Doublethumbing bass tutorial 

So, in about four minutes the double thumb technique is explained in absolute clarity. Now THAT'S good tutorial.

Marlowe, my name's Mustapha, a professional guitarist/bassist in NYC. I love your tutorials. They've helped me so much to get my right hand together. All I can say is thanks!

Thanks alot for teaching this technique. It's the most detailed video that I've seen regarding the double thumb technique. The way you showed it from different angles helped to really illustrate it. Thanks again and God bless.

MarloweDK has 690 videos on here and they're all great. All killer, no filler. I've never come across one lame or BS video. Greatest teacher on the web for bass in this style. Period.

Haha, it's been one year since I last commented about how painful that technique was painful for me to learn. Now I use it without even noticing. It's not as smooth as Marlowe's gesture of course (I've been playing for two years now), but I really enjoy using it. Thank you so much, Marlowe, you brought a whole new taste and colour to my life ! :D

Hello Marlowe ,just watched a few of videos for the first time and I have to say what a fantastic service you are providing to all bass players and aspiring bass players . Absolutely priceless . Many thanks

Hadn't really thought about approaching it like stumming with the pick, but with your thumb instead, but now I actually got it! Excellent tutorial, really helped me with my playing! :)

This was a very helpful video. Thanks Marlowe! You are a natural teacher!

MarlowDK thank you so much for your diligent work on providing these detailed lessons. You have helped me become a better bass player.

Very good technique, i was always wondering how they do it, credit to you now i know the technique, its all about practising the more you practise the better you become just the way you learn how to play a bass guitar...Thanks for the Tip

Very good explanation Marlow. Appreciate your time and patience to help us become better musicians. Thanks again...

The slapping sound most people want to hear mostly comes out of jazz basses (preferably with preamps, like the Marcus Miller signature). The single coils and the large body give that nice, trebly sounds, which most humbuckers or split-coils can't give. Turn the bridge pickup all the way up and then blend the neck pickup to your liking, never can go wrong with that!

very good help for beginners and intermediate bass player,you help me very well,thanks Mr Marlow!

many thanks Thomas!!!...you are a great bassist and a great teacher...thank you so much.

Now this was a good informative bass tuition video. Most other ones are guys just showing off and not really explaining how techniques work at all. Good work man :D

Thank´s, Marlowe...this technique keeps being an unresolved matter for me...but I promised to work hard on it...very clear you explanations. Muchas Gracias !!!

I always wondered how to go about double-thumbing, this is a great video for giving you some insight. Thanks for uploading :)

This guy got soul ,funk and rhythm....👍🎶

not only very very helpful, but explained like a true gentleman... thank yoooo :) peace and love x

Saw Wooten, was inspired, came here to learn the basics. Thank you!

have always been a great help! Thanks for these videos!

I like the double thumbing technique rather than a pick. This is another great video.

575 sticked with it and learned it 9 expected they would instantly master the double thumb simply just watching this excellent tutorial

Marlowe you are awesome and I really appreciate your work.

I just simply love your videos

Excellent teacher!

Gracias desde Argentina, Marlowe!!!!!! Muy útil toda la data...siempre una inspiración!

You have an unbelievable talent for explaining things to me (and Bass haha), Thanks!

Perfect explanation, the best I've found around. Thank you so much Marlowe!! :D Keep on with your music!

Marlowe might not be Wooten, but I don't think he is a worse musician, he has unique style and technique. Cheers man, keep on!

never too late to learn something new, just another thing to add to your repertoire, you can always learn more

iv been playing bass for 4 years now and am pretty good at slap bass, but this! its like relearning how to slap! why did i not know about this till now haha

Thanks for the tutorial, very straightforward and easy to understand

Hey! Tak for tutorial! Jeg elsker måden du formår at skære tingene ud i pap uden at det bliver trættende at høre på. Du gør det virkelig godt og jeg har lært meget af dig:)

it's a true tutorial, very useful, I've learnt something very practical from you. Thank you very much

Very interesting, i hadn't tought of playing this way. You are a good teacher!

thanks for your time and patience. very well explained. Thanks again for your time... appreciate it!!!

thanks believe it or not this was alot more informative at least for me than Victor Wooten's video on You Tube great!!!!! I love your vids

@TheNeuroticBassPlay I always trim my nails, and they dont matter when doublethumbing

Thank you Marlowe, I love you videos. Long time watcher 1st time subscriber!

nice tutorial, it makes me wanna learn to play the bass. i have been looking at your other vids, you got some funky grooves man :D awesome work

Hi Marlowe nice MM signature bass I've got the natural finish one...best damn bass I've ever had. Your playing is sick keep up the low end oscillations.

Great vid! Thanks a lot for taking the time to make this for us!

You're the best , double thumb is always a bit of a black art until someone explains it like this

excellent stile and detail of tutorial. much appreciated :)

This funky tune is engraved in my head now...

nice one mate I am finally starting to work on this technique

If you actually watched the video, you would know. great video by the way. you answered a very important question that I've had for years :)

Good tutorial and I love your tone!

love the MM bass in white

Thanks for the lesson, very clearly explained and informative.

nice technique... you're a very good instructor. i've spent some time watching your vids. take good care...

Thanks, Marlowe! Helped a lot!

@SimulacronX Any roundwound string will do, i prefer nickel coated, gauge 45 - 105. Remember that a certain technique doesnt require a certain change in hardware;-)

Yup... this is for sure a technique that all bass players should have a go at... great for unusual or fast rhythmic patterns. I responded with a video using this technique MarloweDK. =]

Grazie amico consigli utilissimi per questa tecnica bellissima

@JAZZiBABA Its just a technique, string number should not mean anything, you just have to get used to it

As always, very helpful, thanks!

Hi Marlow, Have to say that this is the only video that I have come across that actually shows how the thing is really done... I am practicing the double thumb but I get a kind of muffled sound instead of the clean tone you have shown here. I think I know what I am getting wrong now.. Thanks

Thanks, again. Great lessons.

@TheNeuroticBassPlay When playing normally (plucking with my fingers) I make sure my nails are very short. Otherwise I can't play as fast and my nails will mess up the tone. But for slapping it shouldn't matter too much

Haha thanks! You just made my slap sound sound (ha ha haa) 10 times better! Never really thought about my string height, too, I now realize ;)

Elsker Dansk Accent :D Fedt spillet! Du kan godt gå hen og blive min inspiration.. venter på min nye bas og så skal du se mig hænge på din hjemmeside og lærer 24-7!

@JAZZiBABA You can still use your index and middle to pop with as in standard slap

Perfect explanation.Bravo!

Very good tutorial

what a nice tone

Excellent tutorial, sir. Thanks very much..

Marlowe, you did a great job, and you definitely get 5 stars, but different people have given very different responses; when you are "upstroking" the thumb, are you actually "popping" it, in the same sense your index finger would do in normal slap style, or are you using the nail of your thumb to make a pick-like sound? Thanks in advance.

Great video :) It helped my regular slap bass too :)

Gracais muy bueno ese video, Exitos... lo practicare...

VERY good teaching

Merci beaucoup pour toutes ces Vidéos!!

Been watching some other vids on this technique, Marlowe, thanks. Check out the vid by casimer on double thumb triplets, he shows a slow motion closeup and it shows the thumb makes a kind of circular motion on the way down and back up. As I start to get the hang of this I feel my thumb doing it also. I still have a ways to go yet, but I'm getting close. Hard to make all the notes ring, need more practice and tougher skin!

Outstanding.

awesome lesson man... keep it up..

GREAT SOUND!!

Dude I love your videos! Just got myself a MIM 50s reissue and love learning great techniques for funk. Just curious what your prefered body wood is for your basses? I see you like your maple neck, such as i do as well. Do you prefer the standard alder for your basses? I have not played a swamp ash body, maple neck combo, but i am very interested in trying it! What are your thoughts

Very good man...really useful...thanks

Great! And the website is really cool too! Congrats!

some parts for some reason reminded me of a jaw harp. This video is really slow, but that's perfect for this fairly advanced technique. Great video

you are an amazing teacher...quelle patience ...mon francais est mauvais

@MarloweDK I asked because the distance between strings is different...smaller. Thank you for your answers.

a lot of good info......favorited

Fantastic video brother.

I can just imagine you working in a call centre looking like that ... then putting people on hold and playing some funk'd up shit ! XD

genial! es una buena explicacion! sera mi comienzo en el doble pulgar...thanks! very good job!

Ive learned more from MarloweDK and his channel than 3 years of lessons....

hey dude, watchin all ure videos, theyre great instructional tools. question: when u thumb with the right hand do u keep ure other fingers in the right hand loose or clench a fist? ive seen both styles

thanks Marlowe whenever i would do this with the g string it would always go directly down instead of resting on the pick guard. Very helpful

Hi Marlowe, your tutorials really helped me ! You're great ! THX so much. I have a question about practising double thumb technique. If I'm practising this technique that way shown in video above, wouldn't I be a problem with using index and middle finger then ? I mean, I will want to add these fingers for some bassline, my hand will be used to do too big movements and this isn't good for using next fingers. Or do U think it won't be a problem ? Don't U have any video for practising this?Alex

Hey Marlow i have just started watching your vids they are brilliant Do you play in a band?

Does it make sense to pivot your thumb for extra pop leverage on the returning strike, or should you rely solely on the motion of the wrist and keep your thumb straight?

thanks, now I understood how to do this.

hey man great video! thanks for lesson!

Great video!

Great Playing Bro!

Hi Marlowe ! I wanna thank you very much for your bass lessons. they help me pretty much. Please, what kind of string do you think is better for slap and double thumb techniques ? Medium or light strings. Thanks again.

it'll be worth it when you have awesome bass chops!! :)

@MarloweDK what can you say about to first practice in this technique, is better with strings cal .030 than .045? could be easy to play it? thanks you for your time, you're the best bass teacher online!