In the early days of the electric bass, many players put a bar on their basses known as a thumb rest or tug bar. When mounted on the treble side, it is traditionally called a thumb rest and used to support your thumb for plucking the thick flat-wound strings.
Zero Mod makes a great thumb rest for jazz and precision basses that uses the pickup mounting screws so no drilling is required. They’re inexpensive and work much better than just resting your thumb on the pickup.
Leverage
When a bassist uses a thumb rest it gives them leverage when they are plucking on the strings so that they can really dig in. This not only allows them to play harder but also to build muscle memory faster and get the sound they are looking for more easily.
There are a couple of different thumb rests available on the market but they all have the same basic function. They are attached to the treble side of the bass guitar underneath the strings and provide a place for the thumb to sit while playing. Some are a bit more ergonomic than others but all of them have the same basic functions.
Thumb rests are usually made out of a rubber or similar material and are designed to be comfortable. They are often contoured to fit the thumb and are typically curved so that you can move your thumb from one position to another without any discomfort. They are also often thick enough to keep the thumb in place and prevent it from accidentally falling off.
Some players prefer to have a rounded thumb rest while others like the more squared shape of more traditional rests. They come in a variety of materials from a more rugged plastic to a more luxurious natural wood and are often available in either black or white.
If you are a bassist that is considering adding a thumb rest to your bass guitar you may be wondering how it will affect the way you play. There are a few things to consider before making a decision.
One of the first things to consider is how much leverage the thumb rest will give you. This will determine how high you can fret the string with your thumb and how many different notes you can play. A lot of people will find that they can play higher strings with the thumb rest than they could without it.
Other things to consider are how much your thumb will be moving. If you are going to be primarily playing open chords and other moveable non-barre chords then a thumb rest will probably not be a problem for you. However, if you are going to be playing barre chords and other more advanced fingerings then you will likely need to move the thumb over the neck.
Control
Bassists often use thumb rests to give themselves a better grip on the strings and to keep their fingers in place. This helps them to get a more consistent tone and makes it easier to practice and build muscle memory. They also allow the player to play with dynamics and to play plucking patterns that would be difficult if they were not using a rest, such as triplet accents on the lower string.
There are a few different types of thumb rests available on the market, and some players may prefer one over another. Some models are designed to be a permanent part of the instrument, while others can be removed when not in use. Some are more ergonomic than others, and some come in different colors to suit the individual player’s preferences.
Many electric bass guitars originally came with a thumb rest or tug bar, but this feature has fallen out of favor in recent years. Generally speaking, when this bar is installed on the treble side (below the strings), it is called a tug bar. When it is installed on the bass side (above the strings), it is usually referred to as a finger or thumb rest.
While there are some benefits to the use of a thumb rest, it is important to remember that it can also cause the player to become lazy with their technique. For this reason, it is essential to practice with a thumb rest and without a thumb rest on a regular basis in order to develop good playing habits.
For those who do not have a bass guitar that already has a thumb rest, there are some affordable options available on the market. For example, there is a model from Zero Mod that can be purchased on eBay for just under $40. This thumb rest mounts on the pickup mounting screw and provides a comfortable place to rest the thumb when playing the bass.
In addition, there are several videos on YouTube that show how to install a bass guitar thumb rest with relative ease. While some bassists will never use a thumb rest, there are others who find that it can make their playing much more enjoyable and effortless.
Flexibility
Using a thumb rest allows you to play the bass with more freedom than if you were using a pick. A thumb rest can be adjusted to position the hand at any desired spot on the fretboard, and if you’re comfortable enough you can move your thumb from one side of the neck to the other to create different tone variations. For example, playing with the thumb rest by the pickups can allow you to pluck closer to the bridge for a more crisp and bridge-heavy tone, while having the thumb rest behind the pickups can make your bass sound thicker and less bright.
When you’re playing with a thumb rest, it’s important to keep your wrist and fingers relaxed so they can easily move between positions. This will give you more control over your tonal palette while reducing hand fatigue. A well-placed thumb rest will also help to alleviate any tension or cramps you might experience as a result of over-exerting your muscles, especially when playing for long periods of time.
A great way to work out your thumb is to play a fingerpicking exercise known as the Fretboard Finger Exercise. Start by playing a simple melody across all 12 strings, and then move the pattern up a fret each time until you reach the 9th fret. Then repeat the pattern back down again, a fret higher each time until you get back to the 5th fret. This will not only stretch your thumb but will also help to develop better technique and a more consistent hand position.
In addition to allowing you to more easily pluck your bass in various positions, a well-placed thumb rest will allow you to better hear which string you’re playing. This will allow you to hone in on the tones that you want to work with and eliminates the need to look at your bass to figure out which string you’re plucking.
Thumb rests are a staple in the world of bass guitar, and there are many options out there for both new and experienced players alike. For a quick and easy upgrade to your bass, check out Zero Mod’s ThumbRocker, which is a small thumb rest that mounts at the standard pick guard screw locations on Fender Precision and Jazz Bass models. It’s much more comfortable to use than plucking right over the pickup, and it’s an easily reversible modification as well.
Comfort
Bassists who use thumb rests tend to have more fluidity with their picking and slapping styles than those who don’t. The reason is that the thumb rest gives you more leverage, allowing you to press harder and more aggressively on the strings without losing control. This is especially true when slapping, since you are using the thumb to “dig in” and drive the strings to create tension with your other hand, as well as with the pick.
Thumb rests are also very comfortable to use, as they allow your thumb to sit in a natural position to pick and slap. If you have ever tried to play bass with your thumb sitting directly on the pickup, you probably know how uncomfortable that can be over long periods of time, as well as how it negatively impacts your playing technique. The thumb rest allows your thumb to rest in a more natural position, which helps you keep a steady grip on the strings and develop muscle memory much faster.
The other advantage of a thumb rest is how it can help you develop better finger dexterity, as you’ll be working the string with the whole hand instead of just your index and pinky fingers. This can help you develop more dynamic playing and also improve your accuracy, as well as tidier plucking patterns, such as three-finger galloping on the low E string.
Several manufacturers make thumb rests for bass guitars, and some even have them on their own basses. You can find them at most music stores and online. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to install, and can really help you improve your playing.
For instance, Zero-Mod makes a thumb rest for the 4003 that uses the existing pickup mounting screws, so you don’t have to drill any new holes in your bass. It is made out of high quality dead clear polycarbonate or white acrylic, and is precision CNC-made in a shop right here in the US. It includes two chrome pick guard screws that are slightly longer than the stock Rickenbacker screws, so you don’t have to change any of your existing screw hole sizes by adding this on. It should also fit many other Fender basses that have the same pickup mounting hole configuration.