5 Top Tips to Make Thumb Position Technique Easier!

Lesson Notes:
In this video, Lauren shares her top tips on how to make playing in thumb position easier.

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[JayLohMoosic]

Omg thanks for this Lauren! Really appreciate how actionable this is! Will practice on my own and get it to a decent level before checkingout your course! Merry Christmas all!

[christ]

I'm a cellist but that still helped! Thank you

[MrDaraghkinch]

Regarding bow placement, it helps to understand that the natural harmonics, present on the vibrating string, shift towards the bridge in proportion to the amount that we shorten the string with our left hand. So the bow must shift proportionally too. A bow held in a good position for playing an open string, will excite harmonics when the left hand is in thumb position. This is the cause of the squeaking, to which Lauren refers.

[Smoph]

as a cellist starting Haydn, this is so helpful

[benedikuto_]

Perfect timing! In my last bass lesson I learned the thumb position, so your tips were really helpful to practice at home! Thank you so much for this video!

[rk-sbdm]

Just getting back to playing bass after 30 years. Watching all kinds of videos and this one is great. It is also the first one I've seen with the French bow which is what I plan to use. I began my musical career playing cello about 70 years ago.

[GANoel]

Very well explained in great detail. I wish I had a teacher like you when I began to learn how to play acoustic bass 60 years ago. As an old pro player. I commend you for your greatness. Thank you.

[Musicman]

Fantastic tutorial thank you so much , will get stuck into these points right away.

[billmottinger]

Thank you Lauren. I'm still on shaky ground on thumb position, but your Five Tips are reassuring, so I'll charge ahead! Thanks again.

[philviral]

Keeping an emery board at the practice station is an incredible tip.

[prograven]

cool tip.. steve bailey apply this technique on electric bass

[MegaFclef]

Great instruction and she has commanding and big awesome hands 🤚

[BBassistChrist]

Something I've been struggling with lately is back fatigue from playing in thumb position (especially when using the 2nd-5th harmonics) I asked my teacher if there was a better way to hold my poster to spare my back from strain, and he didn't really have any tips. Got any advice for the back? That might be a good topic in general with transporting such a large instrument.

[dougbassman]

As a beginner who is learning on a EUB not an acoustic, would these 5 tips still apply or would they need to be adjusted to suit the instrument?

[luciadisotto]

I wish you were cellist. I would totally love learning cello watching your videos ;-)

[tanchwa]

So what is the pattern for which finger to use for thumb position? I’m kind of unclear about why you’re using the fingers you are and shifting when you are.

[stevonico]

What you describe as a 'distorted' hand shape is actually just Rabbath 4th position

[Bobsmyuncle]

Maybe a dumb question; where can you find the fretboard dot stickers? I suppose any circular dot stickers could do... Those look nice though :)

[kungfuviolist]

fingertip pushups help your fingers be stronger

[jjesse]

Que gracia tiene tener marcadas las notas ?