I'm working on a basic 12 bar blues and I'm having no end of trouble with the palm mute on the strings. Is there a simple way to do this?
(muting the strings back by the saddle is how I usually see it done)
Palm Muting
AndyT wrote:
I've just been moving my hand closer or farther from the bridge until I get the degree of muting I need but it certainly doesn't seem to be an exact science. I suspect that it will just take practice and experience.
Andy- I'm right there with you. This is much harder than it looks on paper especially if you are muting 3-4 bass notes and letting the higher notes ring as is so often done in the blues.I'm working on a basic 12 bar blues and I'm having no end of trouble with the palm mute on the strings. Is there a simple way to do this?
(muting the strings back by the saddle is how I usually see it done)
I've just been moving my hand closer or farther from the bridge until I get the degree of muting I need but it certainly doesn't seem to be an exact science. I suspect that it will just take practice and experience.
It comes with practice, some blues songs it pays to rest the edge of the palm up against the saddle also listen to Neil Young playing acoustic and you can hear he palm mutes a lot, Heart of Gold starts with palm muting on the G before it goes to D its almost simultaneously the down stroke and then the mute done fluidly, hard to put in words but if you take it slow to begin with it does get there and become second nature.
You can do both dependiong on the effect you need, listen to Heart of Gold Neil YOung at massey and he mutes split second after playing, then another good example of muting and picking at same time is Rodrigo y Gabriela on a song called Tamacun its on you tube be ready to be astounded by tehse two..
I too am working on palm muting and feel that it will just take time and practice to get it sounding and feeling right. I learned long ago how to let up on the fretted notes to add a sort of percussive/muted quality to the song and this is another technique you may also want to explore. Keep in mind that it is different from the palm mute and should not be used to replace it but is just another technique to add to your toolbox.
Keep Playing
Ric
Keep Playing
Ric
AndyT wrote:
That crisp, clipped, staccato sound you get in the blues is often left hand muting. The "chunky" sound is usually palm muting.
I act like I know what I'm talking about but I've been watching lots of instructional videos lately that address this subject in a big way!;-)
If you are playing the blues you have to learn both left and right hand muting. Obviously, the palm can only mute groups of strings but the left hand can mute any combination of strings.So do I play the string and then quickly mute it or is there a spot where I place my hand and its already got the 50/50 mute/ring?
That crisp, clipped, staccato sound you get in the blues is often left hand muting. The "chunky" sound is usually palm muting.
I act like I know what I'm talking about but I've been watching lots of instructional videos lately that address this subject in a big way!;-)