Double Bass Thumb Position Lesson - "The Method"

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Double bass thumb position technique is one of my most commonly requested topics so I've put together a series of lessons to explain my method. In this second video, I give you an overview of the three main hand shapes that I use, as well as the techniques you need to know to play into thumb position. If you want to play higher up the neck without worrying about your intonation then this lesson is for you!
The upright bass can seem like a hard instrument to play up high, but if you use the simple fingering patterns described in this method you will soon be able to play solos and bass lines in thumb position just as easily as you do with the low notes.
This is the second part in my series of lessons covering thumb position and if you haven't seen the first one please check it out after this video. I recap at the start of this lesson, but many of the most common problems in thumb position are caused by not knowing how to correctly position the bass and transition up into thumb position.
View the first part of this series here: discoverdoublebass.com/term/d...
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[@billmottinger7246]

Thank you, Geoff, for introducing me to the thumb position in such a concise manner. I'm still feeling my way, having changed from cello (4yrs) to double bass just four months ago. Already playing in a local string orchestra. My fear of thumb positions has been dispelled by the clarity of your instructions. Thank you again.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks Bill, I really appreciate your kind words. Cheers Geoff :-)

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

New lesson time! Here's a run down of the method and techniques I use to play in thumb position. I hope you enjoy it!

[@MisterstereoOso]

Great lesson !! Thank you very much for your ultra accessable lessons !

[@sosogelovani]

Thank you! Looking forward to the next lessons.

[@nickfanzo]

Double bass is the best sounding instrument ever.

[@pallietone6344]

Great!!! Very inspiring lesson. I'm taking up bass as a hobby. I currently have a teacher who has me working in thumb position. It is very difficult but vital to get this down especially the transition. I hope to return to this video for supplemental information. I really enjoy the videos that Laura and you put out. Thank you for the inspiration...John.

[@seiuchicompositions]

This is super useful and enlightening appreciate the help!

[@jesusibanezjj9636]

thanks for the lesson Geoff !! un abrazo desde México :D !

[@elsgeurts9362]

Very instructive, thank you: you are a pleasant teacher

[@Lioman1]

Thank you very much for this beautiful thumb's lesson !😉👍

[@adamcohen7086]

Nice lesson Geoff! I like the idea of using the harmonic as a reference.

[@rickchelew1558]

Very helpful. Thanks!

[@EvilSean62]

after decades of waiting i finally have an upright ( i have 18 instruments mixed basses , guitars , banjo s , violins , banjolins, resonators etc ad nauseum ) its a student bass - as i no longer play professionally i cant justify a ferrarri , supplied strings had to go , bridge needed chainsawed ... retailer was great and helped me immensely but i couldn't remember all the stuff from school ( 40 years ago ...jeez ) your channel has made it possible for me to very quickly get my eye back in and really enjoy my bass I cannot thank you enough

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Fantastic, it's great to hear you've found the lessons useful.

[@jimslominski1014]

This is a great lesson Geoff - simple, but always insightful and to-the-point - perfect for venturing into the daunting thumb position. Every lesson gives me hours and hours of practice afterwards, especially running them through the circle of fifths. Look forward to each and every one of your vids. And I return over and over to your previous ones. Many thanks!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Jim Slominski Hey Jim, I really appreciate your kind words, it's so good to hear you are enjoying the lessons. Have a great week, cheers Geoff :-)

[@1mattbono]

Very good video. I played fretless bass and gleaned from it. Thank you.

[@kilometersdavis9502]

You’re a damn good teacher man.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks so much :-)

[@jagkluke]

Another terrific lesson from Geoff. Thanks Geoff from Geoff. These lessons are always so informative.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks so much!

[@jamesfriedman1878]

Great lesson Geoff. Thanks so Much for breaking it down so clearly and elegantly. The transition into thumb position, types of hand shapes, the pencil trick- all good stuff. I like how you bring melodies in as well. Inspiring.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

***** Thanks for checking it out James and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Cheers Geoff :-)

[@noyes6599]

AMAZING! Your channel has helped my technique so much, thank you sooo much!!!!!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks, that's so good to hear :-) Have a great week and thanks for checking out the lessons, cheers Geoff

[@fruitypebbles803]

Super helpful! Thanks! 🙏

[@charleskrutzen94]

I don't play the double bass, but fretless bass guitar (started in May last year). However I enjoy watching your lessons very much, Geoff!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Hey Charles, thanks I really appreciate that. Plus I love fretless bass. I've not got one at the moment, but used to have a Yamaha 5 string fretless that I regret selling! :-)

[@chipcrell242]

Thank you, your teaching method and delivery are much appreciated and a great help.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks, I'm glad it was helpful. :-)

[@dkamason]

Great lesson !

[@MDsteeler1]

Great video! Studied double bass in college but been away from it for years. Just getting back into it. Thanks for the refresher course! 👍

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks so much, and great to hear your back with the double bass! 🙏🏻

[@j.p.fitting9226]

thnx for great lesson! going to bow it dwn! like Blue Monk & Maybe Fly Me ToThe Moon as another fine bassist,teacher Bill Harrison shows! really like the arpegios from 1/2 all the way up, utilizing the midfield, lol 'Link Up' notes around 1st octave, cheers

[@yangyangdeck]

thank you for your kind direction 🙏

[@davidbteague]

I play seated, on a short stool, in almost cello posture, so "hanging" arm weight on the finger board isn't a problem, nor is arm weight into the bow. This makes basal joint thumb arthritis in both hands hurt a lot less. Your suggestions for how to practice the double bass are always clear and very helpful. I have a lot of work to do. Thank you for pointing the way.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Good luck with your practice David :-)

[@lawrenceofarabia5299]

Geoff & Laura are always on point, true that he keeps 100 bout thumb position. Yeah I"m one those cats that tape and.mark the notes on the mop. That might be one of my individual handicap the semi chomatic, often I struggle with spacing my ist & 2nd finger opening, especially the thumb on the g harmonic. Due to spinalisis, surgery I had awhile ago sometimes my left shoulder & arm. wears out where I'm forced to stop sometines and rest before resume playing. An informing class from geoff.

[@Kat_ZeroTheOne]

doing great Geoff! keep it up! great video, vibe, super :)

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Katrina Tan Thanks Kat, I hope you're doing well :-)

[@tomd3098]

Some good tips! Interesting what you say about thumb placement - on one of the videos hosted by Lauren Pierce, if I recall correctly, she places more emphasis on having the contact point further out from the knuckle, so as to minimize the muting effect from the thumb "hanging over" on the lower string. I'm guessing this is more of a concern whilst playing arco (as she seems to specialise in)? In my studies as a jazz bassist I was taught to use the knuckle, and certainly whilst playing pizz. I've not noticed any problems with inadvertent muting (though now I've seen Lauren's video I'm definitely going to have to check it out with a bow, haha)! Anyway, I enjoy your content, lots of great tips and you speak/deliver very clearly. Keep up the good stuff!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Spending your Sunday practising playing up the dusty end of the fingerboard? Check this out for some pointers :-)

[@calvinbryant8323]

Discover Double Bass

[@DanielLizzama]

I love it.

[@3340steve]

excellent lesson thank you Geoff

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks Steve, I'm glad you liked it. Cheers Geoff

[@FrancoGrimoldi]

thanks!!!!

[@TubeTuningInstruments]

Great!

[@chardrickwilson924]

Love The Bass

[@johnhelman1990]

thank you for a great lesson!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

You're very welcome! Thanks for watching, Cheers Geoff

[@manuelbocanegra1843]

Thanks a lot Geoff!!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

manuel bocanegra My pleasure, I'm glad it helped :-)

[@francisromero6300]

Qué máquina enseñando, y qué sonidazo tiene el tío éste.

[@steffengotsch]

That bass sounds great. So much better than my little piece of plywood.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

GalacticCat ` Thanks, it's a lot of fun to play and the Evah Weich strings really suit it.

[@ich8bit]

Thanks for the lesson! Did it hurt in the beginning when you learned the technique? Did it take long time for you to become comfortable in thump position? God bless you!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Yes, you need to develop a clauses on your thumb to act as a cushion. It can be uncomfortable for the 1st couple of weeks, but it shouldn't hurt. If you feel pain just stop and with regular practice you will find it gets easier. I found that after I focused on the transition in and out of TP it got a lot easier. I can't remember how long, but certainly you will see a lot of improvement after a couple of weeks of regular practice. I would encourage you to use TP in your playing as much as possible to make it part of what you do, not something that only happens rarely. Best of luck and thanks for checking out the lesson, cheers Geoff :-)

[@handicappedhoods]

Awesome explanation! This is probably a bit of a dumb question, but regarding thumb position - When going further than that high Bb on the G, does the thumb follow in the same way? For example, if I was playing up to the E or Eb on the G string , would I move my thumb away from that G harmonic to compensate? Some thoughts I had would be to move the thumb to the next harmonic point from the G harmonic to the D harmonic further up, but I have seen people use the thumb like they would use the first finger out of thumb position and snaking up the fingerboard that way. What ways have you guys found to give yourself a fighting chance in terms of stability up there? Cheers

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Yes, the thumb would follow up the G string and you would maintain one of the 3 hand shapes (Chromatic, semi-chromatic and diatonic). It's really important to maintain a consistent hand shape throughout thumb position, just like you have to below thumb position. Also you're right that the harmonics are very useful and can be used as tuning anchors to help you.

[@thomasiu159]

Great lesson! But how would you play notes that cross strings several times? Say playing fourths back and forth between G and D sting with the second finger. Would you press down your whole thumb+index+middle, jumping the whole hand for the fourths or just move one finger for one of the notes. Thanks

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

If I'm playing 4ths in thumb position I would use separate fingers ring on the G string and middle on the D string works well...but it would depend on the context of exactly where the notes were. Fingers 1 and 2 also work..but I don't think the thumb would work quite as well...but it is possible, especially on the harmonics where you don't have to be as accurate as a stopped note.

[@thomasiu159]

Discover Double Bass Thanks for the reply Geoff. What i was asking is actually playing fourths in an alternating fashion instead of double stop. Or is that how you play it too for single notes? Maybe you could show us how you cross strings in lower or thumb postion in a future video. You're a great help Geoff! Thx

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

It's really hard to answer without knowing the exact context of what notes precede and come after, but generally I would go with the same advice of using fingers 1(D string)+2(G string) or 2+3 ... I wasn't clear, but I was thinking of alternating 4ths, ... but I think it would be the same fingerings for double stops too. I guess it's different to playing below thumb position where you can occasionally barre 2 strings with one finger when playing 4ths, or slide your finger across...but in TP you can't barre that way. I hope that helps. You have certainly got me thinking and I will test it the next time I'm at my bass and if it's different I will let you know :-)

[@bleedinggumadam9499]

Hi Geoff, I just picked up my Electric Double Bass - A Warwick Triumph. Would you mind showing me where the beginning of your Lessons, please? Very beginning for a newbie. Thank you.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Hey Adam, I just replied to your message, cheers Geoff :-)

[@walkingbasss]

does the thumb just build a knot for the harmonics or is it used to press down the strings???

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

The thumb presses down the string and is used to 'stop' the note.

[@rafhaelsilva9132]

the thumb is used only to play the harmonics or should i use to press other notes as well?

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Hey Rafhael, yes the thumb should also be used to play the notes including the G harmonic... sometimes you might play it as a harmonic, but there's also times where you would press down with the thumb.. and certainly press down with the thumb as you get higher up.

[@dedarups]

Dude you are awesome! you have free lunch in Slovenia!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks Tilen :-)

[@camillabirk]

Hi Geoff, if your string high is 5-6 mm on the tip of the neck, what is the measure in mm right at the neckheal? Reason why I ask, is I bought a 1/2 size bass, and its quit hard to play in thumpposition, as the string is 7 mm on the tip of the neck, but I think the curvation in the length of the neck is a bit too deep.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

I'm not sure as I'm away from my bass, but I think it's about a couple of mm. It sounds like your bass neck may need reshaping by a luthier which should make it more comfortable.

[@camillabirk]

@@DiscoverDoubleBass yes and my luthier is willing to reshape, also your bass looks like it has a rather flat profil, wile mine is locking more like a 7,5" and your like 12" radius, when you work on your bass, it seems comtable, do you know the radius?

[@SuperChucknorrisguy]

Who made the bass you are using in this video?

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

It's a German factory bass which is about 100 years old, but it's had a lot of work done on it by a great UK luthier called Martyn Bailey. www.mjbl.co.uk

[@jdanielcramer]

We could all hear ‘Blue Monk’ coming a mile away 🤓

[@leonli7394]

If I am just 165cm,could I play the double bass?😭😭

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Yes, absolutely. 👍

[@sorandomfunandreviews2943]

I'm 9

[@mariano2078]

Im Getting Rid Of My Double Bass To Get A Yamaha Keyboard

[@chardrickwilson924]

Love The Bass

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

+chardrick wilson Thanks :-)

[@lawrenceofarabia5299]

@@DiscoverDoubleBass Interesting class, bring forth the other videos, there's much more for floor moppers & basic floor shiners such as myself to grasp. Some real luv Geoff.