DaveA wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 4:33 pm With the non-fretting hand? Yes.

Is this some kind of no-no?

Traditional technique is index and middle finger. Thumb is usually for slap bass, but are there really any no-nos?

Hmmm. Duly noted. But it doesn't feel weird playing with it, given the stuff I do. Suspect it would be more of an issue while doing rapid/complex runs.

^ If I am recalling this correctly, Sting plays bass often with his thumb… and not slap bass.

It's not a no-no, just not often that people apply that technique to the bass. It's a bit thinner sounding than the two finger rest stroke, but it means you can easily play a high note and a low note together, or go nuts with some crazy banjo picking patterns. It has a different sound and it makes some things easier too since thumbs are generally quite useful digits, and - famously - opposable to the fingers. It might mean you eq or compress your bass a bit differently.

There's lots of different sounds you can get out of a bass string depending on how you whack it. It is a beautiful instrument.

jfv wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 5:12 pm ^ If I am recalling this correctly, Sting plays bass often with his thumb… and not slap bass.

Tina Weymouth also, IIRC.

The answer to this question is 100% using a pick... BUT.... if you use the wrong pick or the wrong settings on your amp it will sound much worse than if you were to just slap your thumbs raw.

indiegrab_360 wrote: Sat Feb 12, 2022 7:33 pm The answer to this question is 100% using a pick... BUT.... if you use the wrong pick or the wrong settings on your amp it will sound much worse than if you were to just slap your thumbs raw.

The late 80s/early 90s metal approach of playing with a pick and maxing out the treble on the instrument and amp? This is to be avoided. I think the bass player from Overkill must have blown out his eardrums, and it was the only way he could hear himself in the mix.

I had a guy turn up for a bass lesson once (back when I was still willing to give bass lessons). He was one of those guys who was obviously not going to come to a second lesson (and I'm always thankful that they don't) but he wasn't really listening to me anyway. He had an expensive Rickenbacker bass and was telling me about all the money he'd spent on gear as these overcompensating guys tend to do. When he turned up, first thing he did was he got the EQ on my amp and dialled all the bass and mids off, and the treble all the way up. He also did the same on his bass.

He said "that's my sound". Wow. It certainly wasn't anybody else's.