Let’s talk about thumbs and anchors

#21
Started out in the late 60s playing bass with a pick.

Then sometime in the mid 70s, forced myself to do the 2 finger plucking with thumb anchored on top of the pickup.

Around the mid 90s, I bought a MIJ SCPB Fender and thumb anchoring was uncomfortable on top of the thin rounded edge of the single coil P pickup. This forced me go to floating thumb. Anchoring my thumb a top the E string for A-D-G plucking and floating off for notes on the E string.

And now, at age 72, this is how I do the plucking hand.

I think that everybody kind of has their own style and variation of anchoring, not anchoring/plucking.
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Addition: Around yr 2000, I was inspired by watching Jerry Scheff pluck using only the index finger and I pretty much stop using 2 finger plucking.

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#24
FRoss6788 said:
I use the floating thumb technique and have NO IDEA what you are talking about here...:eyebrow:
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Sorry, I had some trouble with the quote function. I was responding specifically to the video above where the demonstrator says you can't rest your firearm on the bass and you move your arm up and down from the shoulder to switch strings. He then indicates you may experience some shoulder pain. For the entire clip his right shoulder is hunched up substantially above his left. It may well be that the folks using the floating thumb language here are doing something more ergonomic. The video, though, shows what looks like a pretty terrible idea.
 
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#25
jtg said:
Sorry, I had some trouble with the quote function. I was responding specifically to the video above where the demonstrator says you can't rest your firearm on the bass and you move your arm up and down from the shoulder to switch strings. He then indicates you may experience some shoulder pain. For the entire clip his right shoulder is hunched up substantially above his left. It may well be that the folks using the floating thumb language here are doing something more ergonomic. The video, though, shows what looks like a pretty terrible idea.
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IME this technique feels much more natural and comfortable when standing, with the body of the bass somewhat lower than can be attained in a sitting position.
 
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#26
There's no right or wrong, just what works for you. Moveable anchor or floating thumb can give you advantages, but it sounds like you're chasing technique because you think you should, not because you need to.

Personally, playing a five string, I have started doing a bit of a modified moveable anchor; if I'm not playing the B string, I rest on it. I never (at least I think I never) move down further.

If I were to decide to focus on improvement in that department, I'd work on the floating thumb. It's really good for building a lighter touch.
 
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#28
CaptainRuss said:
So, I am back to bass after around 30 years of on/off guitar in bands, was the lead in my current band. I switched because we have a hard time keeping bassists and my hands have passed their peak mobility period now that I’m in my mid 50s and have arthritis. I wasn’t on bass for long back when I did play it previously. Back then I was young and in punk and rock bands so technical issues were low on my priority list.

Now that I am back I am paying attention to the details in my own playing. The thing I keep coming across is the moving thumb anchor. I don’t find that I need to keep moving from the edge of the pick up to the E string because of two reasons:
- My thumbs are a bit stubby
-My thumb does the weird backward hook thing
View attachment 5388483

This “special feature” allows my thumb and hand to already be half a fingertip closer to the pick up and E string. I do not find myself stretching to hit the higher strings. Usually just bowing my wrist out a bit is enough. I’m practicing moving my anchor point but it is really cumbersome for me and my playing suffers.


I often read that fixed anchor is not the preferred method and there are few notable players using it. What do you think, keep practicing the moveable anchor or embrace my mutant hand physique and use it to. Y advantage?

Anybody else similarly equipped?
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I have a thumb with that same quirk, the result of 4 years of playing a Rick 4001 hard with my thumb stuffed down into the bridge pickup cavity for an anchor.

While I currently play a PB, I put my thumb tip on the bridge side corner of the pickup, but I don’t pull against it. I use it as a guide/ pivot point and move my arm slightly when needed to get to the G string.

Try this, put your thumb tip on the table, then make a nice arch with your index finger and middle finger touching table by lifting the palm of hand kind of like you have a grapefruit under there. If you measure the distance between where you thumb tip is, and your index finger tip is, it should be about the same distance as the distance from the pickup corner, and the G string. If you are short, move your hand downward by bending at the elbow when needed. The arch should remain, as opposed to lying flat.
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hopes this helps.
 
#37
There’s no best for everyone. Sometimes I float strings and sometimes I turn my forearm and don’t anchor at all but I suppose holding my arm is kind of an anchor. I never really use a proper thumb bar. Only occasional use of a pickup.
 
#39
g-dude said:
It just feels…right.
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Then you have to do it. Floating thumb doesn’t work for everybody. You can vary between techniques.

On my six string I use floating thumb when soloing but for other parts (for example muted grooves on the lower strings) I don’t like it so much and switch to ‘normal’ playing. And for other parts I use a four finger technique with the thumb and you can’t use floating thumb in that case. And with slapping and tapping you can’t use floating thumb either. So I think floating thumb is only 15% of my playing. You don’t have (or want) to use floating thumb as a dogma 100% of the time. It’s just an extra trick in the bag so you will.
 
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#40
Moving anchor for me. But one of the dilemmas I'm trying to solve is whether to anchor 1 or 2 strings below the one I'm plucking. Guys like Pino, Adam Nitti, and John Myung anchor 2 strings below (if playing on A, anchor on pickup), and the nice thing about this is your thumb can stay in place if you're playing on just one or two strings for a while, and the rest-stroke motion of your plucking fingers takes care of muting.

I personally like to anchor just 1 string below the one I'm plucking (if playing on A, anchor on E) unless I'm playing the G, in which case I leave my thumb on A and let the rest stroke mute the D. I just feel more secure about my muting if my thumb's doing it. I'm always worried about my rest-stroke making a light pluck of an open string as I take it off.

The first method seems more efficient, so I'm always messing around with it, then going back to my way, and it's like I just can't settle one or the other. Ah, the joys of being a neurotic bass player.
 
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