3 Simple Ways to CRUSH Thumb Position

[@thecourierNCR]

"cats in 1881weren't really taking solos" I lol'd thank you for the lesson

[@coledavismusic]

Ha thank you for watching 🙏🏻

[@MrDaraghkinch]

I'm self taught I don't know the Simandl merhod, I never use the harmonics in normal playing (for timbral consistency), but I'm seeing progress by finding multiple fingerings for scales/modes in all keys, and spending time working out efficient fingerings for specific melodies. Shifting in and out of thumb position is the biggest speedbump for me. I'm just going to keep plugging away and I know I'm going to keep improving. I think that determination is the most important thing. Well, determination and awareness are two wings.

[@coledavismusic]

I love it. Determination is 100% the most important thing always

[@brownriceprod]

you don't know it, but you are my upright teacher

[@coledavismusic]

Aw man, so glad to hear that. Thanks for watching!

[@Bassmint44]

Hi Cole! Ok, First of all...This was a GREAT video and you single handedly just WON ME OVER! I am going to your website and getting your method book. Secondly...I am 59 years young and I just finished my MM in Jazz Studies from The University of North Texas last May 2023 of which I am proud of (which is why I mention it), BUT in my 45 years of playing the bass and 30+ years of play jazz and double bass, I have NEVER been adequately trained with a teacher to play in thumb position! I am not blaming anyone, but in ALL my academia (and there has been a lot), I was never taken into thumb position. Story for another time. So, I will begin here with the tunes (of which I know very well...but not in thumb position, LOL...) you outlined and do and practice the fingering as you have prescribed! Yes, once upon a time, I too, worked from the Simandle method and used it with my students. I also have the Rabbath book (Blue one) covering thumb position, but...embarrassingly, have never really cracked it open...because of the level of difficulty it appears to be and nobody to help me through it. Having said all that, (sorry this is so long) this is why I said you WON me over! Thank you for making this video...I will head to your website and start taking care of business in thumb position...FINALLY! LOL! Your new friend and bass brother, Kurt

[@coledavismusic]

Hey Kurt! Thank you for this comment and for sharing your journey - welcome to the world of thumb position! Glad to have won you over ... feel free to ask me questions anytime!

[@damonsmith290]

Great playing and I agree with the premise until you present Simandl as a fingering system - it is an ear training and fingerboard mapping system. The fingerings are as often by Fred Zimmerman or Lucas Drew as Simandl. Sticking to the fingering in Simandl is misuse of the method.

[@coledavismusic]

Agreed!

[@ramonpooser2434]

Good lesson. Thumb position opens up when it becomes movable, and anchors wherever it’s placed.

[@nikitarain8832]

Hey there this was super informative. I went to Lawrence University and studied under a great bass player but still struggle with thumb position agility. This builds off everything I learned and gets me excited to practice some thumb position and solo more up there! Thank you!

[@BassoIuga]

To go with the Left arm up on the E string it’s not natural at all , not good for many things and there are many reasons why not to do it. Otherwise , you have achieve a quite high level with your way of playing. Congrats!

[@crm5143]

Thanks Cole!

[@ivofechner8039]

Man, just the first 5 minutes of this video already changed everything for me! Thank you for this fantastic information Cole

[@coledavismusic]

Wow, I’m so glad to hear that 😊. Thank you for watching!

[@locobass]

Great Video and great concept. Congrats

[@dr05guitar]

Great video! Your playing is fantastic, also I like the way you explain!

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you!! 🙏🏻

[@peregrinochu2474]

thanks for the lesson, i apreciate

[@Cristian-Bortoli]

Tremendo Davis, vengo aplicando tus conceptos. Te felicito. Saludos desde Argentina

[@axelcornejo1221]

Thank you!

[@coledavismusic]

🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@nodfactor8808]

Really appreciate these insights. Thank you, Cole.

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you for watching! Glad you like it 🙏🏻

[@sonofmagni3192]

I started out on Cello using the classic BS (before Suzuki) methods. This means using a lot of open strings and focusing often on 1st position regardless of what key you're in. Later, when I started playing electric bass, I learned by ear and mostly put my first finger on the tonic. This way I actually learned the fingering patterns. So this seems to relate to your video here. Using the Simandl method is like trying to stay in 1st position regardless of key, even if it's awkward and inefficient. What you're advocating is put your thumb where it's most logical based on the scale and melody. If I were to teach anyone to play cello or bass, I would teach to play without open strings first, then add them in later after the student understood the scale patterns.

[@coledavismusic]

Well said, I agree. Thanks for commenting!

[@matbass82]

Thank you. Great video, keep them coming The book is really good

[@coledavismusic]

Thanks a lot, I’m glad you like it 🤗

[@DavidRamos-nz4bh]

That “flex” was bad ass… nice.

[@pnbass]

Not like Giovanni Bottesini would be using ‘Simandl’ method but he was soloing his ass off on the bass till he died in the 1890s He was already playing salon concerts improvising on operatic themes in the 1840s. Domenico Dragonetti was crushing improvised bass solo’s in the late 1700s… Simandl was late in the game… the Italian ‘Caimmi’ method was preferred to Simandl till 20th century when the string lengths on bass got a few inches shorter.

[@RyanonBasss]

wait what? basses recently got SHORTER string lengths? I think mine is like 43.5"

[@contrebasse78]

Really great !!!!! Thank you !!

[@JMoura-qj6rr]

Excelente abordagem. Bravo.

[@hermannitahvonen6828]

This is a good revisioning of the classic method! The ideas of dividing scale notes in other ways than one or two isn’t that new of a concept on the guitar or even electric bass, but on the double bass it’s been another story 😅 Good to see that there are people that dare to think in and develop new ways to teach the instrument. I’m interested in the new simandl- book but would like to have a preview of it before making a purchase. Are there any youtube- videos of the book or pdf preview pages anywhere?😊

[@coledavismusic]

Hi Hermanni, thank you for watching! I'm glad you feel that way - that's pretty much exactly why I make these videos. You can preview the book on my patreon at patreon.com/coledavismusic ... or check out the video I just released on YT explaining the book!

[@bassmonk2920]

Good stuff

[@coledavismusic]

thanks 🙏🏻

[@michaelangelo3124]

Are you using guts strings on the top two! Although it takes a lot of practice to toughen up the thumb and strengthen the fingers it looks look your string tension is a little less than my steel strings and your strings are probably closer to the board?

[@argot4086]

Hey man, great video. The link to the store doesnt work, and the patreon page doesn't seem to have the etudes book, can you send it ? thanks

[@GwyndolinBingham42]

My problem is my hand are so big that it is hard for me to play smaller intervals in thumb position without my hand being cramped up in a way that makes it difficult to play. By the time my thumb is lined up with my other fingered, my hand is scrunched up and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong or what I might need to change to accommodate my size hands

[@coledavismusic]

Omg, I actually have this same problem. If you want to talk about it or you want a lesson, I actually know what to do - but it's too long to type out. Finally another bass player with Kawhi Leonard sized hands having this problem lol

[@RootsBassCanada]

Great vid! Thank you. Is there a book that you'd recommend for thumb position?

[@coledavismusic]

Hi! Thank you for watching. As "shameless" as this is, a lot of what I'm addressing in this video is explained clearly in my thumb position book "Freedom of Movement" which is available at www.coledavismusic.com/store :)

[@joaomenegalebarbi1586]

Hey Cole, thank you for another wonderful video! I have a question: do you rather have your index finger bending when you play on thumb position, or you prefer to keep it straight? Bending backwards, I mean.

[@coledavismusic]

Hey João, thank you for watching! I actually like to bend my finger the same way I do in the lower positions. I find that I have more strength, endurance and control of the sound when I do. Hope that helps!

[@dougwelch8098]

Thanks for the video, Cole. I am relearning thumb position and have your "Freedom of Movement" book. I started this last fall with the George Vance, but found you soon thereafter. This video helps so much by watching your body and shoulder position, too. I used to always sit. Now, I am trying to stand. When you move back to third position, do you move your left foot back in tandem or are just shifting your weight? Where do you find it more comfortable? I have had rotator cuff tendonitis in my left shoulder, from my day job as a dog groomer. So, I am looking for that path of least resistance. 😉

[@coledavismusic]

Hey Doug, thanks for watching and for buying the book! For me it depends on the tempo. If I'm playing at a slower tempo then yes, I'll move my left foot back for more support. If I'm playing faster I usually won't be able to move my left foot back, so I shift my weight from the lower back to the shoulder. Sorry to hear about the rotator cuff tendonitis .. that's a total drag!!

[@alexh3158]

So should I learn the Simandl method then apply everything in the video to what I would learn from it or can/should I use this video as an introduction to thumb position?

[@coledavismusic]

Sorry for the late reply! I would use this video as more of an introduction :)

[@lucianoquezada22]

Lots of truth here. I also find your fingering makes for an easy application of practicing the melodic minor in thumb which I have struggled with.

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you! And yes I agree about the melodic minor scale

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you! And yes I agree about the melodic minor scale

[@haydent194]

8:26 sent me 😆

[@coledavismusic]

Hahaha

[@ennio5596]

🙏

[@willpavilonis954]

Yo this video is hype as eff but I don’t think the telephone was invented in 1881, I think it was more of an 1876 kind of vibe. The metal detector has more of that “invented in 1881” kind of sound though

[@coledavismusic]

hahaha - I actually laughed at loud at that. Upon googling I realize you're right! thanks for the correction

[@anthonybowers7571]

it was Marconi not Bell !!!

[@coledavismusic]

ha! good catch

[@wondermarco2003]

Caro amico l'inventore del telefono fu Antonio Meucci. Marconi inventò la radio, che funziona senza fili. Altrimenti confondiamo il nostro Cole Davis, grande bassista e bravo insegnante

[@anthonybowers7571]

@@wondermarco2003 Va bene ! I just object to Bell being named as inventor ! :) buona Domenica !

[@vilohdi7189]

Maybe the first secret would be showing a thumbnail in actual thumb position. Crazy idea….i know! 😂

[@Benjybass]

Good video, but in your printed examples that appear on the screen, you use a "0" for the thumb instead of a "+". This tends to be confusing and is the first time I've ever seen this kind of notation. Personally, in my 50 years of playing, I have been hindered by my double jointed left hand thumb. It really prevents me from playing in the high registers, especially on the low strings. If I bend and push it into my hand, it looks like a "comma". There are probably many of us out there that have the same problem, so your explanations on thumb positions obviously work well for you. Luckily, I have practiced enough to get around this "defect" and can ultimately play anything I work on, as is the solution for many of us.

[@jacobanteau6020]

Simandl is kinda old lol

[@coledavismusic]

Yeah isn’t it lol

[@victorquintana7913]

Real double bass players use a bow.

[@mybonesfellout]

Jazz bro, pizz is usually the way to go

[@andreashoppe1969]

That's like saying, real guitar players use picks or real singers don't use microphones etc. Which is basically bullshit. It's all about the specific sound that you want that decides if you play arco or pizzicato.

[@jjames2068]

The ignorance of this comment blows me away