Left hand thumb wrap

[dkstott]

I'm not referring to the F chord thumb wrap.

I just haven't been able to get my thumb to wrap around the fretboard like this amazing player.

Any suggestions other than a surgical thumb extension??

https://youtu.be/4J4qDWP2gO4

[hess]

Reminds me of Dave Van Ronk’s Midnight Hour Blues. He taught it with the left hand thumb fretting the six string for G and the fifth string for C while fretting a couple higher strings with fingers for melody and harmony. It was tough when first attempted but over the years it’s become second nature. Long fingers and thumb certainly help.

[lowrider]

Richie Havens;



He gets 3, maybe 4 strings with that thumb

[hess]

Wow! Thanks for sharing that

[reeve21]

Thanks so much for posting this, Dave. I can't believe I haven't heard of Jacques before, what a player!

[BFD]

Originally Posted by dkstott

I'm not referring to the F chord thumb wrap.

I just haven't been able to get my thumb to wrap around the fretboard like this amazing player.

Any suggestions other than a surgical thumb extension??

https://youtu.be/4J4qDWP2gO4

Obviously hand size is a factor; mine are not particularly big. Neck shape is a major factor as well - which is what allows me to do it. If you haven't played a Modified-V neck, like Martin's or Collings', you should give one a try.

[macmanmatty]

here is an interview with one of greats Tommy Emmanuel about the thumb wrap he says too much of it will make you look like a sloppy player lots of useful info in here too.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by macmanmatty

...it will make you look like a sloppy player ...

The video won't play but I don't even know what that means.

Who cares what you look like when playing.

I bristle when people say "you must play this way" or "you must never do that"

[Bikewer]

I’ve never been able to do it, even in the simplest “F” chord form. Short thumbs? Lack of flexibility... Dunno. Didn’t work.

My attitude has always been that if something doesn’t work I do something else.

I’ve never found barres difficult once I got the action adjusted on my first little cheapo Yamaha back in the mid-70s.

[srick]

Hi Dave -

I have found that a simple 'trim' of the fretboard edge can do wonders. In wood working terms, "Breaking the edge". All you need is to shave maybe 1/32 inch. Done properly, it's not noticable.

Also, a narrower neck helps.

best,

Rick

[funkapus]

It was very surprising to me, but thumb-wrapping has been another thing that started out seeming like something physically impossible for me to do, but after repeated efforts has become something I'm able to do to a limited degree. This in turn makes me think that if I keep at it I will get better at the circumstances in which I use it, and maybe even eventyally be able to do some of those ridiculous Reverend Gary Davis chords.

Even if you can't do it, if it's something that you want to be able to do, keep at it and it will probably come.

[bsman]

Even though my hands are pretty big, the end joint on my thumbs is pretty close to the end, so I've never really adopted it except for some specific songs (e.g. "Can't Find My Way Home", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", etc.) that have an ascending E-string bass line over arpeggiated chords. Trying to fret the A string as well as the E-string is a near anatomical impossibility for me. Perhaps I should have taken up drums instead?

Interesting point about a V or modified V neck - I'll have to check that out next time I'm out browsing at Gryphon or Guitar Showcase...

[BFD]

Originally Posted by bsman

...Interesting point about a V or modified V neck - I'll have to check that out next time I'm out browsing at Gryphon or Guitar Showcase...

Yeah, it's kind of a shortest distance between 2 points kind of thing. I have 2 OMs, both w/1 3/4" nuts. One has a sort of flattened 'D' profile neck, many would consider it fairly slim, but it has a lot of 'cheek' at the top & bottom curves which conflict w/the 2nd thumb phalange. The Mod-V has almost no cheek and that thumb bone lays right along the side of the V with no interference when thumbing over for low E string notes. Plus the Mod-V works well for thumb-behind-the-neck fretting positions as well.

[SprintBob]

Thumb wrap is sooo powerful as a tool for fingerstyle because it typically allows you to play the notes you need from an F chord shape without doing a barre. Seemed very hard at first but glad I have put in the effort on it. My teacher really pushed me to develop the skill.

[Wrighty]

I have been really struggling with this issue trying to learn “Those who wait” by Tommy E - those opening chords in the intro are really very challenging in terms of both thumb and finger positions!