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

  • Thread starter Thread starter Digital Jams
  • Start date Start date
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tweed":fa3d6 said:
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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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Entertaining NAMM small talk not with standing...
back in germany in like 85 Van Halen and AC/Dc where co-headling a big outdoor and I got to hang with EVH for a couple of minutes in the warm up room. And the one thing that so, left a lasting impression was how his thumb was dancing around between lines and bend notes, and especially when shifting positions.
 
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Scott Ians Beard":e21d2 said:
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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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Absolutely. Try this play a trill between the first fret 12th string and the highest note you can reach. Now do the same with your thumb behind the neck. In my case, thumb over the neck gives me a stretch from the 12th to 19th fret. Thumb behind gives me 12th to 24th fret.
 
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degenaro":c159d said:
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Absolutely. Try this play a trill between the first fret 12th string and the highest note you can reach. Now do the same with your thumb behind the neck. In my case, thumb over the neck gives me a stretch from the 12th to 19th fret. Thumb behind gives me 12th to 24th fret.
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You and Gilbert snuck in line a second time ahead of me in the pinky size department.
 
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degenaro":0011e said:
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Entertaining NAMM small talk not with standing...
back in germany in like 85 Van Halen and AC/Dc where co-headling a big outdoor and I got to hang with EVH for a couple of minutes in the warm up room. And the one thing that so, left a lasting impression was how his thumb was dancing around between lines and bend notes, and especially when shifting positions.
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The vibrato thing is basically what kills me playing with my thumb behind the neck. What I usually end up doing is letting go of the back of the neck to achieve the vibrato im looking for. Or I should say the vibrato im used to with my thumb at the top of the neck.
 
i can do chords with the thumb if need be, i snagged the idea from hendrix...rhoads did it from time to time as well it seems

i don't do it often tho
 
My guitar teacher from the very first lesson had me set up so that i would eventually be able to pull of chords with the thumb over.
Then i started to play cello, which is very strict: thumb behind the neck and only as a delicate anchor.
You have to be able to do both. I cringe when i see the thumb over the neck for lead playing though... maybe it's my tiny hands?
 
i just dont see how people like Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen or Alexi Laiho pull stuff off with their thumb up there...i HAVE to have my thumb on the back of the neck with space between my fingers and the neck to be able to get the range of motion and comfort to do sweeps and fast picking.

i didnt used to be like that...then i decided to "correct" my technique and it has helped a lot. i just wonder how other guys can play like that i guess LOL
 
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carlygtr56":294a9 said:
I watched what I was doing yesterday and it seems my thumb rides along the top edge of the fretboard, sort of like a guide, and the thumb comes over as needed, sometimes really quickly.
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Thanks for looking, I was watching too and my thumb does move around the back and as I am on the higher strings it is pretty much dead center on the back.

I tried the wide vibrato action with the thumb slung over and it does not work well for me at all right now, I may be too far into my style to fix this. Funny how muscle memory works, I also have movements that just happen from practice.
 
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danyeo":7a234 said:
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.
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+1
 
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carlygtr56":0878e 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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I use it for certain Slash chords( I dont know what else to call them, for example an open D with and f# on the low E, etc) and I dont think that I can play Bluesy stuff any other way...
 
Wow I never noticed where my thumb is, its almost always over the top, except when I attempt to do solo's.
 
Mine is over on some chord work, and almost always when I play F-F# on the acoustic. I found that trying to press down all the strings while doing 3x45 minute gigs with just me and the acoustic killed my wrist:(


Therefore I cheat :D When doing fast stuff, the optimal thing for me is having the guitar WAAY up, and the thumb behind the neck. Unfortunately it doesn`t work that well with live playing, since I find having the guitar a little lower and the thumb over the neck gives me more control when rocking out. I settled for sloppy soloing, with lots of wah and delay, and the guitar as far down as the strap allows. (I`m like 6'2", so it`s really not that far down anyway)
 
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Digital Jams":e8fb8 said:
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.
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It's good for Hendrix chords where you use the thumb to fret a note and extra leverage during bends, I haven't experienced much other uses for it.
 
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Digital Jams":143c9 said:
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Jesus christ......................have not seen this one :o
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here's something more tasty. check out 2:00 on...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Me_J2FaVtU&mode=related&search=

vigier gutiars too down the road in his career
 
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