# Does it matter what is your thumb position on the neck



## CrownofWorms (Jul 15, 2012)

This always gets in my head on whether my thumb on my neck is either way behind the neck or over the neck. I feel it doesn't really matter if your thumb is over or behind the neck, I just play whats comfortable. 

Normally I alternate between both when I play. When I do full 6/5/7/4 string sweeps its helps, due to its easier(for me) to access the lower strings and do rums that involve more than 4 strings. However, I play poorly when I try to use my ring finger. I switch to having my thumb above the neck when I use my 3 first fingers or my index and ring finger when soloing. Also when I play in this position and start to use my pinky, I don't feel boxed in. Meaning, when I play with my thumb behind the neck, I'm stuck in using only the 4/5 frets of the current position I am on my guitar neck and I feel like I can only use my index/middle/pinky finger. 

When my thumb is over, I do many different stretches effortlessly. Example, I'm just using my index/middle/ring and I notice that I'm skipping 2 frets already. With my pinky I'm skipping more than 5 frets with no effort. I can still sweep with my thumb over the neck, but like I said I can't reach lower strings effortlessly

When it comes to rhythms I find out my hand is behind the neck due to using only the lower/bassier/strings. Why, IDK its how my hand reacts. When I do non chugging runs(like chromatic palm mutes on the low B string) I usually do play with my thumb behind the neck, but sometimes I have my thumb over. That happens if I jump different strings, but I do the same when my thumb is behind the neck. \

However I do sound a bit more jazzy/bluesy when I use my thumb over the neck. I could still use classical licks

I don't care, cus many different players utilize different thumb positions. Example: Yngwie Malmasteen, Marty Friedman: Thumb over neck

Chris Poland, Randy Rhoads: Thumb behind neck

Pic references:


----------



## SirMyghin (Jul 15, 2012)

I unconsciously switch between the 2 as required, for many of the same reasons you do, some reaching is easier in different positions. I don't even thing about it. I do it on basses, guitars, you name it. Bending isn't a movement point though, as I don't feel the need to put reverse pressure back on the neck with my fretting hand, even for the big bends. 

Unlike you, my sound does not change dependent on hand position. 

Overall my hand just keeps itself comfy.


----------



## Konfyouzd (Jul 15, 2012)

I rarely hold my thumb over the neck like that but I do occasionally when riffing. Soloing--never.


----------



## texshred777 (Jul 15, 2012)

I do both. It really just depends on what's more comfortable for whatever part I'm playing. 

I don't really find my style or phrasing change..I play just as bluesy with my thumb on the back as I do over the top.


----------



## drgamble (Jul 15, 2012)

I find things like 1 finger vibrato and stretching to be easier with my thumb over the top. There is definitely an advantage with the thumb at the middle of the neck, especially for chord based runs and 4 finger runs. I took some classical training and the teacher had a near heart attack when he saw me fret a F#/D chord with my thumb fretting the F# over the neck blues style. I use both and sometimes barely use the back of the neck at all with my thumb almost at the bottom of the neck which helps with 6 or 7 string scalar runs.


----------



## StratoJazz (Jul 15, 2012)

I'll agree with everyone by saying that you can switch your thumb position on the neck as needed. Some things are easier to play with your thumb right on the back of the neck. At the same time, you probably aren't going to play some SRV or Hendrix stuff like that. Something that resembles more of a blues players technique is going to be more useful and comfortable for that.

I will say that you do want to watch for the amount of weight/pressure/etc your thumb
exerts on the neck. To much weight and/or pressure is bad and should be avoided at all costs, in addition it decreases your speed and can translate into playing live.

To remedy this(if its a problem, otherwise ignore this paragraph), take a lick, solo, passage, or whatever and try to play it using only the weight from your fingers and take your hand off of the neck. It's hard to do, but it can be done and it also illustrates that the is ultimately meant to support and act as resistance to your fingers pressing down on the strings.

To go back to your initial question, I'd say there is nothing wrong with using different thumb positions, just use your best judgement. And make sure you are playing without excess tension in your left hand.


----------



## SirMyghin (Jul 15, 2012)

^^

I tend to recommend that to heavy handed players. Play runs without touching the neck with your hands/thumb that is. Gets most people to a much more reasonable touch if they want to improve


----------



## CrownofWorms (Jul 15, 2012)

The way your thumb is doesn't dictate if your bluesy or not


----------



## JStraitiff (Jul 15, 2012)

I play mostly with my thumb over the neck but for some positions where i have to have a wider spacing its necessary to move my thumb down behind the neck to do it comfortably. I only noticed myself doing this recently but i presume ive been doing it for a long time.


----------



## glpg80 (Jul 16, 2012)

I have always played with my thumb behind the neck - the playing without the thumb even touching the neck trick does wonders for technique.

I find it actually necessary to wrap my thumb over the neck doing acoustic style chords though. Bar chords can normally be played with inversions that do not require a bar chord to be held either - its possible to play those without the proper classical technique as well.

Really the only rule that i have always instructed others upon is keeping your hand relaxed, never playing through pain, and keeping your elbow tucked close to your body - as comfortable as possible.


----------



## starslight (Jul 16, 2012)

I like to play thumb-over whenever possible because keeping my fingers angled and playing on the "pads" of my fingers lets me use my fingertips to mute unplayed strings. Open strings ringing out when I'm playing drives me insane, and this is a good way--along with palm-muting--to prevent that from happening.

I don't have giant Paul Gilbert hands, though, so any phrase or riff requiring any kind of stretch necessitates going thumb-behind.


----------



## gandalf (Jul 19, 2012)

It depends on what you are playing. Normally im pretty obsessed with keepin the wrist horizontal to the neck so I have total access to open the hand completely so I can stretch the fingers as much as possible, but for bending I actually use the thumb to help out, this works for me anyway


----------



## Wrecklyss (Jul 21, 2012)

Just play comfortably. If there was a correct way that everyone adhered to, there would be no Jimmy Page, Tom Morello, Eddie Van Halen, Floyd Rose, or Fernandez Sustainer just to name a few players/inventions. If you think your playing is "quirkey", maybe you'll accidentally stumble onto something that sounds cool as shit. My thumb is all over the neck, sometimes on the low B or E fretting an octave or inversion of something else i'm playing.


----------



## The Reverend (Jul 22, 2012)

My thumb never goes over the neck, even when playing open chords. I've tried it to see if maybe it would feel more comfortable, but it just felt weird.

I saw a pop punk band a few months ago where the lead guitarist not only held his thumb over the neck, but used it to play power chords in Drop D while his fingers played triads and unison notes. It was actually really impressive, and shows, to my mind, that there truly is no 'perfect' way to play guitar.


----------



## InfinityCollision (Jul 22, 2012)

Wrecklyss said:


> Just play comfortably. If there was a correct way that everyone adhered to, there would be no Jimmy Page, Tom Morello, Eddie Van Halen, Floyd Rose, or Fernandez Sustainer just to name a few players/inventions. If you think your playing is "quirkey", maybe you'll accidentally stumble onto something that sounds cool as shit. My thumb is all over the neck, sometimes on the low B or E fretting an octave or inversion of something else i'm playing.



Altering your technique to achieve a specific goal is one thing, doing it without thought quite another. The former enhances your playing ability, the latter detracts from it. Thumb in the "classical" position is a technique that's been the standard for similar instruments for centuries simply because it is the optimal hand position for most players/techniques. Learn the rules before you break them, as they say.


----------



## CrownofWorms (Jul 29, 2012)

I sometimes play better when my thumb is pressing really hard on the neck. IDK why and I know some people prefer too press their thumb loosely or let their thumb be totally off the neck, but too each is own I guess


----------



## Dayn (Jul 30, 2012)

My thumb is always on the back of the neck. It _never_ goes over, even on my ukelele. Putting my thumb over just makes my hand form a fist shape and severely restricts my movement.

My thumb doesn't 'do' anything, it just relaxes there. Sometimes it doesn't even touch the neck at all. Given my jumbo frets, my fretting hand often doesn't even touch my neck or fretboard, only string. It makes a great change from when I was a beginner and choking my guitar, getting thumb cramps from the tension.


----------



## kekkuliheikki (Jul 30, 2012)

It really depends on genetics too.

There is not right way but behind the neck is good. Sideways is always bad.


----------



## Cabinet (Jul 30, 2012)

If there was one good thing Michael Angelo Batio ever told me, it's that when I play fast licks that require speed, my thumb presses against the neck so my fingers are perpendicular to the strings over the frets. It makes for much wider stretching.

However, when I bend a note at any point in time, I wrap my hand around the neck like the typical blues player. It gives much more control over the bend and allows for more accuracy and support.


----------



## bob123 (Jul 30, 2012)

I have bear paws for hands. Big huge palm, short stubby fingers lol.

I find my hand naturally is over the neck, even on my 7s. For me to have my thumb on the middle of the back would require crazy hand positions that arent really feasible to play with for me.

In my opinion, there are some techniques that are just infinitely debateable. Pick holding, picking position, and fretting position are some of these...

Besides, how you gonna get those "jimmy" and "vaughn" chords without your thumb over the neck


----------



## RyanG (Jul 31, 2012)

It kinda depends for me as well. I've noticed that the further toward the headstock I am, the more upwards my thumb points, where as the closer to the neckjoint I am the more I point towards the headstock, until I get to the neckjoint at which point my hand pretty much hugs it. Though of course there are always exceptions, if I'm doing heavy bends then I'll put my thumb on the top of the neck, and if I'm doing scale runs or something of that nature that involves a lot of stretching my thumb will be closer to the middle of the neck. It all depends.


----------



## edsped (Aug 3, 2012)

I think everyone should use both positions. I can do most things with my thumb behind the neck that I can with my thumb over the neck, but having it over the neck when possible is more comfortable and it gives much greater control over bends and vibrato which leads to better consistency. The "turning a doorknob" motion that you make for bending and vibrato is much more natural feeling with the neck resting in your hand with your wrist turned a bit than on your thumb with your wrist more parallel.


----------



## AxeHappy (Aug 4, 2012)

I'm too drunk to have read through the whole thread but:

Thumb on the back of the neck 90% of the time.

Thumb gripping the neck for extra strength. Like Bends or some chords. Also from some string dampening stuff.


----------



## All_¥our_Bass (Aug 5, 2012)

My thumb is always behind the neck, never over, and I have my straps set so I point the guitar upward at ~45 degrees almost exclusively. So I end up playing in classical position no matter what.

I've tried putting my thumb over and while not uncomfortable, my fingers didn't have the reach they do in classical position-which bothered me, and I hardly use big barre chords so it's not really an advantage to me at all.

But do whatever works for you as long as you aren't hurting yourself, you can properly mute everything, and (hopefully!! ) play the phrases you are intending to play.


----------



## facecut (Aug 5, 2012)

You can´t really skip either of the two postures. While the thumb behind the neck posture is required whenever you want to capitalize on your whole reach and all 4 fingers or if you are doing barre chords the "baseball bat posture" is excellent for vibrato and bending especially the combination. The knuckle of your 1 finger needs contact with the neck for that. You are sacrificing reach though, 3 and 4 finger have the same reach in that posture. Players who only ever do one of the two postures skip a lot of possibilities.


----------



## Semichastny (Aug 5, 2012)

My thumb is always in the center with gentle pressure, I never put it over.


----------



## gandalf (Aug 6, 2012)

Actually its not really the thumb that is important but more the position of the hand, if your hand is horisontal to the vertical neck then you can open your hand to the fullest and access wide stretches. That being said I actually use my thumb over the neck to make bends easier so I actually use both ways. Hope this helps


----------

