Where's your thumb?

  • Thread starter Thread starter whyseye
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MadAudio said:
No, it has more to do with overtones in relation to the fundamental. Only an electronically generated sine wave has a pure tone; an acoustic instrument does not but that's what gives each its own characteristic. The overtones generated will vary depending on where the string is struck/plucked/picked.
So essentially, the color and overtones are dirt and interference (imperfections) from the original signal?
 
whyseye said:
So essentially, the color and overtones are dirt and interference (imperfections) from the original signal?
In a way. But depending on how that "dirt" is added, the sound can be more pleasing or less.
 
I know I told you to get out of the Cave more often, hix, but I think I've changed my mind! :p :D
 
whyseye said:
What are the mechanical or physical reasons for the difference in tone relative to plucking hand position? Is it how the sound waves bounce off the body differently than the the neck, or the difference in string tension closer to the bridge? All of the above and then some? :confused:

It's because certain harmonics are emphasized at different positions. When you pluck a string, you are briefly divided the string into two lengths. When you pluck near the middle, you therefore emphasize low-order harmonics, like if you were playing a 12th fret harmonic. When you pluck near the bridge, it's like you are playing a 3rd fret harmonic. Essentially, it causes the string to resonate differently, which produces different overtones. I wouldn't call it a distortion though.
 
My favourite bass, (Emprador semi acoustic), has a thumb/palm heel rest above the neck pickup & another below it, (the latter for playing withthumb or thumb pick), so I use that when playing in that position & pivot from my thumb on the body above the bridge pick up when playing there.
& when playing with a plectrum..oh, I shouldn't go there.
 
whyseye said:
So essentially, the color and overtones are dirt and interference (imperfections) from the original signal?


Not at all. No acoustic instrument produces a pure sine wave tone absent of harmonics, and that's a good thing. A pure tone is boring and would get very easily lost in a mix. The harmonic makeup of a note from an instrument is its character, its timbre - harmonic content is how you hear a note from a saxophone and know that's the instrument you are listening to.

Striking or plucking a string at different points changes the harmonic content of the note produced, and it's never a pure tone no matter what. In the middle of the string, lower harmonics are emphasized, and the closer you get to the bridge (or not, for that matter) the more the higher harmonics are pushed and the less the low harmonics are.

Get an acoustic guitar and use a pick to strike a string at different points and all this will be immediately apparent.
 
I rest it on the pickup most of the time, unless I am playing slap. I don't do that very often because it makes my hand ache because I don't do it all the time. It's a viscious circle.... :o

When I am messing with octaves, I use my thumb and middle finger to sound them together.

If you are used to doing it one way, do what is comfortable. Keep in mind that where you play will affect your sound, however...
 
One vote for the neck

I usually use a pick. when I don't that's ususally because Iwant a mellower sound, which means fingers towards the neck end, so I rest it on the side of the neck at the end. My Mustang has a thumb rest, and you can buy thumb rests, which is what I'm considering for my others.
 
notCardio said:
I usually use a pick. when I don't that's ususally because Iwant a mellower sound, which means fingers towards the neck end, so I rest it on the side of the neck at the end. My Mustang has a thumb rest, and you can buy thumb rests, which is what I'm considering for my others.
I had a Washburn Force 8 with a thumb rest. I took it off because it wasn't positioned right for me.
 
I typically rest my thumb on the E string, when finger picking. As others have said, I'll either lift my thumb to play the low string, when needed, or I'll even pluck that string with the side of my thumb...whichever happens to be most immediatly convenient. A lot of songs I play make use of the E string, and because of that I'll typically place my thumb somewhere above that string, to where I have comfortable access to all 4 strings.

Matt
 
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