High String Muting

[illumina]

Im in a bit of a rut here.. I could never do this 'well'... so i thought i'd ask my JCF pals...

when playing on the top strings, how are you keeping the licks clean? I have trouble palm muting, especially when the volume knob is so darn close to the pickup! (at least on my jacksons)

Also, when playing fast runs, are you straight palm muting with the right hand? or is there some left hand technique im unaware of?

thanks guys!

[drockilles]

I go for the left hand muting technique. Hard to describe, but when fretting on the high E for example, i'll let me finger overlap a little to the b string, just barely touching it to mute it. If trying to mute a higher string (i.e. playing on the b and muting the e, let your fingetip curve a little to mute the e). Never really analyzed how I do it, but I probably use slight right hand muting also. If you have super low action, that could be part of your problem too.

[shredmonster]

Me too - left hand muting.

If you are playing on the B string for example you can mute the G with the tip of your finger and the E below with the bar of your finger.

[metalhead28]

I am with these guys. I do alot of muting with my fret hand fingers. I usually mute the lower strings with my pick hand, and sometimes I'll mute strings with my pick hand fingers, but that's just when I'm not picking, while doing a bend or holding out a note, something like that. That might be wierd, I don't really know if many people do that so I'm not necessarily recommending it or anything.

[jjw]

left hand muting and you could also stick a hair band at zero fret like greg howe does to dampen unwanted string noise when he taps and string skips at high volume

[illumina]

thanks for the replies, guys

happen to have a sample pic/vid to show? my playing on high strings sounds so sloppy

[jjw]

have a look on Youtube for many vids-not sure if this will be highlighted but you never know.This is also another reason why everyone should practice from time to time in front of a loud amp.Guitars can be difficult beasts to tame

[Newc]

I stick with pick-hand muting on the high E.

But you have to do it right at the saddle or you choke the string.

You do have to work on your pick-hand technique to avoid the knobs, though.

Try anchoring your pinky on the body between the knob and pickup or wrapping it around the pickup ring.

If you're doing the Fan-Hand, try fanning it out more to avoid the knob or curling your pinky in.

[jjw]

just done you a small vid illumina showing you two muting techs-mind you my Jackson is a noisy bastard..lol..and the speakers where the other side of the room so i had to crank it to hear it on the cam mic.

try that pedal exercise i showed on the top two strings and good luck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hFMgLz5xN4

[illumina]

cool!! thanks

so on the on-speed run, you're muting with both left AND right hands?

also, how are you avoid hitting the volume knob when its so close to the pickup?

thanks again

[Newc]

Hmmm. I was thinking more of an Iron Maiden-ish thing like The Duelists. For something like that I rest the first knuckle of my pinky (at the hand) on top of the saddle right where the string comes across, and the rest of my hand edge across the other saddles a bit more, with my pinky extended behind the volume knob.

I'm not muting with my fret-hand on that part, just my pick-hand.

[Guyver1]

also, how are you avoid hitting the volume knob when its so close to the pickup?

I have this exaxt same problem, im forever turning the volume down or off when im playing coz my hand keeps smacking hte volume control.

To this end all my guitars usually have the follwing done to them:

1. I remove the tone control pot (i never use it) and I move the volume pot to the tone position.

2. If no tone control, I simply remove the volume pot and wire straight to the jack plug, and use my pedal board expression pedal to turn volume on/off.

you get used to all your guitars having a small hole where the pot used to be

[jjw]

cool!! thanks

so on the on-speed run, you're muting with both left AND right hands?

also, how are you avoid hitting the volume knob when its so close to the pickup?

thanks again

heavily muted top strings=pinky finger /knuckle near bridge saddle
top B and E = left hand fingers
all the rest=right hand side of palm

misssing the volume knob=practise mate

[Newc]

Yup - practice. I never understood why Lynch always had that fan-hand thing going until I got a Jackson. Then I found the only way to miss the knob was to fan out my fingers like Lynch.

You may also want to seriously re-think your entire picking style to avoid the knob - hand tilted slightly more at an angle, or your pinky curled into a dainty fist, etc

[girlyplaya]

JJW LOVE the accent!!! I have been having the hardest time with learning the PM technique because I choke the strings out and it sounds horrible. One of the first riffs I learned was VH "Ain't talkin bout love" and I can never seem to PM my E/B strings. It is an Am arpeggio.