Mr thumb, meet the b string

[Annoying Twit]

I'm finding it comfortable and natural to rest my thumb on the b string while playing the other strings with fingers. This also stops the b string resonating in sympathy. Is this good practice, a bad habit, "whatever works for you", or something else?

[Trauma_Luna]

whatever works for you i think

sometimes my thump is resting on the neck, sometimes in the neck pick up, sometimes in the bridge pick up, when im playing high notes my thump is resting on the E or A string so

which you feel the most comfortable

[Dark Slide]

That's usually how I play. Generally my right hand is playing behind the pup, so options are limited and I've never been able to get the whole "float" thing.

[Renfield]

I owned and used a 5 string for probably a good year or so longer than I actually needed the extra string. I kept it around solely because I liked how my thumb anchored on the B string better than the pups on my other basses and I found that for fingerstyle my fingers "bounced" off of it faster than they'd react naturally in open air, so it made me a little more in control and a faster plucker.

[vanlatte]

 

I owned and used a 5 string for probably a good year or so longer than I actually needed the extra string. I kept it around solely because I liked how my thumb anchored on the B string better than the pups on my other basses and I found that for fingerstyle my fingers "bounced" off of it faster than they'd react naturally in open air, so it made me a little more in control and a faster plucker.

 

 

Yea I found that too when I went from 4 to 5. It's a lot like the rest stroke in classical guitar playing.

 

Now I am completely lost without it...

[BottomHeavyKate]

I do that quite a bit - though I'm a heavy user of my B string. If I'm playing on the higher strings I rest my thumb on the E

[collinwho]

Sometimes I float my thumb, otherwise it is resting on a lower string.

[WynnD]

Whatever works.

 

I rest my thumb on the pickups.

[jasper383]

If you rest your thumb on the pickups, or on the top string only, are you dampening with the fret hand only?

 

I rest my thumb on the string above the one I'm playing on, and mute with the side of my right thumb as I move down to the higher pitched strings. "Floating thumb", I guess.

[Death Hands]

I've never had a problem with sympathetic string vibration... I don't notice myself muting at all, though.

[FloydianAnimal]

Sure, that works. Floating thumb for me is ideal though- especially on my 6 string bass. Basically, I play the low B with my thumb on a pickup, and then each higher string with my thumb on the string before it (ie on the low B for low E, on low E for A, etc.). If I only rested my thumb on the low B it might be hard to reach the high C and also there might be some ringing on the strings in between...

[hi.flyer]

I just rest my thumb on either the (neck/mid) pickup or the side of the neck.