Is it bad to play guitar with your thumb over the neck?
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Is it bad to play guitar with your thumb over the neck?
Quick answer. Thumb over neck is perfectly OK for blues, rock, jazz guitar or some pop styles. Its almost impossible to bend strings UNLESS you put the thumb over the neck, and some of the really complicated jazz chord voicings can be hard or impossible without using the thumb.
Can you use your thumb on the fretboard?
Sometimes the thumb is actually used to fret notes. Jimi Hendrix was famous for fretting bass notes along the sixth string with his thumb and then using his remaining fingers to play chord fragments, riffs and solos. John Mayer does this a lot too. Some chord shapes are simply not possible without the use of the thumb.
Where should the thumb be placed on a guitar neck?
The proper placement of your thumb should be at the back of the neck, opposite your index finger. Sometimes your thumb will be around your middle finger, but that’s fine too. The key thing to remember is that your thumb should generally be pointed upwards, almost perpendicular to the neck of the guitar.
Do guitarists use their thumbs?
It can also depend on the guitar you are playing. Classical guitars have wide necks. So even if you wanted to play a note on the 6th string with your thumb, it would not be easy. But I will let some of the guitar players who have made good use of using their thumb while playing chords speak for themselves.
What do guitarists put on their thumbs?
A thumb pick (like this one from Amazon) is like what it sounds like. It’s a pick that you slide onto your thumb, and it’s most commonly used by acoustic guitarists who play fingerstyle guitar riffs. A thumb pick is a handy tool that allows you to use your thumb in a more distinguished and defined way.
Where should your thumb be when playing the ukulele?
Thumb Placement
- In form 1, place your thumb slightly above the middle of the neck.
- In form 2, place your thumb at the top edge of the ukulele’s neck.
- In form 1, the only contact with the ukulele’s neck is with the fretting ring finger and the thumb.
Why does my thumb hurt from playing guitar?
Your thumb hurts because you are pushing your thumb backwards on itself in order to support your hand position on the neck. The only way forward is to practice bar chords as much as you can, and your thumb and hand will eventually become stronger. Hope this helps.
Why is it harder to play guitar standing up?
The reason why you have trouble playing while standing up is simply because you’re not used to it. Your body mechanics to play the guitar while standing up are very different from the body mechanics while sitting down. You have to enlarge your muscle memory in order to play equally as good standing up as sitting down.