Q&A

How do you use thumb rest on bass?

How do you use thumb rest on bass?

Fortunately, a few fellow bass enthusiasts were quick to answer: It’s a tug bar when the finger rest is below the strings instead of above. When it’s above, you rest your thumb on it and play with the fingers, when its below, you anchor your fingers on it, and pluck the strings with your thumb.

What is thumb position bass?

In music performance and education, thumb position, not a traditional position, is a string instrument playing technique used to facilitate playing in the upper register of the double bass, cello, and related instruments, such as the electric upright bass.

What is a finger ramp?

A: A ramp (or finger ramp) was created out of the desire to broaden the range of feeling one gets from playing over the pickup with the plucking hand (a la Jaco and many modern players). Playing over the back pickup also allows for a higher string tension and makes it easier to play fast.

Do you strum a bass guitar?

The bass guitar, unlike other guitars, is only ever plucked rather than strummed. Your nails will change the sound of the guitar if used against the strings. Pluck using two fingers to increase efficiency. Alternate plucking between your index and middle finger.

Is it OK to play bass with your thumb?

Yeah it’s fine. I actually wore a blister in my thumb last Sunday playing at church because we were playing a song that requires a very thumpy muted bass sound and I decided to try it with right-hand palm muting. I don’t use my thumb that way very often at all so there’s no callous.

What does a ramp do on a bass?

A bass ramp is something that was popularized by bassist Gary Willis (an absolutely terrifying musician, by the way), who has a ramp on all his signature Ibanez basses. The ramp offers a place for the player to anchor their thumb, and prevents the player from digging in too hard.

What is a slap ramp?

(A string hitting a metallic fret sounds way nicer than one falling flat against a fretless fingerboard, so you often want to soften your touch on fretless.) An example of a slanted “slap-ramp.” (From status-graphite.com.) When you play hard, you loose some of the vibration when the string hits the fretboard.

What is the purpose of a bass ramp?

The ‘Bass Ramp’, in general terms is a flat surface generally made out of wood that goes below the strings, which prevents the right hand fingers (left hand fingers for those playing left handed) from digging in too hard, providing the player a similar sensation to the feel they get when they play over the bass pickups …

Where to place a thumb rest on a bass?

Just ordered a thumb rest for my jazz bass. for two reasons. I like the old school look of it and I need somewhere between the neck pup and the neck to rest my thumb as i like to finger style there. Wondering if there is a standard placement for it. Will be on the low e side and used as a thumb rest and not on the high g side as a finger rest.

How to position your right hand for finger-style bass?

Bend your elbow and keep it slighty away from your rib cage. 2 Let your hand approach the instrument until your thumb settles onto the thumb rest or the pickup. Keep your elbow next to your body, not behind it. 3 Settle the weight of your arm onto your thumb.

What kind of thumb rest does a StingRay bass use?

Zero Mod Music Man Stingray Bass Thumb Rest This thumb rest is made out of high quality dead clear polycarbonate or solid black acrylic, and precision CNC made in a machine shop here in the USA. The position and design mean NO NEW HOLES in… Thumb rest for the Geddy Lee, Mexican, and American Jazz.

When do you Put Your Thumb on the bass guitar?

The advantage of using thumb position on the bass guitar is that the left hand can cover two octaves or more without shifting position, which facilitates complex passages. The cello thumb position is introduced on the second or half-string harmonic, the note “A” on the highest string. Play (help·info)