How the hell do you guys play with your thumb slung over the top of the neck?!?!?!?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Digital Jams
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Digital Jams
Digital Jams
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When I learned play bass years ago in HS I was taught to have my thumb behind the neck and transferred that to guitar. I see some serious players doing this thumb over the neck and I cannot do this to save my life. I can do some chording but solo work?? No way.
 
The other way round is the problem for me. I cant play in the upper register with my thumb behind the neck. Its a big problem for me :x
 
I'm with you Digital. I dont have my thumb gripped over the neck. Wouldn't you clamp the strings aswell? :? That's what I have no problems with bolt on necks.
 
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carlygtr56":36b7f said:
Practice, Grasshopper.
Ever since I saw Jimi using his thumb over the neck to make chords, back in '73..I adapted it into my style.
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Yeah, Jimi's stuff is full of using his thumb and SRV grabbed that from him.

Just must be what you do when you first start out cause I can't do it :D
 
Yeah I always saw Hendrix doing it and my guitar teacher did it as well so it was always encouraged.
 
I can do both, but I only do the thumb over the fretboard when I'm going to be hitting bass notes with my thumb.
 
Gotta have BIG hands. I sort of alternate between styles depending on what I'm playing.
 
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Scott Ians Beard":fab9f said:
The other way round is the problem for me. I cant play in the upper register with my thumb behind the neck. Its a big problem for me :x
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Sounds like you wear your guitar real low. If you jack it up a bit, it's kinda hard to play w/ your thumb around the top.
 
Yeah, no problems with the thumb behind the neck way up on the board. I need that anchor to do anything.
 
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shredhead666":dbac0 said:
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Sounds like you wear your guitar real low. If you jack it up a bit, it's kinda hard to play w/ your thumb around the top.
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Not mega low, I play strat-shaped guitars slightly above the waste. Think Clapton height. I think I have posture problems...

EDIT: Using my avatar as a reference, a bit higher than reb beach
 
There's no way in hell i can rip off big bends with my thumb behind the neck. And i can't do legato stuff with my thumb over the neck. Gotta do both IMHO.
 
I have the opposite problem. Im trying to get my thumb behind the neck to help with faster playing. Hopefully one of these days I'll get it.
 
When I finally submitted to the fact that I'd probably never be able to play faster than Slowhand, I stopped worrying about where my thumb is. If anything I think keeping the thumb over the top makes for stronger left hand attack and vibrato. Saraceno is good evidence of that. His left hand kills and it has a lot to do with the thumb and wrist anchoring, I think.
 
Thumb BELONGS behind the neck for fast scary shit. Otherwise the lack of muting is gonna make a mess of things. And thumb belongs over the top for vibrato. If you're talking about ultrawide/fast vibrato the thumb behind the neck is going to make things way harder.
Luckily enough you can move your thumb...
 
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degenaro":f58a4 said:
Thumb BELONGS behind the neck for fast scary shit. Otherwise the lack of muting is gonna make a mess of things. And thumb belongs over the top for vibrato. If you're talking about ultrawide/fast vibrato the thumb behind the neck is going to make things way harder.
Luckily enough you can move your thumb...
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I am going to have to play with this, I do not have the best vibrato by any means right now. I am get somewhat wide but I am really clamping down to do it, almost not natural way of doing it.
 
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degenaro":35777 said:
Thumb BELONGS behind the neck for fast scary shit. Otherwise the lack of muting is gonna make a mess of things. And thumb belongs over the top for vibrato. If you're talking about ultrawide/fast vibrato the thumb behind the neck is going to make things way harder.
Luckily enough you can move your thumb...
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You can only move your thumb if you are playing quarter notes. Luckily quarter notes are to scary fast for me so it doesn't apply.
 
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degenaro":7d682 said:
Thumb BELONGS behind the neck for fast scary shit. Otherwise the lack of muting is gonna make a mess of things. And thumb belongs over the top for vibrato. If you're talking about ultrawide/fast vibrato the thumb behind the neck is going to make things way harder.
Luckily enough you can move your thumb...
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Definately true. Just wish i could do it.

For reference i just tried thumb behind the neck on the upper frets. It almost feels like the guitar is too close to my body to do it, puts alot of pressure on the wrist. Its fine lower down though. Is this something i should invest in a lesson in to sort out, or anyone have any tips?
 
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