Another plucking hand question

[Oleg BassPlayer]

Hi everybody. I've asked stupid questions here a few times already and now doing it once again.

Having struggled so much, watched lots of videos and visited a teacher, I've found a position which feels most comfortable and relaxed to me:

I rest the weight of the hand mostly on thumb, the point where wrist touches the body only partially bearing the load. So far so good.

But the teacher also told me that resting tips of my fingers on the next string isn't obligatory and that plucking the string a tiny bit upwards creates more sharp sound, and in this case tips don't rest on the next string. That's nice, but in the position described above the thumb compensates only the movement parallel to the body (aside), and whenever I try to pluck a bit upwards I end up like this:

Firstly, the wrist is bent (which is suspicious by itself), secondly, now it's the point of wrist-body contact that bears most of the load, and transition between these two positions isn't smooth.

So how can I get that more accentuated sound with the first position, and should I learn to play that way at all? Should I just change movements of my fingers to pluck a bit upwards and not touch the next string?

Update a problem I've just discovered with the first position is that I strike strings more towards the body than aside and that creates fret noise. So is the first position correct?

 

[Joe Nerve]

I don't entirely understand what you're asking, but I can tell you this. My hand doesn't touch my bass when I'm playing, and I have no hand, wrist or playing problems. Been playing for decades and play many hours a week. If I try to position my hand the way you have yours in that first pic, it limits what I can do. And it's not very comfortable.

I'm not a "schooled" player, but that's my $.02. I'm sure someone with perfect technique will come along and school ya better than me .

 

[fearceol]

It does not look practical to me. You appear to be over complicating things, but if it works for you, and you are happy with it....why not ? The only problem I can see (and you mention it yourself) is that the wrist is bent...not a good idea.

 

[Nashrakh]

Lift your elbow until the bend in your wrist is gone. This may be hard on your shoulder muscles for a bit until you don't unconsciously drop your elbow out of muscle fatigue anymore. This may also feel a bit unusual because the body doesn't give you the added stability anymore, but on the other hand you may get more mobility out of it.

I see it as being the same thing as beginning woodwind players who need to develop their embouchure, they may get sore the first few weeks after prolonged sessions but your body will learn to deal with it soon.

In both cases, get your arm away from the edge of the body.

 

[Jrussblues]

Lift your elbow until the bend in your wrist is gone. This may be hard on your shoulder muscles for a bit until you don't unconsciously drop your elbow out of muscle fatigue anymore. This may also feel a bit unusual because the body doesn't give you the added stability anymore, but on the other hand you may get more mobility out of it.

I see it as being the same thing as beginning woodwind players who need to develop their embouchure, they may get sore the first few weeks after prolonged sessions but your body will learn to deal with it soon.

In both cases, get your arm away from the edge of the body.

Yup, only thing I can add is that your strap is adjustable and sometimes moving it up will make it more natural to keep your forearm off the body.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

If your wrist is in a natural position there will be less problems later on with medical issues. So do what ever it takes to get both your wrists into a natural position.

Your teacher is who should be helping you with this - we are not there - and your teacher is just a knee away. Plus can give you instant feedback.

Need to ask; does your teacher play bass, that's kinda important. Guitar hands and bass hands go about their work differently.

Good luck.

 

[SteveCS]

The thumb positions look really clumsy in both images. As you open the thumb up perpendicular to the fingers, the dexterity of the fingers is reduced. If that same thumb is supporting the weight if your arm then this adds to the problem. So far as possible your hand should be supported by your muscles not the bass. I use my thumb as a damper for strings below those I am playing and as a feeler to navigate between the bridge and fingerboard - there is very little pressure on it and for the most part it is parallel to and behind my Index finger. Like @Joe Nerve am not 'schooled' in these things and have never had any problems with my hand or wrist.

 

[lz4005]

I rest the weight of the hand mostly on thumb, the point where wrist touches the body only partially bearing the load. So far so good.

Update a problem I've just discovered with the first position is that I strike strings more towards the body than aside and that creates fret noise. So is the first position correct?

You shouldn't have any "weight" on any part of your hand. In anchored thumb technique your thumb touches the pickup to make it not move around, not to take any weight.

Concentrate on plucking parallel to the face of the instrument, regardless of your hand position.

 

[enricogaletta]

Well first of all, never feel sorry to asking questions, if you have doubts then you need to ask, is the first right things to do
About your wrist position, well there are some positions that can easily made you reach a nice and clean tone but is also true that everybody approach to playing techniques in their own way, and in the 90% everybody playing have some in common each other.
The first thing you need to check is: do you feel comfortable with your own way? Can you reach different type of dynamics? Do you feel you can play fast as well normal tempo lines? Test your limits and see what happens.
Because with the right exercises you can always improve your style..
Then try to incorporate external suggestions but not in the exactly same way you got, because if you don't feel comfortable, you will never reach great goals. Try to understand how you can incorporate the advice in your own way.
Hybrid approach is always a great solutions, 50% of your way 50% of new ideas, in my opinion is the best solutions to succeed !
If you need any help feel free to contact me.
Let's groove!

 

[Badwater]

Plucking can be one of the easiest things to do on a bass. If you know how to relax your hands, and watch real professionals on how they hold and position their hands on the bass. Emulation is a visual way to learn how to hold and pluck a guitar or bass. It's way better than learning to hold and pluck a bass by ear.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Ok, IMO you have a feeling that your right wrist has to be touching the body of the bass. In reality, it doesn't and IMO shouldn't. I sometimes do that when I'm playing very long notes, or almost not playing at all. Sometimes I do that to rest in slower passages. Your right elbow should be away from the body of the instrument (and your left elbow as well, but that's a different story), and your right thumb should be the only part of your right arm in contact with the bass to the adjacent string (the one above) while the index and the middle fingers plugging the strings.

 

[Rockin Mike]

I find that holding the bass with the neck pointed up (versus level) allows a more natural position for both the left and right wrists.
Bent wrist can lead to carpal tunnel, everything else is mostly personal preference.
Avoiding hand/arm contact with the body of the bass increases your speed and dexterity.
Plucking the string so it vibrates in a plane parallel to the fretboard allows you to set the action lowest, so you can play the fastest and most expressively with a light nuanced touch. Let the electronics provide the volume, your hand strength is for expressing dynamics.
Floating thumb technique helps greatly with that light nuanced touch and also automatically mutes open strings that are not in use. Takes some getting used to, but worth it.
When people say something doesn't "feel natural", I think sometimes that's about what they are personally used to. YMMV.
Most of the above is just my opinion, but don't bend your wrist and get carpal tunnel.