Training A Temperamental Thumb

By Anne Sullivan 

Does your thumb sometimes stick out like...well, a sore thumb? Or maybe it just doesn’t work as well as your other fingers? Thumbs can be a little temperamental, but we need them to be reliable if we want to play fast, even scales and beautiful chords.

I remember struggling with my double-jointed thumbs as a young harp student. My thumbs would bend backwards, and the middle joint would collapse inward. As my teacher pointed out, the result was that my thumbs were difficult to control in terms of volume and timing. But with some focused practice, my thumbs became stronger and more reliable. 

The process of training your thumbs can take a bit of time and attention. However, there are only three fairly simple steps to the process, and they will make you and your thumbs best friends.

Step One: C-Position

You need to create space between your thumb and your second finger. It’s easiest to describe this space as a letter “C.” To make the “C,” be sure the middle knuckle of your thumb (the one next to the webbing between your thumb and second finger) is pushed out, away from your second finger. If that knuckle collapses, so does the space, and then your thumb will find it difficult to play.

But when the middle knuckle is held away from the second finger, that space automatically opens up. Now your thumb has room to play and your entire hand is open and relaxed.   

Step Two: Motion 

Now that your thumb has room to move, it must move. Just as your other fingers close into your hand to produce a full sound and to stay relaxed, your thumb will move across that C-shaped space and close on top of the middle knuckle of your second finger. That motion provides the same benefits as closing your other fingers. It keeps your thumb relaxed and allows you to have control over the dynamic and tone of each note you play.

Step Three: Listen

It is impossible to watch your thumbs all the time. When you work on technical exercises, you can and should watch your hand carefully so you can spot any irregularities. But when you play music, you can’t pay the same level of attention; in fact, paying that much attention to your fingers would severely impair your ability to play musically. So what can you do to train your thumbs while you play and practice? You must listen.

That’s a strong start to training your thumbs to play well. Give yourself a big “thumbs up!”