Why is thumb rest below strings

That's cool that you studied with Carol. I met her at NAMM a few years back and she's really nice and open. Her jazz trio was great! But the funny thing is, some of the bassists I admire the most, have opinions I strongly disagree with. Anthony Jackson said that anybody with less than a 7-string bass can't be taken seriously as a pro! So, it's great to learn what we can from our heroes, but in the end we have to be ourselves and find our own voice and technique on the instrument.

Reason: spelling. Kansas City. Just like everyone else. Bobby Vega also uses alternate picking. As a former guitar player that's how I've always used a pick. It just seems more efficient to me. Studying with Carol Kaye, that still impresses me Jeremy.

In the distant past, Carol Kaye's Rock and Jazz bass lessons a cassette and some stapled sheets of paper in a big zip-loc bag were the first I owned, and I wish I still had them. Seriously, she put a lot of learning in clear and concise examples, and I really felt I learned something, passages I still remember nearly thirty years later. Listen to the picked bass line on this song, it just doesn't sound the same when played fingerstyle.

To say resting your thumb was wrong was probably a poor choice of words on my part. I've always been to old that it was better not to rest your thumb because then you rely on an anchor point rather than being able to float your hand and always play in the proper position.

That being said, it's can be more or less appropriate given the style. But I still think you're better off if you don't rely on it not to say I don't do it- I do.

It was in Bass Player magazine a few years back -- I usually throw those out, but can check whether I saved that one. Originally Posted By: b5pilot. They say Yoda is a pretty good bass player Moderated by Bob Gollihur , rumpelstiltskin. Drums and Percussion Hit It! General NEW! Songwriting and Composition Let's Hear It! Virtual Music - Online Collabor Powered by UBB. Forums Calendar Active Threads. Previous Thread.

Next Thread. Print Thread. Copy Link to Clipboard. Share Post on Facebook. Share Post on Twitter. Joined: Jul Posts: 14, Likes: 62 St. Louis, MO J. Dan Bannination Free Since '08 10k Club. Re: dumb question of the week, or maybe year: thumb rest J.

Originally Posted By: 80s LZ Even if you're using the pickup as a thumb rest, you're not playing right. It works well for me. I defy you to show me excactly where I'm wrong. The third and fouth fingers anchor your hand, you pivot on the wrist and the outside of the thumb becomes the hammer Not exactly. Leo thought that bass players would play his instrument with their thumb. You were supposed to hold on to the rest and pluck with your thumb. This was way before anyone ever dreamed of slapping.

Eventually playing with the thumb became the synonymous with being an ignorant player. It took a few more years and then Fender moved the rest to the other side where you could actually rest your thumb on it. Later they stopped putting them on the basses altogether. When I bought my Jazz bass 40 years ago, I took the rest off on the day I bought it.

Here is a picture of Monk Montgomery, the first jazz player to play a Fender, playing with his thumb while holding onto the rest.

Monk Montgomery was the brother of guitarist Wes Montgomery. Monk played with Lionel Hampton for many years. Reason: more coffee, less posting "Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me. Joined: Feb Posts: 2, Hertfordshire next to London Originally Posted By: 80s-LZ Originally Posted By: Mark Schmieder I tend to place my thumb at the end of the fretboard, which means I am mostly fingering over the neck pickups or between the neck and bridge pickups I do the same - learned it from one of the best players I know, who played a lot of jazz and swing.

Personally, I feel like I have more control over my volume and fingering. If I need to get louder, I anchor on the neck pickup on my Jazz and pluck right over it. They are never very useful, even on the styles where the rest is above the strings. The spacing always seems too wide to really hold onto it. Originally Posted By: Russell H I kinda assume the same thing. Push the button Frank.

Wally I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make! Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. It was intended only to amplify the "sound" of an upright, using the thumb contributed to that sound; hence the bottom finger rest. Leo knew 'precisely' what he was doing. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams?

Learn more. What is the function of the black strip on the lower horn of a Fender Precision bass Ask Question. Asked 5 months ago. Active 5 months ago. Viewed 6k times. Improve this question. Aaron No'am Newman No'am Newman 1, 1 1 gold badge 10 10 silver badges 10 10 bronze badges. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes.

On older Fenders, it's below the strings, later ones it's above, then it disappeared entirely. Improve this answer.

Age: 74 Posts: 4, Every electric bassist I saw in the 50s not that many of them either played with a thumbpick or the thumb. Some of them anchored their fingers on that rest. Although I never heard any term for it, on a Fender or other bass, some old Fender employees have called it a tugbar. Dec 26, 6. Dennis, you should just make one yourself. I did one out of oak flooring and shaped it while watching TV at night. Gives you something constructive to do during those commercial breaks I plan to make another for a slab body Pbass that I have here.

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