Thumb Over The Fingerboard!

Discussion of history's greatest guitar player.

Thumb Over The Fingerboard!

Postby Doug Working » Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:30 pm

Chet used the left thumb over the fingerboard to hook a lot of bass notes in so many of his arrangements. Not a stretch (no pun intended!) to say it was an essential part of his style.

Ya' know, many years ago I took a couple lessons from a classical guitar teacher. Let me tell you, doing that is anathema! You can get your thumb whacked with a ruler real quick!

But I don't care what the purists say, if it sounds great, do it! And with Chet, it definitely sounded great!

I've wanted to do the technique for a long time. (Because I want to be like Chet, doncha know?) But I've got a bad combination going on. Namely, an average length thumb, and my now one guitar that I own, my Chet nylon string electric with a wide, CLASSICAL fingerboard. Wasn't hard for Chet. His thumb had plenty of length going for it. Like I said, mine is average. Maybe just a half inch more, and I could nail it, but the Good Lord didn't see fit to give me any more.

So what I'm wondering is # 1 Are there certain Chet arrangements in which the technique is indspensable? What I mean is, if you can't do the thumb over the edge, should you just give up any dream of playing that particular arrangement?

Or, # two, is there a WAY AROUND IT? Has anybody here found an alternate way to play those chords without doing the thumb over the edge?

For example, I noticed that Chet would often play an F major, using the thumb for the F bass note instead of a bar. Same chord, two different ways of fngering it. Well, there must be a good reason why he chose the thumb in lieu of the bar.

Hope someone can clear this up for me, and maybe offer me a little hope.
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Re: Thumb Over The Fingerboard!

Postby Pickin Palmer » Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:58 pm

I love it when somebody brings up this "thumb" topic, every now and then, Doug. It gives me a chance to "retell" my Jim Dodson story from a bunch of jam sessions in Drakesboro, KY several years ago. - Fortunately for most of us "self taught" pickers, we didn't have to live through the "classical" teacher(s) that discouraged the use of the thumb as a fretting digit... It just seemed logical to me to use the thumb on that F chord when I first put it to work, too.

Well, they had several "tribute" pickin' parties out in Muhlenberg County, KY several years ago - Merle's Bday, Mose's Bday, Odell's Bday, Hall of Fame Inductions, etc. And, after every one of the them a bunch of us would get together at one of the motels in the area to jam - until the wee hours, sometimes... well, we were a LOT younger back then... (circa 2000) There was always this tall slender drink of water by the name of Jim Dodson that would be in those circles playing his old brown Country Gent - which doesn't have a very wide "fretboard" to start out with. Given that Jim also had hands the size of a LA center - it didn't take much of an effort for ol' Jim to not only grab and cover those bass E strangs - I swear that sometimes his thumb would pop up just like a head of a snake and grab "at least" another string.

So, one night I was gigglin' like crazy after that thumb had popped up and grabbed what looked like FOUR bass strings... So, I caught his eye when he gave up the lead and I put "four" fingers up in the air - as a question? He replied with FIVE FINGERS!!! He had just grabbed FIVE BASS STRANGS with that thumb!!!! (I LOVE telling that story.)

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Re: Thumb Over The Fingerboard!

Postby Doug Working » Thu Feb 15, 2018 7:33 pm

Five? Holy smokes!
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Re: Thumb Over The Fingerboard!

Postby DagerRande » Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:15 am

Doug, there may be times when you need the bass string but you don't want every string to be fretted in the same place. I usually come up with ways to avoid using the thumb in that way but sometimes I can't avoid it. I've heard a story where one of Segovia's students asked him how to play a particular chord without wrapping the thumb around. Segovia knew there was no other way so he responded was "Just don't play it!"
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Re: Thumb Over The Fingerboard!

Postby rhirvine » Fri Feb 16, 2018 2:36 pm

I too like this subject. I used to able to do choke chords (using the left thumb) but now that I've gotten old, it hurts to do them. Merle Travis's style demands them. I doubt if Merle ever did a barre chord in his life! My hands are not large and my thumbs not very long. So it's mostly barre chords for me these days.
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Re: Thumb Over The Fingerboard!

Postby Doug Working » Fri Feb 16, 2018 7:29 pm

I'll bet I could do it if I had a fingerboard that was slightly less wide. But I really, really love the classical fingerboard with the exception of the wraparound limitation.

If I changed to a different guitar, well, I don't know if my brain could adapt, because I am just so accustomed to the wide fingerboard after all these years. It's like wearing a certain hat for years, then suddenly changing it. Your brain just does not compute.

Still, I am torn, because before I die, I'd like to learn how to do a few things that Chet did.
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Re: Thumb Over The Fingerboard!

Postby bill raymond » Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:18 pm

Doug, Chet used the "thumb over" technique less and less as he played a classical guitar. It really doesn't matter how you catch a chord, don't you know. Since I ruptured a tendon in my left thumb I have to use the thumb over, since I can't make a proper full barre chord. I wish I could make a barre, as I find the "thumb over" technique a pain in the butt to do. Make the chord whatever way is easier for you and be grateful you can make it whatever way you do!!!
Last edited by bill raymond on Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Thumb Over The Fingerboard!

Postby DagerRande » Sat Feb 17, 2018 12:24 am

One downside of the "thumb over" technique in a low position, such as playing an F, is that it makes it more difficult to quickly move to another barre chord up higher on the neck. Incidentally, I have friends who use barre chords only because they know only a few chords in the open position and want to move those fingerings around on the neck. I use my index finger as a capo and my other 3 fretting fingers are busy and not just sitting still in one position. I learned to do this by trying to play as much as I could in the open position without using my index finger. This trained my i,m,a to do much more and to be independent when my index finger is busy re-positioning everything.
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Re: Thumb Over The Fingerboard!

Postby Doug Working » Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:06 pm

That's a lot to digest. But I'll get it. The end goal is just to be the best guitarist I can be, knowing I will never be Chet. But it sure is fun to try. Get to give your very best to whatever you pursue in life.
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