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Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Speaking of thumbs in the last post, it made me wonder ... How many of you use your thumbs to play chords? |
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Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | I've been told I'm all thumbs |
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January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | I am a hardcore hybrid picker: My pick (thumb and first) interacts constantly with the other three on my left hand. The pinky is BUSY. |
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Posts: 5331
Location: Cicero, NY | I've been told I'm all hangnails.
I'd take thumbs. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | sometimes |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | I'm a die hard right handed thumb strummer. If the neck is slim enough, I'll use my left thumb when I can for chords (not often due to small hands). |
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August 2007
Posts: 494
Location: Location Location Location | I like grabbing the low F# of the D7 chord with my thumb. Makes for a nice change from the G chord to D7. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | for effect only.
I can't get to use my thumb on my left hand for fretting over the neck my teacher would roll over in his grave. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I think I use a thumb on one song, but not for a chord. I'm assuming you're talking about the left one. |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I try to use it for bo diddley rhythyms to mute the e and a strings, but since I've moved on from my 1 and 5/8's inch necks I only mute the e. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by alpep:
...my teacher Classical...? |
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December 2006
Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | Originally posted by alpep:
for effect only.
I can't get to use my thumb on my left hand for fretting over the neck my teacher would roll over in his grave. +1
I think we had the same teacher. |
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April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | Well, classical teachers would say that. Not much point trying to wrap your thumb around a 2" neck. Also, classical teachers want the thumb in the middle of the neck to free up the fingers to move individually.
However, when the left hand is basically holding down one chord, then the thumb is useful there. I can only make use of it on the second fret (F#) and only when I'm picking out that note. No one notices the difference between a D/F# and a D when you are strumming. |
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August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | I just started doing that this year, though so far, only on one song.
On 'out on the weekend', Neil Young uses his thumb for the chords in the bit that starts "See the lonely boy". I'd been trying to work out the chords for that section for decades - it never sounded right.
Then along came YouTube... |
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December 2006
Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | Originally posted by The Artist (FKA Richard):
No one notices the difference between a D/F# and a D when you are strumming. I notice it, but again, I don't use my thumb. I think the bass note is more important than the high E string in most instances, so I'll finger it with my index on the F# (2nd fret 6th string), middle finger on A (2nd fret 3rd string), ring finger on D (3rd fret 2nd string), and omit the high E string all together.
As for the whole classical teaching thing, I was told that Eddie Van Halen did it that way, so that's how I did it too. Of course, it was a classical guitar teacher that told me this ;)
Really though, if you have ever been or tried to be a "shredder", it's the same techniques as classical for the most part. |
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March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Yes (a) to play an F# note on D & D7 chords as above (sometimes with a hammer-on) (b) mute the 6th string where appropriate and (b) to fret the 6th string when playing a 'wraparound' version of 'barred' E chord shapes (as I've never mastered proper barre chords). |
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July 2005
Posts: 3410
Location: GA USA | I'll have to try (a). |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Same as others . . . to hit the F# on the D chords when called for. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15676
Location: SoCal | I use it for the F#, as well as for the F in an F chord. If I'm playing full chords up the neck, sometimes I'll just grab the whole chord with my thumb catching the bass note. Depends on what I'm doing and where I'm going next..... |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | You guys had teachers? No wonder you're so good. I took Mark's DIY golf and guitar courses. On either, I never play the same way twice. |
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September 2008
Posts: 42
Location: Crossville, TN | Same here with the F# over D, I think I learned it the 1st time from the Young Brothers in AC/DC, and I use it in a couple other songs like collective soul's The World I Know if I'm playing the Rhythm part. I think it adds a nice sound to certain songs. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I use it more playing college chords.
Or for the partial 7th chords in blues, like G7 would be 3x343x |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Originally posted by 2ifbyC:
Originally posted by alpep:
...my teacher Classical...?
I was a young punk rocker who wanted no parts of the classical or jazz world yet was determined to show him that I could play and learn the scales, chords etc that he required while using correct positioning etc.
On occasion, I have had someone come up to me and ask if I studied classical guitar because they recognize tell tale signs of that in my technique. You really have to know what you are looking for though.
some of the things
left thumb in the middle of the neck.
playing with a closed right hand.
holding the neck up high so your elbow rests perpandicular to the neck.
strumming and picking coming from the elbow and NOT from the wrist.
conservation of right and left hand movement.
now don't me wrong I don't have flawless technique, I just picked up many good habits that stuck with me |
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December 2006
Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | Our stories are almost identical Al. Scary
Must be why my V looked so comfortable in your hands...
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I thought he was sleepy. That reminds me. What ever happened to all that video? |
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December 2006
Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | dunno. I never saw any of the videos |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | Maybe the camera was running all the time in an attempt to keep us in line. Didn't work for you, Damon. |
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March 2007
Posts: 843
Location: CA | I wanted to try to incorporate left-thumbing in my playing but unfortunately broke left thumb in a construction thing years ago and that end joint barely bends anymore. So I guess that means I have to actually develop a more-correct technique. Darn. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
Maybe the camera was running all the time in an attempt to keep us in line. Didn't work for you, Damon. I was pretty tame after Friday night.... Hangovers will do that. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | You weren't the only one drinking. Maybe the camera man couldn't operate the camera. |
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May 2008
Posts: 1559
Location: Indiana | I've been a flat picker for 40 years. My right hand looks like a flounder flopping around on the deck playing bare fingered.
Still, nothing takes the chill off an acoustic piezo like a warm fat thumb.
Ever notice how few bare fingered electric players have risen to the top? Knopfler and Buckingham are two standouts... really sets them apart, IMO. |
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December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | I've always used my thumb for playing some chords. |
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THUMBS???