis picking to bass is a bad habit, because alternating fingers on bass serves a very different purpose. Perhaps you could tell us a bit more on how exactly are you playing.

As far as anchoring your thumb - IMO people (me included) do that just because it's easier to learn it that way, but if you're comfortable with your hand floating, why not.

 

but of course this is all right:

 

I'll use my thumb, sometimes in combination with the index and middle finger, to play things that wouldn't be possible using fingers only.

 

[wades_keys]

I've noticed that sometimes I'll get a cramp at the base of my thumb when using it as a string anchor. I try to keep it as loose as possible, but it still happens: especially on the Jazz bass.

 

I've been working on using a more floating type of technique as a result.

 

I guess different instruments sometimes require a slightly different technique: with the p bass, the pickup placement works for my anchor.

 

With the Jazz, I like to pluck in between the 2 pickups, so I don't often have a pickup to rest my thumb on.

[DevilRaysFan]

Theres no such thing as a right way or wrong way. There may be methods that are more unorthodox than others but that doesnt make them wrong. With that said, if you get the tone you want and can play consistently tight with great feel and groove, than it doesnt matter if your technique is with your thumb, your elbow, or your weiner

[Motorik]

 

I would say applying travis picking to bass is a bad habit, because alternating fingers on bass serves a very different purpose. Perhaps you could tell us a bit more on how exactly are you playing. As far as anchoring your thumb - IMO people (me included) do that just because it's easier to learn it that way, but if you're comfortable with your hand floating, why not. but of course this is all right:

 

 

Yeah, I probably didn't make it clear enough: I'm not actually travis picking on the bass, I'm not playing alternating bass strings with my thumb like I would on the guitar, what I meant was I'm used to using my thumb and fingers to pluck notes so if I'm playing a note on the E string (say) and if the next note is on the D string I'll play the first note with my thumb and the second with my index finger.

 

I'll give you an example:

 

Do you know the bassline to Stevie Wonder's "Master Blaster"? It's descending octaves that go C (8th fret E string) C (10th fret D string), A# (6th fret E string) A# (8th fret D string), A?(4th fret E string) A?(6th fret D string) and so on. When I'm playing it I play E string with my thumb and the D string with my finger, like *dum-dum-dah, dum-dum-dah, dum-dum-dah, dum-dum-dah*.

 

Obviously I could play it with just my fingers, but using the thumb seems more economical and natural to me, but that's my fingerpicking guitar background. Is it lazy to do that on the bass? Is it a bad habit to get into that'll trip me up later?

[Motorik]

Theres no such thing as a right way or wrong way. There may be methods that are more unorthodox than others but that doesnt make them wrong. With that said, if you get the tone you want and can play consistently tight with great feel and groove, than it doesnt matter if your technique is with your thumb, your elbow, or your weiner

 

Thanks.

 

I'll save my weiner for when I learn how to slap on the bass.

[wades_keys]

Just be honest with yourself and the sound that you are producing.

 

You want consistent tone and attack, and it is tougher to get that when you mix thumb and fingers.

 

That said, the line you are talking should be easily possible with fingerstyle: I recommend that you work on your fingerstyle so that you can play that line. I would reserve thumb/fingers for more "impossible" situations.

 

But that's your call.

 

I'm just saying: why limit yourself? String skipping and glissandos are two of the techniques that Alexis Sklarevski identifies as being weak in beginners.

 

So really IMO since you have just started, now is not the time to find shortcuts.

[Zebra]

 

Just be honest with yourself and the sound that you are producing. You want consistent tone and attack, and it is tougher to get that when you mix thumb and fingers.

 

 

I think this is the main reason you don't see the thumb used a lot. The thumb just doesn't produce the same sound. That said, you will sometimes see people use their thumb to pluck almost exclusively.

[Motorik]

 

Just be honest with yourself and the sound that you are producing. You want consistent tone and attack, and it is tougher to get that when you mix thumb and fingers. That said, the line you are talking should be easily possible with fingerstyle: I recommend that you work on your fingerstyle so that you can play that line. I would reserve thumb/fingers for more "impossible" situations. But that's your call. I'm just saying: why limit yourself? String skipping and glissandos are two of the techniques that Alexis Sklarevski identifies as being weak in beginners. So really IMO since you have just started, now is not the time to find shortcuts.

 

 

Thanks, that's good advice. So it's really a matter of consistent attack, that makes sense.

 

Yeah, I can play the "Master Blaster" bassline just as easily with fingers, I was just wondering if there's a special reason to do it that way (or if it's starting a bad habit I'll just have to overcome later). I'll try to play everything with just fingers from now on rather than looking for easy shortcuts.

[wades_keys]

 

Thanks, that's good advice. So it's really a matter of consistent attack, that makes sense. Yeah, I can play the "Master Blaster" bassline just as easily with fingers, I was just wondering if there's a special reason to do it that way (or if it's starting a bad habit I'll just have to overcome later). I'll try to play everything with just fingers from now on rather than looking for easy shortcuts.

 

Record yourself practicing, and datestamp the file.

 

Come back and listen to it in a few months, assuming you are dedicated to the bass and playing it with regularity, especially in a band setting.

 

I bet you'll be amazed at how "un-together" your earlier stuff was, even though it sounds "good" today.

 

I may be a slow learner, but it definitely took me several months of rehearsing and practice to get my fingerstyle together. It's still coming together actually.

 

I remember being able to play the main riff and several of the fills from YYZ after about 3 months.

 

But now when I play that riff and those fills, it's just so much more together and effortless to do.

 

Listen critically to what you do and listen for dropouts in the sound, listen for notes that ring "dumb" (not a singing quality that you are in control of), listen for notes that ring short or long, basically listen to yourself not being as in control of the note lengths as you could be.

 

Bass is all about consistent and musical attack, note duration and tone. It'll take longer than a week to develop that; especially the muting techniques that you're going to need to really make notes "pop".

[Motorik]

 

Record yourself practicing, and datestamp the file. Come back and listen to it in a few months, assuming you are dedicated to the bass and playing it with regularity, especially in a band setting. I bet you'll be amazed at how "un-together" your earlier stuff was, even though it sounds "good" today. I may be a slow learner, but it definitely took me several months of rehearsing and practice to get my fingerstyle together. It's still coming together actually. I remember being able to play the main riff and several of the fills from YYZ after about 3 months. But now when I play that riff and those fills, it's just so much more together and effortless to do. Listen critically to what you do and listen for dropouts in the sound, listen for notes that ring "dumb" (not a singing quality that you are in control of), listen for notes that ring short or long, basically listen to yourself not being as in control of the note lengths as you could be. Bass is all about consistent and musical attack, note duration and tone. It'll take longer than a week to develop that; especially the muting techniques that you're going to need to really make notes "pop".

 

 

Duly noted. That is good advice for any endeavour.

[wades_keys]

In my opinion more beginning bassists should lose the pick and develop their fingerstyle.

 

I just think it puts you more in touch with what's going on, and forces you to work a little harder to get a good controlled tone. Because of that, you'll learn to listen more closely to the little things.

 

Playing aggressive pick bass in a loud band context is not a good way IMO to learn nuance.

 

But that's just my opinion, feel free to disagree: it's all subjective.

[Motorik]

 

In my opinion more beginning bassists should lose the pick and develop their fingerstyle. I just think it puts you more in touch with what's going on, and forces you to work a little harder to get a good controlled tone. Because of that, you'll learn to listen more closely to the little things. Playing aggressive pick bass in a loud band context is not a good way IMO to learn nuance. But that's just my opinion, feel free to disagree: it's all subjective.

 

 

I'm with you on the expressiveness of playing with fingers, I almost never play with a pick on guitar so it didn't cross my mind to use a pick on the bass, but fair play to those who do. Playing with a pick isn't my thing on the guitar so that's the way I hope to continue on the bass, no disrespect to the many amazing pick players out there.