Using thumb to fret

Lapyang

Lapyang

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Hi everyone,

Is using the left thumb to fret OK or is it frown upon? Eg. changing from Em to Am chord, I found myself naturally using the my left thumb for the Am. Is that bad form? Am I starting a bad habit?

Thanks.
 
Bill1 said:
There is nothing wrong with using your thumb to fret. You don't have to do it all the time, just when it is needed.
If you are learning a style and a teacher or book says not to use it, obviously you need to follow the guidance of the teacher to learn the lesson, but it is not a life sentence. After you finish the lessons or when you do something else, you can use your thumb if it works for you.
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Thanks, that makes me feel less guilty.
 
ubulele said:
I frown upon it and would never teach it, because thumb wrapping makes you grip the neck and change hand position drastically, both of which affect the speed and accuracy of chord changing and position shifting. On an instrument like the uke, where you have a finger for every string, thumb-wrapping is entirely unnecesssary—you're using an expedient which may help in the short term, but which will impede you later, rather than developing the flexibility you'll need for yet harder chords and faster changes/shifts.
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Balalaikas.:eek:
 
ubulele said:
I frown upon it and would never teach it, because thumb wrapping makes you grip the neck and change hand position drastically, both of which affect the speed and accuracy of chord changing and position shifting. On an instrument like the uke, where you have a finger for every string, thumb-wrapping is entirely unnecesssary—you're using an expedient which may help in the short term, but which will impede you later, rather than developing the flexibility you'll need for yet harder chords and faster changes/shifts.
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Ditto. Don't panic, but definitely something to move away from. ...Unless you're Benny Chong (look him up). But he actually frets with his thumb on the front of the neck!
 
It isn't something I do, and not something I see very many other ukulele players do. It always looked awkward, the few ukulele players that I've seen trying to do it. But what the heck, I say go for it. I saw a video of a gal with no arms playing a guitar with her feet. It looked awkward, but she was doing pretty well. So I guess you can teach yourself to do anything if you want to bad enough.
 
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Hi, Lapyang!

I think your Em and Am are like these below.



In similar case, thumb for Am is natural.
 
When I started playing guitar in 1965, I was told that using the thumb is poor technique. The best leverage for the fingers is to keep the thumb on the back of the neck. Once I started doing that, my playing got better and easier, and it works even better for me on the ukulele.
 
kohanmike said:
When I started playing guitar in 1965, I was told that using the thumb is poor technique. The best leverage for the fingers is to keep the thumb on the back of the neck. Once I started doing that, my playing got better and easier, and it works even better for me on the ukulele.
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Maybe, but I am not at all so sure about that.
I saw a guy make videos for beginners telling exactly that: Thumb always behind the neck you keep!
It looked like he is a fingerpicker mostly. Things like slamming uke body for effects, might make him drop the neck. It looks also so darn unsupported, like some circus trick. Makes even less relaxed to see that kind of hold for me.

Classical guitar is not in anyways supported with left hand. It is kept between the legs for just that hold. And steel string acoustic guitar players certainly use their thumb to mute the 6th string. It is considered a poor technique if some pick player don't use that.

Myself I don't use thumb to fret any strings, but Am chord is possible yes and I don't consider it really a bad fingering. What I am against is use thumb to fret a D chord, 2220 lol. If the fingers can't make that with space given, then a really good alternative is x220. With a thumb mute :)
 
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Hi, Jarmo_S!

Jarmo_S said:
And steel string acoustic guitar players certainly use their thumb to mute the 6th string. It is considered a poor technique if some pick player don't use that.
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Actually we use thumb not only to mute the 6th string but also fret it (See the figure below) on acoustic guitar.

This is F chord. It is used for finger picking. We can use our pinkies for melody with this shape. This shape is movable too, hence it is very common shape but hard to play.



The thumb on the 4th string of Am on ukulele is similar to thumb on the 6th string of F on guitar. :)
 
zztush said:
Hi, Jarmo_S!



Actually we use thumb not only to mute the 6th string but also fret it (See the figure below) on acoustic guitar.

This is F chord. It is used for finger picking. We can use our pinkies for melody with this shape. This shape is movable too, hence it is very common shape but hard to play.
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It is a bit on the borderline if that is acceptable in my "book". With right hand fingerpicking it can come of use. With strumming you would need to mute also the 5th string for it be of a truly movable chord. A true barre with index finger for that is best, for me. Anyways I concentrate lately more on uke :)

With guitar pick play I regularly thumb mute the 6th string when it is not having the root note or not belonging any notes to chord. But I make exception of not muting the 5th string with playing say D chord with root on 4th string (in guitar, G in uke) as a compromise of what is possible and anyways the open A belongs to the chord.
For 5 string barres I mute the 6th string with my index finger, and thumb properly behind the neck same as them classical guitarists.
 
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Nothing to fret over
 
Jarmo_S said:
With guitar pick play I regularly thumb mute the 6th string when it is not having the root note or not belonging any notes to chord. But I make exception of not muting the 5th string with playing say D chord with root on 4th string (in guitar, G in uke) as a compromise of what is possible and anyways the open A belongs to the chord.
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I am bit curious why we do not mute 6th strings on open A? I don't mute. My books do not mute. People do not mute on the internet. I checked justinguitar. He doesn't mute either. Thumb location?
 
zztush said:
I am bit curious why we do not mute 6th strings on open A? I don't mute. My books do not mute. People do not mute on the internet. I checked justinguitar. He doesn't mute either. Thumb location?
Click to expand...

You mean playing on guitar A-chord 002220? I don't know what other people do. I on a classical can't mute 6th string with my thumb while using 123 fingers, my fingers are too short for that wide neck. I can though with an acoustic guitar narrower neck, but I use 234 fingerng for both guitar neck types, and use a thumb muting. If you want play with pick like alternating bass, that is one good technique just in my opinion for that chord and in general.

Justin has his wierd A chord fingering, almost like D if I remember right. Anyways we are now on off-topic and don't serve any usable knowledge to ukulele only players.
 
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The only problem I can see with this particular instance, with "no fingers down", is that you don't have a reference point to work from for your next chord change, so better chance of a mistake.

Further up the neck, as part of a multi-finger chord shape, no problem, if it works for you and doesn't impede your playing.

For this particular Am shape, I think a finger would be a safer bet.

Just my tuppence-worth ... YMMV :music:
 
Hi, Camsuke!

I have never met any decent ukuele or guitar player who plays with left thumb strictly behind neck when standing play except for you and kohanmike.



Jake's grip doesn't require unnecessary movement.
 
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One thing to mention is you can’t move this shape down to Bm or Cm if you’re doing a thumbed Am
 
Hi, igorthebarbarian!

igorthebarbarian said:
One thing to mention is you can’t move this shape down to Bm or Cm if you’re doing a thumbed Am
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Long barre chords require thumb behind the neck on guitar and ukulele including even rock and jazz guitarists. That is not curious at all. I just curious the person who can play with left thumb strictly behind neck when standing play. I have never met such decent guitar player except for Camsuke and kohanmike.
 
I certainly am not going to say who is a decent player and who isn't, based on where they put their thumb. As for myself, my hand moves around a lot, and sometimes my thumb is planted on the back of the neck, and the next moment I look like I'm hitch hiking to Barstow. I have never tried to fret with my thumb, and I don't recommend it, but since I started playing a stringed instrument, and since then have heard some people demand that one place the thumb behind the neck at all times, I have taken note of ukulele players and guitar players wherever I see them performing, tv, live, or on the internet. I can't say that I have seen anyone who actually does that.
 
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