Fingerstyle - Fretting Hand Thumb Pain

[nazump]

I have started learning songs that require me to use my fretting hand thumb to press down on the bass note, and it's really no problem as far as sounding fine, but I feel like I am straining myself. It doesn't feel like something that I will get used to with time, it feels like I'm really going to do some damage if I keep carrying on the way I am.

Is there a proper technique to do this? It would be wonderful if there were some pictures attached so I can potentially see what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks in advance!

[Fatfinger McGee]

Google chords like D/F#, switch to images, and you can find lots of examples. But the #1 rule of repetitive stress is, if it hurts don't do it, you'll just make it worse. Classical guitarists are trained to keep their thumb behind the neck and they manage to play ok, so it's not something you have to do. I'm trying to un-learn the habit, I rarely play full 6-string open chords anymore so it's faster and easier (or would be if I could learn) to use my index or middle finger as needed.

[Blueser100]

Originally Posted by nazump

I have started learning songs that require me to use my fretting hand thumb to press down on the bass note, and it's really no problem as far as sounding fine, but I feel like I am straining myself. It doesn't feel like something that I will get used to with time, it feels like I'm really going to do some damage if I keep carrying on the way I am.

Is there a proper technique to do this? It would be wonderful if there were some pictures attached so I can potentially see what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks in advance!

I play a lot of fingerstyle tunes that call for the thumb wrap on the F chord. It's pretty common in ragtime and Piedmont blues. Since my hands and thumbs are not the size of Jimi Hendrix or Ritchie Havens, I have to make a modification. I only fret the high E string with just enough pressure to sound a note cleanly (most of the time). This means that I do not lay the entire pad of the thumb over the string/onto the fretboard but rather I kind of "hook" the edge of my thumb on the string, just enough, like I said. It's hard but in context of the song, it's passable.

[Drop_D]

Check out Dave Morgan's video lessons for "Windy and Warm":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1KVKQb-zqQ

The third section demands two wrapped chords using the thumb in a quick progression from G to C9 to F. Dave's hand position may help. As a bonus, he also plays a Seagull guitar.

[BluesBelly]

Originally Posted by Drop_D

Check out Dave Morgan's video lessons for "Windy and Warm":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1KVKQb-zqQ

The third section demands two wrapped chords using the thumb in a quick progression from G to C9 to F. Dave's hand position may help. As a bonus, he also plays a Seagull guitar.

That’s a great video!
If you’ll notice the way Dave is thumbing the low E string, He is wrapping his thumb around the neck ONLY as far as necessary for a bit of his thumb flesh to make contact with the string. In other words; just enough for the thumb to make the string Touch the fret. Even if the thumbed note is not played CLEANLY, the note is sounded but sounds like a palm mute. Sometimes it’s not apparent to the listener if a bass note is clean or palm muted.
My point: give it as much thumb as is comfortable without going over the edge (please accept the pun).. Same as Blueser 100 says in above post

Blues

[bsman]

Just remove that pesky low E string. Works for this guy:

[Br1ck]

If you aren't already, wait until you are pushing 70. You'll look back at the good old days. I'm getting electric like pain in both thumbs. I flatpick both guitar and mandolins with heavy picks and the trauma is taking a toll. You may be able to find stretching exercises that will make the thumb stretch easier.

[Neil K Walk]

Do you get this feeling when you play other guitars? It may be a neck profile issue.

[TBman]

Try running warm water over your hands for a few minutes before playing, and do some hand/ finger stretching as well. Don't thumb wrap too much at first. Forcing the issue may lead to injury.

It took me a while to get the thumb wrap thing going, but after a while it becomes easy.

I found relaxing my hand to help a lot.

[ljguitar]

Hi nazump

Don't hurt yourself over a chord called for in a chart. One can often find a more creative way to play the note/chord.

Also as a fingerstyle teacher I was constantly working with players to 'learn' that stretches should be a relaxed-move not a forced-move.

And as a fingerstyle player you can select which notes you want to include. The example someone spoke of above (D/F#) can be played just fine on just 3 strings…no thumb involvement…and this is like a 'barre' if you just-don't-play (or mute) the non-involved strings. It can serve as a 1st inversion chord for any chord.

Play only the notes fingered
2-x-x2-3-x
or
2-m-m-2-3-m (m = mute)

Any fret really. E/G# would be
4-x-x-4-5-x or
4-m-m-4-5-m (m = mute)

With the muted version the mute is performed by the closest adjacent finger to the open string)

There are lots more creative fingerstyle options available without stressing yourself. No need to be an acoustic gymnast.

[nazump]

Thanks all for the ideas and links so far

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

Do you get this feeling when you play other guitars? It may be a neck profile issue.

That's a thought - I've been practicing that technique mainly with one guitar. My other two guitars have different nut widths and neck shapes so perhaps that could be the root of it!

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi nazump

Don't hurt yourself over a chord called for in a chart. One can often find a more creative way to play the note/chord.

Thanks a ton for the pictures and the detailed description!

Originally Posted by TBman

Try running warm water over your hands for a few minutes before playing, and do some hand/ finger stretching as well. Don't thumb wrap too much at first. Forcing the issue may lead to injury.

It took me a while to get the thumb wrap thing going, but after a while it becomes easy.

I found relaxing my hand to help a lot.

I'll look up some finger exercises - I know there are definitely ones out there for the fretting hand, but I think I'll have to dig around for one that includes the thumb haha

[gscratch]

Originally Posted by Blueser100

I play a lot of fingerstyle tunes that call for the thumb wrap on the F chord. It's pretty common in ragtime and Piedmont blues. Since my hands and thumbs are not the size of Jimi Hendrix or Ritchie Havens, I have to make a modification. I only fret the high E string with just enough pressure to sound a note cleanly (most of the time). This means that I do not lay the entire pad of the thumb over the string/onto the fretboard but rather I kind of "hook" the edge of my thumb on the string, just enough, like I said. It's hard but in context of the song, it's passable.

One up-vote for this description of technique. I learned to play FM and F#m this way a few years ago. I'm trying to learn to play Bm this way but am so far, unsuccessful (too many years playing it barred). I have wrapped my thumb around for D for many years.

OP: if you are experiencing fretting hand pain, perhaps a different neck radius is in order? or a narrower neck?

[nazump]

Thanks again for all the replies. I figured out it was actually because the neck was too NARROW. I was having the pain on my Teton, but playing my Seagull gave me no issues at all.