Resting fretting thumb

Technique
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I just videod myself playing (well trying to play) a made up rendition of Teenage Kicks, and noticed my resting fretting thumb is hooked over the neck. Interesting that I’ve been trying to be good when doing the modules, but the moment I do it for real, my thumb came over.

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pretty common thing with a lot of people. strictly speaking, it is frowned upon by most teachers in most situations (like josh). otoh like a lot of perceived technique flaws it is done by a fair amount of good players. the easiest time to work on correcting technique is when you are a beginner though, so maybe something to keep in mind.

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There is no trying, only doing…
Every concern and thought a new player has will likely be answered and understood through practice.
Your questions, concerns and possible frustrations can and will be found through doing, more than any other way.
The thumb over thing is legitimate and something you’ll one day do on purpose but not something you want happening without consent.
The thumb over is for specific purposes but doing it in the beginning is simply a lack of motor control.
Hammer out your first 100 or 200 hours and it will likely be gone automatically, there’s little chance of developing any decent speed doing it.
So practice the mods and the songs you like and don’t worry about it.

Bass is hard until its not… :sunglasses: :jbass: :+1:

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In another post, you mentioned that you need to micro shift in order to reach frets.

The type of thumb placement you describe (hooked over the neck) will likely limit your ability to play one finger per fret.

Try to keep your thumb behind the neck while arching your fingers over the fingerboard. This can allow you to be able to stretch your fingers easier as you play.

Feel free to ask any questions you want. There are lots of good folks on the forum who have been exactly where you are as a new player. There is no one-size-fits-all solution or regimen for getting better as a player because everyone is different. That said, this place is special because of the generosity of its members.

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This is simply factually incorrect. Practicing bad habits will simply ingrain them and make them difficult to unlearn. It’s important for beginners to seek out technique advice, please don’t discourage people from asking questions like the OP did.

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It happens! Whatever you do, don’t take a shear to your thumb, :rofl:

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Although…you can’t grip the neck too hard if you don’t have a thumb back there… :rofl:

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When I first started with fretless, I actually spent some time on the no thumb drills. Only note with vibrato and no thumb support. It’s a bit trippy at first but I got better at it.

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It is a good exercise for fretted too

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